These Are Not the Martyrs You Are Looking For

I am tired. I am tired of looking at the news and there being a new cause who picks the wrong martyr. For centuries mankind has had a peculiar issue with choosing martyrs for their causes who did not embody what that cause stood for. It would be like if the ASPCA stood up for a person who had a track record of abusing animals. Unfortunately it appears that Christianity is facing the same dilemma. Might I ask why we have chosen Kim Davis, a woman from 3 broken marriages, to bear the mantle of taking on equal marriage? Might I ask why we continue to seem to think that we, as Christians, must continue to force our beliefs upon people instead of changing their hearts through love and relationships as modeled by Christ? Might I just ask why this woman is being compared to the likes of Daniel, or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? There is a glaring difference between the situation of Kim Davis and the situations of these four men. You see, these four men were not elected to a position; they were, by all intents and purposes, forced into it. These men were in a position where they had no other options in their respective scenarios but to refuse to do what the King had declared. So why, then, are we standing behind a woman who was elected to do a job and who refuses to do said job when she could just humbly resign? Don't you think that would have been the most Christ like thing to do? 

Please, please, please hear me. I am all for standing up for your beliefs. I believe it is every man's right to do so. I believe that if you are strongly convicted about something then you should speak up, and speak out if in fact what it is you are standing against is opposed to the word of God. So my question is why would you remain in a position that you know your conscience and beliefs are going to be violated, where you are practically expected to violate them, rather than resign? It would be like saying if a Christian is a bartender, they should refuse to serve alcoholic beverages because someone may get drunk, instead of just not being a bartender in the first place.

Do I think we are now seeing more contempt for Christians standing up for their beliefs in today's society? Yes, especially in the examples of the Christian bakeries and the couple in New York whose farm is used as a wedding venue. But I do not think that the case of Kim Davis it is a good example. The difference between these cases and that of Kim Davis is that these people were not elected to a position. These people built what they had with their own hands; they used their gifts and lives as a way to worship God. They should have the right as business owners to refuse service to any body, especially if their faith would be placed in a compromising scenario. I believe that we all should have the right of conscience. But what I don't believe is that an elected official whose job is to issue marriage licenses has the right to do what she has done. If she didn't want to be a part of it then resign; that is all she had to do! Now, I am no legal expert; do I believe jailing her was the answer? In short, no. I think forceful resignation would have been the better answer. 

When are we going to learn that we cannot force the United States of America down a path that they do not want to go down? You do not change a country until you change the hearts of man. Things will not change until we focus on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a loving manner. Things will continue to get worse if all we seem to know how to do is stand on a street corner yelling at people that there is a hell, "turn or burn", or God hates ____.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Now, more than ever, I have trouble understanding why in the world he chose us to deliver his message. That is all he has asked us to do: deliver the message and to those who receive it, make them disciples. If you want to be a part of a religion that forces people to obey what it teaches there are others out there that might be better suited for you. If you truly believe what the Gospel teaches, that Christ suffered and died so that mankind may believe in him and receive salvation. Why must we feel compelled that everyone is to fall into step. Jesus did not actively involve himself in overthrowing the government, etc. which might I add is what the Jewish followers wanted him to do! Jesus spoke to the hearts of man, and that is how he changed the world.