As Christians, we are to love the sinner, but not the sin. We all sin, but believers fight daily to overcome and live as the Bible says we should. We are to reject sin and not embrace it, no matter the pressures we face. This is what Jesus instructed in His kind and gentle way.
This becomes a political issue, especially when candidates do not align with conservative views, which often overlap with Biblical views. How do we attempt to bring together the varied voices within the Christian community and the conservative movement? Should we? Or should we stand firm and solid in our core beliefs and the Republican platform? Should Republicans continue to be the party of unflinching values, or cave to moderates and liberals? After all, progressives certainly want us to “come over to their side.” As voters, we have choices to make, some very difficult.
As the homosexual community steadily demands acceptance, they present views diabolically opposed to staunchly conservative values. A bridge of sorts has been built between the homosexual community and the Republican Party, namely the Log Cabin Republicans. This anomaly within the ranks poses an enigma, for the Log Cabin Republicans agree with much, but not all, of the party’s platform. Many of these members are wonderful people who choose a lifestyle outside the values we, as conservative Christians, hold dear. Do we vote in “nice” people who don’t share our Biblical views? Or do we vote in candidates who do?
The bottom line is that we must vote our personal conscience, regardless of the uproar swirling around us. From precinct chairs to the Republican nominee for the presidency of the United States, each voter is tasked to decide who best represents their hearts, values and wallets—in short, what they envision for society and future generations. Personally, I have stood for and will continue to stand for what is right, based on Biblical principals and my own conscience, and so should you. How we vote is not a reflection of hate and fear… it’s about Christians standing firm in our biblical beliefs, even when a subtle and insidious enemy will lie and cheat to harm us, and undermine what we believe. It’s easy to slide down a slippery slope. It’s much harder to resist an encroaching national “embrace” of this secular, “anything goes” morality—or lack of morality.
This lack of morality trickles up to the Obama Administration. Recently, it was reported that military personnel were denied access to coverage of the Southern Baptist Convention, because the “Pentagon”—which is covering for the administration—has labeled Southern Baptists “hate groups.” Why? Because they oppose homosexual behavior. This is bigotry in reverse, a worldview gone upside down and launching political grenades at decent folks who share a Christian faith. It is evil, plain and simple, especially the persecution of military men and women who dare to pray to Jesus Christ and are threatened with court martial when they do. This means Christian men and women who face death in battle aren’t allowed to express their beliefs, yet a double standard exists, because Muslim military members are allowed to pray. Evangelical denominations and Catholics are on the terror watch list, but you won’t hear much of this on MSNBC. It’s up to alternative news sources, including conservative blogs (and sporadic reporting by Fox News), to get the word out.
Which brings me back to core values. It concerns me that many Christians are sitting back and staying out of the fight. They decline to “take sides” and strive to be tolerant. Some Christian conservatives are afraid of being branded homophobic or called hate-mongering bigots. Name-calling is a tool often used by adversaries to weaken, embarrass or even threaten us. But at this point in the nation’s history, we recognize political correctness for what it is—censorship, a ploy foisted upon us to control and muzzle our voices. We can either bow down, or stand up for what we know in our hearts to be right. I would like to encourage more believers to stand up and be counted. Our support of virtue matters greatly and is more important than the slings and arrows that pour down upon us simply because we have unshakable faith in the word of God.
We MUST stand together as believers in our Lord, NOT because we hate sinners, but because we love them and do not want to see them live and die without hope. If you saw a stranger standing in the road and looking at the ground while a bus hurtles toward him, would you leave him alone with no hope? Or would the loving thing be to yell at him—warn him—of the harm coming his way? Perhaps it’s time to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and enlighten those who face “the bus,” warning them that they would be wise to change their position, and fast!
We are to let the light of Christ shine in us, and we are to bring light into the world, not by condoning sin, but by resisting it. Moral relativism has brought us to a disastrous point, and it’s time to take separate the wheat from the chaff. You do not have to vote in candidates who reject your personal ethics. You can tell them why they did not get your vote, and you don’t need to apologize for faithfully following the edicts of your faith.
We are to engage in this battle for souls, and whether we win or lose is not the point. God instructed us to run the race, and that’s what matters. The outcome is up to HIM, and faithfulness is up to us. Paul in his letter to the Philippians says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Bill Kneer is the founder of the Patriot Statesman (patriotstatesman.com), 0593 precinct chair, a member of the Harris County Republican Party Vacancy Committee, and owner of Bill Kneer Marketing and Business Development (billkneer.com). He and his family attend Woodland Trails Baptist Church. Connect with him at facebook.com/BillKneerOnline.
