First of all, I am a Christian first and foremost. I love this nation but this nation is not my hope. Even if all of society disagrees with me, I will still hold true to what is right and what is good. Homosexual acts are a sin. Everything that I have read in the Bible tells me this is true. I cannot stand by and be a moral relativist in any area. This does not mean that someone who is gay is not a Christian. We have a God who came to this Earth and died for all of us and anyone who accepts Him is accepted by Him. So for my fellow Christians who identify themselves as gay, I would strongly encourage you to speak with your minister or priest. Some ministers and priests will say it's a sin and others will not say it's a sin. As Christians, we are responsible to God for our actions. Our greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is why all should examine themselves on a regular basis and ensure they are following the teachings of the Bible. This would include seeking the council of someone who is much wiser in the scriptures than themself. If you are not a Christian then these rules do not apply to you. You more than likely see Christianity as a bunch of rules that determine who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell. That is not Christianity and I would hope that you would explore it. You will find that our Hope is in Christ. That someone must be punished for our sins and that someone was Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin or to the law. We die to sin daily and the law reminds us that we can never meet God's standards. That does not mean that we do not try to live like we should. It just means that we know that our behavior will never be good enough to get us to God.
As for us Christians who are not gay, we need to remember that we are just as broken as any other human being. We get hung up on individual sins quiet often. If someone gossips, it's a sin but not such a bad sin. If someone is gay, it's a huge sin. If you're a Christian then you should know that sin is sin. We are all rebellious. We have all been the enemy of God. So what this comes down to many times is behavior modification. We want to take those who are not saved and change their behavior before Christ has called them into His kingdom. Many times we are reminded that we are Heaven's ambassadors here on Earth. Following that logic then we should know that an ambassador does not go to another country to change it's laws. They are there to represent their country. They are still subject to their country's laws and they are there to help their fellow countrymen in that foreign land. Why is it then we are so concerned about the behavior of foreigners that do not understand our way of life or our way of thinking? The best way to represent your nation is to serve others in the host nation. That means as long as we are not violating the laws of our homeland then we are to serve those around us. This is the essence of Christianity. Christ was the ultimate foreigner. He was God living with His creation. He was the Creator living in the same kind of body as His creation. Yet, He served us and on a daily basis. He served the prostitute. He served the woman with multiple husbands. He served the tax collector. He even served soldiers of the occupying force. He never once violated His law in doing so.
What is the proper role of the government in this entire debate? I do not believe in laws that force someone to serve others (excluding violations of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments). I also do not believe in laws that condone such actions. That might be the easy way out of that debate but so be it. Having said that when it comes to marriage, I believe in a neutral government as well. Marriage is a religious ceremony. The state should not be in the business of regulating marriage. The state should not charge two people between $22 and $82 to enter into a covenant with God. Having said that, a marriage license does not violate God's Law so as a Christian, I was still obligated to follow that law and custom about a week ago even though I disagree with it. Also having said all of that, the state will continue to regulate marriage. That is not going away anytime soon if ever. That means that the state must not make laws that prohibit the free exercise of religion or establish a religion. This means if someone's religion allows them to marry someone of the same gender then the government must recognize it. While I do not condone gay marriage, I cannot condone the government trampling another person's right to freely worship the way they see fit. God gave them the right to freedom of religion, not society and not the government.
I know many Christians who are worried about the country no longer reflecting their values. To them I say to put their hope and trust in Christ not our nation. I do love this nation and I am happy everyday that I can live in an environment that allows me to worship the way that I see fit but if tomorrow that all ended, I would still have hope. I would still worship Christ.
For those who are gay, please do not feel as though I do not love you. I do love you. I do not look at you as inferior to me. If you are saved by the blood of our savior then I do not think of you as less of a Christian. I will still talk with you, laugh with you and serve you.
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