Tragically, there have been too many news stories recently about young gays who have been unwillingly outed and bullied. Consequently, these young individuals decided to commit suicide because they perceived that the situation was too much to handle. Unfortunately, Christianity has been accused of contributing to these horrific events.It is sad that Christianity is being viewed in such an ugly way. How can it be that there is such a misrepresentation of Christianity when one of the core beliefs is to love others? Certainly people cannot possibly believe that Christians could-and would-condone the harmful mistreatment of another brother or sister? This goes against so much of what the Bible teaches and how God calls us to act.
The article also makes a very important point-we are all sinners living in a fallen world. No sin is considered above another. Gossip carries the same weight as any other sinful behavior. The article is also quick to point out that believers are just as guilty as nonbelievers in failing to act Christlike to those that are different. I believe this definitely serves as a critical reminder since too often we catch ourselves pointing our own fingers at one another.
This is a good article Mary! Though I agree that all sin is sin, not all sin carries the same consequence. What I mean is that even though gossip and sexual immorality are both sins, certainly, the latter carries with it more dire consequences. I agree in the end where it says that believers are just as guilty as non-believers in failing to act Christ-like. It is much worse for Christians to point out the wrong or sin in others when they themselves are committing the same sin...sometimes, even to a greater extent. Anyone who purposely and excitedly looks to condemn others has something going wrong in his/her own life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great topic for this blog. In reading your post and the article, I was thinking about the tolerance versus grace discussion in class from a few weeks ago. As a Christian, I cannot tolerate moral evil and say that it is okay. Sin is sin, whether it is homosexual sin, heterosexual sin, stealing, gossip, or placing more importance on something other than God (idolatry). Those who engage in such activities “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthian 6:10). The bad news is that we have all fallen short in one or more of these areas of our lives. The good news is that, as Christians, we have been redeemed from all of this and we have the hope of living lives that are not characterized by particular sins. As fellow sin-strugglers, we Christians should extend the grace to others that has been extended to us by God through Christ. After all, as Jesus said “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone…” (John 8:7).
ReplyDeleteI absolutely cringe when I hear about the latest funeral picket at the grave sites of dead soldiers by the Westboro Baptist Church. This is the group that protests military funerals with picket signs that read “God hates fags” and “Thank God for dead soldiers”. How embarrassing – as if one had to with the other. Then there are the homosexual activist groups that exploit the tragedies of hate crimes in order to push tolerance of the homosexual lifestyle over on the American public. These activist groups are advancing a hopeless agenda that offers no possibility for change for the individual who struggles with same-sex desires.
Again, the Spirit speaks through the apostle Paul “and that is what some of you were” (1 Corinthians 6:11). True Christianity offers love for the sinner (all of us) and hope for transformation. God help us to become more gracious towards those who struggle with this sin, while not approving of the moral wrong that the sin entails.
This article proves some good points. I agree that sin is sin in God's eyes but yes it is the consequences that can be extremely different based on the choices we make. I realize it is extremely difficult for most Christians to love and accept gays but they are people too created by God and instead of turning our backs on them, we should encourage them, pray for them, and be examples of Christ in their lives in hopes that they see a difference and turn to God.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good blog post. I know how frustrating it is sometimes when people cannot distinguish between a christians and a non-christian. I guess this is also call to remind ourselves that the only reason we are saved is because God's love penetrated our hearts. We should in turn try our best to show His love to other who need it. Yes, we might hate the sin, regardless of what kind of sin it is, we should not allow that to effectively display the love of Christ that people need.
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