In the immediate aftermath of the Orlando shooting, Christians have stepped forward to help the homosexual community. For example, a Chick-Fil-A in Florida opened on Sunday to provide food for those donating blood to victims of the shooting.
Several people have accused Christians of hypocrisy. Anderson Cooper accused Florida’s AG Pam Bondi of being a hypocrite for opposing gay marriage and then seeking to help gays impacted by the shooting. Liberal America provides us with an even better example. They are criticizing the Duggar family for sharing quotes from pastor Albert Mohler. This pastor told people to not attend gay weddings because it suggests moral approval of the union. Here is his quote the Duggar’s recently shared in response to the shooting:
“This is when we show that Christians mourn with those who mourn. May the Gospel of Jesus Christ be evident as the only power greater than a broken heart.”
So are all these people hypocrites? Chick-Fil-A, Bondi, the Duggars, and the pastor?
Absolutely not! In fact, they are being incredibly consistent and are revealing the loving nature of Christians. The reason for discouraging homosexual behavior and helping homosexuals in their time of peril is the same: love of all people – homosexuals included!
Yes, you read that correctly. Christians can encourage other Christians to not attend gay weddings because they love homosexuals. Let me unpack this for you. Christians believe all sin is destructive. There is a reason God tells us not to sin: it is always damaging. As my pastor James MacDonald is fond of saying, “when God says don’t, He says don’t hurt yourself.” The Bible clearly defines homosexual behavior as sinful. Therefore, we do not want anyone to commit homosexual acts. God does not arbitrarily forbid certain actions. He is not a cosmic buzzkill who desires to prevent people from having fun in random ways. Every single time God forbids sinning in a particular way, it is out of His love for us. God knows the sinful behavior will have negative consequences for us, and if we love other people, then we don’t want them to suffer those negative consequences. Therefore, Christians discourage homosexuals from acting on those desires. This may seem harsh or unfair, but the simple truth is all people desire to act in certain ways which are sinful and damaging, whether straight or gay. Just like any other person with any other sin, we discourage the sin because we love the people and do not want them to suffer.
Now a couple things need to be made clear. While Christians have their personal beliefs about what is right or wrong – and we often share these beliefs with others in order to help them -we also believe people are free to make their own decisions. We may not communicate effectively and we may not come across this way, but we do not want to force people to bow down to our will. Instead, we hope each person of their own volition recognizes the Gospel of Christ and repents of their sin.
So if people are free to make their own decisions, then why did we campaign against gay marriage? Every single person seeks to influence society based on their beliefs! Christians are not hypocrites here! We believe Christian values are healthy for a society, so we argue for a society built on Christian values. That being said, we live in a constitutional republic, and if the people choose otherwise within the system then that’s okay. Most Christians I speak to agree with me on gay marriage. I believe it is wrong and I think it is harmful for society, but if that’s what the American people want then okay. Where I draw the line in the sand is forcing Christian churches to marry gay couples. If that ever happens, then we have a serious problem!
The second reason we campaigned against gay marriage is because society has to define marriage. It can’t be left undefined. For example, should it be permissible for a man to marry a 6 year old girl? Or for a man to marry three women? I am not equating gay marriage with either of those things. I am simply pointing out how some lines have to be drawn. Thus, Christians argued where we thought the lines should be drawn while others argued differently. This is healthy for society – it is okay for people to disagree. The issue has been decided by elected representatives and the judicial system, so there we go.
If a parent loves their child, then they are going to restrict certain behaviors. The parent knows better than the child, and they know those behaviors – as desirable as they may seem – are harmful for the child. Likewise, God is our Maker and He knows what is best for us. He loves every single human, for we were all made in His image. Christians are also called to love every person. And if you love someone, you truly care for their well-being. That is why we can discourage homosexual behavior and at the same time grieve over the wrongful murder of homosexuals. We do not hate homosexuals. We only disagree with their lifestyle because we believe it is harmful for them! Now they may disagree, and they have every right to disagree, but both parties are entitled to their opinions.
We really do wish the best for all groups of people, homosexuals included. We do not hold ill-will towards homosexuals, and what happened in Orlando was wrong and tragic. May God comfort all those who are suffering now.
You a are soooo awesome at this brother in Christ! Thank you and proud of you