First, a housecleaning item. Nate, if you looked in the comments after yours, I mentioned that I ride a 2007 Harley Sportster, and hope to eventually get a Heritage Softail Classic. I wasn't hiding what I ride from you. :-)
It is nine days since Election Day, and the most noise in the country is still about Proposition 8 passing here in California. Barack Obama winning the Presidential Election? That's so "yesterday". The "No" side of the vote is out in full throat, and it looks like there will be no backing down from them. We even had Melissa Etheridge claim that she would no longer be paying her California State Income Taxes because of the vote's outcome. Let's see how well that goes over in a state with a deep budget deficit.
Of course from reading, you come to find out that Prop 8 only passed because the Extreme Right-Wing Christian Zealots were against it, and we got all our bigoted, homophobic, "all gays should die" friends to join us in voting.
Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. While there may be some on the outer edges who may agree and wish the above, the overwhelming majority of us rebuke that type of thought and language. Christians have gay and lesbian people in our lives. I do, and I care about my friends and family that are homosexuals, and I wish absolutely no ill on them, but I also believe that they should not be joined in marriage. Marriage to me is as defined in the Bible, one man and one woman.
Actually, I have no problem with a legal document between two consenting adults that would give them some basic "rights" that have always been there for heterosexual couples. That includes, but only, being able to visit their partner in a hospital, because I believe that nobody should be denied seeing a loved one (whether you agree or disagree with their relationship) if him or her were in ICU or in their dying days. Again, just not a marriage.
I had this discussion with Pastor Harry last Tuesday during our meeting. I asked him if being a Christian meant I was supposed to shun my friends and family that are gay, and if my thoughts, like stated above, were wrong and against Christian beliefs. He told me "absolutely not", as we are not to turn anyone away, and my thoughts about some kind of civil agreement, were not out of line. We discussed that Jesus sat with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners (and maybe even the occasional tax preparer :-) ).
I felt better after Pastor Harry and I spoke, because I felt I was right in loving my friends and family members, because they are my friends and family members, but at the same time as a Christian not approving of their lifestyle. But, I wanted the reassurance that my feelings were correct and inline with what I was reading in the Bible, and that I can separate the two.
OK, so I opened the door here for some discussion, and hopefully did not make anyone too uncomfortable. Do my friends and readers agree with above? Do my Christian friends and readers agree with what I have written?
The reason I started this was because I wanted to expand this over the next day or so to talk about how my perception has changed of who and what a Christian can be, and how I feel Christians are portrayed. Then that would give you a little better understanding when I bring over the thank you letter I presented to Pastor Harry at CRB.
Thank you for indulging me these next few posts.
Until the next time.....
What is TRUTH?
2 months ago
5 comments:
The fun thing about our system of government (when it works) is that when the population of a state vote and say "no" to something...you can move to a different state. This, of course, only works when the federal government doesn't overstep its Constitutional bounds (like they did with Roe v. Wade) and override the will of the states. So, Melissa Etheridge, why don't you move to a different state? It's well within you rights.
As to the more specific portion of this post, I agree with you, Sal, and possibly add to it with this: Let them have legal rights, but why should they push their morality on us and be allowed to call it marriage. Funny how they all get up in arms when the Christian Right tries to push their morality on everyone else, but this example of it going the other way is perfectly fine. [insert rolling eyes smiley]
To risk sounding trite, "Love the sinner, hate the sin."
When you talk about not shunning your friends despite their lifestyle, or caring that they have a chance to see their loved ones in times of need no matter what gender that loved one may be, that's a perfect example of loving the sinner.
Heck, we're all sinners. To paraphrase the New Testament, it would be hypocritical to shun them for their sins when we have our own sins to worry about.
But if you ask me to embrace the sin and vote to accept it, I will not do so. I will fight the sin. And by the sound of things, the majority of California voters would agree with me. (There may be some hope for that state yet. ;) )
Yakko - Exactly my point, but that message is not getting out.
Also, you were not trite at all. Exactly the phase I should have used yesterday. I will "borrow" it for my next post.
The way I see it, Sal... I do not, and will never agree, with that lifestyle, but it is not for me to judge. You are right that Jesus spent more time with those that were not "perfect"... because He was giving an example. The pious and "holy" people (Pharisees and Saducees) believed rules were what saved them and that their "father" was Abraham. They failed to see they had their Savior right in front of them and yet they were the ones to "cast the first stone."
Too many times people look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. He looks on my heart and sees the sins I commit and still loves me. I am just a sinner saved by the grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Sin is sin.. no matter how big or how small. Jesus came for all... not just those that live a "perfect" life. How are we to get that message to others if we do not show them the love of Christ? The older I get the more I realize that it takes a lifetime of learning and growing to become more like Christ in all aspects. Learning to look past the faults of others and see them as Christ sees them is what we are expected to do.
You're growing, Sal.... good thoughts.
By the way... as I read Yakko's post I agreed wholeheartedly with the statement of:
"But if you ask me to embrace the sin and vote to accept it, I will not do so. I will fight the sin. And by the sound of things, the majority of California voters would agree with me. (There may be some hope for that state yet. ;) )"
That would be my thoughts exactly.
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