#basically i live in this post now. debating if i should invite gods wrath. but not really bc ive already made the choice

[beetlebongos]

[lifeandthings]

Marriage Equality and Christianity.

[ I wrote this in 2013 when all those equals signs were being put on everyone’s Facebook profile pictures for marriage equality.]

This has been on my mind for a while now, but since I got a few good responses to the FB status I just posted about marriage equality, I thought I would elaborate. I do this in hopes of reinforcing the opinions of some of my fellow Christians who agree with me but don't know how to say it. I know that there will be many who likely disagree. There always are, but I will do my best to articulate just how I think the relationship between God, marriage, and the government appears to operate, and how I feel we can best evaluate and support each institution with the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

First, this is the status this post is stemming from: Today is a very controversial day and because I am involved in every social networking site around, because I grew up in a very conservative town, because I now live in a very liberal city, my whole day has been inundated with yays and nays and encouraging words and harsh words. I just wanted to say to those of you who are arguing against marriage equality, I agree with it. I wouldn't have said that even a year ago, but I feel as if I'm learning more about who I am and what I believe and I know that this is the right position for me to hold with regards to God, myself, and the state. I believe that the government exists to be fair to every one of its citizens. It is not here to conform to the Bible, no matter how much anyone wishes it was. Despite my own choices, ideals, and beliefs, I don't care that almost everyone else in the country holds different beliefs. I am no better than they are. I think that marriage was designed for a man and a woman - biology makes that evident, but for reasons that are beyond some people's control, they are romantically attracted to the same sex. As far as the government is concerned, they should be treated equal. How or whether they respond to God is their choice, not the choice of mine. I hope that makes sense. I'm just rambling. :) If you feel like God should smite me, that's fine. I know what I believe. (The following is something I tagged on in a comment...) The Word of God is my own authority, but unfortunately it is not the authority of 90% of the USA, neither is it the final authority of our screwed up government. Equality of all men, something I feel that Jesus would have encouraged, is not about what I believe. It's about the fundamental human right to choice. We choose what we want to do with our lives, who we want to marry, whether we want to follow Jesus. If we didn't have those freedoms, I don't know how I would live, so I don't want to restrict those freedoms to only "most" of the population. Man, I hate how easy it is to get worked up over this, but I do, and I wouldn't even call myself a flaming advocate. I know that I could very well be wrong, God may disapprove, but I feel otherwise, and that is a decision I will stick with.

Second, this is why I said it.

The government exists to help enforce our God-given rights and freedoms, our unalienable rights, those which no one should ever be able to take away from us. The essence of these rights is basically the freedom to choose where we go and what we do with our lives. If the government were to prohibit any of the citizens in the country they represent from having access to any unalienable rights, they would be a bad government. I think that freedom to marry is something that should be granted all citizens.

If gay marriage was to be outlawed, gays would essentially be forced to conform. What is that? So what if they are attracted to the "wrong people." Being homosexual is probably not genetic but it's definitely not a choice either. It's a result of many factors, I'm sure. The right to choose whom you marry is not something that should be restricted from anyone. And if we say that other people need to abide by our own personal standards, that's like saying "I think eating animals is wrong, and you should too."

Marriage is not mentioned in the Constitution, so it is up to the states to decide their stance on gay marriage, but I still believe that it falls under the banner of the unalienable freedoms you should share with your fellow humans. If some of the population has the opportunity, all of the population should have that same opportunity. Everyone should always have the same opportunities - it's up to individuals how they use their opportunities.

Now, since I said I was writing this for fellow Christians, this is when I pray you'll read carefully. Jesus never forced Himself on anyone. He spoke of His Father's goodness, mercy, justice, wrath, perfection, and love, and then left the invitation open for anyone in the whole wide world to accept Him. Accepting the invitation, choosing to follow Jesus from that moment forward, that is the true joy of Christianity. But. He never forced Himself on anyone. He knew that every person's soul would benefit from looking to Him, but he never forced it. We have the freedom to choose Him.

Let us apply this same logic to the possibility of marriage equality in the United States. To deny homosexual people the state-recognized right to marry, just like any of us straight people do, is essentially forcing those people to abide by our set of rules, by God's written code of conduct. The problem with this is, the Bible, God, Jesus, the church, is not their highest authority. They chose that. They chose not to place God as their highest authority. We can't change that, no matter how hard we try. That is between them and God. It's their CHOICE. They should be allowed to choose their own path.

To ban the ability for gay people to marry is like Jesus saying, "You MUST love me, because I know what's better for you than you do." That is by far, so, so true, but who wants to follow someone who says that? The great beauty in Christianity is that we all have a choice. God gives us a choice to love Him or hate Him. If we encourage the government to enforce what homosexuals see as inequality for some of it's most kindhearted and loving citizens, what kind of God are we representing? Would you want to follow Him? We are only pushing more people away from the good news of Jesus.

We are all in love with Christ because of a choice we made, someday ago, and we relish the freedom that we had to make that choice, that God did not force us to love Him. How could we deny another person their right to choice?

I think I understand both sides of this debate fairly well, but I urge each of you to just pray about what you believe. Let God open your heart, mind, eyes, everything, and if you still don't think that God wants you to encourage gay marriage equality, that's fine, that's awesome. As long as you commune with God and let Him lead you, I'm a very happy camper. I just want to put this idea out there for every Jesus-lover to consider. I thought I knew what I believed until God prodded my heart to think outside the box I've always known, to consider everyone with empathy and love those I don't necessarily agree with.

Sorry if I stepped on any toes. Jesus loves you. Also, please correct me if I said something wrong or rude. I don't want to lead anyone astray.