All my life I have been told that God loves people. Loves them in a deep and giving way. In a way that desires to be with them. In this love God wishes to be loved in return. But the crux of love is the freedom. Had God forced us to love Him and to live a certain way, wouldn't that mean that there is no love returned to Him? I would say forced love is no love at all, but slavery. God doesn't want us to be slaves to Him. He wishes for us to see the beauty in the world around us and in the life and teachings of Jesus and come to Him of our own volition. God gives us the ability to choose right or wrong. He didn't force morality on us. But He offered us the teachings of Christ which we have the ability to accept or reject.
So what does this have to do with leaving social conservatism behind? Just this, if God gives us the ability to choose right or wrong, why shouldn't we do the same? Has God instructed us to put a government together that forces, through legislation, Biblical morality on people? No, He hasn't. It isn't in the Bible and it definitely isn't in the teachings of Jesus. So do we believe that God has somehow fallen short? Do we believe that God just didn't get it quite right? I would say that supporting a system of government that seeks to legislate Christian morality is saying just that. It's telling God that His whole "freedom to choose right or wrong" thing is a bit over the top and that we need to step in and force people to live the way we think God wants them to. It's telling God that, while you appreciate your freedom to choose Him, you can't let others have the same freedom...which might mean they choose something else. In short, I feel that supporting Social Conservatism is telling God that His way isn't good enough for us and that we have to take up his slack.
So I'm offering up two final points...one spiritual and one political. First, God loves us enough to give us the freedom to live our lives the way we see fit. Why shouldn't we do the same? Second, understand that the freedoms you extend to others ensures your own. Voltaire (or at least it's attributed to him) said it best,"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". When we think of gay marriage, marijuana legalization, free speech issues, putting religious items into government institutions...I strongly believe we should mirror God and extend freedom...not oppression.
In the coming elections please move away from socially conservative issues. God gave us the freedom to choose, shouldn't we do the same?
So what does this have to do with leaving social conservatism behind? Just this, if God gives us the ability to choose right or wrong, why shouldn't we do the same? Has God instructed us to put a government together that forces, through legislation, Biblical morality on people? No, He hasn't. It isn't in the Bible and it definitely isn't in the teachings of Jesus. So do we believe that God has somehow fallen short? Do we believe that God just didn't get it quite right? I would say that supporting a system of government that seeks to legislate Christian morality is saying just that. It's telling God that His whole "freedom to choose right or wrong" thing is a bit over the top and that we need to step in and force people to live the way we think God wants them to. It's telling God that, while you appreciate your freedom to choose Him, you can't let others have the same freedom...which might mean they choose something else. In short, I feel that supporting Social Conservatism is telling God that His way isn't good enough for us and that we have to take up his slack.
So I'm offering up two final points...one spiritual and one political. First, God loves us enough to give us the freedom to live our lives the way we see fit. Why shouldn't we do the same? Second, understand that the freedoms you extend to others ensures your own. Voltaire (or at least it's attributed to him) said it best,"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". When we think of gay marriage, marijuana legalization, free speech issues, putting religious items into government institutions...I strongly believe we should mirror God and extend freedom...not oppression.
In the coming elections please move away from socially conservative issues. God gave us the freedom to choose, shouldn't we do the same?
5 comments:
Scott, you're logic seems flawed. First, I would argue the the crux of love is not freedom, it's sacrifice. It's making less of yourself.
It's like a man finding a treasure in a field. When he finds it, he hides it, and then sells everything he has to buy it up. I read that somewhere...
Love is a verb. Verbs require action. You demonstrate love. You don't feel it. If I love my wife but do not demonstrate it, then I demonstrate that I do not love her.
Therefore, doing what pleases God (i.e. following his commands) is how we demonstrate our love for God. It's is not us being slaves. Slaves obey because they have no choice.
Were you a slave to your parents when you were growing up? Did you obey them because you had to or because you wanted to. (Admittedly, there were times I did what I was told because I wanted to avoid the consequences - to be fair) Because when you heard your father say, "I'm proud of you" there was no greater reward. You could have gotten buckets of candy and the entire GI Joe line, but still it wouldn't top those simple words.
Interestingly enough, your belief set is not found in the Bible. That God wishes for us to, "see the beauty in the world around us and in the life and teachings of Jesus and come to Him of our own volition" is more in line with Hinduism and Buddhism.
While God does not force morality on us (i.e. we have free will to do whatever we please), in order to please Him, that's exactly what he asks...and more. To simple do the right thing because it's what you were told to do is not enough. You have to want to do those things.
Hey man...can you restate your idea. I'm really certain what you are trying to say other than you think that sacrifice is more important to love than freedom. And that it's not a biblical idea to "see the beauty in the world around us and in the life and teachings of Jesus and come to Him of our own volition".
But I'll take a stab at responding to some of what I do think you were saying. I think you were saying...we show God love by sacrificing our wants and desires by obeying His. Is that a good summation? If so, that's not exactly a refutation of what I was trying to say. The individual believer can do just that. I'm just asking that believer not try and legislate those moral positions to force the unbeliever to act the way the believer thinks they should.
So, if I understand your point correctly I don't quite see where it's a refutation of my idea. But your tone is one of refutation. Which is where I need the clarification.
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