After having read my upteenth article about how the sight of a nativity scene on a public courthouse square or the display of the Ten Commandments on the wall of an airport has infuriated people and made them feel offended because of religious fundamentalists imposing their moral values on them, I feel it is time to respond.
Every single day I am confronted with things I hate, sounds I hate, places I hate, actions I hate. Things that offend me. Let me give you a simple example from a day in the life of Greg:
I get up, take a shower, and then turn on the news as I get ready for work. I am beset with the news of murder in south Georgia, attempted robbery, terrorist bombings in Iraq. I hate all the news I have heard.
I leave the house and drive past a convenience store where they sell cigarettes, alcohol, and pornography. I hate that and I hate the effect those three vices have on our society and our children.
I go through town, driving over the overpass where I was told as a young teen to "lock your doors," because that is the bad part of town, the part of town where the lowest class people live. I hate the prejudice and judgemental natures that lead people to think that way.
I make it through town and get on Bemiss Road, a dangerous highway to say the least. I watch as cars weave in and out of traffic, cutting each other off and forcing people to slam on brakes to avoid an accident. I hate that. I hate the selfish attitude of other drivers who don't care about the others in the cars around them.
I continue to drive and go past our local adult "entertainment" club. I hate that. I hate having to drive past that sight everyday with it's flashing lights and neon signs advertising the worst of America.
I make it work and to the coffee pot, where I listen as coworkers curse and take the name of the Lord in vain. I hate that.
I leave for lunch and go to a local restaurant. Because we live in a non-smoking city, all smokers have gathered around the door, leaving a cloud of smoke for non-smokers to trudge through to go inside the restaurant. I personally hate that.
I put in my day and then leave for home, retracing my steps along the way. Ending a day filled with things I hate.
Am I offended by what I have seen? Yes. But what is my response as a sinner saved by Christ?
First, I recognize that these things that I hate are part of this world. A regrettable reality in response to the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Our world has been corrupted and cursed as a result of the fall, and a lot of the things I hate are a direct result of that event.
Secondly, I recognize that people are always going to be involved in things that are against God's standards in His word. That is a basic fact of life due to our fallen sin nature and the corruption of this world, not to mention our enemies -- the demonic influences that continue to beset us, even in this modern age.
So, what should be my response? Should I demand that all smoking cease because I dislike smoking? Should I file a court injunction demanding the banning of alcohol for all because I don't drink? Should I petition the Government to remove all mention of Yom Kippur or Ramadan because I don't ascribe to those religions?
The answer is an emphatic, "NO," for several reasons. First, there is the simple matter of tolerance, a word you will hear flippantly thrown around today. Tolerance to me means that I accept that other people have different beliefs and do things that I don't like. But, they have the right to do that. It is their choice. Even though I don't like the adult entertainment clubs and the alcohol and the smoking, I recognize that these are realities and that others have a right to do that if that is their choice. The same holds for other vices and other sins. But, that doesn't mean that I have to accept them and affirm them. I have the right to tell them, "I don't agree with what you are doing." I have the right to try to influence them by shining the light of Jesus' love on them. That is tolerance.
But, society today has a different view of tolerance. As Josh McDowell once pointed out in a message, the definition of tolerance, especially among the college-aged and younger, has been changed. Tolerance is now more than just recognizing that others have a right to do things that are harmful. Tolerance now means that you cannot disagree with their actions. You have to accept them and affirm them and support them. You are not allowed to disagree with them or to tell them that they are doing something you consider wrong. Under this new "tolerance", there is no right and wrong. There is only right, and any judgement you make is unfair and bigoted. Under this new "tolerance" you must say things like, "You are a homosexual. I support you in your decision. You are absolutely right to have made that choice." You cannot stand up and say, "I love you as a person, but I think you are committing a sin to be involved in a homosexual lifestyle." That is "intolerant."
It is this thinking of tolerance that has led to the outcries about the Ten Commandments and the Nativity scenes and all expression of Christianity in the public arena. Christianity is a religion that establishes absolute truth -- absolute right and wrong. When you declare yourself a Christian and take a stand against immorality, you are in essence being intolerant because you are refusing to accept and affirm what the other person believes. This is what is driving the removal of all expressions of Christianity. As the Bible says, "light has come into the world, but men love darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)." These people want to remove the light that is shining upon their dark and evil deeds.
But, I don't think we should protest against the deeds of darkness and try to have them legislated out of the world. That will never work. You cannot legislate morality. You cannot wash the outside of a glass and call it clean. We need to be realists, understanding that these things will always be with us. Sin will always pervade this world and darkness and dark deeds will always be the rule.
But I believe in the Light. I believe in the blood of Jesus. I believe that when you call on Jesus all things are possible. The only way to effect change in anyone is to change their hearts. Outside change only comes when the inside gets cleaned. A glass can only be clean if it is cleaned on the inside.
How can things in this world change? How can all those things I hate be erased? Only through the blood of Christ. Only through the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit.
So, I don't rant and rail for change. I don't protest the practicing of other religions, even false religions. I don't concern myself with cleaning the outside of America's glass. But I work to change America's heart. Through my prayers, through my actions, through the love of Christ expressed in my life to others around me.
We need to recognize that the outcry against the expression of our Christian faith is nothing more than the outward sign of a spiritual battle. In most cases, those who cry out the most are the ones that the Spirit is working on the most. Instead of becoming defensive, we need to pray for them.
As an aside note, we need to remember that these symbols -- whether we are talking about the Ten Commandments or a nativity scene -- are just that. Symbols. What is more important than having the Ten Commandments on public display is having the Ten Commandments in your heart and in your life. We don't have to have these public displays in order to worship our God. The strongest Christian churches are in places where Christianity is outlawed and where Christians are severly persecuted -- places like China and North Korea and the Sudan.
The story is told of a communist in Russia telling a Christian there, shortly after the revolution, that they were going to remove all the signs of Christianity from their country, that their God would be removed and that they would have no way to worship Him. The Christian turned to the communist and told him that it wasn't possible. "What, will you remove the stars from their places? Will you tell the sun to refuse to shine? Will you cut down all the trees? Will you remove all the people?"
The signs of God are all around us, everywhere we look. Every one of us is a sign of God. Every one of us is a special creation of God. Even those who protest so loudly about being offended by our Christianity. Your faith should not be in signs. Your faith should be in the One who made the signs.
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