Tolerance and Truth

As a Christian, I often find my views on many different subjects at odds with growing cultural norms. Recently, after reading two specific articles in the LA Times, I have started to really think about one in particular. Some of what I am going to say may offend you, but this is what I believe to be true.

There is a growing debate over homosexuality and the way it is seen by Christians. Other religions do not condone homosexuality, but, for some reason, Christians are the ones who get blamed the most for being intolerant. Now, my problem with this issue actually rests on both sides of the debate. First off, let me be completely upfront about my beliefs. I believe homosexuality is a sin. It is called a sin in the Bible, and I believe the Bible to be God’s word. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” – 2 Timothy 3:16 (New International Version). Even though those who do not take the Bible to be the Word of God would not see this as a viable argument, allow me to please explain where and how the Bible defines homosexuality as a sin.

Leviticus 18:22 says, “Do not practice homosexuality, it is a detestable sin (New Living Translation).” That right there leaves no room for argument that God does not condone homosexuality. God specifically names it as a sin. In other parts of the Bible, consequences are named for those who practice homosexuality. In Genesis Chapters 18-19, The Lord tells Abraham that the outcry against the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, that He is sending his angels to go down and see the sinfulness for themselves. Once there, Lot, Abraham’s brother, takes the Angels into his house as guests. A mob of angry men (and it specifically says men, and makes no mention of women) forms outside of the house, and they demand that Lot send out his guests, so that they may have sex with them. The Angels then strike the mob with blindness, and evacuate Lot and his family from the city, and then Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. Now, I am certain there were many other grievous since committed in that city (rape, murder, corruption), but the final straw is when a mob of men wants to have sex with the two guests in Lot’s house.

More, slightly less direct proof lies in the guidance God gives for sex and marriage. Mark 10: 6-9 (NLT) reads, “But God's plan was seen from the beginning of creation, for He made them male and female. This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together.” Ephesians 5:31-33 (NLT) also says, “As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Twice, marriage is referred to as the union of a man and a woman. You can trace this back to the first Commandment God gave to humanity in Genesis 1:28 (NLT), “God blessed them and told them, ‘Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals’." This if often described as, “be fruitful and multiply.” Homosexuals cannot multiply. In order to birth a new generation, the union of a man and a woman is necessary. Even with modern medical sciences, where the base ingredients can be mixed and implanted into a woman, the process still requires the use of materials from both men and women. That is the way God intended it.

Now, on the other side of the issue, too many Christians today approach this topic in the wrong way as well. Too many Christians go on about how evil homosexuality is. They demonize homosexuals, and condemn any and all who practice that way of life. That is not the kind of love and tolerance God has called us to. One key fact that too many Christians have forgotten is in Romans 3:23 (NIV), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are all sinners. And in case you were wondering, while their may be degrees of sin to people here on Earth, there are no degrees of sin in Heaven. Sin is sin, and the punishment is the same for every sin. Romans 6:23 (NIV) says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” There it is, in black and white, the penalty for sin id death. And, as descried in multiple passages, there are two deaths. There is the physical death all humans experience, and then there is spiritual death, where your soul is not allowed access to heaven. That is the death this passage is speaking of. So, homosexuality is no worse then the greed, lying, or lust a heterosexual gives into. It is all sin. Now, here comes the important part. There is a way that we are forgiven of our sins. This is a popular verse that most every child learns in Sunday School, John 3:16 (NIV), “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” There it is. Christ sacrificed himself so his blood would wash away our sins. And that includes all sin. If a Christian can receive forgiveness, so can everyone else. The key here is recognizing your sin, and asking forgiveness for it. This is where the real division comes in.

The only reason such a divisive line is drawn between most Christians and homosexuals, is that most homosexuals do not see their lifestyle as sinful. For whatever reason (and I say it that way because I have always believed it to be a sin, so I cannot comment on the thoughts and feelings of those who do not with any sort of credibility), an open homosexual sees his or her life as a natural way of living. While I do not agree, my opinion is not likely to change the way another human being thinks and feels. This is why such a line is drawn on this issue. For someone who lives a heterosexually promiscuous lifestyle, they might recognize their sin, but lack the will or desire to change. Both are sinful ways of life, but only one is recognized. I do believe that a homosexual can be a Christian, which is an unpopular idea amongst many Christians these days. All this means is that this particular person is struggling with a particular sin in their life. As long as the recognize that it is a sin, and begin working to change their lifestyle (especially by praying for God’s help), then they are no different from a heterosexual Christian who is struggling with any other sin in their own life. Our problem is that too many Christians attack the homosexual lifestyle, rather then attempting to show tolerance. Now, I am by no means suggesting accepting the homosexual lifestyle as perfectly allowable. What I am suggesting is that you love those in that community as you are called to love all people. Show tolerance while stating the truth that God does not condone their particular lifestyle. Too often, Christians forget about love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV) says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” This means that it is our job as Christians to teach others of the truth, and not to be too filled with pride to believe we are any better then anyone else.

Now, the two articles I referenced at the beginning of this post we both on this particular topic. The first article tells of a group of gay rights activists who traveled to a Baptist College to preach tolerance. I have no problem with this. As a former student, I firmly believe in the pursuit of knowledge, and from hearing from all sides. There was nothing too controversial in the article. It simply talked about how students would debate with the activists. I actually found this article encouraging, because both sides remained respectful and open-minded. That gives me some hope for the future. The second article was about a lawsuit in Georgia where a Christian college is student is taking her college to court over her right to speak out against homosexuality. My two issues with the article were this girl’s methods, and the language the article used. The article consistently talked about Christians arguing against tolerance. That alone shows the bias of the reporter, which should never come out in a straight news story. A reporter should remain objective unless writing an opinion or editorial column. If they want to express their personal views, they should do what I did and create a blog. At the same time, I do not know If I agree with the methods this young woman’s choice of venue for her own views. I agree that Christians should not be forced to pretend to be okay with the homosexual lifestyle, but I am not sure suing your school is the way to change things. Despite the fact that I work for a law firm, I am not overly fond of the legal system. I believe that to affect real change, you have to reach the hearts and minds of people…not go to court. In the end, it is up to the individual person making their own choices about their own life. One of the greatest gifts god gave man was free will. You choose your destiny. God may know what you are going to do before you do it, but He still allows you to make the choice on your own.

Now, to add a personal disclaimer, I do not condone the homosexual life style. At the same time, I do not condemn homosexuals either. It is not my place to judge. It is my place to love others as God commanded, and to do what I can to teach the truth. Hate and condemnation are not the tools I am trained in. I personally have friends who are openly gay. I love them just the same as I do all my heterosexual friends. Some of them know my stance on this issue, others do not (probably because I am still often too afraid to rock the boat by bringing the issue up). The fact is, I firmly believe God loves all people, heterosexual or homosexual, God does not discriminate, so neither should I. I may not agree with the lifestyle, and I may try to convince them to change, but I will continue to love these people regardless of what time brings. As usual, if you have a comment o make, please do so, but try and keep it as respectful as I have. Thank you.

LA Times Articles:
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-na-christians10apr10,1,6354986.story?coll=la-news-learning
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-ride5apr05,1,6914715.story?coll=la-news-learning

Troubles in France

At my current job, part of my position requires me to monitor media sources. So, at times, the television in front of my desk is tuned into Fox News Channel. Now, twice in the last few weeks, I have sat there and watched French “protests” turn violent. Now, the violence has really been mostly trivial, with people throwing rocks and bottles at Police and Photographers. Nothing too serious has happened. The point being that, even though the violence is only being caused by certain troublemakers who hide in with serious protestors, I find the whole situation nothing short of hilarious. I have never been a very big fan of the French in general. Even when I was younger, I did not care for the French. Through their travels, both of my parents had been to France, and, as Americans, had not been treated very well. If there is only one definite way to earn my contempt, it is by treating my parents in a disrespectful manner. So, after constant negative sentiments by the French leading up to the Iraq War, I loved it when people began jumping on the French-bashing bandwagon. Nothing in recent history has shown how incredibly idiotic and overly prideful French citizens can be then these recent labor disputes.

For the first time in years, I actually side with the French government on this issue. In 2005, France had a 10% unemployment rate (according to the CIA World Fact Book). Now, that is actually down from 11% at the turn of the century. To give you an idea of how bad this statistic is, the U.S., U.K., and Japan all boasted unemployment rates 4.3 – 5.1, with Japan having the lowest rate. So, France, which is supposed to be among the greatest nations in the world, should not be dealing with an unemployment rate that is about twice as high as the U.S. and Japan. The problem lies in the business practices of the European nation, and their unwillingness to change accordingly. As time has shown, specifically in China and Russia, socialist-style economies simply do not work. As with many other political and economic theories, they look wonderful on paper, but they rarely meet with success. As such, the fact that France has existed in a socialist economic state for a somewhat extended period is starting to come around top bite them. Therefore, in an unusually bold, and intelligent move on the part of the government, Prime Minister Dominique De Villepin has attempted to fight this unemployment epidemic by instituting a new policy.

The new labor law stipulates that an employer can fire/layoff an employee under the age of 26 any time in the first two year of employment. This was done with the youth’s best interest in mind. Now, I do not know the exact statistic, but I believe the unemployment rate for young people in France is about 40%. That is mind-blowing. The problem is that labor laws in France do not make it easy to fire/layoff employees. In fact, it is nearly impossible. Therefore, in light of economic downturns, employers are not willing to risk hiring people they cannot let go of in times of financial crisis. The purpose of the new pro-business law is to encourage employers to take the risk of hiring new workers, knowing that, if in that initial 2-year period, the company experiences hard times, that person can be let go. Therefore, the French government is actually attempting to help young workers by giving employers incentives to hire new people. And how do the youth of France show their appreciation? They organize mass protests. It is evidence that people within a socialist society become too complacent and dependent on the government. There is little incentive to work hard, because there is little chance that you will be fired. The government is there to make sure you keep your job. This is something that most Americans do not understand.

Especially in a time where workers can be brought in from other nations, to work for less money, Americans have to put forth all their effort to ensure that their employer will not let them go. It is a constant teaching in America to make yourself invaluable at your job, that way the incentive to keep you around is increased productivity. We do not have the same safety net that France has, so it encourages Americans to work harder. Another reason this is an issue that many Americans cannot relate to, is that in modern times, we have seen a shift in longevity of employment. As a recent college graduate, I only plan to stay at my current employment for year or two. That has become the mindset of most American college grads. You go to school, maybe have a few internships, then you get a job. Once you gain experience and learn what you can, you move on to something new and hopefully better. That is not how things work in France. Most young workers in France know that once they get a job, that is where they will be for the rest of their employed life. That is how things used to be here in the United States. However, times changed, so did employment practices.

Now, I will admit, I do get a sad sort of satisfaction at seeing France in such disarray, primarily because of their constant criticism of the United States. However, at the same time, many of our grandfathers fought and died so that France could be free. We have an invested interest in their survival and growth. I hate seeing our efforts wasted by such stupidity. Workers are unhappy because they are unemployed, but then they don’t want the government to try and execute sound economic principles in order to solve the problem. My hope is that De Villepin stays strong and does not cave in.

If you want to see the numbers for yourself, go to:http://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/fr.html#Govt

Introductions

Well, I have been thinking of creating this for a while now. This will be a space for me to voice my opinions on different political, religious, and social issues. Unlike my personal blogs, this will be a bit more formal, trying to take a more intelligent perspective on things. However, I warn you now, I have never been good at being politically correct or objective. I am bound to say something that will offend you, and I encourage replies. However, all I ask is that we keep things respectful and friendly. Hopefully, we can all use this experience to broaden out minds and grow spiritually and intellectually.

Allow me to give you a short introduction to my life. I am a 22 year old male. I currently work as a Legislative Assistant at a law firm in Washington, DC. I was born in Southern Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO. I graduated from American University in D.C. in 2005 with a degree in Political Science. I was raised as a Southern Baptist, and I became a Christian when I was thirteen years old. There is a lot more to me then that, but the basics will do for now. Details of my life will come out in my posts. Welcome.