I'm the only person I know whose faith has been influenced by Monty Python. If you don't know who they are (and you should, because they're wonderful), they are an English comedy group, most popular from the late-60s to mid-80s. Their credits include a television show, "Monty Python's Flying Circus," and four films, the most popular of which is "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and the most controversial of which is "Life of Brian." In various interviews, each of them have stated their distaste for organized religion because of the hypocrisy; Terry Jones said, "What's funny is that Christ said all these really good things about 'love thy neighbor' and everything, and then for the next 2000 years people are killing each other and torturing each other because they can't quite decide how He said it." However, where most of them have completely shunned religion, I chose to look for something different. As Shane Claiborne wrote in his book Irresistable Revolution, "I'm not a Christian anymore. I gave up Christianity to follow Jesus."
This realization comes at a pretty prime moment in light of the whole Chick-fil-a ordeal, which I'm really starting to get sick of, so please forgive whatever I may write here because I'm in my "I'm fed up, let me rant" mode. My Facebook news feed is full of "so-and-so expressed their personal opinions about Chick-fil-a" and "another so-and-so wrote some profound explanation of how their faith is different so they won't rock the boat and offend people."
Python was criticized for their film "Life of Brian" (which actually isn't blasphemous if you watch it in the mindset that Python intended). But they strove to offend people who followed man's rules of religion blindly without bothering to hear what God had to say (we call them "Pharisees"), and they did just that. I'm writing my own personal stance on the Chick-fil-a saga, knowing that I may get criticism. But it's my personal belief, and since everybody else is proclaiming theirs, I'm doing the same.
In an LA Times article, one same-sex advocate said that God supports all kinds of love. "Love is love," she said, "and God has given us love to be shared."
Really? Because I'm pretty sure the act of homosexuality is a pretty blatant no-no: "If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads" (Lev. 20.13). I see no addition that says, "Well, it's OK if they're actually in love because all love is acceptable." Chick-fil-a is showing their detestation for the act of homosexuality because as Christians we are supposed to detest it. It's a sin - we are to have no stomach for it at all. But because of the fallen nature of our world, we who call wrong "wrong" are dubbed "intolerant" and "unloving."
I'm not saying that homosexuals will burn in hell, I want to make that VERY clear. The act of homosexuality - the actual sexual act, not necessarily the draw toward people of the same sex - is a sin, just like lying, coveting, and gossip, all of which I am guilty of. (Oh, you got me, I'm a Christian and human and I screw up.) "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His immense patience as an example for those who would believe in Him and receive eternal life" (I Tim. 1.15-16). I wasn't judged for my own sins - in fact, Jesus Christ took my shortcomings (past, present, and future), transported them from me to Him, and suffered in my place. And this isn't just me - this is EVERYONE who has been saved by Christ, whether they be liars, thieves, or homosexuals. And He didn't say, "You're a horrible person so I'm cutting off your hand so you share in the suffering since I took most of it." Our sins are GONE - no more, ceased to be, totally off our record. So we should feel no authority to judge other people because of their actions or personal beliefs because we don't have that authority!!!! We never have, we never will. EVER.
I'm gonna say it: I'm a Christian. I'm against the act of homosexuality, just as I'm against murder and lying and theft and gossip. I can't help it - when I was saved that aversion entered my nature and I can't get rid of it. But I have homosexual friends, just I have friends who are cut-throat and legalistic and atheists and very difficult to love. And I love them dearly because that's what I'm called to do.
In a world that cries for tolerance of personal beliefs, perhaps people who don't want to be judged shouldn't judge themselves. Christians shouldn't call out other people for being wrong and immoral - they should love them with Christ's love, because that's why we're still here on this earth. And maybe those who want tolerance for their sexual preferences should allow for other people's personal beliefs, like those who say that homosexuality is wrong.
Come on, people. Judge not lest ye be judged.
