Why do we pray? What’s the point? Jesus prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this acup from Me; byet not My will, but Yours be done.” – Luke 22:42
NASBHe prayed that the Father would
make it so He did not have to be crucified. “If there is any other way, please don’t do
this to Me” He prayed. Yet He still went there, and He still had to die a very
painful death. This was Jesus for heaven’s sake! The second member of the
Trinity, God Himself in human flesh, and His request was denied.
Then we have Moses. Shortly after God had freed the Israelites
from captivity in Egypt He told Moses that He was going to destroy them because
even though He had done this great work for them they were rejecting Him. Moses
prayed to God and,” …the Lord
changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.” –
Exodus 32:14 NASB
So what’s the difference? In the first example we have the brutal
torture and killing of the most innocent man to ever walk the earth. God
rejected Jesus’ request, so that He might use the evil that those men intended
for good. For the good of saving His people.
In the second we have
an evil people totally rejecting God despite the power He had shown them to
free them. He used Moses’ prayer to save His people from His own wrath.
We pray because our prayer might be the thing God uses to
change the direction things seem to be headed. But we do so with the knowledge
that He is God and His purposes are beyond us. Trusting God is not trusting
that He will always answer our prayers. Trust in God is the understanding that
no matter what happens, if our prayers are answered or not, He is in control
and it serves a purpose. We may not know that purpose, but we trust anyway.
Before my morning cup of coffee, I anxiously turned on the television to see if the Supreme Court had made their decision. To my surprise the news was discussing the court's ruling, but I, ... I couldn't believe my eyes. Figuring the lack of caffeine affected my comprehension early in the morning I re-read the breaking news headline: "Obamacare upheld by Supreme Court." How could the highest court in our land that is supposed to defend the United States Constitution actually rule in favor of such a law?
Secretly, and a little arrogantly, I thought I knew the court's decision the moment a majority of the States sued the Federal government. As we now know, I was terribly mistaken. To be fair, though, it was only reasonable for me to assume the ruling would strike down at least parts of Obamacare, if only the individual mandate. The very idea that the Founding Fathers would support such an infringement upon the rights and liberties of the people to be coerced into buying a private service or else be fined a penalty, is an absurdity among absurdities.Then again, when you consider that our Supreme Court Justices have also found an imaginary Constitutional "right" to murder your unborn children, the contradiction of the ruling on Obamacare makes more sense.
President Obama: "The fact that you've looked up Merriam's dictionary, the definition of 'tax increase,' indicates to me that you're stretching a little bit right now. Otherwise you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to check on the definition."
George: "I want to check for myself because your critics say it is a tax increase."
President Obama: "My critics say everything's a tax increase. My critics say that I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that. Look we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we are going to have an individual mandate or not."
George: "But you reject it as a tax increase?"
President Obama: "I absolutely reject that notion."
It is the epitome of hypocrisy that the President of the United States, who was vehemently opposed to Obamacare being a tax, made his case before the Supreme Court on the notion that it is Constitutional because of Congress's ability to tax her citizens. I'm not foolish enough to forget that many politicians - Democrats and Republicans - are simply playing the part of politician. This is precisely what Obama is doing here, and it disgusts me. He has proven before the American people that he cares more about his signature legislation than being honest with those he claims to serve. He has dishonored the office of President, and he ought to be ashamed of the fact that he felt the need to repeatedly defend a lie.
On a quick rabbit trail - I am certain that the Romney campaign will zero in on Obamacare being a new tax with our present economic situation.
Twitter captured a quote that I simply cannot say better myself: "@BenShapiro: Chief Justice Roberts was the worst part of the Bush legacy." Yup. Bush 43 was a Compassionate Conservative, and is flawed in his over-reaching governmental interference and overspending. But I have to 100% agree with the statement that Justice John Roberts' vote in favor of upholding Obamacare will be the greatest mistake of Bush's Presidential legacy. If you thought Bush spent too much, you haven't seen anything until you've seen what the added bureaucracy to the American health care system will do to increases in taxes as well as health care premiums and costs. The one positive aspect of Justice Roberts' written decision is that he set a precedent for the "Commerce Clause" in the Constitution by limiting Congress's ability to coerce citizens to participate in commerce.
Why any sane person who saw the immense bureaucracy that existed in the form of hospitals and insurance companies would think that adding the Federal government to that bureaucracy would somehow make health care more affordable ... is beyond me. What we do know is that forty-seven million Americans who were previously without health insurance will suddenly be insured under Obamacare. The amount of doctors are not increasing. Supplies across the health care sector are not increasing. The demand will drastically increase, but the supply will not. You tell me: what will this do to costs? Unless the government utterly controls prices we will see prices go up and up and up.
I'll be bold enough to predict that this is the beginning of the single payer system. Give it was a few years, but you'll begin to see employers and insurance companies bow out of the health care industry/business. Why would they do that? Because they won't be able to profit under such stringent government regulation and control. Too much regulation kills businesses and jobs. I fear that one day our only choice will be the government's single payer system.
Death panels have already been discussed as a part of Obamacare. What are these so-called 'death panels?' Basically, no matter what anyone tells you, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Everyone's taxes will go up - even taxes on the middle class (egads!). What this will mean is that care will need to be rationed. Services that we are accustomed to may not always be readily available, and actual panels are discussed in the Affordable Care Act to determine how, when and to whom care will be administered. This is scary stuff. I don't know about you, but I thought there was too much bureaucracy between me and my doctor without the Federal government. Now, it seems there will be barriers more thick than we ever thought possible.
It is only natural that since the government will be "providing" health care coverage that they will want their citizens as healthy as possible. The trouble with this is that the Feds may come knocking one day to enforce eating and exercise habits (imagine: New York on a grander scale).
Abortion is covered under Obamacare. You and I will be paying for other people's "right" to murder their unborn children, even if it is against our religious convictions. Our rights to religious liberty is stepped on by those who want to murder the innocent.
A little part of our freedom dies with Obamacare. If you don't want health insurance: too bad. If you only want certain limited health insurance coverage: too bad. Your liberty has been taken away.
I think it is safe to say that both sides on this issue want everyone who wants health insurance to have it. But the Federal government is not the solution to our problem. Government will only add to our problems, and I wonder with amazement at the behemoth that will fester and grow under the newfound Obamacare legislation. Mitt Romney is not my perfect candidate, but compared to the sitting President, he is a ray of sunshine. He has said his first act is to overturn this infringement upon our personal liberty, and that is another reason to make sure Obama is a one-term President.
As the reader might have noticed, for a few months now we have added 2 new contributors to our little corner of cyberspace that require an introduction: Scott Nelson and Metzger.
Because of his unique situation I will start off by introducing Metzger. For a variety of reasons, Metzger has asked that his identity be kept private so as to not become unnecessarily entangled at the workplace. He has been known to me for a few years now, and I am honored that he is willing to contribute to the blog.
Where shall I begin with an introduction of Scott Nelson? Whatever I say will fail to do him justice, but I will do my best (not to fail ... to do him justice =)). He and I have been best friends since we were in 7th grade, which makes that almost 17 years now - where does the time go? We grew up in the same Arminian Charismatic Mega-Church, and were converted to Calvinism around the same time. In fact, because Scott was first convinced of Calvinism he cited Romans 9 to me so many times that I was forced to be confronted with a chapter I had previously never studied honestly.
He was the first to get married ... to his lovely wife, Mindy. My wife and I have asked Scott and Mindy if they would be an additional Uncle and Aunt to our daughter, Molly.
If you will bear with me for a few geeky moments, Scott and I have always had a soft spot for video games, RTS's and MMORPG's especially. Yes, we are back to Wow ... again. Who woulda thought? To say that Scott is gifted in figuring out the complexities of video games and technology in general, would be an understatement.
One reason I am excited that he will be contributing to Musings is because of his keen insight into many many subjects. His ability to understand opposing viewpoints, analyze an argument, and make sense of an appropriate way to respond has always benefited me personally. In fact, Scott is usually the first person I go to when I need help thinking an idea through, or for advice.
Scott also brings an element of humor and appropriate sarcasm to a discussion that is contagious. He has the ability to fill a room with laughter, and can captivate his audience.
But my favorite aspect about him is his passion and love for the triune God. He has been a consistent godly example to me over the course of my life. He reads the Scriptures, talks about the Scriptures, and shares the gospel with his unbelieving family and friends. Beyond question, Scott and I have many similar interests that have added to our friendship, but the most important of these is our common confession of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 18:24 says: "A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (NASB). This verse describes Scott's friendship to me. Mr. Nelson ... the rest I leave to you, and I am eager to see what you have to say. Welcome to Musings from our Caffeinated Highs!
If you're like me, you've come to realize that being a husband and a father is different than you thought beforehand. Being married is much more than dating, and fatherhood more than babysitting. Whatever I thought I knew about family before having a family of my own, has been replaced by the experiences I now have every day. And you know what? It is much greater than what I imagined it was. My wife is the greatest joy and blessing I have received - apart from the free grace given to me by God. My 11 month old daughter has only added to that joy. Truly, God has made me a blessed man.
My pastor preached a sermon on Father's Day that was directed to the husbands and fathers. I will spend some time here relaying some of the sermon's key points that have impacted me. Pastor Fry's primary text was Psalm 112, and from that I will focus on verse 1:
Praise the Lord! How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who greatly delights in His commandments.
Pastor Fry's first point was that father's should be the worship leader of the family. While this doesn't sit well in our egalitarian day and age, the Bible is very clear that men and women are equal in nature and value but have different roles. One of the father's roles is to be the spiritual leader of the household. The father's role includes leading in the reading and discussion of the Scriptures, of prayer, and the reinforcement of godliness in the home. Joshua 24:14-15 reads:
14 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
The father needs to be concerned about idols in the household - this includes in your own life. Even though it is rare for most Westerners to actually worship a man-made statue or some-such creation, anything that receives worship and adoration other than the one true God should be considered an idol. We are commanded by God to worship only Him, so we must diligently fight the human tendency to prioritize anything before Him. Knowing myself, I have a tendency to love a little too much legitimate things: books, video games, or spending time with friends. It isn't that there is anything immoral with reading books, or playing video games, but these activities in excess or given too high a priority can lead to idol worship. A key question to ask when determining precisely what you worship is this: "When you have time to allow your mind to wander, what is it you spend most of your time thinking about?"
Husbands and fathers, talk about the faith with your wife and your children. Take some time away from the television and explain why the faith is important to you, and how it pertains to them. Let your children know that as long as they live under your roof, they will serve the Lord.
The godly father receives all of his given responsibilities, even ones that present their own unique challenges. One such challenge is to teach your children the value of obedience to you and other given authorities. First hand, I have had to apply the Biblical instruction to not spare the rod with my sweet daughter. After the command to do something (or not do something), and sometimes following a warning or two, we do lightly slap her hand or flick her wrist. Why do we do this? Because we are teaching her the value and importance of obeying Daddy and Mommy. There is no meaningful discussion with an 11 month old, and sometimes there isn't time for one. The only thing she understands is that if she willfully disobeys there are consequences.
Immediately after an administered punishment, there is a brief sentence or two, usually along the lines of: "You were punished because you didn't listen to Daddy [or Mommy]. You need to always listen to Daddy and Mommy. I love you." This routine is always followed by hugs and kisses. As you can imagine, this kind of discipline will become more in-depth as she gets older. The punishments will change, and the conservation and explanation will as well.
Fathers should pray for his children's salvation. In fact, Emily and I pray that the Lord delivers Molly from her sins at a young age.We should not be naive enough to believe that because she and I are believers in Christ that our daughter will be as well. The Lord saves whom He wills, and so I always want to proclaim the gospel to her and pray for her repentance unto life.
The godly man looks to the future. Think about your retirement and what inheritance you might leave to your children and your grandchildren. For Americans, when Social Security likely won't be there to supplement your income, make preparations for that ahead of time so you don't outlive your retirement savings. Also think about the legacy you hope to leave behind. When your children and your grandchildren talk about you after you're gone, hopefully it will be about your consistent godly example.
Finally, the father needs to be patient and forgiving. Your children will let you down and they will sin. You need to set an example of what it means to forgive and to be patient toward them. Pastor Fry gave an example that sometimes, it's a good idea to cut them some slack. When you've been on their case all day give them a break. Does not our heavenly Father act patiently toward us many many times? We ought to always look to our God's example toward us, and seek His help, without which we would accomplish nothing.
Us Westerners are interesting folks, aren't we? The American social experiment was an oddity among oddities in the annals of human history. I mean, it isn't every day a group of people get to decide a system of government for themselves. Many blessings came as a result of our new-found freedoms and liberties, including the eventual abolition of the institution of slavery. The abolitionist movement was brought about by the philosophical consistency of our Constitutional and natural human rights, and justly so. One unfortunate bi-product of our American liberty has been the affect on how we view ourselves in relation to God and His moral requirements. After all, we are Americans and no one can tell us what to do! We are slaves to no one!
Jesus has something very different to say on the topic of slavery:
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “ If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”They answered Him, “ We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-36, NASB).
The Lord Jesus speaks of the crowd's need to be "made free," which was not received well as you can tell by their response: "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone..." Weeell, were they enslaved or weren't they? They claimed that because they were Abraham's descendants that they couldn't possibly be enslaved! But Jesus plainly states that "everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin." This is also how we all are born into this life, and we all need to be set free by the true and living God.
Paul's masterful letter to the Romans addresses this issue:
Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (Romans 6:16, NASB).
When you obey sin, you are a slave of sin. This is how everyone enters into the world: enslaved to sin and to the desires of the devil. Now, the Christian has been set free from the chains of sin and has a new master: Jesus Christ.
Wait just a minute ... don't Christians continue to sin? Yes, they do. Personally, I can't remember a day where I didn't sin in some way. The difference now for the Christian is that they have been set free from the bondage of sin and now serves a new master. Men who remain enslaved to sin are given over to its lusts and desires. They love their sin! Though they may not like the consequences of their sin. By contrast, the Christian hates his sin, and fights against it. It is not natural for him to sin.
A question asked by my pastor this morning is worth repeating:"Why is it that nominal Christians want to know how close to the line of the world they can get? The real Christian is concerned about holiness of life and sanctification." I have often wondered how many so-called Christians continue to call themselves Christians when it is plain they have no interest whatsoever in pleasing the Lord. It is not amusing to me to try to lean over the edge of the cliff towards sin when God speaks clearly about our moral behavior.
True Christianity involves obedience:"But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18, NASB). All Christians were slaves of sin. "Were." This past tense verb indicates that Christians are no longer slaves of sin, but are slaves to God. We naturally want to perform the works of our Father God.
Finally, it can be easy to miss that Paul offers thanks to God for this truth. If you are a Christian, it is only because the Son has set you free - and you are free indeed! But what are you freed from? Bondage to sin! Now you can serve the interests of Christ and continue to do what He wants. Praise God for this! No more are we bound by the devil's commands! Your heart of stone was turned into a heart of flesh and you have been raised in newness of life to do good works that are pleasing to God.
"I figured a way out, a way to get rid of all the lesbians and queers, but I couldn't get it past the Congress ... Build a great big, large fence – 50 or a 100 miles long – and put all the lesbians in there ... Fly over and drop some food. Do the same thing with the queers and the
homosexuals, and have that fence electrified so they can't get out. Feed
them. And you know in a few years, they'll die out. You know why? They
can't reproduce."
Charles Worley, pastor of Providence Road Baptist Church in North Carolina, uttered these words in his May 13th "sermon," and the video recording soon went viral on the Internet. Under normal circumstances I might be inclined to make a few cute remarks; maybe a few sarcastic comments. In this case, I am in no mood to mince words. This man has done nothing but demonstrate his abject and baseless bigotry for homosexuals. He has proven himself to be overflowing with hatred and I cannot consider these to be the words of a true Christian (or at the very least I have *serious* doubts about the present state of his soul based on his actions). He has shamed the name of Christ, and I pray that the Lord brings him swiftly to repentance from his hatred, bigotry, and idiocy.
There are no two ways about it, folks. The man is an ignorant fool and he has done immense harm to the reputation of Jesus Christ. Christians need to be outspoken against this and all who imitate him. I thank God that we have a government built on laws that prohibit the very kind of hateful Nazi-esque goals of Mr. Worley.
It is true that Christianity is incompatible with homosexuality, but Christians are required by holy Scripture to take a completely different approach than Mr. Worley in how we interact with and speak to the LGBT community. The reason being that Christianity is also incompatible with Mr. Worley's religion. Whatever religion he is promoting, that is not the same religion I belong to. The Apostle Peter offers some insight into how Christians should respond to the world:
13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear theirintimidation, and do not be troubled,15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. (1 Peter 3:13-17, NASB)
Verse 15 is surely one of the most well-known verses by Christians in the New Testament, yet the surrounding context offers invaluable insight into what Peter meant. He begins by making the point that if you do good no one will generally harm you, and even if you end up suffering for doing what is good then you are blessed. Only at this point does Peter venture into saying what he says in verse 15: "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." The believer in the Lord must always be ready to offer a defense and an answer for the hope that is in him. Do I need to even add that Peter's point is a 180 degrees different direction than the views held by Pastor Worley? What do I mean? In a nut shell, that a defense of the Biblical understanding of marriage and human sexuality as designed by God is a logical and rational viewpoint. All Mr. Worley has done is blurt out a few unmeaningful, irrational and bigoted statements jumbled together in a single message.
How is the positive message of the defense for the hope that we have as Christians supposed to be delivered? "With gentleness and reverence." Mr. Worley was anything but gentle and reverent. In fact, the following verse was intended to warn Christians against the very behavior we saw in Mr. Worley: "and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame." Unfortunately for the pastor from North Carolina, as he faces criticism it could not properly be called slander because he is guilty of bigotry.
Where do Christians in our society fit into this discussion? First and foremost, very differently than how Charles Worley has decided to make his ridiculous contribution. We are ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are to love our fellow sinners by delivering our message with gentleness and reverence. If you count yourself a slave of Christ then you must not remain silent ... for two reasons: (1) out of love for God; and (2) out of love for fellow sinners. The Lord of the Universe had compassion on you and you ought to have compassion on your neighbor, your friends, your co-workers, and your family who have yet to experience the undeserving grace of Jesus Christ. We should pray for the unbelievers in our lives - that God might be merciful to them and grant repentance unto saving faith in Him, and that we might be instruments to preach the foolish message of the gospel of Christ to all people (including the homosexual community).
The following is a conversation on facebook about homosexuality and same-sex marriage. First will appear the initial comment, followed by my response. I will be adjusting the names and personal references in brackets.
Hi [Metzger]! It's your [friend] from West Hollywood. I'd love the
opportunity to have you experience our life for a day...being gay, that
is. It's the way I was born and it's a valid lifestyle, that while you
do not have to agree with, you should not discriminate and preach
against. I think that often times it's too easy to judge. I don't agree
that you are a "hater", in fact I remember how sweet you and [your siblings]
all are! I would suggest that you take a second and maybe closer look
at what you are protesting so much, you might just be surprised that we
are all the same and there isn't that much to be afraid of. It's just
love and it deserves equality, like every other type of love. Congrats
on creating your amazing family - they are truly beautiful. Love and
light! xo [NAME]
Thank you for your thoughtful
comment. It is great to hear from you, I only wish that we had
connected over something more pleasant - in fact, we should schedule
that sometime because it has been far too long =).
I appreciate
the fact that your thoughts were direct and well-meaning. I will do my
best to respond in turn to you. But before I get to the meat of what I
have to say, I would like to add a few things that are obvious to all,
but are helpful to hear again. Firstly, you are [my good friend]
and no matter your sexual preference I will love you and care about you
because [we are friends]. Second, my caring for you will not change if
you continue in the homosexual lifestyle. Third, if we end up
disagreeing, I hope that we can remain loving towards
one another.
And now ...
I also wish you had the
opportunity to experience my life for a day … being a Christian.
Consideration of the other side’s perspective is vital in having a
better understanding of one’s own beliefs about something. While I do
not doubt the sincerity of your experience(s) as a gay man, I also have
firm beliefs about homosexuality and human sexuality that are different
than yours (not that that’s a surprise =)). Please let me just say that I
very much appreciate that you recognize that my differing viewpoints as
a Christian do not automatically make me hateful towards the homosexual
community. Thank you for that. Of course, I am going to afford you the
exact same privilege in my assumption that you are not hateful for
disagreeing with me.
To add further breadth to my perspective
on how I have arrived at my conclusions, I need to begin by saying that
my Christian faith is the single most important part of my life.
Christianity is not, like some would prefer, one compartment of my life
that I only express at church on Sunday. Rather, it is the central
tenet of my experience in this life. I live and breathe my Christian
faith every day, and I will go so far as to say it impacts how I behave
at work, in public, at home, at church, even intruding upon my very
thoughts, beliefs, and my worldview. So to say that Christianity is
important to me would be an understatement. I love the triune God of the
Bible more than I love my wife, my daughter, my career, or my
possessions.
You can begin to see how I, as a Christian, will
approach the issue of homosexuality and human sexuality in general. You
said: “I think that often times it's too easy to judge.” I couldn’t
agree more! People are too rash in their decision-making, especially
when it comes to moral judgments. Rather than depend on my feelings, or
my inclinations, I look to the unbiased source: the Bible. The Bible is
the absolute authority for the believer in Jesus Christ, and is required
to adjust his viewpoints based upon what God says in the inspired
Scriptures.
Specifically, with regards to
sexuality and marriage, the Bible does address this issue very clearly.
In fact, the Lord Jesus was asked by the Jewish religious leaders
whether “it [is] lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at
all?” Jesus’ response is something we should note: “4 And He answered
and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning
made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘ For this reason a man shall
leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall
become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What
therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Matthew
19:3-6, NASB).
Jesus’ approach was to take the Pharisees head
on in their absurd question. What I enjoy most about the Lord’s response
was that he took the discussion back to the source: the creation
itself, dealing with the ordaining of the roles of men and women. Jesus
asked whether they had read from the book of Genesis that “He who
created them from the beginning made them male and female.” From that,
Jesus led right into an interpretation of the institution of marriage:
between one man and one woman.
This is why Christians believe
marriage is between one man and one woman. This is also why Christians
believe homosexuality is a sin - not only because the Bible directly
states it as such - but because the Bible positively explains that human
sexuality is to be exclusively expressed heterosexually in the covenant
of marriage.
You stated that you believe you were born gay.
From a Biblical perspective, this is not so. While I would never presume
to doubt the sincerity of feelings or inclinations you have - same-sex
attraction, etc - what I would say from a Christian standpoint, is that
feelings and inclinations do not justify behavior. For example, one
thing that I have struggled with my entire life is envy. I have had
desires to have more stuff, or the traits and abilities of others. This
has been something I have felt and experienced from a very early age.
Here is the question though: would I be justified to practice being
envious of others … or going a step further … would I be justified in
defining my entire life by my envy? Obviously, I would not be justified
in doing that. But why? Because God’s Law requires that human beings not
be envious (in fact, He says so in the same passage in discussing
homosexuality in Romans chapter 1). Bringing it all back, in the same
way homosexuality is not justified simply because one feels same-sex
attraction.
Now, what I have to say next is important. I am a
sinner. You are a sinner. Every human being that has ever lived or ever
will live is a sinner. What that means is that everyone is born into
this world guilty of breaking the requirements of God’s Law, and
continues every day of his/her life rebelling against that Law in some
way. Practically, this is how Christians are able to not be
self-righteous, because … how can we? Christians are awful people just
like non-Christians are awful people. I am not better than
non-Christians, and I am not better than homosexuals. We are all on a
even keel when it comes to how we would inherently stand before God
in-and-of ourselves.
This leads me to mention why I
am passionate about this subject, and other subjects involving sinful
behavior, human sexuality, religion, worldviews etc etc … Because the
good news about Jesus Christ is one that says that sinners should turn
away from their sinful desires and behaviors unto faith/trust in the
living God of the universe. It is my greatest desire to see you turn
from a homosexual lifestyle and love the same God that I worship.
I mean that, with all sincerity. This does not mean that if you remain
gay, and a non-Christian, that I will suddenly harbor ill will towards
you, or cease loving you. Quite the contrary! As we have seen, I view
myself equally inherently guilty before God, no better than the
homosexual community … all of this is used to keep my own pride in check
(and believe me, God knows I need the help with fighting against
pride). But whenever I have written about homosexuality, you have always
been in the back of my mind. Why? Because you are [close to me]. But more than that, I
can relate to you because I am also a sinner - only that I have been
delivered from the consequences of my sin by the grace of God that I do
not deserve. I hope the same for you.
One final note I will add
for the sake of clarity: in response to a second comment you made in this thread, you stated: “The bible states that we should
stone a woman who cheats on her husband? And that shell fish is an
abomination as well.” First of all, I need to ask: have you read the
entirety of the Old and New Testaments? The reason I ask is because this
is a common misconception made typically by atheists and others trying
to prove inconsistency in the Bible between the moral standards of God.
There is a clear distinction in the Bible between moral aspects of God’s
Law (that has existed since the beginning of Creation) and the
ceremonial aspects of the Law (that existed only as a part of the Jewish
nation-state in the Old Testament that were meant to differentiate the
Jews from the surrounding peoples). The ceremonial aspects of the Law
were actually done away with with the arrival of the New Covenant
started by Jesus Christ. There is an entire book in the New Testament
that deals with this subject: the book of Hebrews. For further reading, I
would recommend a book written by one of my elders at church: The
Same-Sex Controversy by Dr. James R. White (co-authored by Jeff Neil).
What we are talking about are among the most important topics, and
should be taken seriously by both sides. We may not end up agreeing, but
I will say that regardless of whether we agree or not, I will never
support legislation that tries to take away one’s liberties for being a
homosexual (if, at some point, we want to discuss whether continuing to
define marriage as between one man and one woman would then take away
liberties of homosexuals, I will be happy to do so).
You stated
later in your added comment: “You realize that
one day very soon from now these views of "faith" are going to be
completely viewed as hatred - and that is when the religious right will
have to explain to their children and grandchildren that they were one
of the people who hid behind God to promote hatred and violence by
calling homosexuality a sin.”
Actually, I believe many in
our culture have already begun viewing the views I just expressed as
hateful. What do I have to say in response? It is irrational to say that
my well thought-out argument stems from hatred of any sort. I have
demonstrated very clearly that I believe the behavior of homosexuality
is sinful, but that I distinctly do not hate or harbor any negative
feelings towards the homosexual community, whatsoever. Again, how can I
if I take my religious faith seriously? If I really believe that the
Christian message is true: that all people are sinners before a holy and
just God, then how could I possibly view myself as better in value or
in dignity than any other human being? Answer: I couldn’t.
What
I will explain to my children and grandchildren (and maybe …
great-grandchildren =)) is what the Bible says, regardless of whether it
is popular. I don’t expect my beliefs to be popular … they never have
been in my lifetime. But I don’t believe what I believe because I hope
to join the majority opinion. I believe what I believe about
homosexuality, and the Christian faith because I believe my God is
reigning over the universe, and I love Him more than anything else.
Thank you for considering what I have to say, thus far. I do want to
extend an invitation to either continue dialogue on this subject, or
other related subjects, via facebook, email, telephone or in person.
Bigot. Hateful. Close-minded. These accusations are becoming more and
more commonplace against Christians in our society today. And over what
issue? All sorts of issues, actually, but one is gaining more momentum
ahead of the others: the issue of homosexuality. On Tuesday, an anonymous commenter commented on an article I posted
accused me of being hateful and close-minded towards homosexuals.
Thankfully, Scott and Cory ran to my defense by pointing out the
irrationality and utter insanity of those accusations. But let's face it
folks, as soon as someone in Western culture uses terms like "bigot,"
"hateful," "hate speech" or "close-minded" the thinking part of people's
brains shuts down and irrationality takes over.
Otherwise
how could this anonymous poster make these kinds of accusations towards
me? Did he not read where I specifically stated that I do not hate
homosexuals? I stated that I am a fellow sinner with homosexual men and
women; I am no better than they. I, likewise, was born into this world
deserving of death, judgment and Hell. Please let me spell it out even
further ... homosexuals are equal in value and dignity to Christians and
non-homosexuals. I am not prejudiced against them, and wish them no ill
will or harm whatsoever. In fact, if ever there was a law designed to
physically harm homosexuals I would march in the streets to defend their
human and Constitutional rights for a peaceful existence.
Having stated all that, Christians are required to recognize the
lifestyle and behavior of homosexuality as sinful as taught in the
Bible. What some folks are unwilling to accept is that Christians can
disagree with a lifestyle choice and not hate someone. Going beyond
that, Christians don't stop with not-hating the LGBT community, we do
our best to love them. This doesn't mean that we approve of
homosexuality, but we can still care about them as our fellow citizens,
neighbors, coworkers, friends and family members. We desire to live
peaceably with all men, so far as it depends on us.
The following video is from the National High School Journalism
Convention this past April. It features a few minutes of Dan Savage
attacking Christians and the Bible for supporting bullying of
homosexuals. Be warned that Mr. Savage uses some foul, strong, and
inappropriate language in this video that is not suitable for
children at all.
Let me ask you something: were the Christians under attack the
bigots in this video? Or was it Dan Savage? Ironically, and so far, Mr.
Savage has been given a pass because he is defending homosexual rights
(that they don't have?), therefore he must be left alone. The double
standard and the inconsistency is almost too much to bear.
As Christians, we must be ready and willing to answer for our
beliefs. It is unpopular to believe some of the things we are required
to believe ... like homosexuality being a sin. But there are good
reasons, logical reasons, reasons that actually make sense for us to
believe them. If we want to love our fellow man, including the
homosexual community, then we cannot pretend that their lifestyle is not
sinful. Disregarding the natural order of male-ness and female-ness as
designed by God would be the most hateful thing we could do to the LGBT
community. It is out of love for them, and for the triune God of
Scripture that we steadfastly hold to these truths.
We disagree with the homosexual lifestyle, and yet we do not hate
gays and lesbians. Christians are able to do this, because we have
experienced the undeserved love of God.
(Miranda, for the sake of citing you, I will be referring to you in the third person at the beginning of each citation =))
Miranda said: “I think there is a huge difference between two loving and consenting adults and pedophilia
or bestiality or incest or murder. The last four inflict harm on an
another being, but homosexuality harms no one involved. Even if you
believe it does on a spiritual level, it still doesn't compare to the
physical harm that comes from the practice of the last four. Even if
incest is practiced between two consenting adults there is still harm
caused if a child is conceived, since that child has an exponentially
higher risk for genetic disorders. I love you and respect you opinion,
but I think in this case comparing homosexuality to such destructive
actions is kind of like saying a breeze is really a hurricane.”
There is not a dispute about whether murder or homosexuality cause more
physical harm. Beyond question murder causes more physical harm.
However, homosexuality not only causes spiritual harm, but also causes
physical harm to him/herself and to his/her sexual partner(s).
Considering not only that gay men have (on average) many sexual
partners, the sexual acts and the lifestyle itself significantly reduce
their average lifespan. Therefore, homosexuality literally is a matter
of life and death.
But apart from the harm to oneself and to
one’s sexual partners, is homosexuality harming anyone else? The answer
is: yes. Our actions and behaviors have an impact on those around us:
our friends, family, and the culture of our society. It is a destructive
influence to marriage and to the family because a family starts with a
husband and wife (one man and one woman).
This is not hateful.
This is not discrimination. This is also not a denial of Constitutional
rights - in fact, homosexuals have the same right as everyone else … to
marry a member of the opposite sex. And to claim that because they love
one another therefore they should be allowed to marry, is simply a
redefining of what marriage is. To deny this is to deny the truth behind
what the homosexual agenda is all about: not about being persecuted,
but the demand that everyone applaud their behavior. This is something
that the Christian cannot due, and for two reasons: (1) out of love for
God and His truth; (2) out of love for the homosexual community.
You see, it is unloving towards homosexuals to openly endorse their
sinful behavior. How can we, who claim to want what’s best for our
fellow man, openly endorse a lifestyle contrary to the very core of how
we are designed as human beings? We can’t, and also seriously claim to
love them.
Miranda continued: “I don't want to start an
argument, I just think you should put yourself in the position of a
homosexual man, say someone told you that you couldn't marry Mindy for
no other reason than it was morally wrong.You couldn't help the fact
that you loved her and it would rip you to shreds inside. I'm not saying
you have to change your beliefs, just asking you to allow someone to
make that decision for themselves without being told they are wrong.”
At the core of the Christian worldview is the belief that one’s
personal happiness is not the most important thing. I will say that
again: one’s personal happiness is *not* the most important thing. This
can mean that we may have desires or inclinations that are immoral to
act upon. Here is an example: sometimes while driving I might be upset
at someone who cut me off and I may think a thought of hitting them with
my car. But … this is a sinful thought, and I thank God that He has
restrained the evil within me from acting this way. My point is that
just because one has a desire to do something, does not make that desire
okay. Homosexuality is an example of an immoral desire.
You
might ask: “Why is homosexuality considered immoral?” Answer: because
God is the Creator and has designed how we should function, including
our very sexuality. You cite John 8:7, and conclude that Christians are
required to love sinners even though they are sinners. This is true,
however, Christians are not to endorse sin or sinful lifestyles. Jesus
actually addresses human sexuality in Matthew 19:3-6,
“3 Some
Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man
to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” 4 And He answered and said,
“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE
THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS
FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME
ONE FLESH’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore
God has joined together, let no man separate”” (Matthew 19:3-6, NASB,
Caps is from the NASB).
Trying to trap the Lord Jesus, the
Pharisees present Jesus with a silly question: can a man lawfully
divorce his wife for any reason at all? Jesus’ response was to go back
to Creation and remind them from the Bible how God created human beings.
He cites Genesis that God “made them male and female” and “the two
shall become one flesh.” Men and women were made as sexual beings for
one another, and it is here that God ordained the institution of
marriage.
It might seem obvious to some, but I will point it
out anyway, … it is not one man and one man that become one flesh. It is
not one woman and one woman who become one flesh. It is not two
transgendered people who become one flesh. No, marriage is exclusively a
relationship between one man and one woman.
Miranda added in a
later post: “First of all, as a student in a university one of things
we discuss is the problems with the Bible in regards to translation.
Unfortunately many times some of the translations have been wrong and
unless read in the original language and with knowledge of the slang of
the time (something only well studied ancient historians have) some of
the work has been altered. Another problem is that the Bible itself was
altered after the original work was written.”
It is odd to me
that you cite the Bible as an authority to remind us that Christians
should love the ungodly, but then you attempt to discredit the Bible by
attacking its authenticity. Based on your attack on its authenticity, I
assume that you do not believe the Bible has been preserved through time
or accurately translated? Furthermore, I assume you do not believe in
what the Bible says? (If I am incorrect, please let me know). The issues
you are raising are actually an area of particular interest to me,
because I, like you, went through secular high school and university and
was constantly faced with liberal presentations against the veracity of
the Bible. I came to discover the field that deals with this subject is
the field of textual criticism, which deals with how the Bible has been
preserved and how it should be translated. The facts are these: from
the many manuscript copies of the Bible that we today possess even the
most liberal of scholars (such as Bart Ehrman) recognize that we
actually have all of the original Bible. What liberals attempt to point
out is that because of textual variants - which simply means that the
copyists of the Bible did not produce photo-copies - that we can’t know
what the original was.
To
use a specific example, the New Testament is considered one of the
greatest records among works of antiquity. There are approximately 5,600
manuscript copies of the Greek New Testament, which among the textual
variants exist what the Bible originally
said. These variants are actually a source of confidence because they
provide the means by which the original is recognized, and this is done
by textual criticism. Entire volumes have been written on the subject,
but I would invite you to look at Bart Ehrman’s mentor, Bruce Metzger, …
or even my own elder at church, Dr. James White, on the subject. If you
do need a specific book to read, I would recommend “The King James Only
Controversy” by Dr. White. It is an excellent introduction to the
subject of Biblical textual criticism and the reliability of the Bible.
Works by Metzger are likewise good reads.
When it comes to
translation, the reputable English translations include the NASB, ESV,
NIV, among others. But since the original has been preserved (and is
documented as such from the manuscripts themselves), the translation is a
matter performed usually by a committee. When in doubt, one can always
check the translation using either the UBS or NA27 editions of the Greek
New Testament. I, myself, have both, and know 2 years of New Testament
Greek - it comes in handy in conversations like this =).
In
another post, Miranda said: “As for your argument that Christianity is
the only basis for morality I think this is very close-minded of you.
There are many cultures around the world who do not share the Christian
basis of morality and yet still have their own moral compass. Now, I
know your argument was that God put morality in everyone, but there have
been civilizations with morality long before the invention of
Christianity.”
It is close-minded to believe that the Christian
worldview is right and all others are wrong? I also wonder …
close-minded as opposed to open-minded? And how would an open-minded
person see things different than a Christian does? Like you see things?
And how do you see things? Don’t you believe that the Christian
worldview is not right about homosexuality, and that your worldview is
correct? Could we not, on the same grounds as you, claim you are
likewise “close-minded?”
My point is this: if claiming that
what we believe is true and other viewpoints are false means we are
close-minded, then so be it. But the fact remains that the Christian
worldview does have a consistent worldview when it comes to interpreting
the world around us, including morality. Why is it that other religions
also express the same moral principles? Because, as you point out, the
Bible discusses how God has written His moral requirements on the hearts
of everyone. This is why there are moral standards in every society -
even though some societies go to further lengths to suppress that truth
in an unrighteous way.
Romans 1:18-22 talk about this: “18 For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19
because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God
made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been
clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they
are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor
Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their
speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be
wise, they became fools” (NASB).
I also wanted to point out
that I agree with you that Christian morality existed long before Jesus
Christ came into the world. In fact, it goes back before Christianity,
before Judaism was established, all the way back to the moment of
Creation. God’s moral standards were there in the beginning, and have
been a moral standard ever since.
Miranda continued: “Besides,
if we followed everything the Bible preached we would have things in our
society we value as immoral. One of these, for example, is polygamy.
King Solomon had many wives, and yet in our society we put people in
jail for that sort of practice.” King Solomon was also living
in sin by taking on more than one wife. Did you know that the Bible
never endorses Solomon for this, but demonstrates the severe
consequences of taking on that many wives? The Bible’s revelation is
very clear that marriage is between one man and one woman. Amazing as it
is, God chose to preserve in His Word the good and the bad about His
followers. Solomon did many good works in the name of God, but also many
wicked things. To demonstrate this from Solomon’s own perspective, I
would recommend to you the book that Solomon wrote: Ecclesiastes.
Miranda concluded this post by saying: “And as for our country being
based upon the Christian faith, that is only partially true. While many
of our founding fathers based their ideas of morality from Christianity,
they also wanted to allow anyone the freedom to practice what they
chose. If they wanted a country based upon religion they would have put
it in the Constitution, very much like laws that were in place in the
countries of Europe at the time. If you read some of the writings of our
founding fathers this idea becomes very clear, many of these I have
read and encourage anyone wanting to find the basis of our country to
read them for themselves.”
The United States being based upon
Christian principles is “only partially true”? It is overwhelmingly
true. The first immigrants - and many later immigrants - came to the New
World to have the right to freedom of religious expression. Which
religion was that? … the Christian religion. Entire colonies were
created with the express purpose of being a light to the world of how a
true Christian society ought to live. Once we arrive at the time of the
American Revolution, it was led and founded by men with intense
Protestant Christian backgrounds. In fact, the basis for the
“unalienable rights” was a gift from “their Creator.” These rights were
derived from “Nature’s God” and is the basis for which all men were
“created equal” before one another.
John Adams, the man who
believed in a nation of laws, firmly believed that our government ought
to be based on justice with a foundation resting on Christian
principles. It would be an understatement to say that the Constitution
was written with Biblical principles in mind, especially those of the 10
Commandments, and the Law of God found elsewhere in the Bible. Even the
few Deists (such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin) that signed
the Constitution and contributed to the founding of our nation,
believed firmly in upholding a Christian worldview, or at the least,
Christian morality. The idea that homosexuality would ever be applauded
as something acceptable, much less to be included in the definition of
marriage would be out of the question.
Why do Scott and I care
about the subject of homosexuality, marriage, “homosexual marriage,” and
other family values? Because we care about our fellow man, but we love
our God even more. The most important thing for the Christian is to
serve His Lord faithfully by embracing the truth He has revealed and
proclaiming it to the world. We are sinners, just as homosexuals (and
all people) are sinners, and we recognize that we are no better. As we
are born into this world, we all deserve death, to face the judgment of
God, and to be sent to Hell to pay for offending God’s Law. But as
Christians we have been delivered from the consequences and the slavery
of sin because of our faith in Jesus Christ and what He did on earth
2000 years ago. We have a positive message of hope for sinners, and we
cannot budge on this point. To budge on the issue of marriage would be
asking us to deny our faith, and the Christian cannot do this.
But
we do want to be loving enough to our friends and our family to warn
them of the dangers of sin, and the consequences of sin. For example,
the Apostle Paul discusses how homosexuality (among other things) is a
display of God’s judgment on society and on individuals:
Romans 1:24-27: “24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their
hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for
their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of
the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men
committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due
penalty of their error.” (NASB).
This is why, out of love for
people, and love for God we warn others of the consequences of sin and
encourage others to turn from their sinful ways and embrace the truth of
Jesus Christ.
What were you thinking?! Have you ever found yourself asking this question while listening to someone speak or while reading a letter? My pastor was clever enough to ask this question of the Apostle Paul (without any negative implications) as we examined Romans 6:1, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?" (NASB). The answer is an obvious "nuh-uh," but I never before thought to ask myself the reason why Paul addressed this issue. It seems reasonable to assume that he spends time discussing this because there were those who had crept into the church defending the idea of going on sinning because more grace would be given.
One of the odd things you begin to notice as a Christian is the temptation to embrace this line of thinking. I will never be able to prove this (until Heaven) but I have sneaking suspicion that this is one of the Devil's favorite means of tempting believers to sin. Maybe it is just my own personal experience, but I have had to fight this kind of thinking for my entire walk with the Lord. I work hard at hating this kind of reasoning because it is deadly to the one who wants nothing more than to do what pleases God.
Again, maybe it is just me again, but I have a difficult time relating to those who have no problem continuing on in their sinful ways and lifestyle. Why is it that some professing Christians are able to comfortably remain in sin? I would suggest to you that it is one of two things: (1) they are Christians who have strayed, and as my pastor says, "strayed into the far country;" or (2) they were never Christians to begin with and will always be more comfortable in sin and darkness.
"For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:14, NASB). How is it that Paul can make such a grand statement? Because Christians were present with Jesus Christ as he died on the cross and rose again. How exactly were we present? Not in time and space, but in a representative way. You see, Christ is the believer's representative and therefore we died with Him and rose with Him. In fact, positionally we are with Christ in the heavens: "and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6, NASB). This brings me back to Romans 6:14: sin is not our master any longer! This is wonderful to consider because even though Christians continue to sin, when we sin it is as free people who hate such actions and seek godliness. Before Christ we were slaves to sin and had no choice but to sin.
The other extreme to those who believe in continuing to sin because of God's never-ending grace, is the perspective that Roman Catholics have: grace-plus-works based salvation. Most conversations I've had with Roman Catholics about Justification have gone something like this:
Me: "Romans 3:21-28 clearly demonstrate that justification is by grace alone through faith alone, apart from any works at all."
Roman Catholic: "Since you believe you're justified by faith alone, what's to stop you from sinning and living however you want to?"
Me: "Justification is through faith alone, but Christians do good works out of love for what Christ has done for them. Said another way, we are justified by faith alone, but a true faith is never alone."
Inevitably these conversations always wind up at Romans 6, and I've pointed out to more than one Roman Catholic that chapter 6 is preceded by chapters 3 and 4. Is it any wonder that those who yet remain in their sins adopt the argument Paul is here refuting? We have to be careful because it is not a matter of being a moderate between those who continue to sin because of grace, and works-righteousness. By a complete contrast, the gospel really is good news because justification is not dependent on good works that we perform. Yet at the same time, once we are justified we are to do good works. Both of these points are vital to the Christian understanding of the gospel and to the life we are to live.
Christian, spend your time trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:10), for this is the fruit of the Light of the gospel (Ephesians 5:9).
Politics. Politics is something I can discuss with someone from an opposite perspective, and I am able to do so with a patient approach. Baseball is something else I can do that with ... even those Yankees fans. In fact, I'm pretty patient towards the vast majority of things that would fall under the umbrella of religious discussion. But last week I discovered a topic that I do not have it in me to take a patient approach. That issue is abortion.
A friend of Emily's (and a new friend of mine) posted the following picture on facebook:
I'm not a huge facebook-er, but I do try to skim it from time to time, and this managed to show up in my feed (which is quite a feat considering I only subscribe to close friends and family). I remember casually taking note of the picture thinking to myself: "good stuff," and then I saw there were multiple comments left. Curiosity got the best of me, and I was compelled to see what all the rage was about. The first few were what I expected: Christians offering their rightful agreement. Last, and awkwardly was a comment left by a pro-abortionist picking a fight with the grammar, and trying to point out inconsistencies of Christians who don't likewise mourn for the loss of skin-cells that die every day.
My trusty HTC Incredible Android phone was where I first stumbled upon the soon-to-be warzone, so the comment I left was 140-ish characters which read: "Heh, the point that was
missed is that western culture would go nuts over a single cell plant
life on mars ... But has such a disregard for human life that it fails
to recognize the value and dignity deserving of unborn babies."
Heidi-the-abortionist and I went back and forth a few times, and the conversation came to an abrupt halt when I pointed out the absurdity of her arguments. I was not willing to budge on the fact that human life, from the moment of conception is valuable and has inherent dignity because we are created in God's image. Quickly I pointed to Psalm 139:13, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb."
I am offended at the fact that abortions happen at all, but I am incensed that anyone would dare presume to defend such actions. Let's be honest for a moment: abortion is nothing less than murdering the unborn, those who have not yet had the chance to take their first breath. How can abortion not make you outraged? There is no argument I will accept - and can hardly stand to listen to - because there is no excusing the murder of an unborn baby who is an inconvenience on you. I would rather spend hours listening to Latter-day Saints defending that they can become gods than the pathetic arguments defending abortion.
From the abortionist's perspective I suppose the unborn have committed one unforgivable crime: the sin of inconvenience. To the pro-abortionist I
would like to ask: who do you think you are that you believe your
happiness and ... life ... is more important than an innocent unborn life?
True, babies are likewise guilty of the sin of Adam, but before other
men they are innocent of all crimes.
The Christian must recognize the value of all human life, even those that are helpless and cannot contribute to society. This includes much more than the unborn, such as the mentally retarded, those will serious diseases, the handicapped and otherwise disabled, and the elderly. Life is a gift from God and it is to be regarded as such. The Psalmist writes: "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me" (Psalm 3:5, NASB). It was the Lord who created life, and it is the Lord who sustains everything that lives. Maybe it is the fact that I am a new father and still vividly remember seeing the first ultrasound of my little Molly in the womb of my beautiful wife, but I can't help but think that any argument defending abortion is a ridiculous one.
50 million abortions, according to the Centers for Disease Control have been legally performed in the United States since 1973. Fifty. Million. Can you try to comprehend that number of people being murdered? I can't, and it breaks my heart to think that it would have been a protected right had Emily and I decided to abort Molly. Disgusting.
All I can say to the pro-abortionist is: shame on you for defending murder of the most innocent and the most helpless in American society. American culture would do well to listen carefully to the words of Christ: "...unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, NASB). Amen, and may the Ruler of heaven and earth grant our nation the ability to turn from our wickedness and to the true and living God.
