Unholy Marriage of Religion and Politics
Posted: Wednesday, May 14, 2008
by Missing Link
So Sunday, I'm at church like I am every Sunday morning that I am in town. I love my time to worship OK and I believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ. I'm comfortable with God, but religion sometimes makes me shudder. Sunday, in the middle of my time to worship God, the pastor stands up and announces that there are petitions we need to sign; must sign, is our holy duty to sign, if the tone were to be described accurately here. He explains that marriage is under attack by Gays and Lesbians and that we as Christians must do our duty to change the state constitution to outlaw marriage between men or between women. Hmmmm..I don't understand.
Second, I don't want politics interrupting my time of worship.
Third, if Christians don't think that Gays and Lesbians should marry, then don't marry them. If you don't approve of a homosexual marriage don't attend one. If you don't approve of a homosexual marriage don't allow the use of your church for one. The constitution does not legislate that a pastor has to marry any couple that comes along with a pair of rings and stars in their eyes.
Fourth, if a marriage is as the vows imply, something that, "God has put together" or something to that effect, and if God actually won't sanction marriages between men or between women, then why do Christians feel the need to legislate on God's behalf? I f God won't do it, God won't do it, end of story. It's sort of like a monkey dressing up as a giraffe, I'm pretty sure that God knows the difference, if it matters to Him.
Fifth, a point made to me about this by a dear friend is, will this political action draw one single soul to Christ? Jesus spent most of His time with the very people who the Bible identified as sinners and who the priests, the culture and the society of the time identified as outcasts. Jesus did not set up tables in the temple courtyard with petitions to legislate against their sins, in fact he overturned the tables of people promoting agendas that were defiling His Father's House: that's what I felt like doing Sunday!
Sixth, do we Christians truly believe, as the facist President of Iran, that there are no homosexuals in our midst? Do Christians not want to reach out to those people? What about their own family members who may be experiencing and confused about such feelings? Do they think that by setting up tables in the courtyard to collect signatures; that by having barkers with clipboards flagging down those trying to skirt the process; that by using the bully pulpit; they are going to encourage a boy or a girl to come forward to talk about feelings that are so obviously held in such enormous contempt? Will they be encouraged to share such struggles with their pastor and parents who are willing to change the constitution to outlaw them? Are they going to be comfortable talking about homosexual feelings that may lead them to exposure to HIV/AIDS? No, they are going into the closet and they will close that door to everyone they saw taking political action that condemns who they feel they are.
Seventh Is there no shame about the hypocrisy that the pastors of my church engage in? I have heard platitudes made by a pastor once or twice when they will say to a men's group that men who are tempted by homosexuality are "welcome" in the church, that this temptation is no different than any other, that all sins are equal. Yet hypocritically, they make jokes about homosexuals on the pulpit, they invite "Christian" comedians to perform who use homosexuality as part of their routine, they stand before the congregation and promote changes to the state's constitution that on the surface speak about the sanctity of marriage. But they aren't kidding anyone. While they will say with their lips that all sin is equal, their contempt for homosexuals is obvious, their actions ridicule and create separation. In reality, their actions speak much louder and say that homosexuals aren't welcome, homosexuals are to be legislated against. There is no practice of grace or love in this, only fear.
And Last "Trust in God" isn't at play in this political action. So we symbolically outlaw marriage for homosexuals, yet male and female couples continue to live together. What's the difference? If God doesn't approve it doesn't matter who creates the union on earth or even what we call it. The question of who sanctifies a marriage is God's, not Cesar's. The real issue here is why are we acting like the Pharisees who used the law to separate themselves from those who they legislated as unclean?
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Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)hi missing link,
this was a well written, interesting article. i relate to thinking along the same way. i've written about the way i feel. and you just did, very eloquently.
thanks for sharing,
best regards,
sue thomThank you Sue! MissingLink
Great article. Faith without works is dead, but I agree with you. The effort needs to be directed at more "Holy" pursuits. As for me, I'm always leery of someone so passionate to attack a group of folks like that. Like Jimmy Swaggart preaching against adultery. Write on, Sir!
Hi Missing link, Your article indicates you are missing the point. You seem to think that church leaders are supposed to create some "Kum Ba Yah moment" for your occasional visit - when you are "in town". Suppose you lived in the heat of the battle over slavery in our nation. Would you have thought it disturbing to your WORSHIP that a pastor strongly encouraged the congregation to sign a petition to end slavery. Would you have written an article then stating "If Christians don't like slavery, they shouldn't own one, shouldn't buy food from farms that have slaves, etc." It is indeed a freaking shame that in America we should have to even consider creating an ammendment to the constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. THAT IS THE ISSUE! Your church leaders get it. Finally, I can't help but wonder if you have even mentioned any of these concerns about "your church" to your leaders. You seem to think they are hypocritical in their attitudes about homosexuals. Perhaps they are. Read MT 18. Jesus would have you first point out that apparent hypocricy to them, before you publish an article about them on the Internet.Hi Dane, Thanks for taking the time to comment. I don't think that you got my point either. My point is that holding a virtual rally at church to support the legislation to condemn gay marriage is unnecessary and it singles out one sin among all sins thereby pushing that class of sinners away from the very church that might save them. You mention the fight against slavery which was not the same thing. That was a case of helping to end oppression, not legislate in favor of it. Very opposite issues. I think it is hypocritical to say that all sins are equal, to say that people tempted by homosexuality are welcome in church and then act in a way that is contradictory. I think that pretty well defines a form of hypocrisy. If their mission is to bring all people to the cross - especially people who are far from it - relationships have to be built first. By pushing this petition in church they burn the bridge before it is built. And before you get off track again Dane, I am not saying they should be in favor of gay marriage or homosexuality. I am saying that if you are encouraging a sinner to come to the cross, you don't belittle their sin from the pulpit. You might confront them in private, counsel them in groups, fellowship with them, and so on. But Jesus didn't run out the sinners, he invited them in, he broke bread with them, he showed them love. Perhaps you are right that I should have gone to my church leaders about the issue, but I did not feel it was a safe thing to do. IN my article, I focused on the issue, I did not name my church or its leadership and my blog isn't connected to me personally outside my family. Just to set the record straight Dane, my church attendance is exemplary and insulting me on that is both inaccurate and unfair since you have no knowledge of me or my church. My church leaders are supposed to lead me in the path that Jesus laid out. That path was indicated by His new commandments to us to Love the Lord your God and Love Your Neighbor. That's everyone, not just those who you feel comfortable with. Your tone indicates a lot of anger Dane, it's hard to love in anger. I will pray for you. Missing LInkOkay Missing, You are right about my angry tone. It's true, I am sometimes upset by something I read. My anger is in reaction to your sarcasm about your relationship with God and the church, but most of all about your inappropriate manner of dealing with your own church leaders. Your attempt to give yourself a pass on this by saying "I did not feel it was a safe thing to do" does not wash with me. If they would do you any more harm than I have done, then perhaps you are justified. In that case, you should get out of that church immediately. You STILL are missing the point. Your argument mixes the general treatment of the sin of homosexuality with the issue of opposition to gay marriage. In case you are not aware of it, there is a powerful movement of militant homosexuals in our nation (in our world) who will not stop until everyone of us accepts homosexuality as normal, healthy and good. Many churches are complying with that agenda by practicing silence on this critical social issue. You happen to be a part of a church that is led by LEADERS who have the stuff to take a stand, even if it hacks off people in their pews, like you. They deserve more honor than they will get. Frankly, that kind of church is getting to be rarer in America. Apparently, that is good news to you. I am among those who do not view that as a good thing. I fully agree with the things you say about the church being loving and non-hypocritical regarding sinners of any flavor. Christians are called to hate sin and love the sinner, a pretty tall order. The answer is not to love sinners so much that we say nothing about their sin, or worse yet, act as if we think their sin is a cool thing. Finally, I sincerely apologize for the unfair shot at your church attendance. I have no knowledge of your participation. Please forgive me. And I appreciate your prayers. And you have mine, too.Dane, you are exactly right. I couldn't have said it better myself. God bless you sir.
Missing link, Thank you for reinforcing a point that I have tried to make frequently on the site. Years ago, my wife attended a weekend retreat at a Catholic center. That weekend, gays who were members and officials from various churches throughout the country flew into the site to assemble and worship God. As my wife talked with participants, she discovered that they were too ashamed to address their sexual orientation within the context of their home church. They offered to let her worship with them and she was touched. Sometimes, it is difficult to reconcile our "beliefs" with experience. Churches, in my opinion, should never use the pulpit to promote their political agenda, particularly when it involves bashing others who may have different ideologies and lifestyles. Thanks for a great article!
This is Robin, a hete-whatever married redneck from Texas scratchin' my head and thinkin' ta myself... ain't there alota judgement out there taday? What's this unholy marriage stuff? What's up? Did I miss sumpin' in da news? And if I did, I guess I was too busy havin' hanky panky with my pet lamb ta give a damn! Get over it, yall! Judge me, you'll have more fun!
Great article, Missing Link. I know we are taught by our religious leaders that homosexuality is a sin, but I really don't believe that homosexuals are homosexuals necessarily because they want to be. God made everyone, including men who love men and women who love women (physical love). Nature is a wonderful thing; but nature makes mistakes and crosses wires every day--it happens. And you are absolutely right; Jesus would not have condemned a person because that person was born homosexual any more than would condemn the adultress. What is in a person's heart and soul is what will get that person into heaven and the ones of us who make it, will not be surprised to find a few homosexuals there too. Let us 'judge not, that we be not judged'. Sandra.
people are born gay. i know of too many young adolesents who are by nature predominately male or more predominately female. what about the incestuous relationships between Lot and his daughters?? but that's ok? stoning people to death for adultrey is ok? though we shall not kill? the bible is full of contradictions. too many to be taken seriously. it's archaic. luckily, we have progressed beyong these superstitions.
Very well said Missing Link and Sandra. Let me tell you, I did not CHOOSE to be gay. People that believe whole heartedly that gay folks chose to be that way, well they really should take some time to think. Would I really, wake up and choose to live a life in a way that I get picked on, I could possibly get killed for, that I am looked at differently, that I am not treated fairly, that I could very well get fired from my job for, that I am hated, that I am DENIED the same rights that others get........does it really make any type of logical sense that one would CHOOSE this kind of life? Thank you Sandra and Missing Link for thinking for yourselves. I just wish more people could be that way.
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