Thursday, August 2, 2012

I think there's a good chance I may fall into that whole category that Christians like to say are, "hippie Christians."  But if that means that God's given me a heart to love people other Christians don't want to, not slander, not group judge, not use the Bible as a weapon to take people out with, I guess I am.  The whole Chic-fil-a discussion just hurts my heart.  I know a good portion of you will not agree with this posting and that's okay.  We're a family...we're bound to disagree.  I hate politics because I don't think God cares as much for it as He does for His creation.  I really think it's such a divisive weapon that Satan likes to wield around.  I always think that protests and signs and making a stink are just pushing people that need the Lord away.  I saw several postings about how attending the support Chic-fil-a day was a spiritual experience and how the Spirit of the Lord was there and I'm just not sure on that.  I don't really know that Christ would be in line for pinpointing one sin among many...all the while probably a good portion were committing other sins, especially gluttony. :)

I do believe homosexual relations are sinful.  But so are so many other things.  There's lists full of sins in the Bible.  God never once said that one was more sinful than the other.  Nor did He say we should turn away and bash people for those they are guilty of.  (Plus it's easy for many of us because we have so many secret sins that no one ever has to know about.)  I've heard people say that they believe sexual sins are of more importance to the Lord because they're mentioned more.  If that's the case, I'm among this lot.  I've screwed up before being married.  I've had lingering consequences.  I still mess up.  And I've done all this while knowing full well they were sinful.  But I'm forgiven.  Grace abounds.  It doesn't okay it, but it doesn't knock me out of the family of God.
I want you to imagine for a moment that you had homosexual feelings all your life.  Would you feel wanted, welcomed, valued, needed in the average church?  What if you replace that one sin you always struggle with, always fall into, with homosexual feelings...could you, would you, decide to grace the doors of a church?  I don't think I could.  I don't know how those that are believers and have these feelings are so strong to hold on to their faith.  I have multiple gay friends that are Christ followers and my heart just gets broken into a million pieces over how many on the church just harp upon how terrible it is. 

I have a lot of thoughts that probably go against the main thread of Christianity.  Maybe I'm a bleeding heart, and a liberal in this matter.  But I don't really know that Satan is the one that makes my heart bleed for people that need Jesus.  I pray daily that my life would be led by Jesus, that my heart would be guided by Jesus.  I'm an emotional person, very emotional.  I do study the Word of God though.  I pray I am led by the Spirit.  I may be wrong, but I just think that any action I perform to detract someone from believing in Christ is wrong.  Getting to know people, their lives, their hearts, earning their respect...it's all a door for open conversation where the other party will listen.  The Spirit softens hearts, but I do think that our actions can do the opposite and harden them. 
I know a big part of the Chic-fil-a thing was freedom of speech, a right to speak your mind without judgment.  Yet, when it comes down to it, I'd rather give up that right and win souls for the Lord than make a big stink that ultimately doesn't matter.

Just my two cents.  My heart breaks for people and how the church hurts those who don't know Him or who do but just feel ostracized.     

3 comments:

  1. I'm with you completely. I don't believe Jesus was in those lines. I have gay Christian friends. That's right, gay friends who believe in Jesus. And I love them dearly. This just hurts them immensely. I don't care about right or wrong when people are getting hurt and being taught they don't matter to God.

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  2. I think I agree with what you are saying. What I disagree with you on is that the owner of Chic was talking about something that keeps coming up in our society today, and he was standing up for his beliefs that a family, the way it was meant to be is not composed of a homosexual couple. On one hand I believe that we should just let them do what they want to do, but on the other hand, I don't want my children to grow up in a society that considers it normal to have 2 moms or 2 dads... and I am afraid for the children that are growing up in those homes, just as I am afraid for children who are growing up in homes with parents who abuse them, who cheat on their spouses, who show them that it is okay to lie, ect... It saddens me to see christians who push homosexuals away, but it also saddens me to see christians who say that it is okay to live a homosexual lifestyle when it is condemned in the Bible. Yes, there are many sins and who are we to condemn one more than the other, but we should not act like something is okay when it is clearly not. I also have friends who are homosexual, but unless they are staying out of that lifestyle, they are not living in the spirit and therefore are not leading a christian life. Just as I believe this, I believe that any sin people are committing without heeding the holy spirit and the word of God and truly changing to become more christlike is apart from the christian life that was intended for us. I totally understand that the homosexual sin is one of the hardest for people to deal with today because it is one that people judge you for very quickly, but it is still a sin according to the Bible.

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  3. I forgot to add... the owner of Chic was not allowed to open a business because of his beliefs about homosexuality... this violates his rights, if we are not allowed to operate a business because we have beliefs that do not coincide with the world we should stand up for that.

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