Opposng Emmanuel, Menino, AND Savoie--Is It Consistent?

One of the oddest things to come out of the ongoing controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A is that conservatives have ended up on the same side of the battle as their arch-nemesis, the ACLU.  Most of us seem to agree that attempts to ban Chick-fil-A from certain cities, due to the viewpoints of its owner, is an egregious violation of civil liberties.

But that's where consensus stops.  There is a very different battle being waged on the same front--a battle in which our nation is seemingly irreconcilably split down the middle.  It is in this battle that the Christian response of rallying around Chick-fil-A gives me malaise.  For many Christians, this whole debacle has little to do with civil liberties and much more to do with opposing gay marriage.  This is where I fall out of line with so many of my fellow Christians.  They seem less concerned with supporting Dan Cathy's right to say what he said and more concerned with sticking it to the gay community.

I may be off in my analysis, but it's at least consistent with another controversy going on right here in my hometown of Lafayette, LA.  The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has recently begun to offer an LGBT studies minor through the liberal arts college.  Congressman Jeff Landry, along with local conservative groups and religious leaders, have sought, unsuccessfully thus far, to oppose the move and have the minor dropped. It seems to me that in both cases, Christians are simply wanting their way, and any talk of concern for civil liberties must be a trojan horse.  If constitutional freedom is really what's at stake, then it seems like you would want to allow students to study a subculture that has been becoming an increasingly important part of every aspect of our society.  Only a concern for traditional marriage, over and above a concern for civil liberties, could cause one to oppose both Chick-fil-A bannings  and UL's LGBT studies minor.

What Do You Want to Hear?

"Hold fast to reproof, don't let go.
Keep it, for it is your life." -Proverbs 4:13


Imagine something with me.  You have some virus on your computer.  The virus makes your computer frustratingly slow, and may even be stealing your personal information for malicious purposes.  But there's good news! You know exactly how to remove the virus, and it's actually quite simple.  But there's bad news . . . every time you attempt to remove it, the computer shuts down.  It just turns itself off.  Horrible, right?


I have that virus.  Not on my computer but in my brain.  Unfortunately, you probably have it as well.  It's called an aversion to reproof.  While it may seem somewhat natural, it's actually malignant and fatal.  It essentially makes you immune to medicine.  By it's very nature, it won't allow anyone else to remove it.  Only you.


Although it never disappears completely, once you identify it and begin to treat it, you can mitigate the symptoms significantly.  Other viruses and diseases can be treated and removed, and your overall health can drastically improve.  


This computer virus analogy helps me understand just how dumb I am being when I follow my instinct to run from feedback/reproof/correction.  So many times I have just shut down when I started to hear things I didn't want to hear.  I thank God for the wisdom of his Word, and for friends and bosses and co-workers and experiences that have helped me to start retraining that instinct.  And now I sometimes actually manage to run towards reproof, rather than away from it. 


Physical life, as most biologists define it, requires growth.  If something does not grow, it is not considered to be alive.  It's unfortunate that once we reach a certain age, we consider ourselves "all grown up."  If we have no more growing to do, we are dead.  This is why the proverb says, "it is your life."  It has been my experience lately that my biggest "growth spurts" happen when I embrace reproof, and so I have I made it my goal to heed the word of God on this matter.