Last Friday, I tried to write a blog entry that discussed why certain religious people want to maintain the status quo of a marriage being between a man and a woman. Some people who disagree with this opinion have called some religious people, self-righteous. A friend of mine let me know that my thoughts on that blog entry was rather incoherent and that maybe I should restructure my presentation in a more effective manner. That was a very good suggestion and the following is an effort to try to over again.
I hope my comments can be of use to youth ministries, family devotionals, and family home evenings. If not that least it gives me a chance to clarify my own motivations on this topic.
Today’s topic is motivations of some religious citizens. The following five ideas are some of my own motivations. They may be shared by other religious individuals. Or others may have an entirely different set of motivations. I see for key reasons as to why religious people want to maintain certain standards in American culture, which includes a marriage between a man and a woman.
1. I have a concern of people that may not believe in God trying to dictate to God what is sin and what is not sin. As I see Christ as the creator of the world and creator of man and woman. I feel that when people try to redefine the commandments and principles that God has defined, I feel that is arrogant. To me, it shows that they feel they know more than God.
I think anyone who is been a parent would not appreciate their children showing disrespect and disobedience; specially, if said child lacks the maturity and longevity of experience that would explain why certain laws and commandments have been given to us.
2. Since the creation, God has defined that the family unit is essential to our efforts to return to the presence of God. This would be the nuclear family of a father and the mother through share responsibilities in raising the children. Both genders have unique traits that contribute to positive parenting. Many religious people feel that the creation of the earth and the people on the earth has eternal purposes. Our behavior doesn’t just influence here and now, but includes the eternities.
3. It is not just religious people who see an increasing amount of corruption and corrosion of morals in society. An increasing number of citizens are perfectly happy to elect corrupt politicians to represent them in Washington. An increasing number of individuals are relabeling what was once considered sin to be okay because it satisfies their personal ambitions to do so. I feel some religious people seek to push back the floodwaters of moral decay.
Some of us are concerned that by simply giving something once considered bad a pretty label, it will then be considered good. Kind a like a thief who feels perfectly entitled to steal someone else’s possessions because they have had a hard life. They feel that the person they are stealing from doesn’t deserve their success. Even though the person is stealing from may have worked long hours and spent decades building a career to earn the tokens of their success.
4. Many religious people feel that they have to give an accounting of the conduct of their lives when they meet their Creator after death. This may include not standing up against the rise of sin when we had the power to do so. We feel that we have to stand before the judgment bar to be judge for our own actions and how we treat others.
5. Many Christians in the United States feel that the founding of America was based on Christian values. Also, many Christians feel that the fate of our nation is reliant upon our obedience to God. If we disallow God, then we have broken our contract with him and our nation is not guaranteed to be preserved.
These are a few of my motivations that may be shared by others.
Some religious people have been accused of self-righteousness for these attitudes. I would invite people that make such accusations to go to church and pay attention to chance comments in Sunday school. You can find admissions of religious people struggling to accomplish their own goals and overcome sin. Sometimes, testimonies are expressed of how God has helped people overcome a personal challenge. Some religious people find certain things within the control. Such as may be maintaining the family unit, where each gender contributes to the success of the whole. This type of family unit can help maintain the foundation of shared resources. That can empower us while we work on challenges that we have not yet achieved.
We’ll see if this particular line of expression will be coherent than my last attempt. Thanks.
