When do we not call a spade a spade....when we think it might hurt someone's feelings.
In his blog, Love is an Orientation, Andrew's guest blogger Jon shared about his church going, gay family.
What I sense more from the comments to this post(and others) is that "love" and "acceptance" are the highest expressions of Christ that we can emulate. I dont' think that is true. Christ's love drove Him to bridge the gap so that we might gain "acceptance" with our Heavenly Father.
The heart of the debate and I think even the start of any bridge-building must come from a settling of the issue (within ones own heart) as to wether or not "gay is okay". If homosexuality is not a sin, then no one has any right to deny a gay couple anything. They are fully and equally yoked as any straight couple.
But if being gay is not a God-approved expression of love between the same-sexes. Then by what authority is equality demanded, expected, or even offered? We accept the person, just as they are, but we do not need to accept their beleifs in order to love them as Christ loves us.
Thank you for this post! I have been confused by what Andrew Marin is trying to convey in his book. I agree and I don't agree. I believe that God does accept us where we are but with the expectation to grow!
ReplyDeleteI dont' want to be viewed as the spiteful conservative, nor do I want to detract from Andrews ministry.
ReplyDeleteBut people who believe that they are not sick have no use for a visit to the Doctor. The Church is a place for those who recognize they are sinful creatures in need of salvation, and our efforts to reach out to people outside the church are (or should be) motivated by the desire to see others recognize their pitiful condition and seek God's remedy for it.
I am not immune from this, my blog is evidence enough of my desire to see my pet sins given allowance to continue in my life despite acknowledgment that they are offensive to God and hurtful to me.
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ReplyDeleteBut if being gay is not a God-approved expression of love between the sexes. Then by what authority is equality demanted, expected, or even offered?
ReplyDeleteI'll start by saying that being gay is neutral. Having a homosexual orientation doesn't say anything about your beliefs. I'm gay, but I'm celibate for my faith (I'm Aubrey from the AB group, by the way). What you mean is being actively gay.
Second, it depends on what type of equality we're talking about here. If we're talking about equality within the church, then no: gay couples are not equal because active homosexuality is not God-approved. If we're talking about the law here, that's different. Divorce isn't God-approved, but it's legal. Therefore, I don't see why gay marriage shouldn't be law-approved. The government can try to follow God's law, but then they would have to make divorce illegal. If they don't do that, then they have no right to keep gay marriage illegal. I'm an all or nothing kind of guy.