JESUS LOVES _______

I remember singing Jesus Loves Me growing up. We are taught at a very early age that Jesus loves us. We learn that we are important to God. But what about others? It seems to me that that is all we are taught: Jesus me. Not necessarily: Jesus loves you.

And the Church in America perpetuates this idea. We are all ready to accept that Jesus loves us, but what about other different than us?

Let us take the issue of homosexuality. Now, I don't like to talk about politics here on this blog (except to make fun of them), and I don't intend to start. I do not see homosexuality as a 'political' issue to be hashed out on Capital hill - especially since people's lives are involved.

But this is my distinction, one that many Christians don't make. I do not believe that it is our place as Christians to impose their moral views on people who doesn't follow Christ. In other words, I do not believe that Christians should work to make our society look more 'Christ-like.' Instead, we should focus on loving people focus on changing hearts, not actions. We should not rely on Sunday School teachers, pastors, or politicians to work to make our society more 'Christ-like,' instead we should love people and demonstrate the love of God in our lives.

I do not see American society as having to answer to the call of Christian morals, because American society is not Christian. Furthermore, I do not see how making people act more 'Christ-like' will further the Kingdom of God. If anything, I believe it pushes others away, as others believe Christians practice intolerance and hate.

Now, back to the issue of homosexuality. Christians should address such an issue from a Biblical perspective, not a politically conservative one. Christ teaches that we love, above all else. We love God and we love people. Nothing else can come in front of this.

What good do Christians do by publicly condemning homosexuality? Do we endear others to our faith? Do we make 'gay' people want to become 'straight'? Do we make more Christians who believe the Word of God condemns some people more than others?

Is this the message God wants the world to hear from the people who claim to represent him?

While the issue of homosexual actions (separate from homosexual orientation) is addressed in the Bible (orientation is not), we cannot stand on a platform that violates love of neighbor at the price of claiming to have God's one and true message of judgment and condemnation.

Who is to say that my sin is worse than your sin than our neighbor's sin... etc. We are all screwed up! Honestly! If you want to say homosexual actions are sinful, a Biblical case can be made. But when Christians take this belief to such a level as to alienate others and spread hatred and intolerance in the name of Christ, then we are not loving our neighbor - the higher command superceding all else.

I know, you're thinking - "well then we are simply not standing our ground on Christian 'morals.' We are compromising and giving into the 'ways of the world.'" But let me ask you... What good are Christian 'morals' when there are no Christians to follow them? Should we not be concerned with the heart, and trust God to transform every one of us from the heart? Why be so concerned with actions? Why make others act like what we believe 'Christ-like' looks like?

Our job as the Church is to be the people of God. That means we love at any and all costs - and we do not compromise this. Christians are more worried about compromising 'morals' than they are about compromising the love of neighbor. That is why Christians are in the morally impotent position we are.

Christians do not have moral authority, not because we don't have enough Republicans in office, but because we compromise our ethic of Loving Others in favor of condemning certain people as sinners. We have become hypocrites, saying we love people - only to condemn them as an 'abomination.' And by doing so, the Church as lost any credibility or clout it ever had on the moral persuasions of American secular society. We need to rethink our positions.

Our focus, as a Church, is to love people like Christ loved us.

That's our job.

Your thoughts?...