Proposition 8 & the Christian Right - the King is coming
(Psa 109:15,16 NKJV) Let them be continually before the LORD, That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth; Because he did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart.
California Proposition 8 : ban on Gay Marriage
Yes: 52%
No: 48%
California Proposition 4: Abortion Limits:
No: 52%
Yes: 48%
The Proposition 8 defeat was a huge blow for the Gay community, and they have reacted by going to the courts. According to the Christian Post article dated 07 Nov 2008 “the laws suits against Gay Marriage Ban has irked Christians”. Gays are broken hearted. They have waited for two thousand years and today, the hopes and dreams of many have been broken and severely wounded.
The line has been drawn in the sand, and it seems an end to the possible compromise and a start of a real anger rising deep within of the lives impacted by a totally unnecessary and unprovoked attack by the coalition of religious groups who had both the power and finance to mount an unprecedented campaign spending over USD 35 million and some of the most untruthful TV advertisements ever seen. Supporters of the gay marriage ban had raised $35.8 million, in particular, Focus on the Family's James Dobson spent $800,000 on Proposition 8.
Ironically, the Proposition 4 failed by almost the same percentage. The California Proposition 4: Abortion Limits require doctors to notify parents before a minor receives an abortion. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that in 1996 there were 280,180 legal abortions in California . For every 1000 live births , there were 519 abortions.
Deep in the heart of James Dobson perhaps there is some hope. According to the Christian Post article dated 07 Nov 2008, “Dr. James Dobson said he is currently in a grieving process over the presidential election result, which he said is a huge setback for the pro-life movement.” He should be. He would have known despite all the rhetoric and misleading advertisements that Gay marriages does not impact the straight marriages. Families are broken because of divorce and promiscuity (resulting in abortions) – all by straight people. Therefore, the ban against Gay marriages are a red herring, and the Christian Right spent USD 35 million dollars on it.
With the great effort, and millions spent against Gay marriages, sadly, the Gospel mandate to preach the Word to the nations has not been advanced in any way.
a) If the millions were spent in building new churches in China and India, where there are 2 billion people, yet a small Christian Witness, perhaps we would have a revival.
b) Had the millions been spent on Proposal 4 concerning abortion, perhaps it would have been passed and many lives saved. In California, a 50% of babies are aborted. Clearly, the gay issue has taken away much resources for the pro-life movement. There is no reason for the Christian Right to succeed in the pro-life movement, on an anti-gay platform. The message used that Gays are destroying marriage and not straight divorces and abortions, is a false testimony. They have little moral standing and the polling trend for a more liberal view means that the pro-life effort is effectively over.
The Gays are still married in California, as the ban is not back dated. All the gays who wanted to get married, have gotten married, and so the ban achieves nothing much in reality. What it did however is to greatly antagonize and energize a minority group with no middle ground in their response. With the outright lies and underhand method used by the Christian Right, means that the Gay groups will have no moral reason not to do likewise. The Christian Right has come against the Gay community without cause. They should have minded their own business. As the Gay population only makes up 5% of the population, it will never have any impact to the 95% of the straight community. Yet, we chose to start an aggressive war which will never end.
(Mark 13:5 NKJV) And Jesus, answering them, began to say: "Take heed that no one deceives you.
(Mark 13:6 NKJV) "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.
(Mark 13:10 NKJV) "And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.
The Christian Right thought they have won the war with the success of Proposition 8. However, it is like the invasion of a foreign land. They may have succeeded because of their power and wealth, but passion of invading another country will soon wear out. On the other hand, those who have been invaded will fight the invasion force tooth and nail, with ferocity and passion – with ambushes and guerilla warfare. The gay minority even though very few in numbers, will be a torn in the side of the Christian Right long after the ban has been overturned. You can observe this in the crusades. Jerusalem was captured with massive lost of lives and thousands killed. But they never kept Jerusalem, and the crusaders were soon defeated, so will be the Christian Right be in the long run. However, in response, the Arabs attacked and conquered Constantinople, the very heart of Eastern Christianity. Today, Turkey and Syria are Muslim Countries as a result. That is why all the cities mentioned in the bible in Asia Minor are no more Christian. So too we have given Gays the Moral and Spiritual Right to one day reply in kind to our unwarranted invasion. The law of being judged the same way that we have judged cannot never be easily overturned.
Unfortunately, the crusades forever alienated the Arab world with Christianity, as too much blood has been spilled by the “Christian” sword for the Gospel to ever reach the Muslim countries. So to, will the Christian faith will find outreach to the Gay community a difficult task. It is said by many that Jesus Christ is coming back soon. But look closely and you will see that the road blocks to the People Groups such as Gays, and Arabs will stop this from happening, as it will stop the Gospel being preached to the nations. Each time where sin abounds, and blood spilled, the call for justice must be met. Even today, there are few Christian revivals in Germany because of the 6 million Jews killed.
The line has been drawn in the sand. The Christian Right has defended it well. But by this line, Christianity will unlikely see a revival within the Gay tribe, and therefore the great commandment will never be reached for a people group for Jesus to come back. Also, by the line drawn, will be a new determination like never before to target the Christian Right, the Catholics, and the Mormons far beyond the Gay marriage debate. We have made ourselves a new adversary with all the moral and spiritual right to torment us. There will be more and more court battles going far beyond the gay issue. Every right that Christians, Catholics and Mormons have taken for granted will be challenged because we have taken away the basic right of an entire peoples group for which we have no rights to do whatsoever. Gays have been suffering for two thousand years and we denied their freedom. There is an arising and a battle cry to reclaim that which has been lost and to make sure those that had caused these sufferings to be taken into tasks. The same manner we judged, we will be judged. The same manner of lies that we spread lies and distortions through the anti-gay advertisements will be played back against us.
John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
The City Harvest Church in Singapore believes that Christians will go through tribulation during end times – to be persecuted by the Anti-Christ and so going down the slippery slope of Gay marriage would trigger this End Time immorality. However, despite claiming to be biblical, they have forgotten that they were not the first Christians!, zealous as they might be. The Apostles and the disciples suffered, and for the first 300 years there was incredible persecution until Christianity was established as a state and legal religion. Jesus was warning His disciples that persecution will come when He leaves for heaven. And it did.
On the other hand, the New Creation Church believes that Christians will not because God will not pour judgment upon His own people because at the Cross, Christ bore our judgment and tribulation will only come when Christians have been raptured. Joseph Prince often mentions that “Christians are the salt of the Earth stopping God’s wrath amongst mankind”. This is also incorrect, for God has no hesitation in destroying the whole earth and all the peoples in it. It was because of Jesus Christ, the living Ark, that Grace came, for mankind not to be globally destroyed. Noah represented us, as He went through the waters and depths of the sea, and finally to rise up again. God promised, He will never destroy Earth and all its inhabitants in it again.
The King is coming, and each time when defeat was abound, a new church arose. It happened in AD 311, when persecution all but destroyed Christianity. It happened in AD 1521, where the Catholic Church no longer represented a Biblical Christianity. It happened in AD 1906, at the Azuza Street revival where the gifts of the Holy Spirit was revived in a church that preached the word but without the accompanying signs and power. There will be a great shaking, a new Church that will emerge for the King is coming back for all nations, all gender, all color and sexual orientation that all may bow down and call Him Lord and Saviour, for the King is coming back.