What we have here is a failure to communicate.
Arizona has Proposition 102 on the ballot this November. Originally I had planned on a long-winded post regarding the far-reaching consequences that the Far Right will be inflicting on itself (and the cause of Christ as a whole) by forcing through a bill of this nature. But just as I would chide the supporters of Prop 102 for attempting to act and speak on behalf of God, I can't allow myself to play the pretend prophet either. So rather than try to change anyone's mind, I am merely going to explain the commands of Christ as I see them and leave it at that.
I am not in support of Prop 102 for one reason: I do not see enough in the Word of God that would lead me to believe He would limit the legal rights of otherwise equal human beings.
The foundation upon which I build my life is my faith in Christ so it's there I'll begin. According to the Bible, homosexuality is a sin. Period. As a Christian, I accept this as an unavoidable Truth, in the same way I accept that lying and gossip and lust are also sins. My distaste for Prop 102 does not come from an avoidance of this particular facet of the particular Religious Law that I follow. Scripture makes clear God's feelings on the matter of "sin" and I'm in no way trying to deny the Truth that sin - any sin - has no place in God's presence.
In all honesty, I can understand why the proponents of 102 take the above Truth as far as they do. Still, I don't agree. I believe that the Truth begins and ends with the statement "homosexuality is a sin". Acknowledge that as the Word of God and go no further. I believe the body of Christ has been called to do one thing - love. The first commandment is to love God and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Period.
I can not, in good conscience, approve a proposition that undermines the free will and equality of a good-sized minority. Whether or not I agree with their lifestyle is irrelevant. As someone who has also sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (on a regular basis), I can see no reason why the benefits I would garner from a heterosexual marriage should be denied to someone who desires the same benefits when they are doled out by our government and not our churches.
To me, this is not a question of whether or not I agree with the idea of a man wanting to commit his life to another man. It's a question of whether or not I believe all men are created equal, not just in the eyes of the state and the nation but in the eyes of God as well. Furthermore, if I accept that to be true and accept that we are all given the free will to live our lives as we so choose, I can't see a basis for denying certain rights to certain people simply because their choices are different from my own.
In the end - and to me, this may be the most important factor that I need to think about as a Christian regarding the issue - our unjust judgment over this group of people does not show an accurate imitation of Christ to the world. We must allow for the world to change and do our best not to adapt the earth to a belief system it does not follow. We are not called to become like it or to make it more pleasant for us to live in. Rather, we are asked to be "little Christs" as C.S. Lewis said, impersonating as best we can the unconditional grace we've been shown.
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (Galatians 5:6)
It is because of love that they will come to know Him. There can not be another way.
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3 comments:
Well said, my friend. Ours is Prop 8.
Where I totally get where you are coming from, and I don't totally disagree, but I think we need to be careful. If someone asks me to define marriage and what do I think it should be -then I should also vote that way. Not because I want to impose my beliefs on someone but because I want to be consistent. The idea that this way works for me but may not work for you is dangerous. Christ is the only way. (and what a great way even when we give up things we love) I don't want to help someone on a slippery slope to separation from Christ. I hope that I am protecting them. That I am loving them. Like a parent. As a kid I hated that I wasn't allowed to wear the short skirts I wanted. But my parents were protecting my future, my reputation, my innocence. My best friend is gay. I love her but I do not accept her love life. I totally agree! Love them. Love isn't always giving your family what they want but helping them make good decisions. Sometime you have to be unpopular to do that. Sorry. This was really long. :)
That was why I wanted to state from the get-go that I do not think homosexuality is the will of Christ. I disagree with it, yes. But taking away the legal benefits that come from a union sanctioned by a secular government? To me, that is saying "you can have your free will, but because I'm (or we're) in power, you're going to be punished for exercising it in a way I don't agree with". To me, it's akin to forcing abstinence until marriage. I CHOOSE to abstain because I CHOSE to follow Christ and obey his commands. In addition, though, I do it because I know that His rules are for my own good and He isn't just being a spoilsport. But do I have the right to try to force everyone else to do the same thing - even if it IS for their own good?
I don't believe God wants forced submission and, essentially, that's what I feel this proposition would be doing - bending a particular group of people to the laws of (a) God that they don't follow. The point of the law is to help us, not hurt us. If it's only souring people to the notion of accepting Christ, what good is it going to do?
Gah, sorry! This was just as long! But thank you, very much, for you comments. I honestly appreciate the respectful and polite "debate".
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