Skip to main content

The Gospel not Rights

I was driving through town a few days ago and hit the scan feature on my radio. It's always a surprise to me what will come up. Country? Rock? Christian Pop? This time the radio locked on NPR. A young woman, a polygamist, was making a statement about clinging to her faith even in the wake of the current controversy in Texas. There was a comment from someone about how polygamists choose the suffering when they choose the lifestyle. Before I could stop it, the radio was on another channel and I had driven far enough that I could not get reception when I tried to return to listen to the rest of the program. I wanted to know what was said next and the context of the show.

I have, what will seem by many Christians, some controversial ideas about things like polygamy. I absolutely believe that marriage is a covenant before God and is best made between one man and one woman. I do not see specific condemnation of polygamy in the bible. It is in many ways inferred and shown to be undesirable but it is not explicitly forbidden. It is in no manner encouraged. However, in the United States it is illegal so I haven't much sympathy for the woman clinging to her ill-placed faith when it comes to the law of man. I do feel for her because she has been duped and deceived and her soul is in peril.

I wish I could quote what she said in some capacity here because I immediately thought that the next poster children for tolerance will be the polygamists. Why not? Why shouldn't the polygamists have protected rights because of their sexual preferences? Isn't that what the homosexuals are vying for? That very idea makes me absolutely crazy. At the basest level it is illogical. If what consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom is none of my business, then why on earth should you be a protected class of people? I become entirely livid when homosexual's equate their plight to what the Civil Rights Movement was for Blacks. Frankly, I do not know why the black community tolerates that comparison.

Christians read my blog, and only a few at a that. I guess it is just as well, if others read it I would be no doubt dismissed as some intolerant homophobic right-winged conservative. Dismissing me would be much easier than actually hearing my argument and believing me to be genuinely kind, loving and not in favor of the polygamist or homosexual agenda. The problem I have is that our country seems bent and determined to protect the rights of anyone who can stand up and belch out a complaint. I suppose at some level it is the fundamental problem with democracy, not that I would trade it for anything else. It is plain that anything someone decides is their right to be able to do, there is an equal and opposite assertion against it from someone else. We are building a house of cards... rights without objective standards by which to measure or base them, place a culture in peril. Cultures are made of people... people with souls in jeopardy.

I wish Christians would remember that sometimes. We Christians are guilty of wanting to protect our rights too. Yet we seem to forget, the homosexual, the cult member, the rebellious youth, the alcoholic, the junkie, the politician... all...they are more than their sin, they are souls in peril. They are on the precipice of hell and we have the gospel, the Life Line, to offer them, not rights.

Gal 5:17-24
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
(NAS)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fear Down, Hope and Peace to Go!

Last night I had the honor and privilege to present some information to the women of my church. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love and appreciate them. The seminar I did was on fear. God is clever and He had me present the information to them because I needed it. It's not that I don't want to study things for my own benefit and growth, but whenever I do a topical study to teach it, I see how badly I needed it and how much more I have to repent of than I realized. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. That's a topic I want to return to in another post. I want to talk about the ladies for a moment. They are an incredibly loving group of women. Women who seek God and are teachable. They have gone out of their way to include me and love on me, which speaks volumes of their characters because I am not all that lovable. I am not being self-deprecating here. I am a mix of endearing and maddening qualities like anyone else. What I am telling you is ...

Links on FAS/FASD info and some quick thoughts

I had some thoughts today about how to help parents who have children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FAS FASD). I am reading an article in the Journal of Biblical Counseling that points out the similarities in counseling and parenting. This particular volume has several articles focusing on family relationships, especially that of parent and child. The titles include : Helping the Parents of an Angry Child; Angry Teens; Counseling the Adopted Child; and Helping the Grieving Child or Teenager. ( Journal of Biblical Counseling Winter 2007 Vol. 25 Number 1) I haven't completed my studies in the journal and so I cannot begin to write a proper synthesis of the various issues addressed, all of which I think may be helpful to parents of FAS or FASD children. But then, these topics aren't exclusive to FAS and FASD children. I was blessed with raising some wonderful children in a unique set of circumstances. My sister died leaving behind 5 terrific kids...

Be yourself- don't waste your blog...

So... I read an article on my friend, Carla's blog . I have written about her on my blog before and have recommended her before. In this particular post she talks about one blogger's vision for a directory of Christian bloggers to help promote accountability. Which, on the surface sounds all good and 'Christianly' but Carla has reservations. Then I read the comments for her article and Steve Camp of Camp onThis fame has responded. I have also recommended his blog a number of times. For those of you who don't want to click the links, this is a brief synopsis. Some guy wants to have a Christian bloggers directory for accountability purposes, Carla questions the need since accountability begins in the bloggers local church, and she fears it will set up a click of bloggers who are "in" and those who are "out." Steve drives the point home and signs his comment "Don't waste your blog..." That's the part that has me spinning....