A Renewed and Candid Reconsideration
Before I get into the meat of this blog I want to make sure
you understand what it is I am getting at. First, I am not placing any
obligations on Christian business to engage in practices they deem unrighteous.
I am not really suggesting that you take any action at all regarding the matter
that has recently exploded on the scene in American culture as it relates to
the specific issue of how Christian should relate to gay couples. What I am
suggesting is that we think through our actions to make sure that our thinking
and behavior are in fact clearly supported by Scripture. I have written a lot
about the homosexual movement serving as the greatest threat to religious
freedom in American culture and I still think that is true. However, I am
afraid that I may have contributed to fuzzy thinking on the issue and I want to
set the matter straight, at least where I am concerned.
The burning question: Is it unrighteous, ungodly, or unbiblical
for a Christian to do business with homosexuals when that activity leads to the
ungodly practice of gay marriage? This is a very important question and one
that, if answered incorrectly, could lead to unnecessary pain and suffering on
the part of Christian business people.
The New Mexico Story
In 2006, Elaine and Jonathon Huguenin refused to take photos
of a gay celebration ceremony because it violated their Christian belief. The
Huguenins believed that doing business with the gay couple would be participating
in the celebration or in some way construed as an endorsement of the lifestyle.
This is a slippery slope that we walk so we must use wisdom in how we answer the
question. How does taking pictures of a gay celebration endorse the gay
lifestyle? I cannot see how taking the photos of the ceremony could be ipso
facto viewed as an endorsement. Should the Huguenin’s be allowed to do business
with whomever they wish and refuse to do business with whomever they wish? That
is a good question. I am not a legal expert and so I cannot say for sure. I can
say that permitting businesses to discriminate based on whatever criteria they
desire is probably not the best way to maintain fairness and justice in a
society.
The Oregon Story
More recently, an Oregon bakery known as Sweet Cakes by
Melissa has closed its doors for similar reasons. The bakery refused to bake a
wedding cake for a lesbian couple and the backlash has been nothing short of
ludicrous. The bakery has since been forced to close due to the constant angry
protests and threats organized by the homosexual community. The owners even
said that some threats were aimed at their children, hoping they would die.
Indeed, this is not the America in which I was raised. But was this episode
really necessary? Did the Christian owners have to refuse to bake a cake for
the lesbian couple in order to remain faithful to biblical Christianity? If the
answer to this question is no, then indeed it is a pity that one could lose their
business on what could possibly be misplaced convictions. I am not suggest that
is the case, but I am saying we have to ask the hard question if it might be
the case. What we need in the current environment is sound, godly, healthy
leadership with the ability to think through the issues and properly apply
biblical principles that Christians are thinking correctly about these issues.
The Wedding at Cana
Enter a wealthy wedding a Cana. I understand the purpose of
the sign at the wedding as to point to Christ as Messiah. Nevertheless, Jesus
never sinned in performing His miracles and He did not sin here either. We have
a wedding celebration full of drunk guests when Jesus gets the request from His
mother to provide more wine to people who are already sinfully drunk. Can Jesus
honor His mother’s request? Could He be accused of endorsing drunkenness and
sin by honoring that request? I think He could. But Jesus honored the request
anyways. After all, it is one thing to be accused of endorsing sinful behavior
and quite another to be guilty of it. Jesus Himself was accused of being a
drunk and a glutton even though He was neither. Jesus was able to provide wine
for people at a wedding for people who were clearly engaged in violating His
principles of behavior for alcohol consumption. This is an event that we must
consider when we work through this gay marriage issue. Are there limitations?
Of course there are. A preacher could never unite gay people in marriage
without sinning because that is serving as a key figure in bringing together an
unholy union. But that is a religious matter, or ritual, not a matter of
business.
A Different and Interesting Perspective
If we cannot bake a cake for a gay couple because God does
not honor their union, must we also turn away the believer-unbeliever unions? I
think we must. In addition, what about the owner of a hotel who rents rooms to
people who are going to commit sexual sin? What about the Christian hotel owner
who knows a gay couple have leased a room for their honeymoon? What about the
tuxedo shop owner? And the Limo service? Where do we draw the line? If we
object to the gay couple, can we object to the couple that divorced on
unbiblical grounds, and are getting remarried?
What if we took a different position than what we have seen
so far. What if there is a better way for us to deal with this gay marriage, Christian business issue? What if
the bakery responds to the gay couple by saying, sure, I will bake your cake
but, you must understand that I am a Christian, and as such I do not believe
that God sanctions your behavior. What if, at that point, while serving them as
a business, the Christian takes this opportunity to give them the gospel of
Christ and issues the message of repentance? Would the couple still want to use
the Christian business? Maybe, but maybe not. The more important thing is that
the Christian business is in the wonderful position of giving the gospel.
I am not saying my mind is settled on this issue. What I am
saying is that I am having to take a harder look at it because I think I may be
guilty of being inconsistent and thinking poorly about it. If we know as
Christians that if we make the decision to enter business in American culture,
then we must understand that we will be required by law to do certain things. As
Christians, we do not have “rights” if you will to change the law to be in our
favor. Those days are gone. Does religious liberty require that business law
bend to Christian morality? I cannot say. What I can say is there are wiser
ways to navigate this issue than the ones I am seeing so far. And it is in our
best interest to start thinking differently when it comes to the gay marriage
laws and how Christian business is to react to them. I see it as an opportunity
to get the gospel out there and let these people know right up front what you position
is and why. Give them the truth: the gospel truth. A for the rest of the issue,
the best I can say is that I am still thinking about it.
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