Thursday, June 27, 2013

Are you mad about the gay marriage decisions?

Most Americans could see this coming and the Supreme Court decisions announced yesterday are not unexpected.

Mad about it?

At whom are you mad?

Mad at the five SCOTUS justices who swung the vote? They were appointed and approved by our elected officials, most of whom we preferred. Do you wish to change the system?
 
Mad at the citizenry of the country who generally approve of gay marriage (although I acknowledge that when balloted, as in the California Proposition 8 ban of gay marriage, voters support traditional marriage)? You don't get to tell other people what to think, feel, and decide in this country.

Mad at your neighbors and relatives for voting for Obama? The elections weren't even close.

Mad at weak, ineffectual preaching? Please. We've worn out the Bible passages on homosexuality, the family, marriage both in and out of the pulpit.

Mad because traditional values have been undermined? Please. Is your pastor divorced? Do you have church members or leaders who have multiple divorces? Do you look around your church and see any other traditional values that are not held in high regard?

Mad at gay people? It's tough to be mad at someone and be an effective witness at the same time. Take a moment and ask why you are not as mad at some of the other widespread sins found in our culture.

Mad because you look around and don't see the cultural hegemony that white, conservative folks thought they were accustomed to seeing and having in America?

Just mad in general?

Get over it. There's nothing you can do about it, except perhaps help one person to find Christ and have his or her heart changed, which might solve some of the problems you are mad about.

Hmmm, not a bad idea.






6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Christians vary on gay marriage, but not for the reasons that some conservatives wish to assert; that is, I will surmise that most all (if not all) Christians that support gay marriage do so for theological reasons, not, instead, due to the absence of such. Thus calls for a change of heart (i.e., the initial finding of Christ) is a moot point to the way of thinking of the more progressive Christians. However, searches for Christ in all parts of life is good advice.

To read posts at SBC Voices one would think the sky has fallen (yet climate change will likely give new meaning to this phrase), the country is moving toward a dictatorship complete with the second coming of Hitler, Christianity and traditional marriage are imperiled, and bestiality and pedophilia will now rise to prominence and gain wide acceptance. The histrionics would be laughable, but the damage such emotion-laden responses can do renders these expressions more saddening instead.

Christian- and non-Christian heterosexuals have no high ground when it comes to marriage, and Catholic priests are a bit out of their depth on this issue. And I suspect, in time, the divorce rate of gay couples will parallel that of non-gay couples, which also is saddening. But when all meet all as broken individuals (having gifts, nonetheless), thus fighting the temptation to assert moral superiority, differences, though not always nor necessarily embraced, are less important than our common humanity. And on that we can build.

Joe Blackmon said...

I have ex-SBC moderate, even liberal friends. While we may (and have) chosen different directions, it is unchristian to use the words you use.

Since I can't answer over at Voices in this manner at the risk of being put in moderation.....I'll do it here.

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck.....

Rather than worrying about how "unchristian" my speech is, why don't you call your friends to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, since, if they're liberal or moderate, they obviously haven't done.

Anonymous said...

“... why don't you call your friends to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, since, if they're liberal or moderate, they obviously haven't done.”

To call one “filth” and subsequently call him or her to repentence, might he or she consider, “if I become a Christian, can I, then, call others filth, too, as an expression of Christ’s love for humanity?”

William Thornton said...

Missed your two comments until today joe and thanks for the advice. I'm not seeing anything Christian in calling folks 'filth' but maybe that opens doors for you.

Matt said...

Great to see a conservative voice this perspective in such a thoughtful, straight-forward, and common sense manner.

Anonymous said...

What I don't get in all this from the gays I know is that they really don't care. I am mad on the dumbing down. I shall pray for spiritual enlightenment._