Gay Marriage

I was talking with some of my christian friends the other day and this came up in conversation. Here is a brief look into the conversation that we had:

i agree with a lot of what has been said. Speaking about a specific issue should never take precedence to preaching the gospel unless that issue is a HUGE stumbling block to the person

on some:

yeah, i hear what you're saying about Jesus dying for my sins, but what about my boy over there who is gay? are you saying he can't be saved? Because if that is what you're saying, then i want no part of christianity

But i will say this:


I honestly believe that all of the legal protections afforded heterosexual couples should also be given to homosexual couples.

After a marriage ceremony, does a husband have to wait until the state sends back a copy of his marriage certificate before he can marital tango with his wife (without being in sin)? No.

I say that to show this: Marriage in the eyes of the Lord and marriage in the eyes of the state are two different things.

The state performs "civil unions" and calls them "marriages". We (as believers) sign marriage certificates ONLY because we want to be granted the rights that the state gives people that the state calls married. We want easy inheritances/estate planning, we want hassle-free health insurance for every member our families, etc etc.

I feel like we (christians) are fighting over semantics and i think too much money has been wasted on this fight.

We may ask: "What good is a state marriage license if the Lord views the union as thoroughly sinful?" And my response would be: What good do we do in saying "Well, you can't get married, but you can get this other thing that is just like marriage - but with a different name"? We are wasting millions of dollars and precious legislative time over semantics.

If we agree that there should be no civil/criminal penalty for people who fornicate, divorce or do any other such thing, why not allow the state to recognize the civil union that gays have in the same way that it recognizes the union that straights have?

Will forcing a regard for the Lord in a particular area bring practicing homosexuals any closer to the Lord? Do we gain some sort of "gotcha" pleasure by holding onto this last front in the culture war that we have fought and lost? (i hope not) Do we really think that the legalization of gay marriage will bring about a new wave of evil that is presently unseen in this country?

I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't legislate morality. We do it all the time and we should continue to do it. For example: Even though banning abortion will not change the heart of the mother it will prevent a life from being taken. The only thing that a gay marriage ban accomplishes is making stuff more difficult for gay couples than it has to be.

thoughts?

2nd amendment rights?

The more i hear about senseless violence, the more i consider whether or not I want to exercise my 2nd amendment rights. As a christian (if i choose to carry), is the right response to someone threatening my life the immediate seizure of theirs?

I look in the eyes of some of these people that have been arrested recently for heinous crimes in my neighborhood and I see apathy. If there are people that are walking around that don't value human life, I think that I would like to be in the position to take theirs if/when they seek to take mine.

I'm inclined to say that these people need Jesus (they do), so they need my gracious words and my "tunic" more than they need reciprocal violence. But i'm also inclined to say that if i'm not being persecuted for my faith, these people are very capable of making a mistake that would liberate me to ensure it is the last they make.

what say ye?

Xmas?

XMAS -

[kris-muhs or, often, eks-muhs] Christmas.

—Usage note
The abbreviation Xmas for Christmas dates from the mid 16th century. The X is the Greek letter chi, the initial in the word Χριστός ( Christos ) “Christ.” In spite of a long and respectable history, today Xmas is offensive to many, perhaps because of its associations with advertising. It is not used in formal writing.

-dictionary.com

I've found myself growing more and more bothered by the usage of "Xmas". I don't think that most people that say "xmas" are aware of its greek origin. But then again, does it really matter?

I think i need to be bothered less by this.

United Stated Postal Service

Dear USPS,

I was christmas shopping online yesterday and I paid the extra $4 for Fedex. There's an old saying in Tennessee...I know it's in Brooklyn, probably in Tennessee...that says: "Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me...You can't get fooled again"

Sincerely,

LLroomtempJ

No more Mr. Nice Guy?

I'm a nice guy. I do favors for people. I do nice things for people. But i find that being a nice guy opens the door for people to take advantage of my niceness.

Recently, this has taken shape in people (in my band) using me and my car as a means of free transportation to/from rehearsals and shows.

Today is my last day of niceness (to band freeloaders - not to you guys).

We had to go to a show that was a relatively long way outside of brooklyn. I had a car full of people (6 total). Only one guy gave me some money for gas - and he gave more than his fair share.

Never again will any of the people in this particular band ride in my car for free.

Gas is about $3.30/gallon here in nyc. I remember when gas was above $4/gallon a few years back. But the cost of gas isn't the issue.

I don't really care how much gas costs. I don't really think twice about when i pull into a gas station. I put my credit card in, fill up and leave.

The real issue is one of principle. Taking advantage of people is not cool. thoughts?

Compassion

I just watched a showtime documentary on people in the DC area living with HIV/AIDS and it helped me to see that there is self-righteousness in my heart. As I was watching the film, part of me said:

didn't this person KNOW that this end would befall them??!?
didn't they know that what they were doing was STUPID?!!??

...and it was in those moments that I realized the mercy i've been extended by God (as a believer) is the same mercy that must penetrate my heart as I think about people in these situations.

There but for the grace of God go I.

I pray that God's new mercies and his amazing grace would come to mind when i'm tempted to think things like "i would have never done something like that", because it is only the grace of God that kept me from going down such a path.

The documentary was also quite sad. You never realize how much suffering there is in the world until you're given an opportunity to walk in someone's shoes for a time. It really helped me to cry out "maranatha" afresh to the Lord. Not only is sin pervasive, it's consequences are too. As long as we glamorize sin, there will never be a shortage of sad footage for documentaries like these.

Job search

Recruiting continues. I've got a job offer, but i've got to figure out which place is the best fit for me. I've also got to figure out how much of a risk taker I am. I can either accept the job offer that is in front of me, or I can walk away from what is in front of me and continue to search for another job (would that make me crazy? would that make me crazy? would that make me crazy? possibly.)

Ideally, i'd like to live and work in the city. But i'm averse to finance...and that is what complicates things.

Updates to come.

Settlements or Reparations?

Please watch this unembeddable youtube video of a senator painting a settlement due to black farmers over systematic discrimination as reparations. 5mins. worth your time:

VIDEO LINK!!

here are my thoughts:

1. The usda ADMITTED to denying business-sustaining loans to black farmers SOLELY on the basis of race.

2. This farmland was given to black farmers AFTER emancipation - so this isn't about reparations

3. This is the stuff that makes me hate politics - b/c this is not only racism, it is also meant to stoke the flames of partisanship. King said an "urban" senator from chicago (the city) paved the way for this to happen - but ILLINOIS (the state! - senators rep STATES, sonnn!) is a farm state and...AND (ANNNNNND!)...KING VOTED FOR THE BILL!

4. In other clips he paints several claimants as "city drug addicts" who are the children of the farmers and not the farmers themselves.
+ that argument is lame - he is only appealing to ignorance to stoke poorly founded outrage
+ this is very reminiscent of the whole "welfare queen " label from the 80s - just b/c some people are abusing their liberty does not mean that all are.

5. did i mention that the usda ADMITTED GUILT?!?!?!? THEY ADMITTED IT!!! on some "yeah, we did it"


also - i'd like to know when this will be covered on broadcast news. I've yet to see anything.