Disagreeing does not equal hate

Wow!  All I've seen on FB recently is a firestorm of hate and intolerance regarding the defense of marriage act.  I do not wish to start an argument on FB because that's just a way for folks to get their feathers all ruffled and nothing good ever comes of it.  So, if you are interested enough to click on this link and read my blog, then you probably care enough to read this through and save your judgment till the end.  And if you happen to no longer want to be my friend at the end, then so be it but know that I don't want to lose you simply because we don't agree.  But let's get one thing straight from the beginning.....just because I disagree with your point of view does not mean, in any way shape or form, that I hate you.  And I would think that nothing I'm about to say would surprise you.  I have never hidden what I believe in and I'm firm in Who I believe in.

Do I believe that homosexuality is a sin?  Yes, I do.  I believe it is a sin just as I believe that lying, adultery, fornication, stealing, blasphemy, being angry are all sins (and the list of sins goes on and on and on).  I know that I sin on a daily basis.  I am a sinner, saved only by the grace of God.  My God, who loved His creation SO much that His Son, who had done nothing wrong, gave His life in the most brutal of ways to make a path so that I, a hopeless sinner, could have a chance to go to Heaven and live with Him someday.  He died for everyone.  He disagreed with the Pharisees, the Jews, and countless other people who tried to put works before faith, who didn't believe Him to be the Son of God, and spit in His face and yet He did not hate them.  In fact, He loved them so much that not only did He die on the cross for them, He asked God to forgive them, for they didn't know what they were doing.  My God does not hate any one....He does however hate the sin that we commit daily.  Our sin keeps us from heaven and we were sinning from the moment we were born.  We were all born selfish sinful creatures and by the grace of God we can be transformed.  If my God can love those who crucified His Son and "disagreed" with Him, how can I do no less?  Will I be successful, not always.  And I won't always do it well.  But that's my goal.  To love others just as Christ loved them.  Do I hate those who practice homosexuality?  No!  I know people who are and I care very much for them!  I care for them as a person.  I love who they are even if I don't agree with what they do.  This culture has made it impossible to distinguish between disagreeing with another's belief system and hating them.  They are not mutually exclusive.  I don't have to agree with you to love you and I don't have to hate you because I disagree with you.  I know some of you on FB live in that way.  Know that if you needed help, I'd come to your side and be there for you.  I won't try to change you as that is not my job.  I do not judge you.  I am a sinner too and I am in no position to judge anyone.  In the end, we will all stand before God and be accountable for our actions.  To say that if we disagree, we hate, then that means I hate most liberal Democrats and that is certainly not the case. :-)

I do believe that marriage was created by God to unite a man and woman in holy matrimony ("What God has put together, let no man put asunder).  God realized that it was not good for man to be alone and He created a helpmate.  Someone who would strengthen him and he would strengthen her.  They would compliment one another.  They would serve God together, united till death.  Those who take marriage between a man and a woman lightly and have affairs and do not commit themselves to this person are also defiling the marriage oath.  Not saying we always get it right.  No one will ever get it right.  I have no issues with gay couples getting civil unions and being able to get benefits from the government, but I think marriage should be off the table.  Simply because marriage is from God, for a man and a woman.  I'm sure you will disagree with me, but try not to hate me because of it.  ;-)

Tolerance does not mean I accept your belief system as true.  It does not mean I'll agree with you and your religion/political preference/sexuality.  It doesn't mean that I think truth is relative and that what's good for you is good for you and what's good for me is good for me.  It means that we'll agree to disagree.  We may never see eye to eye but we can respect each other as a person even if we don't respect the position the other takes.  I find it so interesting that Christians are the least tolerated group there is. I'm not trying to be a martyr but if a Christian tries to pray in school, they are told to take it elsewhere.  Would they also tell a Muslim or Buddhist who also tries to pray to take is elsewhere?  I doubt it.  If a school tries to teach Creation and the Bible, they are forcing religion down the student's throats.  However, you can talk about the Koran and evolution (a theory taken by faith as well) with no outcry.  I try to tell you Merry Christmas and it has to be Happy Holidays but Happy Halloween is just fine (for the record, I have no opinion on Halloween).   I'm cool if you want to believe what you want to believe in.  Just let me do the same.  Be truly tolerant.....just agree to disagree....respectfully.  I hope I still have some friends out there.  I don't want to lose you.  But if what I said offends you and I have disrespected you, please know that was never my intention.  If you get to say what you believe in, then I think I get to do the same.  I hope I have showed that I hate no one and I still care about you.

(This next paragraph is TOTALLY off topic)  Another point that's been bugging me is how we take parts of the constitution and use it to fit our agenda.  First off, if you read it, there is no mention of the separation of church and state.  It's not in there.  What our founding fathers wanted to escape was a state sponsored religion.  They wanted to keep the state out of their religion, telling them when and where to practice.  They didn't necessarily want to keep religion out of government.  The phrase "separation of church and state" came from a letter from Thomas Jefferson.  Another point is the "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  We have certainly expanded on what our rights are and what the government has a "right" to provide for us.  Honestly, the only thing I really want our government to do is to protect me.  Protect our borders and protect our way of life.  Let me live my life the way I want, legally of course.  I won't ask much of you.  I will ask that you keep out of my private business. I'm not asking you to provide insurance, cell phones, etc.  None of those things are "rights".....they are privileges.  And I'm tired of working day in and day out to provide for myself and give myself small luxuries only to pay a lot in taxes to pay for someone else to have luxuries who aren't even willing to work any job.  Let me keep my gun.  With the rise in terrorism and a high distrust in our government (especially as we move towards socialism), let us have a well-armed militia.  I think it's great to have the power to keep our government in check. While we're at it, give power back to the states.  The states know what their citizens need and desire.  So back off, let us do what we know needs to be done.  I am loving what some of the midwest/west states are doing, making their own laws and taking back the power.  Oklahoma, North Dakota, etc....way to go!  Drones?  Seriously?  How about the right to a trial by jury of your peers (provided you aren't a terrorist)?  Stop giving more power to the guy in the White House.  The more we ask of our government to do the "small" things for us (give us phones, give us free internet, give us health insurance), the more power they will have over us.  Let us stop being a dependent society and become independent and strong.  Rant over.  :-)