A National Obsession?

It has become almost a national fascination. In the first day I hear about it on HLN, I become outraged that an individual's right to free speech was supposedly being violated and censored. He had been suspended from his TV show? What? Over making a few comments? Without even being a fan of the show of the question or actually reading the offensive comments for myself, I made the supposed victim's picture my Facebook profile pic for a few hours. That evening, I saw a Facebook post that made it clear that many of us had "jumped the gun" and been duped by the media hype about this supposedly persecuted individual. After a quick Google search and reading the actual comments, I removed Robertson's Facebook profile pic. Still, some in my friends list still continue to champion "the cause" and several have continued to keep the said person's pic up.

What is Duck Dynasty all about?

First of all, I'm not a fan of the Duck Dynasty show or of any TV show, for that matter. There are news talk shows that I view when others in my household turn them on. Duck Dynasty actually came to my attention in the form of a Facebook message inbox request to sign a CHange.org petition for a person named Phil Robertson, who was still totally unfamiliar to me. Only when HLN covered him and his situation the next day did I sign the petition, and change my Facebook profile pic to Robertson. I did that because he had been suspended by A & E, according to HLN, over making controversial remarks about accepting Christ as one's Savior, and that homosexuality, like all other sins, will be judged by God in the form of sending the sinning persons to a place called hell. Thus this show is, according to my understanding, a reality show that focuses on "Christian right" views, and has support among those who pride themselves on holding "Conservative family values." I'm not aware of anyone in my family or among in our social circles, who have ever mentioned that they view this show or are its fans.

Why the Controversy Over This Show?

The controversy about Duck Dynasty as almost as divisive as the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case had been (and still is). The differences exist along party lines, and less so, among racial and class lines. Robertson had denounced, in no uncertain terms, homosexuality as a lifestyles, lumping it with other sins, including bestiality (sexual intercourse with animals). This offends GLBT persons as well as their allies. Also, Robertson made very hurtful slurs about Blacks, proceeding to opine that they were actually happier when they were segregated, and so-called entitlements did not exist for them "to depend on." This caused an uproar in the Black community and among their allies. Those slurs were cruel and uncalled for! Many of us in the Christian community, at least initially, took up the Duck Dynasty cause because of Robertson's stance against GLBT lifestyles. He remains seen as a hero by loyal supporters of "conservative religious right" views. It is viewed as an illustration of "the culture war" between "liberal Democrats" and "conservative Republicans." We all know that the GLBT issue is a "hot button" controversy, hitting upon core beliefs of how we view love and the family. We know that talk of racism is controversial and can be intense and seen as "race baiting" to merely address the race issue. Duck Dynasty is a symptom, not a cause, or our divided US.

How Then Should We Respond?

We ought to respect those who disagree with us about Duck Dynasty, about Robertson, and about the views of the show. We ought to try to find common ground, hard as it may be to even think about. We all believe in the right to free speech, and most people understand Duck Dynasty to be about this. But is it? Have we considered that we may be getting distracted from far more serious problems that actually affect us, unlike Duck Dynasty? Or do we actually, in a way, enjoy and derive entertainment from the controversy and the element of scandal in the whole matter? We in the US face the stark reality that our nation may deploy troops into South Sudan, one of the most dangerous spots in the world. Children and adults continue to go missing and many are killed daily, by a wide variety of means. Every day, three children die from child abuse. I can go on and on. This is not to mention what goes on throughout the rest of the world! In light of this, maybe we should refocus, whatever our views of Duck Dynasty is, on the people and issues we love, instead of what we oppose. As I write, Robertson has been accepted back onto his show, which I know will not end the controversy. Many of us thrive on scandal or controversy. Is this not so?

What do you think?

The photo of Phil Robertson, at the top of this post, can be found on Facebook here.

Marriage Equality and Religious Liberty

          Without a doubt this will be the most controversial topic I have ever blogged about to date but this ought to be talked about because it is one of the topics that many of our politicians are debating about it. It strikes at the core of the values of the two opposing sides of the debate, the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) community and their advocates/allies, and the Religious Liberty community, which includes people of all faith and worldviews who do not endorse GLBT marriage. The GLBT side values equality, tolerance, privacy and the acceptance of all people. The Religious Liberty community values principle, truth, morality, and the traditional family. But both sides value one thing: free speech.
          Currently, marriage equality has dominated the national headlines. If you follow the news, you no doubt have seen footage of many people marching at Washington, D.C., holding banners declaring their rights to legal and equal traditional marriage, with all the legal protections that have traditionally be given to husbands and wives, including in the even of divorce or death. The other side, those who support traditional marriage between husbands and wives only, also had their opportunity to protest the proposed marriage equality based on the belief that God established marriage to be between a man and a woman. Currently, during my time on Facebook, I have seen one person after another change their profile pictures to a red banner that may be solid red or have stripes or other inner images. Since I originally wrote this blog, over a year ago, I have learned of one heartbreaking story after another of displays of hate toward people based on their sexual orientation. I have learned of more stories of LGBT bullying that has driven even more victims to end their lives. It seems that the majority of those in my network that take a position on this heated issue, usually sympathize or even are hard-core advocates for marriage equality, regardless of sexual orientation. Most in my network remain silent on this issue and only a few oppose marriage equality, always on the grounds that it is against God's plan for marriage to take place between husbands and wives.
          Now I know full well that at any time, anyone reading this can be an advocate/ally of GLBT marriage or may even be GLBT yourself. And so I must say: On behalf of those on the Religious Liberty side who have or do not understand the grace (underserved favor) and forgiveness of God, you deserve apologies and restitution for the horrific and inexcusable things and "hate crimes" which have been done to many of you throughout the ages, but especially in these days when you have "come out of the closet" or may not be GLBT but just not fit the male or female stereotype. All of the "hate cimes," the "anti-gay" protests and counter-protests at "gay pride" rallies and even at military funerals, and the GLBT bullying, are all anti-God, anti-Bible and anti-Christ. These things go against God's image of perfect love and Jesus' compassion that was modelled in the Gospels. The anti-gay sites on the Internet and on social networks are plain wrong. It's shocking, sickening and heartbreaking how GLBT bullying has become such an epidemic and how so many victims have been driven to bullycide through it. My guess is that one big reason that this targeted GLBT bullying has grown so bad today is that even in schools, students are "coming out of the closet" and living as openly GLBT. In my growing up years and before that, there was a definite code of silence about GLBT issues, just as there was about so many other things that we talk about today. So such bullying was not known and if it happened, there was no awareness about it.
          We have definitely come a long way from the time when society frowned on homosexuality and on homosexuals. Today, they and anyone with sexual orientation differences are a protected minority group. I will boldly say that today it is less of a stigma to "come out of the closet" about being GLBT than it is to "come out of the closet" about invisible disabilities like many mental illnesses, autism, epilepsy and about other misunderstood medical or neurological conditions. I'm sure that this is because GLBT groups and individuals have tirelessly lobbied those in power, gaining influence; many celebrities have also added their voices to the effort. Today, it is "homophobia" that society frowns on but I fear that this word as well as the term "hate speech" are used to crush any civil and rational debate on this topic.
          We can blame many of our problems encouraging gay marriage as an alternative, to the failure of so many heterosexual marriages and families, along with a high divorce rate, domestic violence, child abuse and rebellious children. But heterosexual unions aren't to blame for these social evils; growing up without learning empathy and self-control are. Abuses of a good thing does not mean it is bad, or has become bad. Just because heterosexual unions have been widely abused does not make traditional marriage bad. The Religious Liberty side views all of this with grief and dismay and finds it easy to overreact and to view GLBT marriage as the threat to religious freedom. And GLBT people likewise see the other side as a threat to their cause. This means war!
          The media have a lot of power in shaping our opinions. And so much of the media tell os half-truths or give us the news as based on their biases. So we hear much about what the GLBT community suffer at the hands of those who are identified with the Religious Liberty community. And let me make one things clear: There are many, many people who do not identify themselves either with GLBT people are with Religious Liberty people, so the majority of people are largely silent on this matter; it is not their priority either way. And there are many denominations which do openly support or tolerate GLBT lifestyles. This is my observation.
          Today it's politically correct to cry foul whenever anyone dares to challenge alternate acts or lifestyles, whether they are GLBT, co-habitation (living together without being married), premarital sex, abortions or anything else that has become accepted in society but which goes against the core values of those in the Religious Liberty community. It's usually the unstable, emotionally immature but also stable, mature but opinionated people, who let discussions on controversial topics deteriorate into name-calling, shouting matches, bullying, personal attacks and even worse. Such individuals, who often make the headlines, give many in the religious Liberty community, who truly care about people, a bad name. Worse, they hurt God's Cause on earth. Sad.
          The Religious Liberty community hold the Bible to be God's inspired Word to us. In it God says that He made us male and female so He instituted marriage so we can reflect His image. This is at the core of the Religious Libery's side of this debate. Yes, it's true that lots of evils have come out of male/female marriage but this isn't the fault of such marriages but of the people's failure to learn empathy or self-control. Yes, I know that this may not be a good enough reason for those who value other matters but this is God's reason. Those who oppose marriage equality out of deeply-held religious convictions are not narrow-minded, intolerant or hateful. If they understand God's grace and forgiveness and love, they love and accept all people, do not force their beliefs on anyone, and welcome anyone, including GLBT individuals, and love them as valuable creations of God.
          It is not that God and the Religious Liberty people who understand God's love and grace, don't value tolerance, acceptance, privacy or equality. It's just that this community values truth and morality as most loving and in the best interests of all. And in all the talk about acceptance and tolerance, there is often no tolerance for or acceptance of Religious Liberty people who "come out of the closet" in both a loving and truthful way, about their beliefs. They are vilified as "homophobes" and "hatemongers" and worse. Tolerance and acceptance should be extended to both sides. And what is "homophobia"? It is the fear of anything GLBT. Talking about GLBT issues or challenging them as a lifestyle are not homphobia if this is done in a caring and loving way.
          In both the Old and New Testament, God is silent on sexual orientation itself and on homosexual thoughts or feelings. He only grows vocal about acting on these just as He condemns hating or not accepting any peple, which includes GLBT people. God's words against GLBT lifestyles doesn't mean that God is homophobic or encourages homophobia. It's only through male/female unions that we can naturally procreate future generations and keep the human race going. This has been God's plan from the beginning and this has not changed. In gay marriage, unnatual forms of reproduction must be done to procreate.
          What about the matter of whether GLBT people are "born that way" or at one point in time, made a conscious choice to adopt same-sex orientation as a lifestyle? This is not an easy topic to sort through, as sexual orientation is very complex. It seems, according to testimonies of so many GLBT people, that they struggled with their thought and feelings even as young children, many as long as they can remember. So it is not a simple matter of making a conscious choice of adopting a lifestyle. I see no easy answers to this one and I can understand why so many GLBT people decide to embrace their sexual orientation as a difference, just like having a different skin color or having disabilities. The only trouble with that is, in both the Old AND New Testaments, God does not view GLBT lifestyles as "just another difference." I have provided the verses below; these are the words of a much Higher Authority than I.
          Be assured that God, in the Bible, does NOT single out homosexuality as the only misuse of sexuality. He comes out against many other misuses of sexuality, including prostitution, incest, rape, premarital sex, adultery, bestiality, and more. And He comes out against divorce in male/female marriages over and over and as often about adultery. But what would be His position on legalized gay marriage? I think that He realizes that GLBT issues are an established fact in this culture that while it is NOT His ideal, that He has other priorities, such as our coming to know and love Him and to love others. It seems to me that He would tolerate legalized gay marriage more than He would much of the other social ills of this day. What about homosexuals adopting children? I think it is much better to grow up in a loving, stable home of a GLBT couple than with cold, unloving, abusive heterosexual parents. But God's ideal is for children to grow up in a loving, stable male/female union.
          Are GLBT relations the business of society? I agree that it is NOT our business what our neighbors do in the privacy of their bedrooms and that as long as the people involved are not hurting or bothering us, we should leave them alone. But God also made GLBT people (and all of us) and what they (and we) do is His business. So no one can tell Him, "What I do in the privacy of my bedroom or anywhere else is any of Your business."
          What about those who are sick and tired of the GLBT lifestyle, are trying to escape it and what about those who are trying to help and assist them in this most difficult process? Again, if we want to see tolerance and acceptance toward those in the GLBT community, we should have tolerance and acceptance toward this community, also a minority. What we need is tolerance and acceptance toward all people. When controversial topics spawn hate and intolerance toward opposing sides we do not have this.

Scriptural verses that are uses in the GLBT/Religious Liberty debate:

Genesis 1:27--The purpose of marriage-Image of God in us as male and female as shown in marriage.
Genesis 2: 18-25--  " "

Genesis 1: 28 God's plan for natual procreation in marriage

Leviticus 18:22 God's words about homosexuality as a lifestyle (NOT a sexual orentation)

Matthew 19: 4 Jesus' words about God's plan for us as reflecting HIs image as male and famale in marriage
Mark 10: 16  " "

Romans 1: 26-27 God's words about homosexuality as a lifestyle (NOT a sexual orentation)
1 Corinthians 6: 9-11 " "

http://christiansnswers.net/
This is a website that is run by a pastor who lived a formerly homosexual lifestyle and found his way out of it. This site contains stories by men and women who lived formerly GLBT lifestyles and have found their way out. This pastor answers questions with faithfulness to Scripture and truth but also with sensitivity and compassion, as one who has been there.

http://courageerc.net/
This is a social networking site of members who are or have lived GLBT lifestyles and who want to escape. The site is run by Catholics who provide articles and posts which are marked by compassion and love as well as being true to Scriptural principles.