something's wrong
I promised I wouldn't get into debates and discussions with myself or with
you guys about the hot mess surrounding same sex marriage, mostly because no
matter which opinion or side you have, someone is nearby to slam it down or
call you a hater, or worse. And, frankly, I don't feel that I've been called
into this argument or protest, so I've let the rest of the world go on and
fight about it.
However, some promises just can't be kept. Sadly. And I think there are some huge issues we’re missing by allowing the media to cloud our visions—issues in politics and ethics, and the duture of our country.
If you ever feel like having your own beliefs, ethics, values, opinions, and ideas tested, enroll yourself in a faith-based college, in a class that is primarily (as they all are) surrounded around discussion sessions. Sure, I write papers and take quizzes, but the majority of my grade on an average week relies on my ability to participate in discussions. Needless to say, not only am I getting seriously educated, but I'm putting my own foundation to the test. You oughta try it sometime.
Have you seen this story? The one about the Penn State "mishap"? Alex says we talked about it back in December when the news broke, but I had honestly forgotten all about it until we brought it up in class the other night. This probably due to the fact that it’s not nearly as publicized as gay marriage is lately. Also, when I Google the story, it appears here and there, in between all the recognitions Penn State continually receives. I have to be pretty diligent in searching for the whole story. In the meantime, go ahead and Google PRIDE weekend. Or gay marriage. Tell me what that page looks like.
Oh, and, do you remember the University of Wyoming/ Matthew Shepard story? Matthew was a gay man at the college, and was brutally murdered by two straight students. Alex reminded me the other day of this tragic murder that impacted all of us in rural, small town Wyoming and Nebraska (and probably everywhere). I remember this as one of the worst experiences of my childhood, and suddenly realizing that people could actually be evil out of their hatred or disagreement.
Here's the point. Yes, sexual sins are bad in the eyes of God, but so is every other sin out there. Sin is sin. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Yes, God has very specific plans and intentions for marriage that do include a man and a woman. (Just read through Genesis.) That was His design, and His designs are perfect. He gives us those plans and designs so that we could succeed. However, the fact that this gay marriage issue has blown up so much, and the Penn State issue doesn't have people in protests, seems a little off to me. The fact that very hateful and evil words come out of the mouths of those against gay marriage is also disturbing to me. If you're so against this kind of marriage that you'll kill people because of it, how does that make you any better? How will that make any decent changes in this world?
I'll admit, before I got married, I thought marriage was all about buying houses, having a family, getting to spend every day with your best friend, security, etc., etc. Now that I know that marriage was first exampled by Christ and the Church, now that I know it has everything to do with your walk with God and the transformation that happens there, I understand that our society has the whole idea of marriage very backwards, without even bringing up gay marriage. Trust me, gay marriage isn’t the only issue we’re confused on.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you want to protest against gay marriage, if you want to blame gay marriage for all the wrongs in the country, you had better be willing to do the same with the celebrities who divorce 8 times, the politicians who carry on with affairs, the billionaires who frequent gentlemen’s clubs, and the everyday people who carry on with marriage like it's no big deal, something you can misuse, mistreat, and destroy without consequence. And did you know, I’ve been divorced before. I was married to another man before Alex, with the same confused ideas of marriage as most people in this country. That marriage fell victim to adultery, lies, and hate. I’m not here to say that all those people out there are evil; I’m saying, again, that sin is sin, and it has found its way into our world, our minds, our hearts. We’re fallible people in desperate need of real guidance and truth. We’ve got a huge fight ahead of us if we’re interested in eliminating all the bad in our world.
"Hate the sin, don't hate the sinner" might have the right idea, but why does hate have to be the word used? If we're ever going to get back on track with the right way of doing things, we're going to have start in a much different place than hating and protesting.
However, some promises just can't be kept. Sadly. And I think there are some huge issues we’re missing by allowing the media to cloud our visions—issues in politics and ethics, and the duture of our country.
If you ever feel like having your own beliefs, ethics, values, opinions, and ideas tested, enroll yourself in a faith-based college, in a class that is primarily (as they all are) surrounded around discussion sessions. Sure, I write papers and take quizzes, but the majority of my grade on an average week relies on my ability to participate in discussions. Needless to say, not only am I getting seriously educated, but I'm putting my own foundation to the test. You oughta try it sometime.
Have you seen this story? The one about the Penn State "mishap"? Alex says we talked about it back in December when the news broke, but I had honestly forgotten all about it until we brought it up in class the other night. This probably due to the fact that it’s not nearly as publicized as gay marriage is lately. Also, when I Google the story, it appears here and there, in between all the recognitions Penn State continually receives. I have to be pretty diligent in searching for the whole story. In the meantime, go ahead and Google PRIDE weekend. Or gay marriage. Tell me what that page looks like.
Oh, and, do you remember the University of Wyoming/ Matthew Shepard story? Matthew was a gay man at the college, and was brutally murdered by two straight students. Alex reminded me the other day of this tragic murder that impacted all of us in rural, small town Wyoming and Nebraska (and probably everywhere). I remember this as one of the worst experiences of my childhood, and suddenly realizing that people could actually be evil out of their hatred or disagreement.
Here's the point. Yes, sexual sins are bad in the eyes of God, but so is every other sin out there. Sin is sin. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Yes, God has very specific plans and intentions for marriage that do include a man and a woman. (Just read through Genesis.) That was His design, and His designs are perfect. He gives us those plans and designs so that we could succeed. However, the fact that this gay marriage issue has blown up so much, and the Penn State issue doesn't have people in protests, seems a little off to me. The fact that very hateful and evil words come out of the mouths of those against gay marriage is also disturbing to me. If you're so against this kind of marriage that you'll kill people because of it, how does that make you any better? How will that make any decent changes in this world?
I'll admit, before I got married, I thought marriage was all about buying houses, having a family, getting to spend every day with your best friend, security, etc., etc. Now that I know that marriage was first exampled by Christ and the Church, now that I know it has everything to do with your walk with God and the transformation that happens there, I understand that our society has the whole idea of marriage very backwards, without even bringing up gay marriage. Trust me, gay marriage isn’t the only issue we’re confused on.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you want to protest against gay marriage, if you want to blame gay marriage for all the wrongs in the country, you had better be willing to do the same with the celebrities who divorce 8 times, the politicians who carry on with affairs, the billionaires who frequent gentlemen’s clubs, and the everyday people who carry on with marriage like it's no big deal, something you can misuse, mistreat, and destroy without consequence. And did you know, I’ve been divorced before. I was married to another man before Alex, with the same confused ideas of marriage as most people in this country. That marriage fell victim to adultery, lies, and hate. I’m not here to say that all those people out there are evil; I’m saying, again, that sin is sin, and it has found its way into our world, our minds, our hearts. We’re fallible people in desperate need of real guidance and truth. We’ve got a huge fight ahead of us if we’re interested in eliminating all the bad in our world.
"Hate the sin, don't hate the sinner" might have the right idea, but why does hate have to be the word used? If we're ever going to get back on track with the right way of doing things, we're going to have start in a much different place than hating and protesting.
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