Thoughts on Supreme Court Decision June 2015

And so, several years later, and perhaps a few lives later..... June 26th, 2015, The Supreme Court decided that marriage is marriage and that denying gays the right to marry is unconstitutional. My heart is at peace with this decision. I find joy in celebrating fellow human beings being afforded rights that have been denied.
 Are gays sinners? It is not my place to judge. Although many "know" exactly what the Bible says, I think we too often put God in a box of our own making and understanding and as is evidenced by all those libraries and libraries of commentaries, the Bible is quite open to interpretation. For most of my life, I have failed to understand the hatred and viciousness that seem to often permeate actions toward gay people. Although I have always been taught that homosexuality is wrong and against the Bible, I have never understood why it seems, in so many eyes, that it is the WORST sin and unforgivable. As years went by and I had friends that I discovered were gay or had colleagues at work that I eventually knew were gay, it increased my discomfort with the meanness, even the righteous (supposedly) judgment of Christians. In the 1970s, gays seldom "came out" to many people. Anita Bryant's campaign against gays while she touted "hate the sin, love the sinner, bothered me as I felt it was condescending and false, a justification to persecute others. Through the years, as I took classes on the Bible, participated in Bible studies, and studied and prayed about various issues, I have come to believe that the Bible is much more complicated than many believe. Many passages in the Bible are open to interpretation. In a Women's Aglow Fellowship, we discussed excess in depth. Our leader made this point: If you believe it is okay to drink socially, perhaps there is justification for that, but you had better NEVER drink too much. Likewise, sexual immorality occurs in society. Our current marriage standards and laws are nothing like traditions in the Old Testament, however open immorality, public, and with multiple partners - which may have been what the Sodom and Gomorrah Story references, is never sanctioned by our Lord.

 In a perfect world, there would be no divorce, no adultery, no tax evasion, no drunkenness, no drug abuse, perhaps no homosexuality. Saying that homosexuality is a sin, why do so many make it a worse sin than divorce, adultery, or a multitude of other "sins". I know some pastors that rail against homosexuality are divorced (some more than once). Others have been in extramarital affairs, but still have a parish. We do not live in a perfect world. God wants us to be in fellowship with each other. He talks in Genesis of making a helper for Adam because it was not good to be alone. If a gay couple want to dedicate their life to each other and be able to share in that life together, who am I to judge that decision? Who are we, as a people, to deny them rights to be a family? Another point as many in our country are outraged and hysterical, The Supreme Court decision is based on Constitutional Law, not on religious law. A further point to keep in mind is the influence of the 24-7 media. It is in the media's interest to keep events emotional and sensationalized. As I read my social media, the hysteria on both "sides" makes me sad. I resist the temptation to comment on social media, although it urge is strong at times, especially to those "friends" that are hateful and vicious - again on both sides.

More importantly, love wins because God loves us ALL. Love wins because God touches us and will give us comfort whether or not we agree with this law. May we look to our own private lives and not be so concerned with the lives of others. May we remove the log in our own eye.... "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Prov. (3:5)