As expected my article titled “It’s Not About Marriage” generated an avalanche of mail. Most of it was what I will call “drive by slappings.”
For a culture of people who portray themselves as happy, witty, artistic, creative, tolerant, intelligent, enlightened and progressive, the ranks are filled with intense hatred and intolerance. It quickly became clear that they hate all things and ideas they can label “Christian.” The tolerance they demand is not extended to those who believe differently than they.
As predicted I was showered with accusations of being a “bigot,” “homophobe” and a “closet gay.” Many examples were thrown at me and Ted Haggard was the most prominent. I cannot repeat the vitriolic and vile comments, nor do I desire to do so.
Most of them missed my point. I was critical of the behavior, not the person.
They quickly seized upon my being Christian as the root of my “hate.” The theme being that I am judgmental, unforgiving, “brainwashed,” and “narrow minded.”
I was “reminded” that Jesus was surrounded by twelve men, unmarried and therefore a homosexual himself. Furthermore, the Bible is a collection of myths and fairy tales written by men. I was told that the parts of the Bible dealing with homosexuality are misinterpreted. I suppose all the parts dealing with sexual sin are “misinterpreted” as there are also prohibitions on adultery and fornication.
I have already been exposed to such assertions and I am neither shocked nor swayed.
Truly heartbreaking were some accounts of a lifetime of struggle and turmoil. I was saddened by a story of battling AIDS and HIV. I was outraged by accounts of abuse as children by older juveniles and adults. The accounts of abuse by unloving fathers and mothers were infuriating.
Only one of them said he was practicing celibacy. He told me that he is in a battle for his life with AIDS. They all justified their behavior in one manner or another.
The justification of sin is not unique to homosexuals. Those practicing other sins of all types seek to rationalize their behavior too. They convince themselves that God so loves, He will somehow not hold them accountable. We all are guilty of being so deceived, be the trespass that of unforgiveness, anger or some other failure.
Some professed Christians criticized me for offending. Jesus, they said, went to great lengths not of offend. This is true, but Jesus NEVER compromised.
We are truly in a culture war and one of the reasons we are losing is that people hide behind a curtain of being “holy” and remain silent, either out of cowardice or compromise. Perversity is ignored, embraced and endorsed because that’s what we are conditioned to do. Above all, we must not offend. That is compromise disguised as holiness.
Movies, such as “Humpback Mountain” portray two men in a “loving” relationship in which betrayal, adultery and the pain they caused are glossed over.
Television programs seem to have the obligatory same sex scene or homosexual characters in spite of adding nothing to the theme. It seems to be fashionable and politically correct.
Even some children’s programs are geared toward “acceptance” of “alternative lifestyles.”
I rarely watch primetime programs, primarily because they are mundane, juvenile and are a waste of time.
I was informed that if I find “Pride” parades offensive, I should just turn off the television or change the channel. Nothing was said about their not having to read my article if they found it offensive. Basically they can never be offended but if they offend others, that’s too bad.
I am just as guilty of failure as the next person, perhaps more so. So don’t hammer me for being “holier than thou.” That won’t fly.
The fact that many of them responded to my article proves my point that they are eager for validation. If it doesn’t matter to them what I and others might think, there is no need to try to convince us that we are wrong, bigoted, and homophobic or mislead.
Sometimes words act as a mirror and they reflect something that people don’t want to see.
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