If I ran for political office, I'd probably be asked questions about my religion ...

We hear someone say, "He listens to the news religiously."  The nature of the statement involves the ritual aspect, the repetitiveness of it ...a simple habit of doing it, or being drawn to it to a degree slightly more than to other things.

So, in a sense: Watching the news, drinking tea, watching sports or a favorite TV show, or going on Facebook ...all can be considered done religiously.  Smoking, drinking, even cursing can be done religiously.

Institutions which began as Christian programs, now are being utilized by a different sort of establishment ...using it as a platform for promoting non-Christian values, anti-American values, and even anti-government values (which I don't understand, because if you ask what it means to promote anti-government, they will begin to list their principles ...by which they obviously think we should be governed by).

I've been privileged to work with some wonderful people.  If someone knew I was a Christian, it probably became first evident by the choices I made, and by the way I acted. From day one of my government employment it was made known that I was not to use that institution which I was employed by ...as a platform of my beliefs.  One time someone else brought up a conversation that I didn't feign away from ...and I was overheard by a supervisor who said that my beliefs were not to be part of the workplace.  I politely told him that until that day, he had not known I was a Christian, but I'd known for a long time that he was an atheist.  For a long time he'd been talking against things that I believe in. 

No one can take away who we are ...only we ourselves can do that, and we can cave-in to peer pressure, compromise to get a promotion on the job or promote our standing with friends ...or we can continue to be ourselves, wherever that leads us.

I got along with most of my co-workers, and I showed them the respect they should have as worthwhile individuals.  But our camaraderie did not include my participation in their cursing or lewd talking.

Recently, Kirk Cameron was on the Piers Morgan show to promote his new movie to be released later this month, entitled, Monumental.  Piers Morgan chose to ask Kirk not only his views on gay marriage, but what he would share with his children regarding it. Piers Morgan later said Kirk was brave to discuss his views ...I believe he's brave too, but I'm considering what choice did he have, after being boldly asked?  

This is what Kirk said:

“I’d tell my children what I believe myself…that marriage was defined by God a long time ago. Marriage is almost as old as dirt and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve. One man, one woman for life till death do you part. I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage, and I don’t think anyone else should, either. So do I support the idea of gay marriage? No, I don’t.”

After he said that, there was an outcry!!

He responded by saying this: “The only way to properly answer these kind of questions is to begin the discussion with another question: Is life and sexuality sacred or are they not? If they are, then God has something to say about these things. If not, then everyone is entitled to their own opinion on the matter. I believe that freedom of speech and freedom of religion go hand-in-hand in America. I should be able to express moral views on social issues – especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years – without being slandered, accused of hate speech and told from those who preach ‘tolerance’ that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I’m in the public square.“

In response, I also came across a website entitled, Crucifying Kirk Cameron.  Now isn't this the same kind of absurd rhetoric used against a Presidential candidate?  Rick Santorum was asked by the moderator about his views on these very same sort of issues ...and also asked by the audience, and the Twitter/Facebook participants.  He responds ...and later is accused of only talking about those issues, instead of the economy.  Then what do we find?  All sorts of filth and hate directed towards him all over the internet.

Someone who is borderline or uncommitted ... they can be swayed, or they can also just eventually become uninterested.  I can look at what Kirk Cameron says, or I can look at what Rick Santorum says.  And I can look to see if it matches with what the Bible says.  I believe in the Bible, as the Word of God.  I believe that God loves us ...and he doesn't want us to be insecure, scared children because we see so much in the world that is not love ...that we become confused.  So, I believe our loving God did not choose to leave us confused ...He gave us the Bible.  I would do the same for my children if they were confused ...I'd talk to them or write them a letter.  I'd certainly clear up the confusion.   And I see no confusion with what the Bible says ...I believe it's God's Word to us, and it's not what I say ...it's what God says.   You make your own choice whether you believe in the Bible, or not.  And you make your own choice whether you believe in God, or not.   I'm no longer confused ...I've made my choice.

Some of you can be swayed, and some of you can't.  Jesus said, of being lukewarm, in verse 15 of the 3rd Chapter of Revelation ...that He prefer us being cold or hot.  Those are Jesus' words.  I can't speak for Jesus, to address what exactly He would more say ...but you may ask why I'm bringing this up.  I say, with hot or cold, at least we would have taken a stance ...we're still in the game!  If we're not in the game, then there is no participation.  If you support something ...it has a tendency to rise to new levels.  That concept is capitalized on, by those who understand it.   "Baseball ...catch the fever!"  Things have a tendency to catch on, and grow fast.  If something is good ...it can become wonderful.  But absurdity rises to new levels also.  There is some promise there, because though not everyone can see it at the beginning stages, most people can recognize absurdity at its heightened levels.  The problem is, what about the pain involved as we rise?  And that which may appear as good, and may even feel like it is good ...if its grounded in deceit, it is never wonderful. 

If something is tempered and grows slowly ...over a long period of time, it often fits into the category of being done "religiously".  Then it can be sped up ...to have its effect before people can realize it.  It's like understanding that a frog is drawn to water.  If a frog is desperate enough, or just simply desires water ...it could find itself in a pot.  The problem is, that pot may have been just put on a burner ...on low.  The frog has no idea what is really happening.

Yes, he was simply attempting to promote his film, it seems.  But he was asked to define certain things he feels is a sin ...sort of depicting it like the huge scarlet letter 'A' that Hester Prynne had to wear, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel.  Kirk didn't repeat the word 'sin', but opted to call it unhealthy, or something like that.  Sin is actually separation from God ...separating from what He tells us in the Bible, and I'd say that sort of separation is unhealthy.  Sin is also a process ...moving away gradually from God, perhaps not knowing we are doing it because we have rationalized it so often ...we no longer are sensitive to His directing us.  It's also sin to demand the removal of a manger scene from a building ...which so long had merely followed a simple act of decorating  according to tradition ...Christmas being a celebration of Christ's birth, so why can't we depict just that, Christ's birth.

So what happens once we're committed to following Jesus?  Are we so involved in these other things that entered our life and became a part of us during the time we weren't following Jesus?  And if we've had it really difficult lately, seemingly reaping the benefits of poor choices, are we more inclined to reach out to God then?  Not necessarily ...not all of us respond the same when we are broken.  Some people rebuild when they are broken.  With the terrible tornadoes that hit our heartland last week, there were some cruel comments made.  But those that survived and have purpose to thrive ...will refocus.  In many ways they are faced with what is truly important in life.  Most of us spend the majority of our lives focusing on that which is not important.  The reality may hit with the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, the loss of our home ...and we refocus, and rebuild our lives.  If we don't, we may just give up ...and perhaps become bitter.  That's undoubtedly our choice.

Our nation has been built on a strong resolve to be of good character.  A nation is made of individuals ...and our nation, being a democracy, is based on majority rule.  That may be a fault of a democracy ...but if we were not a democracy, what would we be?

Kirk Cameron was told he was out of step with the majority of America.  Since he and I believe in the same Book, it would put us in that same category.  I guess that would put me out of step with the majority ...I hope not.  I'd rather believe our character as a nation hasn't changed much ...and it's just a minority claiming they are the majority.  They certainly seem to be the majority in certain areas.

In either case, if we follow the King of Kings, and we know what way He talks ...then being a child of God, I know how one of His kids should talk too.