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What's Love Got to Do With It?

A couple of high-profile evangelical pastors have recently proclaimed to their churches and the world that they have changed there views on homosexuality.  They have had children "come out of the closet" and this has caused them to rethink their beliefs about God and homosexuality.  In much of the world at large there position has been championed as being God's love in action.  I have great sympathy for the struggle these men have endured, but I believe that rather than being examples of God's love they have failed the love of God entirely.  I know as soon as said that many will label me a profoundly unloving person.  However, I would like to explain myself in terms of love itself.

1.  These men have chosen to love their children more than Christ.  The first and great commandment, contrary to the thinking of much of the church, is not to love my neighbor as myself.  The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all my being.  The constant struggle faced by all believers is the enduring pull of dozens of other gods who tempt us to love them more than Christ.  By choosing to accept the sins of their children, these men have made the choice to love the idol of their children more than Jesus. 

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Mat 10:37 ESV)

2.  By violating the first commandment they have lost the objective standard to determine what true love is.  What these men are doing sounds loving, but is it really?  Oh I am sure there are lots of hugs and their children feel very affirmed, but is that really what their children need most right now?  CIs their father's acceptance the most loving gift that could be given.  By the world's standard it is.  But God's standard it is, in fact, an act of hate.  If I can apply a verse:  What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world's acceptance and loses his own soul?  Accepting a person lovingly while they head merrily to hell is not an act of love.  True love seeks what is actually best for the other person, not what makes the person comfortable as they lose their very soul.

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