Friday, December 5, 2014

Homosexuality vs. The Duggars

Sexuality in general is a conundrum. I believe it is the hardest part of life and the bible to understand because no one person's sexuality is exactly the same as another's. That being said, how difficult and unfair does that make it to create laws (in which I mean government laws) about it?

As you've probably seen, the Duggars family from TLC'S 19 Kids and Counting is being petitioned to be taken off the air due to "fearmongering" and "hate speech" toward the LGBT community. In case you don't know, I am a hardcore advocate for freedom of speech. It is the Duggar's right as American citizens to say whatever the hell they want to. I'm not sure if anyone ACTUALLY READ their statements, but at the core of their arguments, they're not hateful, they're not spreading fear, they're just extremely conservative and passionate about their beliefs. How many times do we have to remind people that opposing views does not make you racist, homophobic, hateful, or ignorant? 


Personally, as a Christian, I can't give you a concrete answer as to how I feel about homosexuality. Maybe that's terrible, Maybe it's not. All I know, is I am trying to learn, empathize, and research as much as I can until I have that answer. I am the child that asks why? after every single answer a parent gives. Blind faith is not a strong faith. 


For the record, I have plenty of friends that also happen to be homosexual or transexual, that's the thing, I don't set them into a different category of "my straight friends" and "my gay friends." They're just my friends. Now just replace the word "friends" with "people."

Legally speaking, I can tell you that I definitely stand with homosexuals that they shouldn't be denied the right to tax breaks or access to ill or hurt loved ones just because they aren't or are not allowed to get married. 


Marriage is, indeed, a Christian concept, specifically a marriage based on love and by love I mean a self-sacrifing, respectful, compassionate love, and yes, it was created to be between a man and a woman. But, Christians have adopted countless pagan lore, practices, and traditions for centuries. I believe it started out something like:
Hey, let's do more things pagans are interested in so they can hear about the love of Christ in a scenario they're comfortable and interested in.

Let's make a motion.

(1 year later)

Whoops, we got a little more worldly in some areas. Our b.
So don't get upset with people of other faiths, orientations, races for wanting to adopt a practice that  condones oneness and unity between lovers. Is that not ultimately what we're striving for in one way or another? Intimacy, love, acceptance, and happiness? Does that justify gay marriage to someone who doesn't stand for it? Well, no, but at least see their desires for what they are, which is largely the same desires that Christians have for their lives. 

But here's the meat amidst the potatoes of the blog post, people: our arguments as Christians against homosexuality (if that's the stance you're taking) cannot simply be "because the bible says it's wrong." If you aren't a Christian, you don't give a rats ass about the bible, so why should it dictate your pursuit of happiness? 


Is the goal here to win an argument or win a soul to the knowledge of holiness, goodness, and grace?In these exchanges, it's like everyone forgets that the Bible says the greatest law is to love the lord your god with all your heart, mind, soul, and second to that is loving your neighbor as yourself.


So, the main issue for Christians shouldn't be whether or not homosexuality is wrong; the issue is how do I show Christ to those who don't know him? What does loving a non-follower of Christ look like? Where do I draw the line between love of a wonderfully and fearfully made human and support of things [I] don't stand for? All sin is an abomination to God because it isn't holy, so shut up saying that God only thinks homosexuality is an abomination. Even if you want to try to rank sin from bad to worst, it doesn't change the fact that Jesus died for all of them and they're as good as gone. 


Regardless of what society says, love and grace happen when you say I don't care what you've done or who you are, I love you and I'm here for you because that is exactly what Jesus does every single day for me. 


I've said it in the past and I'll gladly say it again, if Christians, and I mean true believers, followers, pursuers of Christ, were known more for what they stand FOR instead of what they stand AGAINST, the arguments would be much different. I fully believe that Christians get more focused on sin sometimes than they do on Christ. 


May I remind myself as well as others, it isn't our job to police sin - that in and of itself is an impossible task. I cannot possibly have time to police everyone else's sins when it's necessary for me to spend every second of the day working on my own. 


Christ is the one who takes care of the sin, always has been and always will be. He just gives us the opportunity for the introductions. 

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