No Apologies

I've gotten quite a response from yesterday's post! I did expect this, but I was also happily surprised to hear from those of you who agree with me. =)

I did lose a follower, but like I said, I expected that too.

I'm going to make a follow-up post about this, because it is something I feel strongly about. A couple of you commented and don't have your reply-to email set! *gasp* I urge all of you to do this, because I often find myself wanting to hit "reply" when I receive your comments via email. When I realize I can't, it makes me a little sad. So, go visit JG's blog and set that up!

Now, on with the post.

I feel like God put this on my heart for a reason. The controversial responses I got were that "A homsexual couple getting married doesn't effect me in anyway," and "When it comes to the issue of homosexuality, I don't think it's necessary to take a side. It's not our role as Christians to cast God's judgement on anyone." Along with a little bit of the separation of church and state issue and "Whether or not homosexuals can legally marry won't affect God's control of all things."

First, a homosexual couple getting married does effect us. The purpose of marriage between a man and woman is to reflect the love that Christ has for His church. My husband is called to love me unconditionally, provide for me, protect me and make sacrifices for me when necessary. As his wife, I am called to be submissive to him, to love and respect him - just as the church is called to do. So, what happens when all of a sudden the state says that my marriage - which reflects Christ's love for the church - is equal to the marriage of a homosexual couple? It has to diminish the way the world views my marriage. It's one of many ways that I am identified as a Christian. What happens when my children learn in church that heterosexual marriage reflects the love of Christ for the church, but learn in school that homosexual marriage is equal to their mommy and daddy's?

Now, the "taking sides and judging" issue. It is absolutely our calling to take sides. As Christians, we are called to love the sinner, but not the sin. Jesus did that - does that. He loves all people, but he hatest sin. We, as Christians, cannot say to the world that it is acceptable to sin! We can absolutely love the sinner and have a relationship with them, but we do NOT have to love the sin. If we love homosexual sin, we might as well tell the world that it's ok to murder, lie, steal, cheat, commit adultery, etc. Really. All sin is equal in God's eyes, so if we accept one we might as well accept all of them! God has already done the judging on this issue - it's wrong. As Christians, we are called to spread the gospel - the truth. We are called to be His messengers of the truth. I make no apologies for that.

Does the legalization of homosexual marriage effect God's control on all things? Of course not. I never said that it would.

Oh, separation of church and state... I love this issue... As a historian, I really do love it when people bring up this issue. I could talk for hours about it! Separation of church and state says {my paraphrased version, that is} that the church and state are to function separately. What does that mean? Basically that no one can be forced to practice a certain religion - no specific religions are "outlawed" or illegal. Does this mean that religion isn't allowed to impact someone's vote? No. Does it say that religion isn't allowed to impact a bill? No. Our forefathers set it up this way so that no one would be forced to practice one religion like they'd been forced to do for so long in England. No one ever said that a person's beliefs weren't allowed to impact the way they vote - including elected officials.

*EDIT: Thanks to JG for adding something to this issue in a comment. I'm posting it here to make sure you get to read it. The state legalizing gay marriage is, in fact, a violation of the separation of the establishment clause (first amendment, separation of church and state, however you want to call it.) Because marriage didn't originate in politics or government. It is, at least, a religious rite, and according to the Bible, like you say, what we are to present to the world as a picture of our relationship with God. Therefore, for the STATE to determine how this RELIGIOUS ritual is to be practiced is, in fact, unconstitutional. *

I love this quote from Ronald Reagan:

"Politics and morality are inseparable. And as morality's foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide. We need it because we are imperfect, and our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they're sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires in order to survive."

I couldn't agree with him more.
 
You may disagree with me on this issue, and that's your prerogative. But, I am speaking what God laid on my heart and what He says is truth. I do not - and will not - apologize for this. 

*EDIT #2: Leviticus 18:22 (God asks Moses to speak to His people on His behalf about Unlawful Sexual Relations) Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. Leviticus 18:24-25 Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. Leviticus 20:13 If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

The One Where I Put It All Out There

...and probably lose a few followers. But that's ok. I feel like I need to get this out. God put me on this earth and into this blogging world for a reason, so I feel like I should do this.

Today, Hawaii's governor, Linda Lingle used her veto power to veto a very controversial bill - the Civil Union Bill. I, for one, was ecstatic. I believe that God created us male and female so that we could procreate - have children of our own. There's a very big reason why same sex couples can't have children without using a sperm donor, a surrogate, or adopting. A very big reason.

I have very strong convictions about this issue. While I have no problem with people who are homosexual, I do have a problem with their lifestyle. I've had some good friends who are homosexual. I love them. Honestly, I do. But, I don't have to like their lifestyle. They know this, too. They know that I'm a Christian - I don't hide that from anyone. I can love them - like Jesus does - and I can completely disagree with the way the live their life - like Jesus does.

God has despised sexual immorality from the fall of man. Let's start with Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-33 and chapter 19). In Gen. 19:5, men call out to Lot asking where the men who came with him where because they wanted to have sex with them. Now, this was not the only reason that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, but you can bet your boots that it was a factor. Fast forward to Rome.

Rome was - and is - well-known for its orgies. Not to mention its mythology and general godlessness. One of my pastors did a series on the book of Romans right before Joe and I got married. I distinctly remember him mentioning a book in which the author listed the things that led up to the fall of Rome. {For the life of me, I can't remember the name of this book! I've googled and searched on Amazon and I still came up with nothing. Help?} One of the last things that occurred before Rome fell was the legalization of same-sex marriage. Are you shocked?

Romans 1:26-32
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. {Meaning He allowed them to keep doing so because they refused to listen to Him and turn from their ways.} Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. {This is the really good part:} In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. {Our pastor went on to question us if we'd ever thought about where AIDS and STDs came from/began. Serious food for thought.} Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice...(pick up in verse 32) Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

So, according to the last verse there, Rome approved of homosexual acts: men lying with men and women lying with women. God allowed them to do this because they refused to acknowledge Him and His laws. When people started practicing homosexuality, notice that their society as a whole began to decline. Murder, greed, hatred, envy, etc.

Now, why did God allow them to keep doing as they were? I Corinthians 6:9-11:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral not idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy not drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you where. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

There is more Biblical evidence to support my views, but I'm not going to go into that right now. I think it's clear from these verses how God feels about homosexuality. He despises it. As a Christian, I do too. Nothing bothers me more than people who claim to be Bible-believing Christians that are "okay" with homosexuality. Either you believe the whole Bible or you don't. You can't pick and choose what you want to believe. You can't take verses and make them say what you want them to say. It doesn't work like that.

All this to say that I believe that marriage is only for one man and one woman. God created us male and female, not male and male or female and female. Genesis 2:20-24 - ...But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;and while he was sleeping, ho took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is not bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.

I'm sure there will be people who stop following me because of this, but I'm not going to apologize for my beliefs. I never have and I never will. I believe in God and His Word. I believe it is the inherit truth. I do not - and will not - alter it to sugar coat the truth to fit the world's views. It may not be popular, but it's the truth and I stand by it.