Friday, May 8, 2009

Ten Issues

I am almost finished with all the talk about gay marriage. I am a Christian, and one that believes that the Bible is true and should be followed. I believe that the practice of homosexuality is a sin in the sight of God. However, it is time that Christians began to focus on some other issues that are at least as important as gay marriage.

Ten Sins that are Legal-
Each of these things is legal in the USA, but are certainly sinful (or could be considered sinful) to God. For every minute that Christians spend arguing against gay marriage they should be forced to spend one minute on each of these as well.
  1. Divorce. Jesus could not have been more clear.
  2. Adultery. This one made the Ten Commandments.
  3. Pornography. It's not in the Bible, but does it really need to be?
  4. Drinking. I am claiming an extenuating circumstance on this one. Drinking alcohol is alright in God's eyes, but drunkenness is not.
  5. Drugs. If your body is a Temple...
  6. Smoking/ Tobacco. See #5.
  7. Gambling. If it belongs to God, why let it get away?
  8. Gluttony. The hardest one for all of us fat preachers.
  9. Promiscuity/ Hooking Up. There is a whole new language for fornication. (Think sexting.)
  10. Government and business corruption. Nothing more needs to be said.
Ten Issues that Christians tend to Ignore- (that are too important to ignore)
There are also several things facing the world today that are way more serious and potentially devastating than gay marriage. If Christians would seriously and systematically address these things we could see positive change in the world relatively quickly.
  1. Poverty. People in the USA are the wealthiest people in the world. Ugandans live on less than $1 each day.
  2. World Hunger. It's related to poverty, but it is much bigger than that. What if we could stop wasting food and feed someone in Darfur?
  3. Malaria and other diseases. Many of the diseases that kill people throughout the world do not exist here. We know how to get rid of them.
  4. Human trafficking/ slavery. Too many people think this is a problem of the past.
  5. War/ oppression. We westerners think the only wars are in Iraq and Afghanistan. How silly we are.
  6. Racism and bigotry. No one is just like me, and that is a wonderful thing.
  7. Climate change. Have you heard enough about this? If the scientists are wrong we should still be taking better care of the earth.
  8. Education. We take schools for granted. Too many people are illiterate.
  9. Health care. We have this problem even in the US. People should be able to see a doctor and receive medication. No matter what.
  10. HIV/AIDS. We have it within our power to make a radical difference in this fight.
Ten Things that threaten Marriage-
One of the top arguments against gay marriage is that it is a threat to traditional marriage and the traditional family. I believe that heterosexuals have already done a good job of ruining marriage. Consider the following things that threaten marriage.
  1. Selfishness. When people decide that personal happiness is the most important thing, marriages suffer.
  2. Divorce. Christian people get divorced more than non-Christian people. Over half of couples get divorced. I don't know how two men getting married is more of a threat than that.
  3. Pornography. It is more available than every before. It sets unreasonable expectations and creates an atmosphere of jealousy and secrecy.
  4. Bad friendships. There are some people who encourage flirting and infidelity.
  5. Improper relationships. Many people have a tendency to flirt with those they are not married to.
  6. Unfaithfulness. This one is a killer.
  7. Keeping secrets. Hiding things from a mate is nearly always terminal.
  8. Not communicating. Holding your tongue and holding your feelings can be fatal.
  9. Jealousy. Wanting to control your spouse will create an adversarial relationship.
  10. Neglect. Lack of emotional investment or time will lead to separation and divorce.

1 comment:

Tande said...

These lists are so true!!! Sounds like a sermon everyone should hear.