The Gay Marriage Proposition...
My wife and I were debating the gay marriage proposition that our state voted in. God used this discussion to remind me of what's really important.
For one, I was reminded of His scripture where it says:
Matthew 28:36-40
[36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
[37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
[38] This is the first and great commandment.
[39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
[40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
This spoke a plethora to my heart as I held onto the scripture. How does this amendment affect me? How does this amendment show love for our brothers? How does this amendment demonstrate our love for God?
The answer seemed surprising to me...it doesnt. After contemplating on this, I realized, this amendment does not demonstrate these two most important commandments I hold dear.
It takes focus off the first and most important commandment. How will my love for God grow or mature by supporting this amendment? I dont believe it can.
It definitely does not demonstrate the second. If anything, this amendment demonstrates a hatred toward our brothers and sisters. It shows a serious lack of maturity on the part of our law-makers and voters. People have blindly bid into what they believe to be the "right choice" when in fact they have blindly stripped away part of citizens' 1st amendment rights.
The government has no place to tell someone who they can and cannot marry, save for the sake of an incestual relationship. They are using this opportunity to strip rights away from the people.
I have asked myself many times this morning how this affects me. Does this make me a bad Christian? Does this mean I dont support God's will? My answer is no to both. God's word says homosexuality is a sin. He didnt say go hate everyone who commits sin. In fact, God says to love sinners and teach them, not persecute them.
First example:
Matthew 28:19
[19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
This doesnt exactly scream persecute to me. Maybe I'm crazy?
Second example:
2 Timothy 4:2
[2] Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Interesting verse here. For anyone who isnt familiar with the terminology, longsuffering translates most correctly to patience. So preach whether its a good time or bad. Provide correction and condemn sin, but be patient with people and use the Word of God to back it up.
So here we have it. Patiently teach people what is right. I still dont see anything that says persecute.
Now I'm sure some would say that I'm just pulling on all this religious stuff to back my opinion. Well, here's a non-religious viewpoint that seems to share some of what I'm saying as well.
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.
-Martin Niemoller
I'm sure this poem rings familiar with many. The point of it is that you should stand up for what is right, even if its not necessarily something you might support or be a part of. You shouldnt sit back and say, "oh this isnt my issue. I dont belong to that group." Because if you dont, when its your turn to get persecuted, no one may be left to stand up for your issue.
My point is this. The issue at hand isnt whether or not gay people should or shouldnt be allowed to get married. The issue is rights. Our government is supposed to be "of the people, by the people, for the people". Well, how does this amendment protect these people?!
For one, I was reminded of His scripture where it says:
Matthew 28:36-40
[36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
[37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
[38] This is the first and great commandment.
[39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
[40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
This spoke a plethora to my heart as I held onto the scripture. How does this amendment affect me? How does this amendment show love for our brothers? How does this amendment demonstrate our love for God?
The answer seemed surprising to me...it doesnt. After contemplating on this, I realized, this amendment does not demonstrate these two most important commandments I hold dear.
It takes focus off the first and most important commandment. How will my love for God grow or mature by supporting this amendment? I dont believe it can.
It definitely does not demonstrate the second. If anything, this amendment demonstrates a hatred toward our brothers and sisters. It shows a serious lack of maturity on the part of our law-makers and voters. People have blindly bid into what they believe to be the "right choice" when in fact they have blindly stripped away part of citizens' 1st amendment rights.
The government has no place to tell someone who they can and cannot marry, save for the sake of an incestual relationship. They are using this opportunity to strip rights away from the people.
I have asked myself many times this morning how this affects me. Does this make me a bad Christian? Does this mean I dont support God's will? My answer is no to both. God's word says homosexuality is a sin. He didnt say go hate everyone who commits sin. In fact, God says to love sinners and teach them, not persecute them.
First example:
Matthew 28:19
[19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
This doesnt exactly scream persecute to me. Maybe I'm crazy?
Second example:
2 Timothy 4:2
[2] Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Interesting verse here. For anyone who isnt familiar with the terminology, longsuffering translates most correctly to patience. So preach whether its a good time or bad. Provide correction and condemn sin, but be patient with people and use the Word of God to back it up.
So here we have it. Patiently teach people what is right. I still dont see anything that says persecute.
Now I'm sure some would say that I'm just pulling on all this religious stuff to back my opinion. Well, here's a non-religious viewpoint that seems to share some of what I'm saying as well.
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.
-Martin Niemoller
I'm sure this poem rings familiar with many. The point of it is that you should stand up for what is right, even if its not necessarily something you might support or be a part of. You shouldnt sit back and say, "oh this isnt my issue. I dont belong to that group." Because if you dont, when its your turn to get persecuted, no one may be left to stand up for your issue.
My point is this. The issue at hand isnt whether or not gay people should or shouldnt be allowed to get married. The issue is rights. Our government is supposed to be "of the people, by the people, for the people". Well, how does this amendment protect these people?!