By James Wilson
Unfortunately there remains a dark side to the question of engaging the homosexual community in the love of Christ.
I was revolted not long ago watching a Q&A session of Australia’s Federal Parliament. The government is attempting to keep a campaign promise to hold a national plebiscite on same sex marriage. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is an outspoken supporter of same sex marriage. He is also a man of integrity who promised a people’s vote while seeking his office. Opposition parties successfully allied to deny that vote in favor of a vote in Parliament alone – which they cannot enforce – leaving parliamentary stalemate. But that is not what revolted me. It was the little boy.
Deputy Leader Tanya Pilbersek directed the PM’s attention to Eddie, seated in the gallery, with the statement Eddie wanted to ask the PM why he would not permit Eddie’s same sex parents to marry. Does anyone seriously imagine seven-year-old Eddie spontaneously popped that question at the dinner table? The LGBT lobby has no scruples about shutting down debate by using a little boy as their pawn in Australia – or anywhere else – as they seek the power to throttle speech they find offensive. This is the same strategy of aggression they employ when their leader, Bill Shorten, predicts gay suicides if the issue becomes a national debate. It is the same when they threaten violence if a Sydney hotel (the Mercure) hosts Christian groups planning their campaign for the plebiscite; the hotel cancelled the event to protect their staff members.
The same groups make the (doubtful) claim a strong majority of Australians now favor legalizing same sex marriage. One can only wonder why they so stoutly avoid a fight they feel guaranteed to win.
The narrative is to blame it all on right wing Christians who – the narrators claim – will bully innocent gays through hate speech and homophobic crimes until irrevocable damage is done. The record is clear that these indicted groups are content to let their ideas rise and fall in the marketplace of political realities. There may have been a different story in the 1950s but for the past generation it has been the left that has consistently shouted down free speech.
The narrative versus the reality is no different in America. I recall the Castro District crowd throwing hot coffee on Christian young people who came to pray and serve them in San Francisco. There were those outed by gay activists for the “crime” of contributing money to the traditional marriage initiative on California’s ballot a few years back. The president of Firefox was one of those hounded from office along with other corporate execs who expressed their values. Miss America pageant finalists have been persecuted for practicing their faith as they respond to questions. I have personally received multiple harassing, abusive, and threatening calls from anonymous bullies after writing or speaking on these issues.
Each time a new measure of scope is sought for gay rights – from the right to marry to the right to cross genders in locker and shower facilities – the argument is always made that no one will be forced to comply against conscience or faith. It is inevitably a short time before the lawsuits and administrative penalties begin to flow. In the US professionals from bakers to photographers to pharmacy owners have been fined or simply run out of business for inflicting so-called emotional harm when they decline to work for people whose orders contravene their religious values.
These coercive acts are not limited to gay rights. Two decades ago a high school classmate of mine who practiced medical obstetrics was successfully sued in California for declining to perform an abortion. Today the state of California is forcing pregnancy care centers to refer clients for abortion and church charities to provide abortion coverage for employees despite Supreme Court rulings this cannot be legally done. Wherever the Left demands rights for those it identifies as abused it destroys others’ rights.
I remember well the invitation I received to be interviewed on public radio during the campaign to amend California’s constitution to uphold traditional marriage as the legal norm in my state. When I arrived in the studio I found four gay rights activists ready to pounce on me. Warned of the intended ambush by my God I brought a doctor friend who was well versed in the medical aspects of same sex relationships. We were prayed up in advance and what we asked of God was that our God-given compassion would be visible. I was contacted by multiple people who heard the broadcast and said they changed their minds about how they planned to vote after hearing the love in our presentation.
The solution for people motivated by service to the God Who serves is simple but requires both courage and compassion. It is to resolutely resist threats to the practice of our faith – including its values and its call to care for all without discrimination – at the same time we seek to love as God loves. That means standing tall for legitimate rights such as the filing of joint tax returns where appropriate, hospital visitation and rights of inheritance and so forth while resisting efforts to re-define social norms to suit a tiny but aggressive minority. Jesus provides the model for us in John 4 when He confronts the adulterous woman at the well of Sychar with such love she brings her entire village to Him. They respond to His message – hearing Him in person – just as she does.
We are embroiled in a culture war right enough, and it is a raging fire. But unless we learn quickly to fight fire with water – the water of His life – the war is over and we – gay and straight alike – are the big losers.
James A. Wilson is the author of Living As Ambassadors of Relationships, The Holy Spirit and the End Times, and Kingdom in Pursuit – available at local bookstores or by e-mailing him at praynorthstate@gmail.com
