Why do Christians make such a big deal out of certain issues?
I've run across quite a lot of Christian blogs where the writer asks questions like this: "Why do some Christians focus so much on the issues of abortion and homosexuality and evolution? Why do they focus on these over other ones, such as spreading Jesus's love and extending grace and taking care of the poor? Why do they make such a big deal out of these issues when it only causes division and makes people feel worse and tears churches apart?"
Well, here is my thought on this topic:
The reason some of us take such strong stands on these issues is because too many Christians take such weak, flimsy stands on them.
Too many Christians nowadays are trying to spread the idea that the Bible doesn't talk about these things or that it isn't clear about them.
But that's absolutely not true!
The Bible is very clear on them - on the value of life and God being the creator of life, on the shedding of innocent blood (God doesn't have to specify "abortion" because that falls under the "value of life" and "shedding innocent blood" stuff), on homosexuality and the consequences that go with it, and on the fact that He created the world in 6 days and that He made man from dust, not from apes.
But since so many Christians (or maybe I should say "Christians") spread the lie that the Bible doesn't talk about these things or isn't clear about them, we feel the need to be a tiny voice that stands up for truth. (And I've noticed that the Christians who ask "Why do other Christians make such a big deal about those issues?" are usually the very ones trying to compromise Scripture for one reason or other.)
Also, I think these issues (along with "women as head pastors") are a dividing line. They show the difference between those who faithfully stick to the Word and those who compromise the Word, often for the sake of other people's feelings. (It's good to be gracious and loving when sharing the truth. But it's not good to change the truth to appear more gracious and loving.)
When I read a blog or article, and I see someone saying, "But the Bible doesn't really say anything against abortion or homosexuality or females head pastors, and we can mix evolution with creation because so much isn't clear about the creation story in Genesis," I think that either the person doesn't really know the Word and is just mimicking what they heard other compromising Christians say ... or they know the truth but are trying to downplay or deny the truth so that they don't offend society, so they can make others happy, or so they can do things the way they want instead of the way God said.
And when someone is willing to do that - when they are willing to put people's feelings over God's truth, when they are willing to twist Scripture to make it more popular with society or so that they can do what they want instead of what God wants - then I can no longer trust them to be discerning about biblical truth or to share God's Word faithfully.
If they would compromise in one biblically clear area then they are much more likely to compromise in other areas.
These issues are a big deal because they show whether someone is more concerned with pleasing God or with pleasing men. They show if someone will uphold the Word or compromise it. They show if someone is willing to persevere under pressure or if they will collapse like a house of cards in the face of opposition.
They show where someone's heart really is and who can be trusted to speak the truth!
(For more on this: God is love, but love is NOT a god!)
Well, here is my thought on this topic:
The reason some of us take such strong stands on these issues is because too many Christians take such weak, flimsy stands on them.
Too many Christians nowadays are trying to spread the idea that the Bible doesn't talk about these things or that it isn't clear about them.
But that's absolutely not true!
The Bible is very clear on them - on the value of life and God being the creator of life, on the shedding of innocent blood (God doesn't have to specify "abortion" because that falls under the "value of life" and "shedding innocent blood" stuff), on homosexuality and the consequences that go with it, and on the fact that He created the world in 6 days and that He made man from dust, not from apes.
But since so many Christians (or maybe I should say "Christians") spread the lie that the Bible doesn't talk about these things or isn't clear about them, we feel the need to be a tiny voice that stands up for truth. (And I've noticed that the Christians who ask "Why do other Christians make such a big deal about those issues?" are usually the very ones trying to compromise Scripture for one reason or other.)
Also, I think these issues (along with "women as head pastors") are a dividing line. They show the difference between those who faithfully stick to the Word and those who compromise the Word, often for the sake of other people's feelings. (It's good to be gracious and loving when sharing the truth. But it's not good to change the truth to appear more gracious and loving.)
When I read a blog or article, and I see someone saying, "But the Bible doesn't really say anything against abortion or homosexuality or females head pastors, and we can mix evolution with creation because so much isn't clear about the creation story in Genesis," I think that either the person doesn't really know the Word and is just mimicking what they heard other compromising Christians say ... or they know the truth but are trying to downplay or deny the truth so that they don't offend society, so they can make others happy, or so they can do things the way they want instead of the way God said.
And when someone is willing to do that - when they are willing to put people's feelings over God's truth, when they are willing to twist Scripture to make it more popular with society or so that they can do what they want instead of what God wants - then I can no longer trust them to be discerning about biblical truth or to share God's Word faithfully.
If they would compromise in one biblically clear area then they are much more likely to compromise in other areas.
These issues are a big deal because they show whether someone is more concerned with pleasing God or with pleasing men. They show if someone will uphold the Word or compromise it. They show if someone is willing to persevere under pressure or if they will collapse like a house of cards in the face of opposition.
They show where someone's heart really is and who can be trusted to speak the truth!
(For more on this: God is love, but love is NOT a god!)
