Why Yes on 8?

In California next week we have the privilege of voting.  I urge you to vote!  There are several moral issues effected by our vote next week. 

"On May 15, 2008, the Supreme Court of California overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage in In re Marriage Cases.  The four-to-three decision took effect on June 16, 2008.  The Court declined to stay its decision until after the November elections."   (This is from the Wikipedia article  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_California)

Now, next week, we can overturn this high court decision by voting yes on Proposition 8.   

The opponents of Prop 8 are arguing that same-sex marriage is an issue of equality and fairness.  They say that Prop 8 is "wrong."  

Truthfully their arguments are appealing.   From a point of view that we have the power to define what is right and wrong, their arguments are persuasive.    They are saying that human beings define what is right and wrong by a simple majority vote.  If most people think something is right, then it is.   They say people in favor of Prop 8 are "wrong." 

What makes these supporters of Prop 8 wrong?  The personal opinions of some other people.  

Now I question if we really want to live in a society where the only standard for ethics is personal opinion.  How can we truly say that polygamy is wrong, for example?    Maybe one group of people believes it is acceptable to kill your baby two days before it is born, and another two days after it is born.  Personal opinion is a very uncertain foundation upon which to build a structure.

Here is the beauty of the Judeo/Christian point of view.  We believe that we receive our ethics from God.  What is right or wrong is revealed to us in God's word.   Now, from this point of view the opponents of Prop 8 are clearly wrong.  Any fair reading of Scripture will bring you to the definite conclusion that same-sex marriage is wrong.  

Actually, from a Biblical point of view this is an overwhelmingly huge issue.  Homosexuality is not a casual issue in Scripture.  God made his righteous condemnation of homosexuality very clear at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.   In the book of Romans God tells us that homosexuality is actually an indication that God has given people over to their own perversion, as a response to their rebellion.  

From a Biblical point of view we certainly should not encourage this behavior.   Giving same-sex couples legal status as a married couple is dangerous.  It is dangerous for the individuals and for society in general.   Do you love people?  Vote yes on Prop 8.  

Taking it like...the son of man

Living in a hostile world…

 

 

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”  (Mark 15: 34-36)

 

In God’s crushing of his son for our sins, Jesus endured all levels of suffering.  He stands boldly as an example for us to follow.   (see 1 Peter 2:21 ff)  In his most ardent moment of pain he quotes Holy Scripture in his comfortable mother tongue to express his anguish, his cry for help, and a plea for understanding.  He cried out “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”  This is Aramaic, his mother tongue.   Some of those people who had nothing better to do than to stand around gawking and mocking, did not understand Aramaic.  (Or they purposely misunderstood.)   They said he was calling for Elijah.   They thought this was funny, so they wanted to keep him alive a little longer to see what would happen next.   That seems to be the reason they quickly tried to get him something to drink.   By God’s grace the suffering was just over at this time.  I’m sure the “bystanders” were disappointed that the show was over. 

 

One thing that impresses me here is that Jesus was so constantly misunderstood, but often he simply took it.   He had a perfect trust in the ultimate justice of God the Father.   Jesus just did not have to win every argument, or work hard every moment to correct all the misunderstandings around him.  Here is the perfect one enduring mocking misunderstanding for us. He is taking our mocking for us. 

In our personal guilt we deserve to be misunderstood, and mocked.  Most, if not all, of our actions are polluted to some extent by our own sin.  We are sinners, so when people misunderstand us we should expect no better treatment than our Lord.   We should try to explain, but also allow the misunderstanding to humble us.  If Jesus could take it, shouldn’t we?

 

How should we respond when people misunderstand us?

 

1) Trust God’s providence.  This is his plan.  

2) Patiently look for an opportunity to explain what you meant. 

3) After all is said and done you will just have to live with the truth that some people will misunderstand you.  Go back to step one!

4) Thank God that Jesus bore our mocking so that for eternity we will not suffer from the misunderstanding that we deserve.