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Feb. 18th, 2004 07:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johnpalmerYesterday I was talking to people who oppose gay marriage.
Today I want to speak to a certain subset of those people. I want to speak to those people who oppose it because they are Christians.
You folks believe that about nineteen hundred and seventy years ago, this guy, Jesus, came to the world to deliver a message. It was an important message, one that he intended would change the world. It was a message that he told us was more powerful than anything... even death.
And because of that message, he was willing to walk courageously to his own death. Depending on who you speak to, is an article of faith in Jesus was human, and completely human. That means that he had doubts, and fears, just like we do. But he had faith in his message. This message said that what happens in this life is not important, so long as you use this life to build up your treasures in heaven. So he was willing to face death, because he had faith in his own words, and he charged us all to have that faith as well.
What does he see when he looks at some of the words you people are using to restrict the rights of gay people to marry?
People are saying that the law must run in accordance with some form of morality. They ask how one can raise good, Christian children, when the law allows for things that they believe are clearly unchristian.
I walked away from organized Christianity a good while back, and for very important reasons. So, if you insist on doing so, you can refuse to listen to what I have to say to you. But I'll give you the same answer that I've given other people who've doubted my words in this area.*Don't believe me*.
Go to Jesus, go to God, open your heart to the holy spirit, and ask of the father, who would not give you a stone if you asked for bread, or a snake if you asked for fish, for the truth.
And, just for good measure, think about how you would feel.
Think about how you would feel, if you remembered every step you took, carrying a heavy cross, just to get it to your place of execution. Think about the pain of flaggellation, think about the pain from the crown of thorns, think about the pain of the crucifixion itself, all suffered, because of faith in a message.
And then think about how you would feel when people were afraid that message isn't strong enough to survive the government allowing a man to pledge his love to a man, or woman to pledge her love to a woman, and granting either couple the same rights they give everyone else.
Think about how you would feel after all of that suffering, if people thought your message was that weak. Think of how you feel if it was the risk that the government, not the Church, would allow gays to marry, that would energize your people, and propel them into action.
Now, personally, I think that if Jesus was around here today in human form, he would be marching by our side, saying that gay people should have the legal right to marry. But, I understand that a lot of people don't agree with me on that. That's fine, though obviously, I wish I could change their minds.
I can tell you one thing that is true, if I have ever heard the voice of Jesus speaking to my heart - and let me tell you, I have listened.
He would not be marching against them.
Even if it is your most sincere belief that Jesus would disapprove, if you look deep in your heart, I can guarantee you that you will see that he sure as heck would have something more important to do with his life, and his time, than to worry about a few legal rights of some people that he disapproves of.
The acts of the apostles say that the Jewish leaders got together and asked themselves what to do about this new "cult" of people who thought they found the messiah. They came up with a wise answer. Do nothing.
Because, if God was with them, no one could stand against them, and if God was not with them, they didn't have a chance.
If they could have such a strong faith over such an important question, maybe you should ask yourself why you have so little faith over such a minor one.
[note: edited to fix several dictation software boo-boos; now that the program is getting up to a decent accuracy, it's harder to notice when it misses something.]
Today I want to speak to a certain subset of those people. I want to speak to those people who oppose it because they are Christians.
You folks believe that about nineteen hundred and seventy years ago, this guy, Jesus, came to the world to deliver a message. It was an important message, one that he intended would change the world. It was a message that he told us was more powerful than anything... even death.
And because of that message, he was willing to walk courageously to his own death. Depending on who you speak to, is an article of faith in Jesus was human, and completely human. That means that he had doubts, and fears, just like we do. But he had faith in his message. This message said that what happens in this life is not important, so long as you use this life to build up your treasures in heaven. So he was willing to face death, because he had faith in his own words, and he charged us all to have that faith as well.
What does he see when he looks at some of the words you people are using to restrict the rights of gay people to marry?
People are saying that the law must run in accordance with some form of morality. They ask how one can raise good, Christian children, when the law allows for things that they believe are clearly unchristian.
I walked away from organized Christianity a good while back, and for very important reasons. So, if you insist on doing so, you can refuse to listen to what I have to say to you. But I'll give you the same answer that I've given other people who've doubted my words in this area.*Don't believe me*.
Go to Jesus, go to God, open your heart to the holy spirit, and ask of the father, who would not give you a stone if you asked for bread, or a snake if you asked for fish, for the truth.
And, just for good measure, think about how you would feel.
Think about how you would feel, if you remembered every step you took, carrying a heavy cross, just to get it to your place of execution. Think about the pain of flaggellation, think about the pain from the crown of thorns, think about the pain of the crucifixion itself, all suffered, because of faith in a message.
And then think about how you would feel when people were afraid that message isn't strong enough to survive the government allowing a man to pledge his love to a man, or woman to pledge her love to a woman, and granting either couple the same rights they give everyone else.
Think about how you would feel after all of that suffering, if people thought your message was that weak. Think of how you feel if it was the risk that the government, not the Church, would allow gays to marry, that would energize your people, and propel them into action.
Now, personally, I think that if Jesus was around here today in human form, he would be marching by our side, saying that gay people should have the legal right to marry. But, I understand that a lot of people don't agree with me on that. That's fine, though obviously, I wish I could change their minds.
I can tell you one thing that is true, if I have ever heard the voice of Jesus speaking to my heart - and let me tell you, I have listened.
He would not be marching against them.
Even if it is your most sincere belief that Jesus would disapprove, if you look deep in your heart, I can guarantee you that you will see that he sure as heck would have something more important to do with his life, and his time, than to worry about a few legal rights of some people that he disapproves of.
The acts of the apostles say that the Jewish leaders got together and asked themselves what to do about this new "cult" of people who thought they found the messiah. They came up with a wise answer. Do nothing.
Because, if God was with them, no one could stand against them, and if God was not with them, they didn't have a chance.
If they could have such a strong faith over such an important question, maybe you should ask yourself why you have so little faith over such a minor one.
[note: edited to fix several dictation software boo-boos; now that the program is getting up to a decent accuracy, it's harder to notice when it misses something.]
