As I was enjoying some fresh, hot General Tso's Chicken and crab meat rangoon with a a friend over lunch today, I mentioned that yesterday was a big day in the history of America. She looked at me puzzled and with a mouthful of sweet & sour chicken said, "Really?!?" Absolutely, the ban on same-sex marriages in California was overturned by the California Supreme Court yesterday! She responded in an interesting yet expected manner, "That's the end of the world" she said in a joking yet semi-serious tone. We both laughed and moved on, but that comment provoked in me so much thought and almost made me repulsed to think that I was in agreement with her...or was I?
Certainly neither of us thought it was the end of the world, and I knew what she meant by her comment...I think. Here in lies the problem with such a comment. According the the stereotypical evangelical view of homosexuality, we would see this as the end of the world. What could be worse than a bunch of homosexuals walking around holding hands and getting married in churches? (That's a joke). To many people, it couldn't get much worse.
On CNN they played a short clip of a white male, in a suit and tie describing how disgusting this ruling was for America. He said that we now have kids growing up to aspire to be gay. "That's just terrible," was how the clip ended. What's wrong with this ruling? Why can't homosexuals get married? It's a basic human right....right? Why would we try and amend the Constitution to give less rights to one people group? This same Constitution gave us (americans), the freedoms that we enjoy today!
For those of you who are reading this and know me, you might think I've gone off my rocker. If for some reason you are reading this and you don't know me or my background (unlikely), you might be in full agreement with me. Whatever the case - those are the questions that I leave this section of my post with. I would enjoy any response. :) I also had a friend who created a post on her blog last year, but I think it relates to this in a way - it's called Adam and Steve.
Moving on...kinda. I'm reading a book about the Great Commission and how for Westerners, our understanding and purpose within it is a little different than it once was. Westerners used to lead the way is sending missionaries to Asia and other parts of the world to "get them saved" and help them become better people. This book essentially states that no longer is that the case. It is now Westerners' job to support the native missionaries of the lands of Asia through money and prayer. We are after all very affluent. $60/month could support a missionary in India for 1 month. To support a Western missionary in India for 1 month could cost up to $3,000. What's a better investment?
Once we reach everyone across the world with the Gospel, it really is the end of the world.
Friday, May 16, 2008
End of the World
Posted by
jonathan chacko
5:54 PM
Posts
Hey Jon! I was excited to see that you had started up your blogging again. It almost, key word being almost, lit a fire under my butt to have a go at it again. I was surprised to see what your latest blog was about. I didn't think you would touch that subject! But, you proved me wrong. I'm glad you're churning all of these ideas in your mind and rethinking/considering some of the ideals we've built our lives on. It gives me hope to see christians thinking independently about matters that just don't seem to fit into that 'black and white box.' It looks like you're trying to decipher which side of this controversial topic you are going to believe in and defend.
It all comes down to one thing, at least in my eyes...who was the constitution built for, designed for, and based upon? It is a white system constitution, built by white people for white people, more specifically protestant white people. Anyone who did not fit into that mold was left out. This would include homosexuals, handicapped people of all colors, any one who is not of Anglo-Saxon race, and low income inhabitants of the United States. Because they didn't fit into that white protestant mold, they were forced to feel like subhumans and sinful individuals. They are still paying that price 500 years later, until this week, that is in CA. Or in the 1950's when African American's were finally told, "Hey, I guess we'll declare that you're humans as well (but not as much as we are) and allow you to come to our schools where you can try for the rest of your life to fit again into our white education system, which was never built for you to begin with by the way. Aren't you so lucky we're LETTING you have a right to education??" and of course, African American's slink into the school systems and slowly try to chip away at their subhuman identities that were placed upon them. And people wonder why groups other than white people just can't seem to 'get their act together.' Act meaning--whatever the white standard happens to be that year. ugh, this comment is getting too long. and I'm off topic. However it all relates...i promise:) People are finally starting to realize that all of these other sub groups no longer should have the word 'sub' in front of them. Why should they be considered any less of humans? We're all made of the same thing, who decided that certain groups of people are allowed their rights and others are not? Whoever did that, or whichever group of people did that, deserves a real kick in the ass. So many lives were ruined all because we thought we had all the answers.
Well news flash, no body has the answers. So why not just allow everyone to feel as good about his or her life as I get to? Sometimes I wish the tables could have been turned years and years ago, then maybe more people would get it and think before they say things like, "we're going to have kids aspire to be gay, that's just terrible," or "that's the end of the world."
No, that's not the end of the world. The end of the world will happen because nobody took the time to love the little boy down the street who was abandoned by his family and will have to resort to drugs and violence because he was never taught anything different and never saw what love even looked like. He'll end up in our prison systems. Or maybe the end of the world will happen when the drop our rates in high school rise to 50% because we didn't have enough money to buy books for everyone in a classroom due to funding a war that is taking money away from programs here in the U.S. Or maybe the end of the world will happen when all of the single mothers can't afford healthcare for their children so they are left sick and dying. Allowing homosexuals to promise a lifetime of love and happiness to each other is not what is going to end this world, we will end this world. Christians will end this world. Our judgement will kill everything and everyone in it's path, as well as our lack of dedicating a lifetime of generosity, empathy, compassion, and tolerance. Nope, we prefer the shove it down people's throat and make them feel worthless approach.
Sorry this is soo long Jon, it wasn't intended:) You just happened to hit a subject that I'm very passionate about. I won't promise a comment this lengthy everytime:)