The gay marriage conundrum
The debate has been going on for years. Is it really a conundrum to begin with? This post may be long but It is my encouragement for you to hear me out.
Now I entreat with you, with all humility and patience to read through the whole post before coming to a conclusion. To understand at least where I am coming from. I may not speak for the other Christians but I do hope so that I am.
So now you get those who post their rainbow profile pictures Christians and non-Christians alike. Some Christians you will see them making their stance and some Christians sharing the joy of what has happened. This has seem to leave some, confused, frustrated, happy, and the list of emotions could go a little longer than this. So what does putting the rainbow lens profile picture mean? To my limited understanding It means that as an individual you support the fact that America has legalized and recognized gay marriage and thus supporting gay marriage. Follow me so far?
Here is my stance. No I do not recognize gay marriage based on what I have come to understand the purpose of marriage is. Now at this point I trust some of you are turned off already. Bare with me will ya? =)
My stance does not mean I will discriminate you, I will love you any less, I will dehumanize you. No. In all the years I trust the church has taken the wrong approach concerning this issue of homosexuality. What has happened is that churches have made the gospel overly exclusive and to a certain extend legalistic while forgetting essential purpose of being a Christian. They have highlighted these issues like homosexuality but left out issues like self-righteousness. In that process they have come to discriminate the homosexuals, criminalize them in their community, and drop it to them as their identity. Because of that, the church....has not become a church already. You wanna call it a social club where people with the same religion gather....sure. But based on this alone, I would like to say the church is no more a church. A safe platform to belong, and be loved and to know God.
To my gay friends out there, I may not have many gay friends but I trust you know me well enough. I am sorry I do not have enough knowledge of how homosexuality came about. Gene or choice. I am able to empathize the least to try to take on your perspective. But you and I are no different. We are all humans. Your homosexuality is not your only identity. You are more than that as an individual and that is my encouragement for you. Now, I will try to be as tactful and gracious as I can be. Yes, same sex marriage or having sex with the same sex in the Bible has stated is wrong. The idea of homosexuality as a sin goes back to God's original design for men and women in which it is not meant to be restrictive (another whole topic on its own). The purpose of marriage has also been mentioned in the Bible (I will not talk on marriage, a whole new other topic). But stating that never meant I will discriminate or hate gays. Jesus would love you so much as much as he loved the heterosexuals. If the bible says same sex marriage is wrong, it is also as wrong as a liar, murderer, as wrong as a heterosexual marriage that does not glorify God with it's actions. Everyone has sinned Every one of us has fallen short of God's glory and we cannot keep up with his High standards (The Christian view). Trust me, try it and you will fail. I have failed so many times. I do not rely on the laws and standards to earn my right standing with God. I do not do good to earn my right standing with God. Fact is I can't earn it at all.
Now for me, Jesus died on the cross for all. Those who believe in Christ have put on Christ as new clothes as their new identity so there is no longer Jew or gentile, slave or free, male and female (Paraphrase from Galatians 28). It does not mean there are no roles or designs to be played as male or female, rather, in Christ he has united us in one accord. Whoever believes in Jesus as their savior will be saved and forgiven knowing that they are sinners (Another whole topic). For the Christians out there, realize that we are all sinners saved by grace. We ALL will fall short. Do not just drop the bomb on one community.
To conclude, my stance is that Christians who change their profiles to the rainbow colors may confuse other Christians regardless of whether they have the right perspective. But at this moment I encourage to not wage war with each other. That will totally be missing the point. To the homosexuals out there, the fact that I choose to be uncompromising with the Bible does not mean I will hate you, discriminate you and look at you any different. All of us are creations created in His image. Based on this in itself there is such an elevated worth in the individual as humans. No, because I make this stand does not mean we will not be friends or I will love you any less. Yes, I do agree that there are churches who approached this so wrong that you felt it is not love anymore and yes perhaps their approach was never loving to began with. For that I am sorry. But that was not what the gospel I learnt was about.
All in all I am aware this post might put some people off. Believe me it is not my intention. But I just felt the burden in my heart to share this with you guys. To help if not make a stand, clear the misunderstandings, if not for that help you know that hey, I am here for you. We are the same. and Jesus loves a homosexual as much as a heterosexual. He loves the prostitute as much as he loves the pharisee (religious teachers those days). I know this can go on and on. But here is my worth of 2 cents.
Now I entreat with you, with all humility and patience to read through the whole post before coming to a conclusion. To understand at least where I am coming from. I may not speak for the other Christians but I do hope so that I am.
So now you get those who post their rainbow profile pictures Christians and non-Christians alike. Some Christians you will see them making their stance and some Christians sharing the joy of what has happened. This has seem to leave some, confused, frustrated, happy, and the list of emotions could go a little longer than this. So what does putting the rainbow lens profile picture mean? To my limited understanding It means that as an individual you support the fact that America has legalized and recognized gay marriage and thus supporting gay marriage. Follow me so far?
Here is my stance. No I do not recognize gay marriage based on what I have come to understand the purpose of marriage is. Now at this point I trust some of you are turned off already. Bare with me will ya? =)
My stance does not mean I will discriminate you, I will love you any less, I will dehumanize you. No. In all the years I trust the church has taken the wrong approach concerning this issue of homosexuality. What has happened is that churches have made the gospel overly exclusive and to a certain extend legalistic while forgetting essential purpose of being a Christian. They have highlighted these issues like homosexuality but left out issues like self-righteousness. In that process they have come to discriminate the homosexuals, criminalize them in their community, and drop it to them as their identity. Because of that, the church....has not become a church already. You wanna call it a social club where people with the same religion gather....sure. But based on this alone, I would like to say the church is no more a church. A safe platform to belong, and be loved and to know God.
To my gay friends out there, I may not have many gay friends but I trust you know me well enough. I am sorry I do not have enough knowledge of how homosexuality came about. Gene or choice. I am able to empathize the least to try to take on your perspective. But you and I are no different. We are all humans. Your homosexuality is not your only identity. You are more than that as an individual and that is my encouragement for you. Now, I will try to be as tactful and gracious as I can be. Yes, same sex marriage or having sex with the same sex in the Bible has stated is wrong. The idea of homosexuality as a sin goes back to God's original design for men and women in which it is not meant to be restrictive (another whole topic on its own). The purpose of marriage has also been mentioned in the Bible (I will not talk on marriage, a whole new other topic). But stating that never meant I will discriminate or hate gays. Jesus would love you so much as much as he loved the heterosexuals. If the bible says same sex marriage is wrong, it is also as wrong as a liar, murderer, as wrong as a heterosexual marriage that does not glorify God with it's actions. Everyone has sinned Every one of us has fallen short of God's glory and we cannot keep up with his High standards (The Christian view). Trust me, try it and you will fail. I have failed so many times. I do not rely on the laws and standards to earn my right standing with God. I do not do good to earn my right standing with God. Fact is I can't earn it at all.
Now for me, Jesus died on the cross for all. Those who believe in Christ have put on Christ as new clothes as their new identity so there is no longer Jew or gentile, slave or free, male and female (Paraphrase from Galatians 28). It does not mean there are no roles or designs to be played as male or female, rather, in Christ he has united us in one accord. Whoever believes in Jesus as their savior will be saved and forgiven knowing that they are sinners (Another whole topic). For the Christians out there, realize that we are all sinners saved by grace. We ALL will fall short. Do not just drop the bomb on one community.
To conclude, my stance is that Christians who change their profiles to the rainbow colors may confuse other Christians regardless of whether they have the right perspective. But at this moment I encourage to not wage war with each other. That will totally be missing the point. To the homosexuals out there, the fact that I choose to be uncompromising with the Bible does not mean I will hate you, discriminate you and look at you any different. All of us are creations created in His image. Based on this in itself there is such an elevated worth in the individual as humans. No, because I make this stand does not mean we will not be friends or I will love you any less. Yes, I do agree that there are churches who approached this so wrong that you felt it is not love anymore and yes perhaps their approach was never loving to began with. For that I am sorry. But that was not what the gospel I learnt was about.
All in all I am aware this post might put some people off. Believe me it is not my intention. But I just felt the burden in my heart to share this with you guys. To help if not make a stand, clear the misunderstandings, if not for that help you know that hey, I am here for you. We are the same. and Jesus loves a homosexual as much as a heterosexual. He loves the prostitute as much as he loves the pharisee (religious teachers those days). I know this can go on and on. But here is my worth of 2 cents.
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