Myrl Allinder is married to the former Martha E. Smith of Augusta, GA since 1956. They rejoice in 4 children, and in 5 grandchildren.  Myrl retired as a Colonel of Marines in 1986 after 29 years, 375 combat missions, and command of 3 squadrons. He served on the staff of the Secretary of Defense for 3 years, and as a Strategic Planner for the Department of the Navy at the Naval War College, Newport, RI for 4 years. His final job was Chief of Plans, Joint Deployment Agency, Joint Chiefs of Staff, developing Logistics War Plans for all Theaters, including the Middle East.

Upon retirement he served as a missionary in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America from 1987-2000. Today he volunteers in the Pinellas County Jail (4,000 prisoners, 1000 arrests per week), in the Suncoast Haven of Rest rescue mission (7,000 homeless); and as a Gideon distributes thousands of Bibles each year to students and foreigners in the Tampa Bay area. He is an usher at Bayside Church of God in Safety Harbor, FL, serving on the Missions Committee.

“Homosexual acts are immoral [like adultery] ....we should not condone immoral acts."—Gen. Peter Pace USMC, Chairman JCS

"He who changes the definition of a word perverts the people." 500 B.C. Greek philosopher

"It depends on what your definition of "is" is."  President William Clinton

Perversion is defined in dictionaries as:  truth twisted, just a little bit.  Thank God I married the world's most honest, truthful woman; which is ironic because I was the world's biggest liar and deceiver (yep, I beguiled my Eve, Gen 3:13).  I habitually excused my truth twisting with:  well, Dad was alcoholic;  well, I had to go to work when I was 11; well, I've been living alone since 14 in mud huts and tarpaper shacks; well, it's really my idiosyncrasy, not a lie; etc. ad nauseum.

By God's grace and the first 25 years of marriage, my wife finally delivered me of my perversions by her consistent confronting and exposing my evangel-elastic utterings.  Oh yeah:  I was big in the church, big in Christian fellowship groups, big in Christian TV from 1970-76 (presiding over 2000 or more in prayer breakfasts in the Hilton and in the Pentagon).  Also big in exaggerations, boastings, struttings, reputations, showmanship and entertainment.  (Yes, entertainment; how else to describe some of the mega-church rotating billboard advertisements of visiting songbirds and eminences whose cd's/books/etc are on sale in the lobby, uh, church narthex?)

Did I mention how much I really hated homosexuals?  Two times in my boyhood wanderings (from Missiouri to New Mexico to Carolina and finally Georgia) men had inappropriately touched me, and I was filled with a murderous loathing and rage.  When confronted with the standard homosexual argument, "I can't help myself; I was born this way," I would attempt to persuade the homosexual of his error in choices; that if he would just make right choices he would be freed.  Apparently, unlike me, all homosexuals were totally incapable of making the right choice.

It was midnight, Friday 13, Jan 1984 in Newport, RI (how could I forget it?).  I was home alone, a strategic planner at the Naval War College, praying over all the world crises, reminding God I was available and here's another brilliant idea for what to do with the heathen in D.C. and the muslims in Arab-land and the perverts in San Francisco.  There is no other way to describe what happened next..... God spoke to me:  What about THIS in your life?  My response:  God, You're changing the subject... I was talking about Major World problems... You are asking about my tiny idiosyncrasy.  (My evangel- elastically speaking.  My exaggerations.  My lies.)  At once, a Light came on that black January midnight in RI; but all the Light illuminated was my heart... which was full of worms and rot and snakes!

I fell out on the floor crying, I agree! Those are lies.. not idiosyncrasies. The question stabbed me:  Myrl, what is perversion?  As my answer, I started pointing to San Francisco. Perversion, Myrl, is truth-twisted. Who do you suppose twists the truth the most:  an ignorant brute abusing himself with another, or marvelous-Myrl-the-macho-Marine who lies, but won't call it a lie, calling lies his idiosyncrasies.  By the way:  to whom much is given, much is required (Lk 12:48). Whoever is unfaithful in the least is unfaithful in very much (Lk 16:10).  Who is the biggest pervert?

A new prayer came from my lips that night:  O God! have mercy upon us perverts.  I began to identify with... and not despise... the homosexual, who is not gay (see dictionary for definition of gay).  I began to reach out to homosexuals with genuine concern and interest, and the next one who said to me, I was born this way, I agreed.  You are right!  And now let me tell you how I was born:  a liar, a cheater, a deceiver, an adulterer.  But guess what?  As soon as I agreed with God that these were sins... perversions... He began to change me!  And if He can change me, He can change ANYbody, even a Yankee! (Southern joke).  Like all former liars/cheaters/etc, as soon as a sinner agrees with the Truth, that his sin is indeed sinful, God sets him free, changes him into a new creation.  2 Cor 5:17

American businessmen must rely on and insist on consistent definitions of all words... words like marriage, and contracts.  If one man or one group are granted permission to change the definition of even one word, then all men and all groups can change definitions of more words.  Our culture would then become not only perverse... but chaotic.  All contracts, all business negotiations would be subject to lawsuits and discussion of what the definition of  is is.

God, the Inventor of all language, has defined sin for us in the 10 Commandments.  Woe to them who call evil Good, and Good evil; who put darkness for Light, and Light for darkness.  Isaiah 5:20

P.S.: What happens when America stumbles and our words become contrary to God's?   As for MY people, children oppress them and women rule over them.  Isaiah 3, especially vv 8 & 12.