ClydeStyle

Category: Religious Freedom

  • A reason to be outraged?

    May 9, 2012 will be a day that goes down in history as another advancement in civil rights.

    President Barack Obama gave his personal feelings regarding same-sex unions. Before doing this, his administration has already done many things for gays and lesbians in regards to their civil rights. In addition, he has done quite a bit in his presidency for minorities and the disenfranchised.

    With that said, we need to remember the separation of church and state. Too many religious people will attempt to make this an issue for the church — it is not.

    What we can’t do here is forget what our constitution says regarding equal rights. If you believe in the fabric of what our forefathers wrote about “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”, and if you believe in the Holy Bible and you understand the teaching of free will and judgement day, you should be very understanding of the events of the day.

    Why you ask? Because no one I know voted for Obama because of his religious beliefs. I hope that no one has wasted a vote on any politician based on his spirituality.

    What you should have done is voted based on the political views they claimed and their ability to get those things done.

    But you don’t need me to tell you why you should vote. Instead, let me just remind you of God’s word.

    There are many people who believe in trying to do God’s job. You see, God never invited us to His judgement seat. God invited us to the love seat; forgiveness seat; and benevolent seat. These are the things that Christians do.

    We need to uphold free will — hand in hand with democracy! We need to make sure that we don’t create a scenario that backfires on us. How can I decide a choice for someone when I don’t want anyone to make choices for me?

    In this country, there are many organizations (like the KKK) that I don’t agree with. I don’t even think they should exist. And despite the evil things done in their history I believe in their right to exist. Why? Because I’m a Christian and I’m an American. As a Christian I know what the bible says and I know who has the final say. I know who will judge the quick and the dead and I’m comfortable with His judgement.

    As an American, my constitution is the standard and we have a history of being hypocrites. Just as other great Americans have done, I feel duty bound to speak up for the rights our troops are defending. People have the right to love and be with who they want. Whether I agree with it or not, they still have that right.

    We need to make sure that we are not trying to hide bigotry behind the cross!

  • The importance of types in scripture

    A few weeks ago, I began teaching a class on types in scripture.  By types I mean that an Old Testament story is somewhat of a mirror to a scenario today. We often don’t associate or connect the Old Testament and the New Testament together this way, but we really should. There is much to be learned by “things written aforetime” (Rom. 15:4).

    There are several types portrayed in scripture between the time of Adam and the Law of Moses. I would like to expound on five. First, God’s action toward Adam and Eve in the garden as he made provisions for his people and gave them purpose.  This is something he does for us in Christ today. Christ was our provision and we have a purpose in our life that centers on doing his will. Second, even when God put Adam and Eve out of the garden, he taught them a lesson on the consequences of sin. Because of their sin, something died. Physically, God shed blood from animals to cover their sin. This practice would continue until Christ died on the cross. Many bulls and goats died because of the sins of God’s people. And all that blood could do is what it did on Adam and Eve’s exodus from the garden – cover their sins.

    Third, Cain and Abel is one of the oldest lessons in the bible as it relates to man. Abel’s offering was based on God’s revelation; Cain’s offering was based on man’s imagination. This lesson is played out every Sunday as so-called religious people attempt to worship the Father “their” way and not God’s way. Many are responding to the gospel by man’s imagination instead of God’s revelation. This is a powerful lesson that man must learn before Jesus returns.

    Forth, Enoch, the bible says, was translated so that he didn’t see death and it was all because of his faith. Our faith works exactly the same way in that Col. 3:13 tells us that we are translated into the kingdom of his dear son because of our faith. Enoch’s testimony will always serve as a wonderful type for us today in that it was said of him before his translation, that he pleased God. We then learn, in  Heb. 11:6, that without faith it’s impossible to please God. Enoch was a man of faith and because of his faith he was translated. And today because of our faith so are we.

    Fifth, we have to say a bit about Noah. There are so many types when we discuss Noah. My favorite is the comparison of the Ark to the Church. Both places work much like the inn in the story of the Good Samaritan. The inn was the place where Christ would keep his souls saved until his return. The ark served that purpose and the Church today does as well. Do you see any other types in the bible during the time spanned between Adam and the law Moses gave?

  • Leave marriage out of this

    I have been having a hard time with gay marriage.

    It’s not that I mind that people of the same sex come together. I believe that since I don’t trust our government to tell me what to do, I don’t think our government should try and tell others what they can or cannot do. Morally I have issues with it because I believe the Bible to be the absolute truth. But the key phrase that I said was, “I believe.” I’m not trying to force my religious beliefs on anyone.

    I’m the type of Christian that if you want to know what the Bible says, I stand ready to give you the answers. I’m not going to club you over the head with my Bible,  nor am I going to try and convince you to follow my Bible. The reason is because my Bible says you have to believe and obey from the heart.

    The God I serve is pro-choice. Pro-choice in the sense that He allows everyone freewill. He would never do anything to prohibit your freewill and your freewill doesn’t checkmate His perfect will. Basically, you choose to do what your heart really desires and His judgment will reign in the end.

    With that said, I am bothered by the use of the word marriage.

    I know what a marriage is and I know that gays wanted their significant others to be able to get medical benefits and such. I totally understand that. To make this happen, the insurance industry practically forced them to seek marriage instead of just allowing them to appoint the people who are able to get benefits.

    Should it matter who gets benefits?

    To greedy insurance companies, the answer is yes. They were trying to avoid allowing us to designate who we want to give benefits to.

    I said all that to say this:  instead of gays entering into a “marriage,” why couldn’t we just call it a “union?”

    Doing it this way allows the true intention of marriage to stay pure and its defining elements to remain intact. Jesus said, “Have you not read that He who made them in the beginning made them male and female.” (Matt. 19:4) This is what He meant when He said,”…what God has joined together (a male and a female), let no man separate.”

    The use of the word “union” would be generic enough to allow any two things to come together: a chicken and a cow… a pig and a frog…peanut butter and chocolate – and even two men or two women.

    Let union ring!

  • Liberty and justice for all?

    President Barack Obama’s endorsement of a controversial plan to build a mosque just blocks from Ground Zero has fueled raging debates over religious freedom and sensitivities over the 9/11 attacks.

    One of the many things about President Obama’s presidency that bothers me is the fact that Christians I know keep circulating propaganda that says Obama is not a US citizen. Furthermore, there is an email – I call it a hate email – that talks about Muslims out-numbering and taking over America. This is also being circulated by so-called Christians.

    I’m reminded of a quote by Gandhi: ‎”I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ … ”

    How true, how true!

    I’d like to think that America is home to some of the smartest people in the world. I’d also like to believe that given the facts, we, as a people, would allow for our opinions to be trumped. It’s sad that I can’t believe or think these things.

    How can we be “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” and fight against the building of a mosque near Ground Zero?

    I guess the same way James Carter and R’heem Turner could get beaten unconscious in Atlanta in 2006 for being gay (not to slight thousands of others); or the same way Emmett Till was murdered in 1955 (not to slight millions of others).

    It doesn’t matter the target or the place. There’s just always a, “we don’t want _____ in our or near our _______” in America. We don’t want Jews in our neighborhoods! We don’t want Blacks in our schools! We don’t want foreigners in our factories! We don’t want gays near our children! And now, we don’t want a mosque near Ground Zero!

    What’s worse is that there are some who think that protesting the building of a mosque near Ground Zero is a religious stand. This is the truest insult to all of the first century Christians that were persecuted for the cause of Christ.

    This is not a religious stand at all.

    Religion in this instance is a cover up to mask the hatred and prejudice toward Muslims!

    Let me give some sobering words here: All Muslims are not violent and waiting for an opportunity to blow us up. Just like all Blacks are not criminals and waiting to steal from you. Nor is it true that all Whites are racist and looking for a chance to discriminate against you – although these statements are true for a small minority in each group.

    It is true that in all races there are people who hate and are looking for ways to harm other people. It is true that all races have criminal intenders who plot to take what doesn’t belong to them. And it is equally true that all races suffer from bigotry and hatred.

    Every one of us needs to examine what “liberty and justice for all” means.

    Originally, many of the framers of the U.S. Constitution agreed to these words – while still owning slaves. They didn’t sign the documents and run right home and free their slaves.

    But over the years, these words could have been changed, but they were not. “All” could have been changed to “some” because, unfortunately since this country’s beginning, it’s been interpreted that way.