Christians are always attacked for being a bunch of knuckle-dragging, neanderthal, bigots who display their "insensitivity" and "intolerance" whenever we speak our minds on controversial issues.
In fact, the past year has seen several serious legal attempts in this country to criminalize Christianity (including preaching on the topic of homosexuality from the Bible) by classifying our "unpopular" beliefs as hate crimes punishable by the law.
However, as this story proves, it's rarely the Christians who live up to those labels, and instead often those who commit the accusation that fit that description.
Decisions by voters in Florida, Arizona, and California to join residents of 27 other states with constitutional protections for traditional marriage have prompted threats of violence against Christians and their churches.
"Burn their f---ing churches to the ground, and then tax the charred timbers," wrote "World O Jeff" on the JoeMyGod blogspot today within hours of California officials declaring Proposition 8 had been approved by a margin of 52% to 48%. Confirmation on voter approval of amendments in Florida and Arizona came earlier.
"Tread" wrote, "I hope the No on 8 people have a long list and long knives." Another contributor to the JoeMyGod website said, "While financially I supported the Vote No, and was vocal to everyone and anyone who would listen, I have never considered being a violent radical extremist for our equal rights. But now I think maybe I should consider becoming one. Perhaps that is the only thing that will affect the change we so desperately need and deserve." A contributor identifying himself as "Joe" said, "I swear, I'd murder people with my bare hands this morning."
"I'm going to give them something to be f---ing scared of. … I'm a radical who is now on a mission to make them all pay for what they've done," wrote "Jonathan."
Where's the tolerance? The homosexual lobby is always calling for "tolerance" and "diversity" and playing the role of victim. They claim to deplore violence and "hate." Yet, here we have homosexuals inciting, and directly threatening, violence against Christians.
Imagine if Christian websites were advocating such violence against homosexuals. There'd be outrage, and rightfully so. It'd be national front-page news.
This story is a bit personal for me tonight because I had my own "incident" earlier this week involving this very same subject.
An acquaintance whom I went to high school with is connected to me as part of my network on Facebook. Truth be told, outside of a few classes here and there and attending a few house parties at her home we weren't close at all. Still, that was enough to include each other on our list of "Friends" on the social networking site.
The day before the election, she had posted in a public forum on Facebook a link to an article that was pro-homosexuality and pro-gay marriage. She added a comment stating that she was sharing the link with everyone "in the hopes that it will open our eyes" because she "can't understand how anyone can fight against such a basic truth of life" - in this case that "basic truth" is the right of two people to engage in gay marriage.
I felt that if I didn't respond (especially when so many people would see her message go unchallenged) I would be nothing more than a hypocrite. If I can't take a stand for my Lord and Savior and stand up for truth and what I believe in publicly - no matter how unpopular a position it might be for me to take - then my faith is a complete sham, and I'm nothing more than a fraud. Most importantly, her acceptance of this sin told me that she wasn't walking through life with Jesus Christ and that was enough to motivate me to at least get her thinking about things differently.
So, that being said, I carefully proceeded to respond. I cannot overstate this point. Knowing full well how comments from a Christian like me on the subject of homosexuality and gay marriage was going to be perceived, I made sure that I opened my reply with a couple of "disclaimers," which in hindsight is ridiculous, but that's where we are when it comes to any kind of debate in this country especially when you hold the religious conservative view on a position like I often do.
The long and short of it is that I gently tried to point out that this is not a civil rights issue. Homosexuality/Gay Marriage is not a "civil rights" issue. I wrote that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has to be spinning in his grave about the issue of homosexuality being described as a civil rights issue.
I also pointed out that it's a choice of behavior, not something you have no control over like race or, like me being born with red-hair. There's no such thing as being born gay because there's absolutely no proof despite all the advances in science and all the discoveries in genetics.
She then tried to make it an issue of "love" instead. Therein lies the deception with the Left. They are masters at trying to frame a debate. I'm not quite sure when it was universally agreed upon to give them intellectual superiority on the issues and the freedom to do that, but it can be frustrating to say the least.
I mentioned to her that I didn't know how it got framed as a "civil rights" issue in the first place over the years, and that it bothered me that now it's being framed as a "love" issue. The topic is homosexuality and gay marriage - not love. Of course, no one in their right mind would ever be against civil rights or love.
I ended my rebuttal by asking her what she thought about the countless real-life stories from others who tell of once living a life as a homosexual except now they are exclusively heterosexual.
I learned soon after that she is bi-sexual. I also learned that she didn't appreciate my response despite the fact that she agrees with me that sexuality is a choice. Sadly, she sees nothing wrong with making a decision that will have eternal consequences. She promptly removed me from her list of connections.The absolutely worst part about these types of situations is how Satan will try to use them to his advantage. He knows that if he can use it to discourage you from sharing the truth with others in the future he wins.
The most common strategy is that he will try to make you feel guilty as if you somehow destroyed your witness and testimony by "being a bad example" of a Christian in the handling of things.
I went back and look at that initial email I wrote. I am completely confident that's not the case here. I was careful to think of all the disclaimers beforehand, and I even made my argument without even mentioning God, the Bible, and sin until the very end where I lovingly shared my own link to a ministry called Exodus International where she could read real-life stories from people who had once lived the homosexual lifestyle before finding forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ to serve as proof to back up my position.
All in all, it saddens me to know that we are quickly approaching a time when Chrisitians will be persecuted in this country. I'm afraid it's closer than even we think it is.
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near." Luke 21:28
Still, I can rest knowing that He said it would be this way. It is simply another sign that Jesus Christ is on His way to meet us!
In the meantime, I will pray for this acquaintance and others like her. Would someone who's truly intolerant and full of hate - a bigot - do something he knew was going to help you?
Precisely my point.
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