Instead, we have the stupid argument over freedom of speech, which is frankly unrelated. Conservatives have yet again shot themselves in the foot, because they fail to recognize that the liberal reaction is rooted in a belief that the biblical idea that homosexuality is wrong is positively evil. And that is what they need to be held accountable for. But they won't be, because conservatives are making the wrong argument.
Actually, liberal unbelievers who are angry over Phil's paraphrasing of exactly what the Bible teaches need to be held accountable for BOTH! Yep - they need to be made to admit that what they really are saying is that Christianity and its Bible - both so cherished for centuries in this country - is evil and hateful. And how the vast majority of REAL Christians have far more concern and love for gay people than these other haters ever will. But make them
say it - that they are calling Christians haters and evil, and God's Word as well.
But we aren't in a dictatorship. God allowed us to have some semblance and vestiges of a democracy. And so Christians have every responsibility to press for the type of culture that we want as well, just as non-Christians do. We need to speak up. Vote (as we can) for things that support freedom. Vote with our pocketbooks, our viewership and patronage of culturally harmful things. We surely can do such things to hold the unbelieving culture around us accountable.
But it really will do little good to RAGE at those
without God's spirit within, so that they will realize that homosexuality, promisciousness, adultery, etc. goes against God's teachings. It's not terribly effective to shout to people that "you are headed to hell and have bought into deceptive evil" if they can't spiritually understand the honesty and truth of such words. So we need to respond with civil and compassionate words and ACTIONS that they CAN understand. Let them see that we love those who don't agree with us - as opposed to how they typically hate those that don't agree with them. Christians should expect the hate, animosity, that we will be targets by the world around us - that's what Scripture tells us. But we still have an ability to thoughtfully respond, to impact and make our voices heard and respected. But the democracy and freedoms that we HAVE been given are going to go away if Christians don't stand up with an appropriate, collective and assertive voice on issues that impact our society.
If you know gay persons - don't shy away or treat them like lepers, or even just indifferently. Show them kindness and love, as you can. This doesn't mean denying who we are, what we are to be, or - once a relationship with them allows - that we don't also make them aware of their need for Jesus and repentance. And both we and they have a multitude of sins that God isn't happy with, I don't think you impact people by making their SIN - especially ANY SPECIFIC sin - the focus of what they need to hear.
Lastly,
let's never forget that NO ONE cares about what we have to say as Christians, until they actually know that we sincerely care! And until one has the Holy Spirit inside of them, there will always be limits to what they CAN understand beforehand. Do we get just as upset at the sins of an unsaved, unmarried person who is in an ongoing and mutually desired sexual relationship as we do and unsaved, practicing homosexual couple? Not typically do we react nearly as emotionally to the adulterous heterosexual as we do that of the homosexual. And we're far more likely to focus on the sexual sin of a homosexual than we do of a heterosexual. But God certainly doesn't view sin in such a way. And so what are we most concerned about - specific sins of people or sins personally directed at us - or are we concerned that people are headed for an eternity of punishment apart from God?
It was a business decision. There are ratings to worry about and financiers who expect a return on their investment. You can't have some yahoo spouting christianese nonsense that could alienate the viewers and the advertisers.