Meet Me in St. Louis

Sorry that I haven't written anything in so long - almost two weeks. Wow! Where does the time go so fast?

I have an excuse. Really. I was in St. Louis for a week on a business trip, and since then I've been really busy at home and at work. And, well, I spent a few evenings playing MechWarrior:Vengeance again. So you see, I had a lot to do!

Some interesting stuff happened while I was in Missouri.

First of all, I went to a Cardinals baseball game. It was nice to watch a game for a team that is actually playing well. My beloved Seattle Mariners are just pathetic this year. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Just three seasons ago (2001), the Mariners tied the all-time Major League record for wins in a season, with 116. Only the 1906 Chicago Cubs have had as many wins in a single season.

This year, the Mariners are just awful. The pitching has been spotty, at best. The hitting is atrocious, with Ichiro Suzuki (as usual) the only real bright spot. It's just depressing. I'm usually a pretty consistent fan; in the past, I've watched most of the games on TV and gone to a few at Safeco Field. This year, I haven't watched nearly as many and haven't been to any games at "the Safe." I suppose I've turned into a typical Seattle fair-weather fan, but there you have it.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, have been really good this year. Since I'm working with some guys from St. Louis on a project, I think I'll be cheering for the "Red Birds." If they can defeat the hated Yankees (assuming the Yankees and Cardinals make it to the World Series), the Cards will be my second-favorite team (I'll always root for the Mariners first, of course).

While I was in St. Louis, the Missourians held a vote on a state constitutional amendment affirming that marriage is between one man and one woman. The amendment passed overwhelmingly.

I've resisted commenting on homosexual marriage, as I see it as a very divisive issue. Moderate Christians (in my opinion) are in a no-win situation when talking about this. If we stand up for Biblical values, that homosexual behavior (like other sexual behavior outside of a marriage bond between a man and a woman), is immoral and wrong, then we're denigrated as hateful and hypocritical. If we support "gay rights" or just say nothing, then fundamentalist Christians (or just plain old homophobes and bigots) say we're selling out or not living up to God's standards.

Because of this dilemma, I've usually said little about "gay rights" or homosexual marriage. It's pretty much an argument that you lose, no matter what stand you take. Despite that, I'm going to outline here what I believe. I think it's reasonable; maybe you will, too, or maybe not. Whatever. I'm not asking anyone to agree with me. Here it is:

1. Homosexual behavior is immoral and (therefore) wrong. So is adultery, sexual abuse of children, and promiscuous sexual behavior between consenting adults. Homosexuality is not more or less wrong than any of these other behaviors, but it is wrong.
2. Like essentially all other human sexual behavior, homosexuality is learned. Since it is learned behavior, people have control over it and can choose not to practice it, if they really want to. In other words, people are not animals, and our sexual behavior is not instinctual; therefore, it can be controlled. It certainly is not always easy to control (by no means!), but it can be controlled, if the will to do so is there. I recognize that sexuality is a powerful and fundamental part of our human identity, and for many gays and lesbians (and heterosexuals, for that matter), controlling their sexual behavior is at least as difficult as for a hard core drug addict to control his/her addiction. Again, I'm not saying it is easy, but I believe it can be done; although the process may be long, emotionally painful, and full of setbacks. It might, in fact, be impossible outside of God's grace and power.
3. This is important! People that identify themselves as gay or lesbian must not be subject to violence, ridicule, shame, job discrimination, or any other form of harassment because of their sexual preferences. God loves gay and lesbian people as much as anyone else. Anyone that says differently is misreading the Bible, either willfully or through ignorance. Besides that, the Bible says in Romans 3:22-24 [NIV], ^"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." No one has lived up to God's standards, so to single out homosexuality as somehow uniquely sinful is utterly wrong. Homosexuals, as well, are just as welcome in God's kingdom as anyone else, provided they believe in Jesus and repent of their sins - just like anyone else.
4. On the other hand, homosexuality is not behavior that should be celebrated or encouraged, any more than we ought to celebrate or encourage teenagers having sexual intercourse outside of marriage. Homosexual relationships are a distortion of what God intends in sexual relationships, and because of this, they ought not to be given a facade of legitimacy by allowing homosexual "marriage."

I don't support marriage for gays, but not because I think that my own marriage will somehow be cheapened or assaulted by gays getting married. Rather, I see gay marriage as part of gay activists' larger agenda, to give legitimacy to what I view as fundamentally immoral behavior. It's as if they were attempting to legalize lying on federal income tax returns, because, well, we all lie now and then, no one really gets hurt by it, everyone knows that it's going on anyway, and I really, really need the money. I'm sorry, but lying on tax returns is just plain wrong, no matter how you try to justify it. And, in my opinion, homosexual behavior is wrong, no matter how much you try to make it look legitimate by calling homosexual partners "married."

So, I applaud the voters of Missouri for making their will known dramatically and powerfully. Unelected, activist judges trying to force unpopular social policy on the people of the United States have been sent a clear message - voters won't stand for it, and will amend state constitutions if the need arises. The people of Missouri have spoken: there is no "right" for gays to marry - not in Missouri, anyway.

More than likely, this will be the last thing I write about gay marriage. As I said earlier, it's a divisive issue, and I am much more concerned that Christians (most especially myself) are reaching the world with the Good News than I am about gay marriage. When it comes right down to it, I think the whole gay marriage issue is a distraction, diverting Christians from our true call - to draw as many as possible to Jesus. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthian church, chapter 9, verses 22 through 24 says [NIV] (my emphasis):

I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

That's what is truly important - not whether or not gays can marry.

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