Why should Christians vote yes on Proposition 8?
We should not be surprised if non Christians are pulled along by rapidly changing social trends advocating “rights” regarding behavior that my grandparents considered too crude to even mention. What is surprising is when Christians are keen proponents of equality for homosexuals, giving them the same right to marry as heterosexuals.
God does not suggest in His Word that homosexuality is the only sin to be avoided with the penalty of the offender being kept outside His kingdom. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 there is a list of various practices which will exempt people from a relationship with Jesus now and in the future, unless repentance and godly change take place: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
We should not give the impression that we are singling out homosexuality. Rather we should stand up to limit any legislation that encourages greater freedom to promote any of the behaviors listed in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Churches should clearly teach the dangers of all of these. For example we should be concerned about drinking laws. In the UK a few years ago it was made legal for pubs to dramatically extend their opening hours. Drunkenness increased. Adultery has already become almost acceptable. I am saddened that the partner who commits adultery, leaving his or her family, does not get penalized. Did Christians fail to stand up in the past to limit the consequences of adultery, by failing to petition for just legislation?
I was discouraged by one of the letters in my local newspaper, the “News Chieftain” this week: A woman wrote: “As a Christian I am ashamed that resources are being used to support this offensive proposition when we could be helping our parishioners who are struggling financially and losing their homes, feeding the hungry and teaching children tolerance not hate. That is what Jesus would do. Shame on them! My God loves all of his children.”
This woman writes half truths. Unless we are careful it all sounds so plausible. Certainly we must help the hungry and the poor, but this does not mean that we should not stand up for Biblical truth. John chapter 8 verses 31-32 explain “If you abide in My word you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Free from what- freedom from sin and its consequences.
God loves everyone but the woman is wrong in claiming that we are all His children. Our response to Him determines whether we become His children. We can be adopted into His family if we believe in Him and receive Jesus: His love, His forgiveness, His presence and His word. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1: 12-13
Ultimately, if we are Christians, freedom should not be a free for all, but a desire to be free from sin. Rights should be about receiving what God offers us. Only He can give us the right to become a child of God. If we are headstrong and persistent in going our own way and ignoring His instruction in the Bible regarding adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness… we are not putting ourselves under His authority and we do not want to become His children.
When I was a teacher in England , I treated the kids as I would treat my own children. I wanted the best for them. As a Christian I oppose any legislation that is likely to push kids away from God. If Proposition 8 is defeated, homosexuality will be normalized just as adultery has been. Adultery has resulted in many children and adults being torn apart. The children are more likely to repeat the behavior that they have observed and the victims are miserable. Adultery is easy to do in this country and it breaks human relationships and it separates the offenders from God and His kingdom. Homosexuality will increase if Prop 8 is opposed, pushing more children and adults into a lifestyle that is opposed to God’s will.
Legislation does not discourage adultery. If one of the married couple breaks the marriage to have an affair with someone else, he or she is not penalized. However, it is unlikely that teachers will teach adultery as a good thing-yet…! In the case of homosexuality, teachers are likely to promote this lifestyle in California. Why else has the teacher’s union donated $1.25 million for the No on 8 campaign? Children will be adopted by homosexual couples in greater numbers and if the law is applied as wholeheartedly as hate speech has been in Canada, Christians will be arrested for teaching the Biblical message regarding homosexuality.
I want more people to understand God’s liberating truth. The truth that truly sets us free from sin. I will vote yes on Prop 8 because marriage is between a man and a woman who become one flesh and have children. Homosexuals, like adulterers are separating themselves from Jesus by their behavior. God does love them and so should we, but we cannot promote any behavior that separates them or anyone else from God.
If Proposition 8 is defeated, people will be encouraged to get involved with a lifestyle that will separate them from Jesus. If we are Christians we must teach the whole Word of God. It is important that we are free to teach the truth about sin. This includes homosexual acts as well as adultery, theft etc. We must also teach that Jesus is the only one who can forgive us from the sin that we are guilty of. He can forgive and welcome adulterers, homosexuals, drunks, prostitutes…. into His kingdom, but this is less likely if Christians are not permitted to call certain behavior wrong. We need to know in what ways we are sinful so that we can seek God’s forgiveness and help. Truth leads to freedom. Let’s vote to promote God’s truth: If you live in California please vote Yes on Propositon 8.
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Hi;
May I interject a real life situation. I’d like to hear your guidance on this.
My mother was given a drug to take to lessen the chance of miscarriage and promote healthy babies — that’s what the doctor told her. The drug is Diethylstilbestrol, or DES. In male fetuses, it feminizes the brains of one in five of us ‘DES sons’.
I finally came to terms with this, and realized my choice was transition or die. So, I’m now a male-to-female transsexual who’s had ‘the operation.’ I’ve changed all my legal paperwork and although I still have a male body with XY chromosomes, it has been retrofitted to approximate female anatomy, which is good because if I ever end up in an accident, there will be no ’surprise’ for the first responders.
I ‘pass’ very well, thank you. Only rarely do strangers figure out I was not born this way. Most people have to be told, by me, or, more often, by someone else who just has to ‘drop the bomb.’
All my paperwork has been changed. Legally, I’m female. But I have to find an OB/GYN who can check my prostate during my yearly pelvic exam (yearly mammograms don’t need that level of disclosure.)
So my question to you is — knowing what you know now about me, and assuming for the moment you get absolute power to label me and make determinations on where I can and can’t go —
-Do I marry a man? Or do I marry a woman?
-Which restroom and changing facility do you feel I, a male-to-female transsexual, should use when in public spaces?
-Am I immoral?
-Am I a paedophile?
-Am I tearing down western society in support of a deviant agenda?
-Am I selfish?
I eagerly await your responses;
Hazumu Osaragi
Hazumu, I am so sorry to hear about the impact that the drug had on your sexuality. This must be very confusing and painful. I am concerned that you felt that your choice was “transition or die.” It must have been a very difficult predicament.
I am pleased that I do not have absolute power as I am not good enough or wise enough to be trusted with it! I am not in a position to answer all of your questions, however, I do believe that Jesus has absolute power and He is perfect, just, merciful and all knowing. Consequently I will try and give you some responses from a Biblical perspective.
None of us deserves to go to Heaven and to have a relationship with Jesus.. Unless we fall at His feet, seeking forgiveness for the many sins we have committed, we remain selfish and our agendas will be “deviant.” All of us were born with a predisposition to rebel against God and to please ourselves. Unless you ask Jesus to forgive you and to change your life, you as well as all other non Christians will struggle under the curse of sin. Only Jesus can free us from this, as He died for the punishment that we all deserve. He was punished in our place but we need to receive the gift of salvation that He offers.
You, like the rest of mankind, need the love of Jesus. Unless we are forgiven and changed by Him we are all selfish and immoral. We are guilty of different sins: materialism, adultery, failure to believe in Jesus, anger, sexual promiscuity, theft etc…..The most serious of these sins is unbelief and a mocking attitude towards Jesus. If we believe that Jesus is God we will read the Bible, and seek His help and His forgiveness. Without Him we are lost.
Like all people who do not have a relationship with Jesus you are separated from Him by your sins which only He can forgive. With each of us Jesus will wash us clean when we confess that we are wrong. The problem is that most of us want the best of both worlds. We think that we can continue our old lifestyles and have a friendship with Jesus, which gives us peace, joy and a knowledge that we are going to heaven.
The truth is that we need to give up behavior that is contrary to God’s will if we want the privilege of a relationship with Him. For some that means ending a homosexual relationship even though the orientation may still be there. It may mean ending a heterosexual, adulterous relationship or a life of prostitution. Others must turn their backs on other behavior that is contrary to God’s Word.
It seems that for you, to have a relationship with Jesus, you would need to re-look at your complicated gender issues. I understand that the drug that your mother took complicated things but God still created you as a man.He understands your struggles and loves you but ideally you would resume the identity that He gave you. I appreciate that you would need significant help from a Christian counselor to achieve this. If you returned to the sex that God made you, you would be in a position to marry a woman. If you remain as you are, I believe that you should avoid a physical relationship with either a man or a woman, and according to the Bible marriage would not be an option for you.
I am applying God’s standard to your situation. God’s way is hard but right. I believe strongly that Jesus loves you in a way that no one else can. He can remove fear, anxiety and confusion and He can lead you to a great life but you would need to seek His forgiveness. I would encourage you to read the Bible in a modern translation and when you are challenged pray and confess. The most important thing is that you are willing to believe and that you recognize that you, like the rest of us, are not good enough for Him. We need to approach Jesus humbly and honestly.
Please read my blog post about Rahab who was a prostitute. When she believed in God her life was turned around and she became a wonderful woman of faith. There are many examples in the Bible of people being changed by Jesus. Jesus changed me and I am very excited about the love that He gives me. I love my family very much but the love of Jesus is much more powerful and life changing and the Holy Spirit (the invisible presence of Jesus) and the Bible help me with relationships. I hope that you will receive the love and help that Jesus offers.
I am not specialized in helping people facing the challenges of gender identity issues. I do care about your situation and I do know that this life is hard but Jesus can help us get through the challenges. If you are interested in speaking with a Christian who has experience with transsexual life challenges, you might like to call Exodus International for more specific guidance from a Christian perspective: 407-599-6872 or 888-264-0877. They seem to focus on helping homosexuals, but I think that they are experienced in helping transsexuals too.
I wish you all the best and hope that one day soon you will receive the peace that only Jesus can offer.
Sian