Tolerance vs The Standard

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If there is one thing that I get sick and tired of hearing, it is that Christians are not tolerant. 
I could go into quite a long rant on that topic, but for the purpose of this blog entry, I want to limit my focus. I just read an article online about how that students in Massachusetts must now share bathrooms with transgender students, and even worse, that they could now be punished if they do not affirm or support their transgender classmates. You got that correct... they can be punished, NOT for being rude or abrasive to them, but for not affirming them. (Link to that story)   It really gets me that they find it acceptable for punishing someone for not being a friend and encouraging to someone else... regardless of their lifestyle. This is "tolerance"?  But that's for anther day. This got me to thinking about the whole politically correct crap that they are trying to shove down our throats now days. Funny, if we don't agree with them, we are intolerant, but no one seems to see how the shoe can fit on the other foot! What if someone rose to power and they started issuing decrees that everyone had to agree with the Christian faith, or be punished? There would be such an uproar in this land of the likes you've never seen before. There is a distinct double standard at play, and the fact is, they expect Christians to ignore or reject the standard which we live by... The Bible. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, a CNN talk show host declared that the Bible needs to be abandoned or re-written because it is no longer relevant to today's society. And there, we have it. Because he says so, we should do it. This is the problem we are facing today in a nut shell.... and it is called moral relativism.

What is moral relativism? I could write about it all day and never adequately define the term, because it is always in a state of flux. But for the sake of what I am writing now, let me give it a very simple and broad definition. In short, if the majority of the people (or the perceived majority) agree (or disagree) with something, then that becomes the relevant truth. Take for example the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. People are trying very hard to change the meaning of the 2nd Amendment. It does not matter what the intention of the founding fathers was, nor how clear their words are, today, people are trying to change the meaning because THEY want it to mean something entirely different. So they are trying to rally a majority of people to side with them so that they can effect such change in America, even though the words of the Amendment are perfectly clear. This is how moral relativism works. I call it "circling the wagons."  When someone, or a group circles the wagons they try to gather as many other like minded people into their circle. If they all agree, then what they agree on then becomes truth. Period.  Our society today is running a muck with moral relativism. I could write about this for hours, probably days and never scratch the surface, so, I for the purpose of this blog, I'm going to tackle one hot button topic that will most likely, in effect, draw a bulls eye on my back, but so be it. I'm going to address, in brief, homosexuality. Not because I want to bash anyone who is gay, but only because this is such a hot topic, and it will drive home what I am trying to say with extreme clarity in a minimum of words. 

Here goes...

As a Christian and pastor, I am frequently attacked and accused of being filled with hatred, being intolerant and a lot of other names which I will not go into on here, because I take the stand that homosexuality is a sin, and that as such a practicing homosexual will not go to heaven. I find it really interesting (and sad) to see how there has been a societal swing on this issue over the past 30 years. No one wants to talk about this, but up until the mid to late 1980's, homosexuality was in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as being a psychological disorder, an abnormality or illness. Quite a swing in less than 30 years, wouldn't you agree? Now, we are told it is perfectly "normal".  How is it that it was an abnormality for generations... but suddenly it is no longer "abnormal" but "normal"?  Because "they" said so! People came into powerful positions who wanted to make it normal... and ever since they have been pounding us with the indoctrination that it is normal. They've taught the last few generations of kids that it is "normal" and so now, it is accepted as normal. Do you see how moral relativism works? You just change the minds of the people. But does that make it truth?  It does to these folks because they teach today that there are no absolute truths, that truth is always in a state of flux or change. But my friends... that is a lie. There is truth... a standard by which we must live and die. As a Christian, my standard is the Word of God. The Bible. Period. They want to declare that Bible to be "out dated" because it does not fit their "truth".  But as I have just pointed out, their "truth" changes continuously. There is no "standard" by which to measure their truth, so in effect, there IS NO TRUTH to them! If they decided tomorrow that the best thing for society is to round up and kill all Christians, and "they" all agree with that, then it becomes the right thing to do. This is exactly what gave Adolf Hitler his power. He indoctrinated a generation in moral relativism.

Let me take a stab at something which no one wants to look at. Set aside homosexuality for a moment. The Word of God instructs us that ALL sexual activity outside the context of marriage between one man and one woman is sin. Period. All sexual activity. If a man has an extra-marital affair, he has sinned. If a couple is sleeping together before they are married, it is sin. All sexual activity outside of marriage is sin. Therefore, using that standard, homosexual activity must therefore be sin. That is the standard. It's not MY standard... it is God's. End of story. Don't like it? Take it up with God. He set the standard, and I don't care if every person on the face of the earth agrees to the contrary, God's standard is the truth. Period.  
In order to combat this standard of truth, the past few generations have been brainwashed into believing that there are no absolutes, that the ends justifies the means and that situational ethics is the rule of the day. But just because they say so does not make it so. 

You may call me intolerant and say that I hate gays, but that does not make it so. I have friends and family members who are gay and I love them dearly. That love does not mean that I condone their choices in life, any more than I condone the drug abuse by friends and family. I have friends who have been guilty of murder. I can love them without justifying their crimes. I do not hate anyone because they are gay, no more than I could hate someone because they choose to be sexually promiscuous in a heterosexual manner. Sin is sin, and I will never condone the sin, but I can love the person. If someone happens to think that makes me "intolerant" then so be it, but I choose to live by a higher standard.