On Drivetime with Bill Bunkley Concerning Gay Marriage Protests
November 18, 2008 by Randy
Filed under Activism, Christianity, Church, Culture War, Current Affairs, Gay, Homosexuality, People, Politics, Prayer, Public Policy, Worldview, marriage
Late this afternoon I was on the show Drivetime with Bill Bunkley. He is a popular Christian talk show host on a very large Christian station in Tampa. I have met him several times and he is a great encourager. I like him a lot.
Overall I think the interview went really well. We covered a lot of ground really quickly in the span of 30 minutes. I don’t see any online archives (if anyone finds any…lemmee know.) However, I did want to blog about two of the themes that came up during the interview. They involved persecution and what can Christians do with their anger toward the gay community (if they have any.) I am not going to try and remember verbatim the question but that was the gist of my thoughts on those themes.
What follows is an expansion on my thoughts (along these lines) that I shared on the show.
With regard to persecution, while what we have seen is really bad … that is nothing compared to what our ancestors in the faith and our siblings around the world face in regards to persecution. Sure it was terrible that the lady had that cross knocked out of her hand, bullied, shamed, stigmatized and run off. It is reprehensible that those young people were chased out of the Castro needing protection from the police escorting them out. All of that is deplorable behavior and should be denounced (and it is.)
At the same time, any Muslim who converts to Christianity, in some Islamic countries under Sharia law, will be stoned to death by their own family. The Chinese church has been run underground unless they bow the knee to the state and not preach anything that might offend the government officials. I could go on and on about persecution nightmares that would make our troubles in the United States (as legitimate as they are) seem rather trivial in comparison.
That’s not to say that we aren’t headed down the road of having our religious liberties stripped away … but that hasn’t happened and we should be careful to not overstate the condition we find ourselves in. And I have to admit… I learned that one the hard way.
::: blink :::
As for the anger, I told Bill that I think the first order of business is to go to the Lord in prayer. In the scriptures, the Lord calls on His followers to pray and repent *themselves* and He will heal their land. If anger is welling up in our hearts toward the people we see screaming in the streets we need to go to the Lord and ask Him if our anger is righteous or not. There is no place for unrighteous anger to inhabit a Christian in a public policy effort or when we engage our neighbors. Deal with it at the foot of the Cross, not in your neighbors face. However, if it is righteous anger, we have to be wise, bold, loving, fight for what is true and yet extend grace and forgiveness.
We have to commit to unconditional friendship.
It angered me immensely to see my fellow Christians treated so badly in the two examples listed in this post. I think it is a righteous anger that many in the gay community would agree with me about. At the same time, I am not going to lie about the gay community and say they are ALL like that. I know they are not. That said, sixteen years ago, I was just as angry at Christians as some of those men taunting the Christians on the streets. I understand why they do it. I think that helps temper my anger at the specific incidents.
Also, the scriptures state that the anger of man will not bring about the righteousness of God. That preceding scripture doesn’t qualify that anger as righteous or unrighteous. Now, I don’t think the gay community is going to agree with me but I think it is a kindness to defend marriage and a biblical worldview in an honest, straightforward and loving way. It would be unkind to lie by silence and not share our opinions on what we believe is the best way to live (just my opinion.) It would be awful to share it out of a heart stewing in bitter anger and unforgiveness. It would be unkind to not engage the process our country has afforded us. What a man’s anger can’t accomplish, God’s kindness will.
On the flip side, that’s why I don’t get angry at well intentioned, but wrongheaded ::: playful grin ::: gay identified folk (most of the time 
). They think that calling me out is the best thing for me. I don’t, but they do. I respect their well intentioned efforts if that is what is truly going on and share my own thoughts on what I believe is best.
It’s called civility … but you all know that.
Now the ones that like to make videos depicting me as the evil Marshmallow Man who needs to be destroyed … that’s a different story.
That’s just … an opportunity to extend forgiveness 
I do believe we need to fight, non-violently of course, when our religious liberties are threatened. I think we need to engage the culture every way we can. We live in a GREAT country that affords us that right (right now) as citizens. At the same time, history is full of examples of Christians who sacrificed their “rights” and even their lives so that others might come to know Christ. I will do everything I can to preserve freedom and religious liberties for all. Even so, I’d rather lose my “rights” than be a stumbling block for someone to come to know Christ. While that last sentence will not translate to most of those who aren’t Christians, and maybe not to some who are, that personal conviction is something I always keep in the back of my head and have shared with all of my friends in public policy. I would rather lose the culture war than have to stand in front of The Creator and know that I grieved Him by being driven by unrighteous anger and only focusing on the now and next public policy battle.
::: talking into a mirror at myself :::: It’s about the Gospel stupid.
I have a lot of friends in public policy and assorted activists. A LOT of friends who have the right heart and balance even if they aren’t portrayed by the media that way. Don’t take my statement as an attack on anyone or any group. I am talking about concepts here.
I believe in prophetic, hard hitting “T”ruth and I also believe in sacrificial mercy and grace. The Gospel contains both. Right now it would seem that the Church in the United States, in large part, is polarized on those concepts and that is why we are not as effective as we could be … and will be :). You have to have both Truth and Sacrifice present when we live out the Gospel as modeled by our Savior. If not we are potentially walking in the shoes of Apollos before he learned the full grace of God made available through the atonement of Christ.
Ok… this post is already toooooooo long and it is much more than I shared on the interview :). Hope it makes sense.
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