Sunday, June 28, 2015

Don't let them jerk your chain...

As a Christian...I have no problem with the recent supreme court decision on gay marriage.  After all, it is little more than a government sanctioned legal contract between consenting adults.  Wouldn't it be nice if they just called it the "Any Pair of Consenting Adults Can Get Married Now" law?  What I do have a problem with is when a shield meant to protect one group is used as a sword against another.  Providing a specific law for a specifically labeled group automatically created a division.  The new law appears to be inclusive while in reality it is intentionally divisive.  By giving a portion of the population a label (LGBT), it automatically creates a division... an us vs. them paradigm.  You can't please all the people all the time and as far as rights go - it is give and take.  Well guess what?  We are all sinners.  WE ARE ALL SINNERS.  No law changes that because you cannot legislate morality or any perception of it.

Non believers seem to get awfully defensive when Christians talk about sin.  Don't mistake correction for condemnation.  Judgement is God's job - not man's.  There is no better definition of self righteous than those who put their own importance above God.  No sin is greater than another sin in the eternal sense and there is no one on this planet who is without sin.  All sin separates us from God, and all sin needs to be atoned for.  All sins are "mortal" sins in that even one sin makes the offender worthy of spiritual death and eternal separation from God.  Although the Bible doesn't name any one sin as the greatest sin, it does refer to the unpardonable sin, which is the sin of unbelief.  There is no pardon for a person who dies in unbelief.  The Bible is clear that, in His love for mankind, God provided the means of eternal salvation - Jesus Christ and His death on the cross - for "whoever believes in Him" (John 3:16)  The only condition under which forgiveness would not be granted concerns those who reject the only means of salvation.  Jesus said, "I am the way the the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6), making it clear that He and He alone is the path to God and salvation.

Jesus has authority over the supreme court and the court of public opinion and his message is clear...LOVE.  When our opinions and preferences become more important than the message from the Kingdom of God, we are lost.  "This is my commandment, That ye love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

Don't let the government jerk your chain.

28 comments:

Dizzy-Dick said...

Yes, leave it to God. He did destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember why??? I do.

George said...

Well said, thank you.

Unknown said...

Love is love. Judge not.

J said...

I've always been of the opinion that government sanctioned legal marriage and the religious ceremonial marriage are two very distinct things. The government sanctioned one, along with all of the tax, inheritance, insurance and other benefits should be available to ANY two adults. The religious ceremonial one can differ according to whatever a specific religion sanctions.

Unknown said...

It seems that several of my friends that claim to be Christians are supporting the homosexual lifestyle for fear of being judgemental and alienating others. Sexual immorality is sin. I was just as bad as anyone in that area as an adulterer and laying with I can't even count how many women. Even for many years after being Saved by Grace.

The issue isn't legal marriage for homosexuals for me but the attack on Christianity. But, what's new? The Romans and the Jewish Pharisees crucified our Lord. The first century Roman Empire was immoral as hell. Where is that empire today? The same place the USA will be some day. Lost in history.

My agreement as a follower of Christ is to carry the message of the Gospel to other sinners so that they might also have Eternal Life and sometimes I get dirty.

Larry G said...

I find myself in agreement with J.

Margery Billd said...

nope, nope, nope---never did, don't, and probably won't---friendship, love, legal rights one thing, but marriage :-) insanity

WhyR said...

AAAAHH... the sound on the breeze of conservative and fundamentalist heads exploding... such sweet music...

Margery Billd said...

More business for our friends the lawyers now.

Unknown said...

(Daniel 3)

18 "... be it known unto thee, O king,
that we will not serve thy gods,
nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished,
and rose up in haste, and spake,
and said unto his counsellors,
Did not we cast three men bound into the midst
of the fire? They answered and said unto the king,
True, O king.

25 He answered and said,
Lo, I see four men loose,
walking in the midst of the fire,
and they have no hurt;
and the form of the fourth
is like the Son of God."

Unknown said...

In the beginning (that is a long time ago) God spoke and from non-order He created order. He separated the night from the day, the oceans from the land, the upper waters from the lower waters, and when He created man He said it was not good that man should be alone so He created woman. God told them to be fruitful and multiply. He created one man and one woman and a family. That is God´s order and will for mankind. He called us to be holy, like He is. And he never changed His mind.

J said...

But, Ann, that's why there is a difference between government sanctioned legal marriage and religion sanctioned ceremonial marriage. The legal one for ALL citizens, and the ceremonial one for the beliefs of each religion.

Unknown said...

But God does not make that difference. All life is called to be holy. All rulers are subject to Him. All government is subject to Him.

J said...

Your beliefs should not be legally binding on those who don't share them.

Unknown said...

They are not my views. It is in the Bible. God does not separate secular and sacred. Please check the Bible and see what He says. God bless.

J said...

Not your views? Interesting. I've read the bible. Used to believe it too.

John Wells said...

Acts 5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Margery Billd said...

Waste of time. Thirty -five years ago I vehemently differed with my gay friends who wanted me to joined the gay association and showed me their fancy office at Ohio State University. So I never joined. But I learned to keep my mouth shut or state what is right for me and no more discussion. I cannot control people, places, or situations -- only myself. Live and let live. We all have our own path. None of my business. History repeats itself. Decadence signals the downfall of a nation. One of the reasons Rome fell was when the men were away fighting and the women took over. Nations rise and fall in time. My adopted father would say before he died-- does it affect me? If I said no, he would say, then I don't care. And then he died. We all have our own drummer. Now, since I am no longer in politics, I just want to enjoy each day as I go and enjoy what the creator of the universe has so bountifully given us--the beauty of nature and the simple pleasures that make me happy -like swimming for instance. :-)

Zole said...

I like swimming!

Margery Billd said...

I remember how shocked I was about 50 years ago as an older student when some professors from the university in our carpool and some advanced students would argue about whether all men or whether all women should be killed off. Oh, and also should the elderly or the welfare people be lined up against the wall and be shot as a nuisance to our society. That was in Michigan in the upper peninsula where I earned a BA. Who should prevail--all men only or all women only? That's crazy. We need each other to balance. But later in the city in Ohio, I worked all kinds of temp jobs for the fun of it. And I learned in those days on all levels, a man is always in charge (even if he might have been an imbecile). :-)

Margery Billd said...

In China the elderly are relegated to the country on an average. They do not want their lovely cities cluttered with the ugly unsightly elderly--just the young and beautiful.

Margery Billd said...

I had to laugh at the new TV commercial. The man says, have you ever wondered if you could take your dog or cat into a motel room? Then he says, I could care less. I have an Emu. And a huge bird is following him.

WhyR said...

The bible is an irrelevant Dead. Book. It should be put in a museum with the confederate battle flag, and no one should pay it any mind whatsoever.

Rev.jimmyleebob said...

I was thinking the other night that I might be warming up to the idea of ten foot block letters in red hanging off the White House... " TRUMP " Just the thought of it is enough to make some heads explode.

WhyR said...

Oh by all means, bring on TRUMP. His recent comments have turned him into (even more) toxic waste. NBC has now severed all ties, joining Univision. He's the gift to Democrats that keeps on giving.

pamit said...

This ruling is certainly not an "attack on Christianity". No church will be required to marry gay folks; no Christian will be required to keep her opinion on gay unions to herself. No crosses will be burned...wait...er...

Nor have I seen any any non-believers "agitated", on this forum at least, when John goes on and on about sin. Is there a way to talk about sin without being judgemental? I think it would be difficult, as one must describe the sinful behavior and then (who can resist) what will happen to the sinful person. The concept of sin, prima facie, includes judgement. Just sayin'.

Margery Billd said...

Good thought pamit.

liteluvr said...

Thank you,sir. I need to study a bit in The Book. This helps me frame my mind a bit and get a little inner peace about this topic.