In the Christian culture there is a cliche, "Love the sinner, hate the sin." But how many Christians can actually make this work?
Science has now proven that humans have an inborn dislike for those that are different than us. Babies as young as 3 months old will shun puppets that prefer different snacks than the child does and will even approve of bad things being done to the puppets that are different than the baby is.
This is even more evident when we look at the human response to sin.
I can laugh at a joke about overeating on Thanksgiving because it matches my own gluttonous behavior. I have sympathy for a young man who shares my struggle with pornography. But when the sin being committed by another is different than my sin I find I am less likely to "love the sinner." And if the sin is one that I would never commit I find it easier to even justify hatred for the sinner.
Scripture is clear that sin is sin. There are no acceptable sins or a hierarchy of good sins and bad sins. So why do I feel justified in my shortcomings while condemning others for theirs?
Is it okay to hate someone simply because they sin differently than I do?
I hear a lot of talk on both sides about whether or not gay marriage should be allowable by law. But what if legality is not the issue?
I will make it quite clear that I think living a homosexual lifestyle is sinful. However, I will also make it quite clear that I believe homosexuality is no different in the eyes of God than cheating on your spouse, having sex outside of marriage, or indulging in pornography.
Maybe I am just missing it, but I have not heard a great deal of outcry from the Christian culture to impose criminal penalties and prohibitions against fornication, adultery, or other lustful behavior. What makes homosexuality different?
Do I wish that all the people in the United States of America would choose to live by God's law? Yes! But I feel that we, as Christians, may be approaching this the wrong way.
What if I took all the energy I put into trying to get laws passed and instead used that time to learn how to better love people (even the ones that sin differently than I do) and how to better love God by dealing with the sin in my own life?
Laws can modify behavior but laws are not very effective at changing a heart. Speed limit signs are posted all over the place, but most people only obey them when they are being followed by a police cruiser. Only God can change a heart, and if more of us had a heart change we would not need to have so many laws changed.
We do need laws, and ultimately I don't have a problem with people seeking to make the laws of the society they live in better match their own morals and values. But as Christians I think we need to be mindful of how our actions in the realm of civics affect our ability to connect with others on a personal level.
I think real change will come when we learn to show love to our fellow humans and compassion for their brokenness and direct our petitions not to our man made government but rather to God through prayer and fasting.
