Proposition 8 will eventually be trampled underneath the rule of the courts the feet of homosexuals and those who believe in uniting them in marriage. That does not signify however that citizens who have different beliefs are or will ever be obligated to vote against their own morals.
Today that society expects everybody to simply “go with the flow” and nonchalantly accept anything that popular belief deems progressive.
Those against Prop 8 profess the importance of tolerance and acceptance of a homosexual lifestyle while at the same time expressing intolerance to those who disagree with them. This is seen in the Thursday March 19 article “Proposition 8 delays inevitable human rights published in the Graphic’s Perspective section by Michael Galvis. This is also present in the I am a victim of H8” campaign.
Hate is a strong word and vilifying people who voted yes on Proposition 8 is wrong.
What homosexuals call hate and intolerance others call love and religion. Free will allows the ability to hold personal beliefs morals and convictions.
What free will should not be used for however is the condemnation of someone with strong religious convictions as an inhumane or intolerant hater. Acceptance and tolerance are important but the most vital concept that rises above those two is love.
Love means not blindly accepting everything but living as an example. Love does not mean keeping silent during a controversial debate just because some will take offense to a certain stance. Love for a Christian means doing whatever it takes to demonstrate Christ’s truth to the world.
Christians are taught to demonstrate this concept; it remains an integral part of spreading the Word of God. But nobody said truth should conform to today’s expectations. Ephesians 4:15 says people should “speak ?the truth in love.”
By ignoring this verse and allowing relativism to seep slowly and slyly into our culture the truth becomes lost in a cloud of change. Postmodern thinking of relativism can lead to the drowning of even the most widely accepted morals so it is imperative for Christians to grasp tightly to those that still float above the trend in today’s society.
Therefore it is unjustified for those who voted no on Prop 8 to deem the opposing voters as haters and intolerant hypocrites. It is unfair to say that if Christians loved homosexuals they would have voted yes.
For certain Christians “No” was not an option. The Bible clearly not controversially declares the immorality of homosexuality. Reference 1 Corinthians 6:9 10 and?Romans 1:26 27. These passages are where some Christians derive their justifications for voting yes.
It is neither an evolved opinion of man nor a subjective intolerance that the world does not believe homosexuality to be a righteous lifestyle. The command comes not from a worldly belief but a divine one. For a Christian following God’s instructions to live a life of righteousness is no different than following a professor’s instructions to succeed in a course.
For some voting no would demonstrate a lack of faith in personal beliefs. Voting no would have placed people before God. It is not anybody’s position to deny homosexuals of happiness and fairness as so many think to be occurring at this point. It is also not anybody’s place to go against the very morals that define themselves.
There lies a difference between “Yes on 8” and “Yes on Let’s Abhor and Abuse Gays.” That very difference traces the progress our society has made in recent years from hate to tolerance. It is possible to respect all voters without accepting their beliefs.
Christians did not vote yes on Proposition 8 to promote hate; instead it was to uphold the standards they believe to be the embodiment of love and virtue.