Why I agree and disagree with everyone

OK, so maybe I’m going to sound a bit like Paul here again (becoming everything to everyone, but hopefully not in a bad way). Obviously, I’m not Paul, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

My husband asked me yesterday whether I thought a law that put LGBT into a protected class would be a loving, Christian thing to do. I said that I did think it would be the loving Christian thing, because Christians should be loving and protecting every class of people from discrimination (Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes).

However, he then asked if I would vote for legislation that created a protected class, and I said that I would not.

Why not? Well, the problem is that if we keep creating protected classes (people we cannot discriminate against for any reason) we are going to create conflicts within those classes, and then ask the government to legislate the gray areas. This is not what anyone wants (what everyone wants is just never to be “discriminated against” for any reason, which is just not going to happen because we are all human and sinners).

For example, while I would bake a cake or cater a wedding for a gay marriage as an example of Christian love to non-believers, I don’t think I would say they can’t be discriminated against, because if they are fellow believers, we also need to be able to stand up and say that what they are doing is wrong. No class of people should be discriminated against, however, I should have the right as a business owner and Christian to say that I don’t feel comfortable supporting a marriage that is not based on God’s word among people who claim to be Christians. Showing support in that way is similar to telling an unmarried Christian couple living together before marriage that it’s okay to keep doing it. At some point, we have to take a stand and call our brothers and sisters to repentance while still showing love first.

It’s not okay to discriminate against anyone, however, we are told to confront our brothers and sisters who are sinning. For example:

• Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too should be tempted.
• 1 Corinthians 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
• 1 Timothy 5:20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. (again this applies only to fellow believers)

I feel that government’s role does not include legislating the gray areas of morality. There are many times when there is a clear right or wrong answer, but many other times when half of the people say something is wrong and the other half say “anything goes”. Should the government be the one to determine which half is correct or can we just let a person’s internal compass point them in the right direction, if no one is being hurt in the process (and by hurt I mean injured, not that their feelings are hurt).