8.02.2012

on chickfila. reluctantly.

throughout this whole CFA blowup thing, i have thought of my gay friends, and for some reason specifically my friend abby every time i have spoken, posted or prayed about this.

she just posted this on facebook regarding how the whole saga has affected her and it is everything i was afraid of and makes me sick in my soul.



i was so afraid as i read this that i had contributed to her feelings of disrespect and invalidation, so when i got to the part where she mentioned jesse and me, i started SOBBING. straight up, non-menstrual, weeping; water just shooting out of my face.

relief, gratitude, wonder, awe. for once, i feel like i maybe represented my king correctly.

i have wrestled with what jesus would have done in all of this. i have asked wiser folks what the bible says about how we are to speak truth to folks who dont yet believe in jesus.

the answer i've received: nowhere does it say we're supposed to call any nonbeliever out as violating a law/code that they dont even acknowledge as true (uh-duh) yet, but instead we are supposed to win them to christ by displaying his irresistible love.

i rarely feel love when it's preceded with a big, fat, loud, "oh, hey, your life is wrong."


and even with these peaceful, positive supports of a blatantly constitutional right or christian values, a hurtful or even hateful message can be conveyed.

whispered love is always more powerful to receive than shouted dissent. an unexpected love creates far more change than an expected hatred.

but the catch is: those good ones are so much harder to GIVE!

so i have clenched my butt and smacked my forehead and been nervous beyond belief as the troops got rallied. so scared that we would lose sight of our message.

free speech: a to the men! for everyone, please! you show me a black, gay, muslim old man who hates me and everything that i am, and i will vote, march and protest to preserve his right to talk about that (and to still sell me delicious fried meats). also, i kind of want to be his friend because, UNIQUE, right?!

but moving beyond constitutional rights and onto our behavior as believers: it's such a fine line between wanting to stand together and letting it become standing against people who think differently than us. and you know, i cant make that call for anyone else because, like most everything jesus talked about, it's not about showing up or sitting-in: it's a heart issue that is just between me and him.

i have agonized at how many LGBT folks this whole thing may have further alienated from the savior that i (obviously) believe created them, loves them and died for them.

and it has rocked me to my core.

so my constant prayer has been that we christians would just keep our eye on the ball. to not throw out the baby (love) with the bathwater (a political/civic commerce issue that we think deserves to be "fought" for).

if youre a christian, you may think i am a waffler, or some sell-out liberal dispensing a watered-down hippie gospel. you know, i am still working through the "truth" aspect of this as it is stated in the bible. i may never fully understand exactly what god thinks about homosexuality, but since i dont struggle with it personally, i'm not sure that it's my place speak with any authority on it.

dont get me wrong: no spirit of timidity up in here. i will speak truth and not downplay the less-PC parts of the bible.

HOWEVER, i feel like there are so many things that jesus talked and talked and talked about and commanded me to do that i dont even come close to getting right. until i grow much more in the area of whispering love to everyone in my life, what right (as a christian...not an american) do i have to start yelling at them about something i dont even understand and have never felt or walked through?

my husband is my hero. he is so wise and well-rooted in the word, and he loves people ridiculously. he almost always has a great point of view on these prickly situations that make me want to fly off the handle.

he calls himself (rather brilliantly) "conservative with truth, liberal with love."

this is one of his tweets this week:

amen.

i feel called to show others a new love that maybe they havent experienced or expected. i will always aim to choose that over screaming my beliefs at them (even if they are truth) and risking misrepresenting jesus' love, or--god forbid--communicating satan's message of hate.

.

yes, jesus got angry. yes jesus spoke truth. but he IS truth itself. and he didnt make signs or protest to proclaim it.

his story screamed the truth for him.

his life.

his love.

the stupid crazy, blindingly insane LOVE that he has for every single person.

do we remember that?

can we accept that?

dare we be that?

.

jesus gave up his right to be right and it cost him his very life. he did it for love.

was it worth it? was it enough?

i want my life to scream yes...yes, yes, jesus! your love is enough.

.

so if youre gay and ever want a christian friend...i hope it's clear, i'm up for that. i'll even buy your big mac.

48 comments:

  1. agreed. thank you for sharing.

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  2. Yes, yes, yes to everything you wrote.

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  3. Consider my queer socks rocked. Thank you. :)

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  4. Wow. Really. I will admit to being somewhat anti-news so your tweet and post was the first I have heard of this particular movement. But I so, so admire your opinion and your stance on this subject (and many others). I believe that we are called by Jesus to love others and not judge them. I dont understand how people can be so passionate on voicing judgement against gay and lesbian marriage and none on people entering second marriages after an un-biblical divorce. But truly that is a different subject. In reality, as a Christian, I am called to love. And that is what I will do until I feel God tells me otherwise. Thank you, Keight and Jessie, for your bravery in standing up for Gods Love.

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    1. LUCKY YOU! i wish i could have bypassed the whole thing honestly. well, at least up until this redemptive moment and the outpouring of folks who agree with jesus that love win.

      jesse just brought up the point to me that he has never heard any evangelical call for legislation outlawing unbiblical divorce. that is a shame. but you know, divorced folks give way more money to the church/political machine so i can see why pastors/leaders would maybe not talk so loudly about that, even though jesus seems much more clear on that issue.

      LOVE LOVE LOVE!

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    2. Keight,

      There have been plenty of evangelicals over the last forty-fifty years stand up and say what Jesus said about divorce. They are referred to as "hateful bigots." There are still a few willing to stand up for the truth in love. That's one reason Chick-fil-A donates millions of dollars a year to restore marriages and help people choose to stay together rather than get divorced.

      Tim Stephens
      Smyrna, GA

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    3. i hear you. i LOVE CFA's marriage restoration programs. i guess jesse and i had just never head of actual *legislation* or a political outcry based on scripture banning unbiblical divorce like there seems to be over the same-sex marriage issue.

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    4. It's because you're evidently a lot younger that some of us old farts. Those wars were fought and lost. Those people lost the fight because they were "casting stones" and "judging lest you not be judged.". If you stand up for anything, you have to be ready to be called a lot of names. Thankfully, there are still some men like Dan Cathy who will do that.

      As he said, "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit," Cathy said. "We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."

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    5. I'm not as old as an old fart, but I do remember some of the days when divorce was a lot less acceptable than it is now. I once worked for a company (who will remain nameless) who would not accept remarried people as volunteers for their ministry, on the grounds that it could invite sexual sin into their midst.

      I'm not saying that divorce is a good thing, but the level of discrimination that used to exist against those who were divorced was a bit crazy for everyone involved. I mean, I could be wrong, but I really don't think that the fear of not being allowed to volunteer in a Christian ministry is the essential glue that could hold a marriage together...

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  5. I hope you dont mind, but I linked this to my blog. KBCNAA.blogspot.com. If you dont like it, I will remove it, but I am so impressed by what you have written.

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    1. of course i dont mind. once i put it on the internet, its free game to be shared!

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  6. Im not in the States, but, ditto to all what you said. Thanx Keight.

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  7. Well said Keight! Jesse's tweet was right on the mark, too. It upsets me to no end when a person uses the Bible to alienate a people.
    We can pick and chose verses from the Bible to support just about any opinion, be it for love or hate. Why do so many people do this and accept it? You know the Bible isn't A book, its what, 200 books we have compiled together. Many of these books contradict one another, so to pick and chose a particular passage to support one's agenda is ignorant at best. When someone spouts that type of crap I want ask what did they learn when they read the Gospels?
    The Jesus I read about would have done something extraordinary like asking all the LBGTs to eat with Him at CFA. He would have told their CEOs to serve them those exquisite chicken biscuits personally. Then he would have told an amazing parable that would blow the minds of the CEOs. It would remind them that His message was about loving your neighbor as yourself, no matter if he's poor, dresses funny, cheers for the wrong football team, or is gay. His love doesn't tell people they're wrong bc they're different from the norm. In fact, He would remind them about who He said would inherit the Kingdom of God first.
    You see, Jesus never discusses homosexuality. But everything we know about Him tells us he wouldn't condemn them just for being gay, To condemn them for being gay would be completely contradicting everything he taught us. So let's think a little before we try to use a certain scripture to justify our opinions, remember the Bible, despite being wonderful, isn't perfect b/c man had a hand in putting it together. And lastly, the Bible is incomplete - that is, unless God stopped communicating and teaching us after it went to press. I have a hard time believing that He would abandon us bc that, too, is inconsistent with His history with man.

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  8. Well said Keight, you too Jesse. For Jesus to condemn people for being gay seems awfully inconsistent with everything He teaches us in the Gospels. I hate it when people use a verse from the Bible to justify their opinions. Especially when their opinions are pushing discrimination, it hurts Christianity so much. I love the Bible, but its a compilation of about 200 books, and there are many passages that contradict each other. People really need to look at the entire works, and I think they would find that the msg is exactly what you said - love God and love one another. People also need to think about what has happened since the Bible went to press. Has God stopped communicating with us and stopped teaching us since the Bible was put together? I don't think so.

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  9. Nice! I think you & Jesse hit the nail-on-the-head. Jesus loves everyone and wants no one to perish...He is truth...know the truth and you will be set free! How can people come to know the truth if all they feel by Christians is hate? Just because we don't agree with someone's lifestyle doesn't mean we can't love them.

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  10. I completely agree, Keight.

    Even if one believes that LGBTs are sinners, one cannot ignore the example of the God who sent His Son to comfort prostitutes and tax-collectors; to save the life of a adulterer who others would have stoned as the OT law demanded; and who walked among those that the religious elite of His day considered unclean without fear, hate, or anger (err, not that I am trying to say that LGBT people are literally lepers or unclean or prostitutes AT ALL by the way, only trying to say that some in the Christian community see them that way and if they can't bring themselves to change that perspective, they should at least look to the Savior's example for how to treat them).

    The passage about the woman who the crowd wanted to stone is particularly applicable in our current hostile cultural environment. It wasn't until after Jesus had defended the woman from those who wanted to take away her most basic human right - her life - that he told her to go and sin no more, and that was after the crowd had left. It was not a speech or a press release meant to shame her or call her out - which was the crowd's mission - but as a loving message from one person to another.

    We have no way to know why that woman did what she did. What was her life like before the moment with Jesus? What happened in her marriage that brought her to that point? It's never discussed, because in the end, I don't believe it matters. What matters is that Jesus still loved her.

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    1. blammo. that is so right on. its not about overlooking sin to a fault. its more about the chronology. especially with nonbelievers. win them with love. when they love jesus they will love the truth and can start to let him work that out in the sin areas of their lives!

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  11. As a parent, I raise my children telling them what is right and wrong. As they grow up, they choose how they want to live. I hope and pray they will choose what is right but I can't force them. Do I stop loving them? No But, I would have been to blame if I "never told them" what was right. God has told us what is right. He gave us a choice. He always loves His children and will always hope they will turn and come back to Him.

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  12. Love is nothing without acceptance, and I have found my Christian beliefs go from extremely conservative to openly accepting the gay community. People are physically born hermaphrodites, so I see no reason why people can't physically be born gay. And since people are born gay, I truly believe God wants people to be who they are... that is the message of Jesus. You are who you are, and I am here just for you and I have a plan for you. Think for a second that homosexuality is not a sin, that the scriptures do not say this and have been misinterpreted.

    So, I say, question your beliefs, research the scriptures, and focus on the heart of Jesus... and I hope you will go the Way of all-consuming Love and acceptance for every color, creed, sexuality, and kind.

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  13. God doesn't hate sinners, if he did He would not love me. Just because I believe that telling lies is a sin doesn't mean I hate someone that lies. Just because someone is gay, doesn't mean I hate them.

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  14. I love Jesus and I love LGBTs. And I have strong suspicion that Chick-fil-A does too.

    Jesus also loves Jerry Sandusky.

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    1. And there it is. ^^

      Because wanting to marry someone of the same gender is --exactly-- the same thing as serial pedophilia. Since all sin is equally damning in the eyes of God, every single sinners does the same amount of harm to others as the worst mass murderers! Therefore, lying is the same as stabbing someone in the face! Masturbation is the same as cannibalism! And anyone who suggests that perhaps the Christian rhetoric around a specific issue has gotten a weeeee bit strident and could possibly be showing something less than God's perfect love is also suggesting that we should cook our children on spits and give government grants to snuff film artists. So shut up and grab a "God Hates Fags" sign, you sin-coddlers!

      //End Massive Sarcasm Quotes

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    2. And Jesus loves James Holmes.

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  15. Love you girl and love every word that you wrote! It was everything that was on my heart...

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  16. I beleive God makes no mistakes he makes each one of us as HE wishes us to be. We don't get a chioce as to whether we are Gay, BI or Straight. When people get over the notion that they are right and someone else if wrong there will be peace on earth and good will to all. God doesn't think any one grouop is right and all the others are wrong and neither should we.
    I have friends on both sides of the issue it's sad to see good people on get sucked into choosing sides

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  17. Thank you. I have been experiencing my own torment and pain over this issue, as some of my gay friends have asked me to put up or shut up- to unfriend them on facebook if I believed in Chick-fil-A. My husband and I did eat there, but not because of being anti-gay. If the mayors of major cities had said a gay business was not welcome, I would have patronized it, too. I'm in a lot of pain right now and your post really helped me. I teach Sunday school and have and have had LGBT students in my class. The message I received from God was to pour out love to them unconditionally and continually, which I have done, but now I may lose their friendships and it makes me so very sad.

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  18. Kudos to you Keight for speaking about CFA with kindness and grace. You are the true definition of a Christian!

    My little brother is gay and I could not be more proud of him. Baby, he was born that way and he is PERFECT. These past couple weeks have been really rough on FB for me. So many people have revealed their "true colors" while I have stayed silent on the issue even though it is very close to home for me. It gives me hope to see Christians like you taking a stand against the HATE that is being spewed in the name of Jesus and Christianity.

    So, a big sparkly, sashay and rainbow clap from our family to you!

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  19. Agree with much of your post. Not on board with the broad characterization of the show of support for CFA, though. For many of us it was a calm, peaceful and loving stand for a great organization that didn't need to be punished. Consider too the stunning proclamations of Chicago, San Fran, and Denver mayors threatening sanctions against Chick-fil-A and like companies who espouse a biblical view of marriage and family. The loving thing to do in these cases, for the culture at large and for our gay friends, is to resist any move towards speech codes and heavy-handed government sanctions against political foes. The state holds police powers, and we'll be to blame if we ever let politicians use labels of "hate" to justify punishment of perceived political foes. Note that the ACLU and many liberal organizations lined up to condemn what those politicians did. So, please refrain from framing the controversy as triumphalistic Christians wanting to thump on gays; there is a civic concern. The amplitude of the response from Chick-Fil-A supporters is reflective of the degree of overreach by these politicians. For many of us it has to do with whether we want to continue to have freedom of conscience, or whether we want to continue our march toward an Orwellian system in which accusations of "hate" is used as a bludgeon on those who hold opposing views. Wanting to prevent that kind of thing is not in conflict with loving our neighbors as Christ would--in fact, when it's done right, it's ultimately a very loving thing to do.

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    1. Let's be very clear here. Freedom of speech is not a right as defined by the Bible. It is a civil construction allowed to us by our government.

      Christians in this country have been using a civil construct (freedom of speech) to try to prevent other citizens in this country to exercise one of their civil rights - the right to pursue happiness through the civil recognition of their marriages.

      Christians have been trying to impose their religious views on these other citizens by using the bludgeon of free speech, while claiming that their free speech is being taken away... a principle that is not even part of the Christian religion.

      All sins are not crimes. Not all sins are prohibited by the government, and not all sins should be, because in a country where every sin is a crime, every citizen is a criminal.

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    2. Just to be clear Mark, we're not saying there was anything wrong with people going to CFA in support of the Cathy's. In fact, Keight when out of her way to make the point that it's their constitutional right and that it should be protected. I don't understand where you're seeing her "framing the controversy as triumphalistic Christians wanting to thump on gays".

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    3. i think i was super-clear about the civic concern: free speech forever! that was a cut and dry case. dan cathy could say i am a raging juggernaut of hookerdom and i wouldnt dare try to prevent him from saying it (though i might inquire as to why he said it).

      so i am a little confused and peeved as to why you are telling me (on my blog nonetheless!) to "please refrain from framing the controversy as triumphalistic Christians wanting to thump on gays."

      i am not sure when i framed it as such.

      there was no accusation in my post. just an anxious desire to be careful and responsible as bearers of christ's standard to the world as the situation went BEYOND a civic concern.

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    4. @anonymous. i think this is right on. the homogenization of culture/politics/religion that seems to be an aim in some circles these days seems really unamerican (in terms of constitutionality) and unbiblical. it's a watered-down crappier version of all of them. i call it jesus lite politics and it seems very hypocritical to me for the very reasons to stated.

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  20. Your words convey what so many of us have been feeling in our hearts this week. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and beliefs with the world and giving us the ability to say "Yes, that's it. That's how I feel!."

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  21. Keight,

    People's support of Chick-fil-a was not about hate, but was exactly the opposite. It was an act of support for fellow Christians who are willing to be unpopular to stand for truth.

    As Christians, we are called to discriminate between right and wrong and to take a stand (although unpopular) for biblical truths. Yes, we are definitely supposed to love the sinner (which is everyone), but we are to hate sin. The homosexual lifestyle is a lifestyle of sin. You can still be a loving friend to a homosexual, but if you are not upfront and openly honest with them and willing to take a stand for Christ, you are not a defender of the faith.

    Matthew 10:22 "Everyone will hate you because of me."
    2 Timothy 3:12 "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
    Nonchristians are going to hate believers for what we stand for. If you are loved by all the nonbelievers around you...it may be good to make sure that you are accurately representing your Lord.

    I do believe that we are to love homosexuals...just don't be so afraid to offend them that you compromise the truth.

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    1. i never meant to imply that supporting CFA = hatred. by no means. in many cases i saw lots of nonbelievers supporting CFA as a free speech issue (right on).

      i did say that i hope we believers, in supporting CFA's family values or right to opinions kept our eye on the ball and our hearts in the right place and were very conscious of the treasured souls of nonbelievers who might be watching us.

      we're the ones proclaiming truth, so we need to be held to a higher standard and sometimes that can even mean shutting our mouths (even if what we have to say is true) if opening them at the wrong time or in the wrong way could be perceived as hatred.

      i am taking issue rather strongly that you are maybe insinuating that i am "not a defender of the faith" because i am not willing to call out my gay friends or gay strangers as sinners.

      the stand that i take for jesus is love. convicting folks about sin is jesus' job, and it's only mine when he prayerfully puts it on my heart to rebuke a brother or sister in love. i've yet to see something in the bible that says i need to go around taking stands for jesus against everything unbiblical in the world or in people who dont acknowledge him.

      leading with "youre wrong" has rarely worked for me. so i am choosing to lead with love.

      if my math is correct jesus= way, truth, light. and god=love. so then if jesus=god then love=truth.

      if i need to "defend the faith" then that would mean there is an attacker. the bible says my fight isnt against flesh and blood but against SATAN. gay people dont threaten my faith. satan and his lies, fear-mongering, disunity-sowing, distractions attack my faith and that is what i pray for jesus to defend it against.

      just because of mat 10:22 doesnt mean i need to go out of my way to try to make them hate me or the savior i represent.

      and in regard to 2 timothy 3:12 in my time as a christ-follower, i have sadly felt more persecution from my brother and sister believers than i have from any nonbeliever.

      i just cant find a situation where loving humbly is the wrong way to go.

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  22. Thank you. Your post put into words what i have struggled to communicate with so many people that I know, family and friends and otherwise, Christian and otherwise. I happen to be a (discreet) member of the GLBT group, and the only reason it stays discreet is because I`m married to a man who loves me for not trying to shove my views down his throat every minute we`re together. But really, this is because for me, being part of both the Christian group and that "other" group, I can`t easily condemn anyone. I don`t understand why there are "other" in this world, but I know from my personal experience that it's not by choice. God created me. So why is it that I am (would have been) condemned for this part of me that God made?

    Unfortunately I don't dare to tell people close to me where I'm coming from because of all the reproach and judgment I`ve heard sputtered at others like me in front of me all my life. But even without coming out, I`m still reproached everytime I try to express what you said. It got to the point that I felt alienated from the church and even the Christian group. It got to the point of me being uncomfortable with being lumped with the religion because I just can`t agree to that message of hate and judgment.

    So thank you. I felt like Jesus spoke to me while reading your blog, and I`m crying in relief to know that I`m not wrong. It`s not wrong to not choose side and leave the judgment in His hand.

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    1. Anonymous, I don't know what denomination you are, but there is a list a mile long of churches that welcome all varieties of LGBT folks who are in all kinds of family situations. Feel free to tweet/email me if you would like some help finding resources. I have seen the truly corrosive power of living in secrecy and nothing that can actually be defined as "good" can ever come from it.

      Best of luck,
      Abby

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  23. The kicker for me in this whole situation is the defense of traditional Biblical marriage. Traditional marriage in the Bible is an arranged, financial transaction between two families (fathers). There is also plenty of examples of polygamy and having concubines. Heck, the Bible even says some awful things about interracial marriage. I don't think that is what people really want when they say they stand for Biblical marriage.
    The point I'm trying to make is that there are a variety of pictures of marriage in the Bible, so the issue is not as clear cut as some people make out.
    The other thing I would like to add is that we have to make a choice whether some instructions in the Bible are cultural or whether they are true forever and always. Ex. The Old Testament says that rape victims should marry their rapists (mainly as a protection for the woman in a weird way that doesn't make sense to us today). We as a society have decided that this was a cultural instruction and that we should IGNORE IT FOR GOD'S SAKE. Homosexuality is something that we have to make a decision on. When the Bible says it is a sin, is that cultural, or is it true forever?

    Sorry for such a long post. A seminarian can't help herself sometimes.

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  25. Above someone said,... "in a country where every sin is a crime, every citizen is a criminal." That's kind of amazing. And I think that for everyone who calls on the name of Jesus, we'd all do well to remember that that country DOES in fact exist.

    It's called the Kingdom of God. In that Kingdom, the penalty for sin is death, and yes, Mr. Sandusky and I received the same sentence, as did Hitler, Billy Graham, Charles Manson and Ghandi. We're all guilty.

    I know this for two reasons. A. Because the Bible tells me so. We're don't claim for a minute to fully understand the Bible, but it has proven itself to be exactly what it claims to be in our lives: trustworthy and true, God-breathed, useful for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. But as that light has shone into the darkness of my own heart, I realized that B. I didn't need a book to tell me that I was sinful and wicked. That if I was honest, I knew that there was no way that I was innocent. I've lied, cheated, stolen, coveted, envied, dishonored my father and mother, I've been so blind with anger that I probably would have killed someone if I wasn't afraid of the consequences... the list goes on.

    But the good news that I found is that, in this Kingdom, the King himself took the punishment for my crimes. Although He had never done a thing wrong, and always believed the best, and hoped for the best, and loved people the best...those same people turned on Him. And when given the chance to save their own skin or stand up for the one thing truly worth standing up for...most of them left Him alone.

    To die. On a cross.

    And as our King is dying, he looks up and says the greatest words ever spoken, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

    And I can't say much has changed. We know not what we do. We clamor and bicker and fight and spew and demonize each other, all in the name of Jesus. Why?

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    1. Because we're afraid. We're afraid that the government has too much power, or that our culture is decaying and going to hell. And that our proper response should be to STAND UP and FIGHT.

      And that is where we (K8 and Jesse) stand up and say, no thank you. Mark, we respect your opinion, but politely disagree. Keight's main point in this entire post was to communicate that her "constant prayer has been that we christians would just keep our eye on the ball. to not throw out the baby (love) with the bathwater (a political/civic commerce issue that we think deserves to be "fought" for)."

      So when you Mark says, "The loving thing to do in these cases, for the culture at large and for our gay friends, is to resist any move towards speech codes and heavy-handed government sanctions against political foes."

      I would just point out, that it has been said:
      "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - Jesus

      To this idea of fighting with words, and politics, and power plays I believe that we need to try the gospel strategy of LAYING DOWN. As in, laying down our rights, our pride and when the time comes, our lives.

      I do not spend my time worrying about the government. The Bible tells me that Jesus is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the President of the president, whether they like it or not. So that's good enough for me. He told me to "let your light shine before men", so that's the business I try to be about.

      And when He laid down His life, he freed us all. He broke the chains that held us, and set us free, every single one us. But it's like today we want to trade freedom that there is in Christ and exchange it for "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". I'm not bagging on America, or the Dec. of Independence, I'm just saying, given the choice, I'll take "Life that is truly life" over what my government rights offer.

      Where is your hope? Is it in the government? Is it in America? Is it in our freedom? My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

      1 Tim. 4:10 - "we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers."

      One day my son Judah will be old. I'll be long gone, and he'll be a man of God all his own, with his own convictions and beliefs. On that day, I don't want him to say "my dad had the courage to stand up and fight for our rights" I want him to say, "my dad had the faith to lay down his life, and let God do our fighting for us."
      My advice to all who believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life: heed the words of a different Mark.

      Mark 1:14-15 - Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

      "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom. 12:21

      "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:12

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    2. Amen. I have come to this site several times in the last few days and been slightly surprised to see this still at the top post. But when I scroll down to the comments, I see some of the most beautiful, encouraging writing from you guys. Thank you for speaking out. Thank God for giving you the words that others of us feel but dont know how to express.
      I was attending a church with wonderful people that preached almost exclusively in fighting for the truth. And though I have not been able to say they were wrong to do that, I have felt it was wrong for me to fight when I felt the need to love instead. I have recently switched churches to one where I am encouraged to love. And both of you and your blog have encouraged me more every time I read a post from you. I praise God for brothers and sisters like you. And I pray that He extends blessings to you and showers you with His love and His strength to continue with your ministry here.

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  26. Keight. Your post has warmed my heart, and you should be given a prize of epic proportions (just don't look at me for it, I'm fresh out of ideas). Personally, I've not been affected by all of this CFA hullaballoo. I have very many LGBT friends and family members, all of whom have been rather quiet through the past few weeks. To be honest, I didn't know the full story until just this morning (though I knew that Cathy had made comments regarding his belief in Biblical marriage). In my very humble opinion (if it counts for anything), Cathy is certainly entitled to believe whatever he wants. While I disagree that marriage should be strictly reserved for two people in a heterosexual relationship, I can't say that Cathy is wrong. I believe that marriage should be for any two people who love each other unconditionally, respect each other and what the other person believes, and are able to commit that they'll work their asses off to prove their love and respect for the rest of their lives. There are plenty of straight couples who enter into marriages that don't fit those criteria, so what makes them any better than two men or two women who want to marry and DO check all of those boxes?

    I love that you love unconditionally. I have to say, I am a religious skeptic. I don't necessarily believe in Jesus or God in the way that most Christians do. And sometimes, reading your blog, I roll my eyes a bit (I'm sorry!). But this post has really made me respect you so much. I believe in a higher power (though I'm not sure who or what it might be), but I don't think that confined religion is the right way for me to show my beliefs. Truly, I don't think I NEED to show my beliefs to the outside world in order for me to be a believer, so I sometimes have a hard time with other people's outward love for their god. And in all honesty, much of this world is in turmoil because of religion - how can these different organizations that preach many of the same principles and even pray to the same god be so violent and discriminatory to each other? Reading your posts (even when I do roll my eyes), especially this one, make me truly appreciate that you love and celebrate not only Jesus and His Word, but everyone in this world. Ultimately, that is what faith is all about - unconditional love, living according to the "right" path, doing good. Everybody deserves to love and be loved - skinny or fat, black or white, gay or straight, everywhere in between - we all, as humans, have a right to make decisions that are right for us, and to have a fighting chance. Thanks for sharing your love.

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  27. I have been wrestling with this for a long time. I feel so strongly that some Christians are too quick to judge rather than love others as we are called to do. I know that I, or I suppose that WE are not alone in wanting to show who Jesus really was, but sometimes it's tough when you're surrounded by Christ-followers who are more focused on hate and separation than unity and love.

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  28. I have read your blog off and on, mostly for projects (as I am a project-ofile myself), and I have admittedly clicked the little red closed dot when I see it take a Christian stance. I'm not gay; I've just had far too many really hypocritical and vicious run-ins with self-labeled Christians in the past that have driven me away from the church.

    I'm really impressed by your post today. What I was always taught was that it was not our job to even truly *consider* the sins of another as merely doing so allows us to fall into the judgmental category, another a sin. And as all sins are seen equally through God's eyes, we are told to merely love. I don't even know you, but you are the first Christian I have heard that actually sounds Christ-like in this situation. The church needs more people like you and your husband. There are a lot of us that would probably still go if the pews were filled with y'all.

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