Xenophobic and Homophobic?
If a school teacher asks her class, 'what is 2+2' and a boy answers '5' and a girl answers '4', and if the teacher then said to the boy, 'sorry, your answer is wrong', does that mean she is anti the boy? Does that mean she has some kind of prejudice phobia against him? Does that means she thinks he is evil? Does that mean she is condemning him? Of course not! The topics we are discussing are certainly more complex, but the principle is the same.
Do my convictions expressed in the previous two blogs make me homophobic and xenophobic? On the face of it I can see it might appear so, which is why the bible tells us all, we should be quick to listen and slow to speak.
Well, phobias have to do with fear, and I am not at all afraid of gay people or Muslimss. The gay and Muslim people I know are just like anyone else. They are a mixture. Being gay or Muslim does not make a person bad, evil or my enemy. I enjoy their company and friendship like anyone else's.
Neither do I want to exterminate them, persecute them or deny them human rights. I want them to live free and happy lives. But I do not believe as such, that theirs' is equal and valid to the biblical teaching on belief and practise.
Imagine a teacher was howeled at and maligned, labeled a rightwing facist every time she told someone they got the wrong answer, then people could not learn, even if the teacher was wrong she wouldn't learn but just be slapped down, and this is what happens in society. I believe gay lifestyle and Muslim doctrine is wrong in the sight of God, but I do not condemn them, I have no desire to vilify them or legislate against them. Neither do I affirm what they believe and do as equally valid to God's revelation, though I do affirm their right to choose.
I REFUSE TO TOLERATE GAY AND MUSLIM PEOPLE
But I will not yield to the pressure to bow down along with the herd, to the god of this age by TOLERATING them. I will tolerate a fart in an elevator, but I will not reduce my fellow man to an object to be merely 'tolerated'. The Bible teaches that all people, no matter what they believe or do, in fact, in spite of what they believe and do, are creatures made in the image of God. They are all of equal value, dignity and worth, and as such are to be loved - not merely tolerated.
Love your brothers and sisters, Love your neighbour, Love Your enemies
The Bible teaches all the above. That means everyone is to be loved! To love is to care for and practically want the highest and greatest possible good for another, even at cost to self (and as Christians we need to remember that, our concerns are not primarily about our so-called rights) I might not like everything my children believe and do in life, but I will always love them and want the highest, possible good for them.
It is the exact same principle at work here to Gays and Muslims., I want every Muslim and every gay person to live without persecution, fear or victimisation on account of what they believe or the choices they make. I want the greatest and highest good for them all and nothing less.
But here's the thing, the greatest and highest possible good for them and anyone else is that they come to know the love of God and the salvation found only in Jesus. This is not a ball I can drop for the sake of being liked. To use our parent/child analogy, sometimes children kick off when they don't hear what they want from their parents. It is tempting for parents to cave in to children, weak parents do, but good parents hold their course, no matter how unpopular, despite being accused by their children of being nasty etc, and they hold their course because they love their children.
That is why I must speak the truth, I cannot pretend that a gay lifestyle or Muslim doctrine is something God loves and celebrates. All Christians must speak the truth in love, hoping they will repent of all sin, turn to Jesus as Lord, know fullness of life and be saved from a lost eternity.
But if they will not turn to Him, then still I want the highest good and greatest happiness for them in this life, but at the same time I am genuinely and deeply sorry for them, that they will face judgement without hope and a lost eternity. I really don't want that for anyone. This is not phobia, nor is it toleration, but the love of God.
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