I was sitting in my writing class Wednesday, and the topic of the moment was "how many times did you lie in the past two days?". This was an assignment we had gotten Monday, to mark down every time we lied, and report back at the next class period. As this topic carried on, and different people were talking about what kinds of different lies they had told the past three days or other lies from their past, one young man told how he had lied for five years, a "lie of omission", that went something like this...
He was an eagle scout, and his grandfathers dieing wish was to see one of his grandsons achieve the highest honor an eagle scout can get. For five years while trying to achieve this dream for his grandfather he was lieing in order to stay in his troop. One of their rules to be eligible for participation, is you cant be gay. So to achieve this dream of his grandfathers, he said nothing.
I was a little thrown off guard by this, as the young man was someone I knew quite well. But then as I thought about it I realized I didn't really care that he was gay, I was simply surprised, and having not known anyone before with those views, I found in more interesting then anything else.
Earlier today while doing homework, I had the news on, and on came a report about young boys (five I believe)have been committed suicide in the past year, because of harassment they received as a result of their sexual orientation.
I personally believe that everyone is entitled to act in whatever manor they please, as long as it does not interfere or harm those around them. To be sticking noses into other peoples personal lives just because they have different views then you. I think people should let others live their lives as they please, a man with a man, or a woman with a woman, it doesn't effect you, don't try and push your beliefs on them.
Gay marriage is a big discussion topic these days, so my question to you...what do you all think? Should gay marriages be allowed? Why or why not.
You're touching on an important distinction: "your beliefs" and objective truth. Harassment is never right, but telling gay couples that they are living in sin and witnessing to them is part of our God-given mission of evangelism.
ReplyDelete"Pushing my beliefs on someone" is what God told us to do when he said "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel" or "for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ."
There's another important distinction to be made: Core and Non-core doctrine. Core doctrine are commands and revelations in Scripture that if you do not obey and believe you will not be a Christian, and you will not go to heaven. Non-core doctrines are commands that are not necessary for salvation (ex: Calvinism v. Armenian) but that are important because God says something about them. Choosing to be gay will not keep you out of heaven; "For by grace are ye saved, and not by works, for it is a gift of God lest any man should boast." But homosexuality is still a sin and should be discouraged.
As for it not affecting you, the observer: that's just incorrect. If you constantly observe and are expected to accept sinful actions, they lose their rightful place as objects of disgust. We, as Christians, are supposed to be disgusted by sin.
As for your question, "Should gay marriages be allowed?" I'll send you my research paper on the role of religion in government. In short: the government has no business legislating morality. Their job is to maintain society.
Sounds quite brave for the young man in the class to have related that, but my guess is he needed to express it, and this was a good opportunity. I think we all, at some point or another, do (or not do) things out of loyalty or commitment to family or friends. But - that sounds like it was a powerful revelation. Gay marriage -- that will be a continuing source of conflict in society --- I tend to approach it like this --who am I to judge? I can tolerate and accept others' decisions concerning love and partnerships and see no real need to moralize about them one way or another.
ReplyDeleteMy two cents:
ReplyDeleteIt's not our jobs as humans to judge others. That job is specifically reserved for God. Jesus told us "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" in Matthew 7:1. All judgment of others does is bring judgment on yourself.
I'm currently re-reading a Jodi Picoult novel called Nineteen Minutes. It follows the story of a group of people before and after a school shooting. One of the characters, a judge, is up for a district position and she is asked, "Ms. Cormier, who has the right to judge someone?" Her response: "Morally, no one has the right to judge anyone else. But legally, it's not a right--it's a responsibility."
So like Caleb wrote, it's not the government's job to tell anyone whether what they are doing is right or wrong, but whether their actions are legal. And deciding what is legal is up to American citizens...