A SHORT GUIDE TO GAY RIGHTS FOR CHRISTIANS by Dan Newbanks Alright Im just going to lay this out. This is more for myself than for others really. But I suppose there may be value here in my words for those who have felt oppressed or beat down or disgusted by the would-be crusaders in the name of religion. Stay with me here to the end of this diatribe. I dont know if anyone will even read all this, but its worth a try. I am a Christian. By that I mean I believe Jesus not only existed, but I believe that he was more than a good teacher. I believe he did something that normal people cant do. I believe that he was dead for three days and then came back to life - not in some abstract philosophical way, but for real. I believe it happened in a physical, historical way. In other words, there was a man who lived, in a real backwater place, in a real time rooted in history, and he did some things that mere mortals cant do. I can go into the whys and hows of all this, but thats not my point with all this. I have my reasons and I can promise you, given a bit of time, I can show you that my beliefs are not ignorant. Message me if you want to discuss. Like I said, stick with me for a minute. My point here, and my purpose, is actually not a message to those who think Im nuts for my stated belief in the doctrines of a 2000 year old Jewish sect. What I would like to do, is actually get the attention of the people who identify with that belief. Those of you who claim a faith in Jesus, and claim to want to learn to be more like him, please hear me loud and clear: STOP TRYING TO LEGISLATE YOUR BELIEFS ON THOSE WHO DO NOT SHARE THOSE BELIEFS! I repeatedly talk to fellow believers who think that the Old Testament (or even the New Testament) somehow justifies the passage of laws denying rights and equality to those they disagree with. I AM SPEAKING DIRECTLY ABOUT GAYS AND LESBIANS! This is as plain as I can make it. The Old Testament is an allegorical historical narrative about a people group in the Middle East who God chose for his own reasons (reasons unknown, I might add), to be his chosen people, through which his plan for humanity would flow and come forth. This, in no way, shape or form, applies to the United States of America or any other nation under Heaven. Ever since God sent Jesus to flip the script, the INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER is Gods Chosen now, rather than any people group (including the Church, believe it or not). IF there is any correlation between the Old Testaments Israel and anything today, it is to be a correlation to the individual and what is now internalized. Keeping the Temple of God in Israel holy can be applied to keeping ones own heart holy. It in no way applies to passing laws to rid the United States of sin. If you, as a believer want to apply the Old Testament to something in our own modern times as you read it (as we should), then apply it to what goes on inside your own heart and mind! I would suggest going overboard on Grace rather than judgement and condemnation. We might just start to get a little closer to what is really at the heart of our faith, and the message of the Bible. Im sure Im going to get all kinds of junk for posting this. Lord knows that my life hasnt been perfect. But thats just one more reason for me to realize I have no place passing judgement on someone elses choices in life. If you hear nothing else here, please understand this: Just because you believe that God wants his own people to behave a certain way and to hold to a certain code of morality, it DOES NOT MEAN that its ok to force that system of beliefs on your unbelieving neighbors. I will leave you with this to think about: The denial of Grace by the follower of Jesus, is every bit as disgusting and immoral as any lifestyle of impurity by an unbeliever. If this is something you can get behind, re-post this in hopes that Gods people will remember that it was Grace that called them out of darkness to belief in Him to begin with. Challenge to the Masses: Hug a gay person (or any other person that the Church has shunned) and tell them you love them, and that youre sorry if the Church has been hypocritical in its mission to share the Grace and Peace of Christ with the World. I dare you. Image Attached: Kneeling sculpture of Jesus, humbly washing the feet of Peter, his disciple (who repeatedly got it wrong).
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 04:06:58 +0000
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