I am a Christian and a Republican. Liberal friends, are you intrigued to read on??? You might be surprised at this note.
I spent most of my life singing and touring in churches, spreading God’s word, trying to make a difference in the lives of others…I committed most of my early life to that mission, and most of my professional career has been spent in that spiritual endeavor. I have always said that God moves in me and speaks to me through music. That was the gift he gave me, and he and I have a special spiritual musical relationship.
During those early days, I learned a lot about how people operate, how God operates, and how I operate within the life that God has gifted me. I realized that there were some very interesting hypocrisies happening behind the scenes at the “Christian church” (Let me be very clear: I in no way mean one particular church, but inside the hundreds of churches I have performed and worked in) that I couldn’t be proud of. …
For instance, I was condemned (by "religious" people who I admired and respected) for competing in Miss North Carolina back in 2003. The reason: I was going to be in a swimsuit on stage. God was going to frown upon me, and I should ask for forgiveness. I got the biggest guilt trip from so many people for that. They were constantly reminding me about my “sinful choice,” and judging me no less, but what was really great is that they don’t control my fate and I did it anyway, and I think God is ok with that.
The irony: This came from someone who was the leader of a ministry, who (just so happened to…) have an affair with another ministry leader within their own church. They broke up marriages and families through their own sinful indulgences, and today, still continue to judge others for their “less than Godly” actions. Adultry? Well…yes…but that’s beside the point.
I also knew many people (and am kin to them too) who spent their time teaching Sunday School, and who would go home and eat themselves into a coma. If you know the south, you know about Golden Corral Steakhouse, and the lines of the unhealthy (and diabetic no less) wrap around the building on Sunday afternoon? Gluttony? Well…yes…but that’s beside the point.
The list goes on, but my point isn’t that the church is hypocritical, or that people should be perfect. Everything in life is hypocritical and imperfect because humans are in control of most things on this planet. All of us (Republicans, Democrats, Christians, Muslims, Indians, and African Americans…) are all guilty of bigotry and hypocrisy.
My point is that we spend too much energy trying to make ourselves feel closer to God by engaging in judgments about other people’s lives, when we should spend that energy in looking at ourselves, and how we can be more Christ-like.
My point about homosexuality isn’t about gay marriage (60% of heterosexual marriages fail, so I am not sure why anyone wants to rush into getting married today at all…but that’s a whole different blog), or even if you think it is morally right or wrong. My point is that if you claim to walk with Christ, you should think thrice about shutting out people who you deem as less Godly than you. If you kick someone out of a church because he or she is gay, you are not Godly. Would Jesus kick gay people out of church simply because they consider themselves gay????
He carried that cross for everyone, and the last time I checked it’s not up to YOU to decide who is good enough to partake in church in order to hear and experience God’s word through worship.
People don’t kick YOU out of church because you lied about being sick at work, or because you are 75 lbs overweight, or that you stole the sauce cup from Outback Steakhouse in your to-go box, or because you cursed, or because you had thoughts about having sex with your neighbors wife, or because you pay $200.00 for a hair cut and highlights every 6 weeks, or because you had too much to drink that one time...or maybe we should start kicking these people out of church. They are not leading an admirable lifestyle nor are they setting any kind of moral example as men and women of Christ. Why are they still allowed to worship?? Is it because they are better than gays??? Is it because God likes them more than he likes gays????
And, I am so curious as to what exactly people think Gays are going to do that is so bad that they shouldn’t be allowed inside church families?
Do you think they are going to have gay sex in the last pew? Do you think they are going to walk up to your children and pat them on the head and their “gayness” will rub off on them? Are they going to cook a “gay” dish and cause a gay outbreak at the men’s breakfast?
Bottom line: I am a Christian. I believe that Jesus Christ existed and is the Son of God, and I believe that he died on a cross for my sins and your sins, for fat people’s sins and for skinny people’s sins, and for white people’s sins and black people’s sins and heterosexual sins and homosexual sins. I don’t think sin is something to celebrate, but it is something to work on, and how can we expect people to embrace Christianity if we close our own dirty closets so we can start digging through others? I think we all need to come out of the closet if you ask me.
Shame on all of us for sticking our snobby Christian noses up to heaven in judgment. You are no better than me, nor are you better than someone who is gay. You and I are sinners and we are all lucky that God loves us in spite of ourselves.
I am going to heaven one day, and I don’t have to bully a gay person to get there.
