Stirring the Pot

I mean really. If we are going to have arguments over foolish things, why mask the foolishness with idealism? Why not let the foolishness really be really really foolish? Like Republican Party Foolishness. I think the only platform I am in agreement with the Republican Party with is the abortion issue. And I know for a fact it isn't because they really care. They really just want the Christian majority vote. Bloodsuckers! I hate their stance on the environment. I hate their stance on race issues. I hate their stance on 90% of their domestic issues. I think also agree with their stance vs. unions. But not because I am a big proponent of big business. I am more a proponent of the middle class. And Unions have destroyed the middle class. They have driven up wages in America to such ridiculous high that businesses can't really afford to stay in America. So when businesses move to Mexico, the democrats freak out saying we lost all these US jobs, when really the unions drove the businesses out of the US. Gay Marriage? I guess living in a free country, I feel I have to accept the morality of the marjority as legal, even if I personally disagree with it. I'll vote against it, but if the country upholds it, then I'll support it. I would be naive to assume that we live in a Christian Society. And it would be absurd for me to compare Gay Marriage to Abortion or Murder as some Christians would have me do. They are not remotely the same thing. I am not saying that homosexuality is not a sin. I am not saying I endorse homosexuality in any form. What I am saying is that God's rage is God's. I know these people are not gay because they want to be. They just are. I would have to say before you argue with me, try to really get to know some gay people. Really know them. Not in the Biblical sense because that would be entirely too ironic. Try accepting the fact that you are a sinner. A really bad one. And try to accept the fact that the sins you can't stop committing (and you know what they are) are all as condemning as the sins they commit. Now, for me, I can't stop stirring the pot. I really get off on pissing off Christian pseudo-intellectuals. I know they want to argue. I found their weakness. Their sin. Argumentativeness is a sin. Yup. For some reason, though, Christians justify it in a million different ways. DEFENDING THE TRUTH!!! Please! IRON SHARPENING THE IRON!! Whatever. Am I proposing that we go on sinning in order that gracd may abound? Not really. But telling someone to stop being what they are is not as easy as it sounds. Telling someone that is gay that they are wrong for being gay is (in their minds) telling them to stop being. (period). That would be completely devoid of compassion. Extracting that way of thinking requires patience. Not 1o minute patience. Not 10 week patience. Not 10 year patience. Do you remember the difficulty Steve Martin had facing the fact that he wasn't black in "The Jerk"? Has anyone seen "Malibu's Most Wanted"? B-Rad thought he was really a hip hop prodigy. He was so convinced he was willing to die for it. Everyone around him could see he clearly wasn't but it didnt stop him from pursuing it because of what he believed about himself. Saying homosexuals are repulsive or disgusting is trite. Its the highest form of arrogance. It's everything that is wrong with the church. It maintains that somehow whatever you are or whatever you are doing is better than what they are. As if you are what you are by your own merit, and they are what they are by their shortcomings. Grace plays no part in who you are or where you came from. You use yourself as the litmus for what is acceptable or not. "I had a hard life and I'm not gay" implies "therefore, I'm better". Or, "they have a choice" implies that you chose your life situation just as clearly as they did. And for some reason you chose to be an asshole instead of a homosexual. I have to tell you: that must have been a tough choice for you. Clearly you chose the "lesser of two evils" (tongue placed securely in cheek). As I said before, I am not endorsing homosexuality or assholishness as acceptable lifestyles. We are what we are. Grace saves us. Not repentance. We cant repent for all our sins. If we could we would. We cant even begin to name all our sins let alone repent of them. I hear people say to me, "Brandon, but you can't be a Christian and go on sinning". I maintain that if that were true, then there would be no Christians. The argument that others glorify their sin or put it on display clearly shows that they are not Christian is equally as insubstantial. It doesnt hold water. You find that what most Christians preach about or against is a result of their own struggle with sin. The people who are most staunchly against abortions are people who've had abortions. The people who preach the strongest about sexual immorality have the darkest loneliest struggles with sexual immorality. People who talk about greed want more than anyone. The people who talk about faith are the weakest. The people who talk about gentleness are brutal. It goes on and on and Im tired of the pretense. We can't do it guys! We just can't maintain this image of perfection for the public to see. Would someone please admit that when they go to the mall they are in a state of constant erection because the girls wear next to nothing (and you like it!) Would someone please admit that they like it? Please admit that you really hate it when people cut you off. You like how angry you get. You feel guilty because you took such exciting pleasure in pounding your steering wheel with rage. You wanted them to hear your curses. You did! I am so glad I have Jesus. He knows how much I like sinning. He knows how easy it is. He knows the guilt I feel because the sins of the flesh are so exciting. Not just fun, but riveting. Not just fun but thrilling. I wish a Christian (besides me) had the nerve to talk about that kind of thrill without masking it and bathing it in repentance. We only admit it when we're repentant. How cowardly is that? Thats like having a conscience in retrospect. Would someone stand up and admit that they like a little alcoholic buzz? Guilt has it's place. Guilt is awesome. it Teaches. It sharpens us. Would someone please admit that they aren't really better now than they were when they were living in sin? The only difference is the difference God made. Not your difference. That the only difference is the amount of work the Holy Spirit has done in you, not the amount of time and energy you put into the Holy Spirit? Sanctification is God's work, not yours. It's your job to give glory. real glory. not pretend and get your ministry paycheck glory. I know I get in more trouble for burning bridges than anyone I know. I know I get railed because I say unpopular things. Even wrong things. I am a weak broken man. I lie all the time. All the time. I keep catching myself saying things I don't mean. I keep catching myself painting a picture for people to see. I suck! But you know what? The more I say in the realm of truth, the more free I get. Maybe I have more lies to dig out of than the rest of you. I don't know. I am not better than you. But dont' be too quick to agree with me.