Where you stick your wick...

*A Brief Disclaimer:
As I am fully aware that there may be "Christians" who read this, I wish to make it VERY CLEAR that all such words which one would otherwise label as "swearing" or "curse" words that are found within this particular blog have been methodically and carefully chosen to be placed where they are, precisely for their designed purpose... to communicate a specific thought. Please read all such words LITERALLY (that is to say:with their ACTUAL MEANINGS attached) and NOT as emotional interjections. If you cannot HANDLE such literal use of the English language, then please do not read on. Truth is, if that is you, then you probably can't handle the "meat" within this Blog in the first place. For the rest of you...read on...FREE YOUR MIND. Gosh, that sounded a lot like the "Red Pill - Blue Pill" speech! Brother Morpheus would be proud.

"The Emporer's Not WEARING Any Clothes!"
In my intellectual journey, I find myself more and more often re-examining the broader methods, definitions, and practices that "Christians" are most reputably known for. In part, it is these very generalized beliefs that make up the bulk of why the word "Christian" has simply lost its meaning (see "Why I'm Not A Christian Anymore..."). Among those beliefs is the debate over homosexuality and its relationship to salvation.

It makes NO DIFFERENCE where you stand on this issue, EVERYONE KNOWS it's big news!

To begin with,
let's just be up front about some things.
First, there are always extremes in any debate, from one end of the spectrum to another. From GodHatesFags to GodLovesFags, opinions span the range of possibilities.

The EASY thing to do...
If you're ever looking for the EASY way to deal with any known issue, just observe the prevailing cultural approach. From the "world" the easy way to deal with homosexuality is to just accept it...no questions asked. From the "church" the easy way to deal with homosexuality is to just condem it...no questions asked. Sadly, our prevailing culture (Christians MOST DEFINITELY included) REALLY LOVES EASY.

Avoiding easy...
Unfortunately, I fear that God is not so simple. I'm just not sure that the "issue" is as cut and dry as that..to either of the extremes. Now I am not suggesting moral relativism (that is to say, no moral absolutes). However, I am suggesting that there may be times when such absolutes are not called into question and yet certain quandries remain.

To make a GOOD argument...
...Christians seem to be weak at doing this. The reason? They don't work both sides of the equation. After all, a GOOD argument requires such attention. For example, a popular "Christian" argument would be that homosexuality is wrong because God did not design our "bits" to fit together "that way." Simple biology really. Another way of saying the same would be to say that it is immoral to use our bodies in a way that is CONTRARY to how they were designed. However, Christians fail to take that reasoning to its opposite logical end. That would therefore mean that it is likewise immoral to NOT use our bodies in the way that they WERE designed. In other words, people who abstain from sex (based on that argument alone) are just as immoral as those who have sex...but in the wrong way.

I SUBMIT...
Our job is not to know...but to love.
I mean really, where do we get off issuing a decree one way or the other? Maybe nailing someone to a cross over their homosexuality helps you better ignore you incessant masturbation. Or perhaps condeming a "queer" is the best way to divert attention away from the fact that you don't really love your husband. Maybe it's the racism... or the verbal or physical abuse you subject your kids to... or the money you're skimming off the top... or the hatred you have for that guy who took advantage of you in that small business venture you had a go at... or whatever! You name it! Who's perfect? Really?

The WHOLE POINT is our imperfection.
Folks, it's why we NEED A SAVIOUR. I submit that homosexuality is WONDERFUL.

WOAAHH THERE JUNIOR!!!!

Now you've gone TOO FAR!

Let me explain...
I submit that homosexuality is perhaps one of the MAJOR ISSUES responsible for thrusting the modern church into a tailspin that it will not soon (if ever) pull out of...and that is wonderful!

It's wonderful because "Love your neighbor as yourself" and "God hates fags" cannot coexist any longer. And yet, for so long, we have nutured and DESIRED such cohabitation. Talk about forcing our OWN AGENDA. OK, so maybe you don't subscribe to "God Hates Fags." Perhaps you are a "God hates the sin but loves the sinner" bonehead. I call such people boneheads NOT BECAUSE I DISAGREE with the fact that God hates sin and loves sinners, but because such Truth has NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT WHO'S "IN" and WHO'S "OUT" OF THE KINGDOM.

OK, fine! So God Hates sin!
OK, fine! So God loves sinners.

What have we proven? IF ANYTHING we only prove that each of us has HOPE! After all, are we not ALL SINNERS? Could it be that God is using the most "taboo" of issues to actually purge His church? Ask Jesus. He seemed to be pretty good at turning expectations of the Pharisees on their heads.

"Calling a duck a duck..."
Christians get real persnickity and downright MEAN when you catch them wallering in their mud pits. You call a duck a duck and you're bound to get the boot. You expose the cold, hard hypocracy that suggests one man's right to Christ's sacrifice and refuses it to another, and Christians get all worked up. We act like you don't understand us or something...but really, the anger is more closely connected to HOW VERY WELL YOU DO UNDERSTAND US. We get angry because we cannot explain ourselves. We cannot explain ourselves because we cannot deal with the outright shame that comes when the person in the lifeboat faces the fact that they WILLFULLY KICKED OUT ANOTHER, back into the icy waters, just because they were afraid those very others would sink the lifeboat itself.

"In our salvation...we are murderers."
Selfish. Pathetic. Shameful. That is what we are. Completely lacking faith in the salvation that Christ has given us. Believing it has limitations. Fearing that the boat cannot hold certain loads. Proclaiming that we understand what salvation is cabpable of withstanding and what it is not.

Where does such self-protecting rage come from?

SHAME.

And where does such awful shame come from?

FROM KNOWING ONE SIMPLE TRUTH:

That if we were the only soul left in the icy water, and the lifeboat was one seat short of having room for us...that Christ Himself would trade us places...in an INSTANT and without hesitation trade His seat for our frigid, watery grave... becuase He loves us THAT MUCH.

We on the other hand are in it for ourSELVES.

FILTHY.

DIRTY.

GREEDY.

HELL-BENT ON STAYING IN THE DAMNED BOAT!
BASTARDS, every one, but not for circumstance...

...WE ARE FATHERLESS BY CHOICE!



Now the Truth:

Salvation is not found on land,
where crowded lifeboats wash ashore.
Salvation is found only at the bottom of the sea.