The new freedom of religion law sure is making waves lately. The constitution guarantees freedom from discrimination due to race, gender, and sexual orientation. Those perhaps have been viewed as the big three and the most obvious but there are so many more ways to discriminate: by what college you attended, by how tall you are, by how much you weigh, the color of your hair, the size of your boobs, by the attractiveness of tour face, the size of your muscles, the shape of your nose, and on and on and on. Anything that is different about you can work to your advantage or disadvantage depending of the feelings of others.
What does that have to do with this new law? A lot or nothing depending on your point of view. In a nut shell, the new law makes it illegal to discriminate against a person because of their religion. It only seems fair that if I can't discriminate against you because of your sexual orientation then you can't discriminate against me because of my religion. Of course the gays and lesbians aren't happy about this new law. In effect, what they are unhappy about is it takes away from them the right to sue you if you refuse to grant them what they want based on religious objections.
What is happening here is that humans are classifying sins as big sins and little sins. Some religions teach that you only need forgiveness of the big sins but the danger with that philosophy is who determines when a sin progresses from small to large? In God's word there is no distinction: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; the wages of sin is death; for by one mans sin did death enter in. It just seems right that telling a little white lie is no big deal while committing capital murder is really, really serious. If a partner cheats on their spouse it should not be any ones business other than that couple but it is a sin unto damnation to have sex with someone of the same gender. Well, God makes no such distinction. That's human wisdom.
As long as we remain wrapped in a robe of flesh we will sin. That's what we do. However, if we are a child of God, and I'm talking about true repentance and not a confession that we are weak and we believe God is real, we will be forgiven of our sins. A true child of God has a desire to live for God, to serve Him. As a friend of mine said "if your religion doesn't take you to church I doubt that it will take you to heaven" but at the same time mere church attendance is not a fruit of the spirit. One can tell a true Christian but witnessing the changes that take place in their life over a period of time. A real Christian doesn't willfully commit sin.
I have no less regard for a homosexual than I do a liar or a thief. As a minister I will not perform a marriage of a man and woman who are merely living together any more than I would a gay couple. Both are willfully living in sin. I know the scriptures say we aren't to judge but the scriptures also say a minister has the right to declare who is righteous and who is not.
One may live with their lover of the opposite sex or the same sex, it doesn't matter and it should not me my right to treat you ill because I don't agree with your lifestyle choices. At the same time you should not have the right to force me to do something that I believe is wrong for me to do.
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