Day after Halloween, All Saints Day. Confession, I'm a little discouraged today. Have been fighting the battle in the classroom this week. Challenging students to take a stand of what is true and holy. To not give into man's wisdom, but to chose what is right according to God. Elections are tricky subjects to discuss w/ govt. classes. Normally, I'll take a middle of the road stance w/ the kids (not personally mind you). I want them to see the issues from both sides and then make an informed decision according to their convictions. Not this election. Two of the issues are ones that require Christians to take a strong stand. I refused the middle of the road. If the students in my classroom are to learn to stand for Christ, then they've gotta understand it includes the ballot box. We can't choose our own way as we cast our ballots. My pastor sent an election encouragement/admonishment to us w/ just some verses and quotes (after consulting w/ attorneys??? what's America coming to???). In one of the quotes by Samuel Adams (founding father, remember him??), Adams said that we would be held accountable by God for our choices as we vote. Christians, that means us. No more middle of the road.

Just in case you're unclear as to which initiatives on the California ballot I'm referring to... Prop 4 and Prop 8. Prop 4 deals w/ parental notification/waiting period for a minor to receive an abortion. Let me be crystal on this subject. Abortion is MURDER, period. It's not birth control. It's not a choice. God created a life and placed it in the womb of the mother. It's alive. It's on life support in the mommy, but it is alive. When an abortion occurs, that life is ripped out of the womb and destroyed. When a person's life is taken from them by another by that type of force, it's called murder and the perpetrator is taken to court, charged and if convicted forced to pay the penalty for their crime. I believe it should be capital punishment. (And no, there is no equating capital punishment w/ murder. There is an ultimate punishment for the ultimate crime. It's in the Bible, read it.) The Supreme Court of the US in all their "wisdom" decided in Roe v. Wade to uphold the right to an abortion. Read the case sometime and you'll see how even what they said to be acceptable has been taken and blown all out of proportion. What is practiced today is really stretching what they said was permissible. That stated, as Christians, our hands have been tied, legally. There are only certain things that they can do. Thank heavens for the many pro-life clinics out there who counsel women w/ "unwanted" pregnancies and give them godly alternatives to abortion. As Christians, there is something we can do at the ballot box. We can take the step of amending our state constitution to say that parents have to be notified. It's not doing away w/ abortions all together, but it does give a fighting chance for some of those little ones on life support in their mommy's "tummy." Support it. Take a chance. Take a step. Take a stand.

Now for Prop 8, the definition of marriage. In all societies, since civilizations began, marriage has been defined as something between a MAN and a WOMAN. God created man and woman. In the garden, when Adam was alone, God didn't create another man and a woman and say "Yo, Adam, choose one that you think will best meet your needs." No, God, knowing what was best for Adam, created a woman, the perfect helpmate for him. The woman was God's choice for Adam because she was created taking into consideration everything that he would need in a companion. God was the one Who started the pattern because HE knew what was best. Man and woman were the perfect combination. When a society began to allow perversion, same sex relations, that society began to decay, and soon came to a dreadful end. Check this out in the Scriptures and other historical documents. It's true. Shifting to our situation today, the controversey is now over whether same sex couples should be allowed to marry. In class discussion on this topic, one kid said that we were denying them their rights. First of all, I don't recall anything in the US Constitution that says anything about the right to marriage. It does talk of the right to association (assembly). No one is denying anyone the right to association or assembly. What is trying to be upheld is what God created from the start. God's definition of marriage is a union between a man and a woman. The student's ascertion was it was a right. Again, no middle of the road stance, I told them that no, it wasn't anything to do with rights. It was about what GOD said was right. I told them they needed to fix their focus. The focus was not on man and his demand for rights. It is about GOD and what HE says IS right. The student's contention was that their sin wasn't hurting anyone, so just let them have their marriage. I told the student that sin is sin to God. He doesn't catagorize our sins by how bad their are and allow some, but not others. Christ died for ALL sin because ANY sin was enough to keep us out of his presence. Gay marriage is a sin in God's eyes, plain and simple. Maybe this is why I got really upset when opponents to Prop 8 were pulling up yardsigns in favor of the initiative last night. When you're afraid to allow the opposition to speak their view points, then there must be no strength behind what you believe. My across the street neighbor has a No on Prop 8 sign in the front yard. As much as I'd like to pull up the sucker because I know that the stand is morally wrong, I won't. Instead, I've been praying for them. They are lost and need the love of Christ in their hearts. They need to understand things from God's point of view, but first of all they need God's point of view. Without Christ, that's hard to understand. Anyway, I digress. The pulling of the signs is distressing because of the hatred in the hearts of those pulling them. It's not hatred for my sign. It's not hatred of those who oppose same sex marriage. It's hatred against God and what He says is right. Same sex marriage requires people to go against what God says is holy, pure, true and right. It's not a matter of preserving someone's "rights." Prop 8 is about preserving what God says is right.

Ok, so back to the road. If we say we love Christ and have accepted Him as our Savior, it's time we acted like it in all areas. It's time for us to take a stand for those things that matter to God and how we vote does matter to Him. We can't afford to take a neutral stance and not say anything. There's a very short time before we hit the ballot box and we've got to speak up. Be sure you vote. Be sure the people you know vote. Be sure you've shared w/ them what these two propostions are really talking about. It's about what God says. Take your stand and get out of the middle of the road. One day, if you don't, you may just find yourself run over by the issues that you knew were wrong, but were afraid to stand for because you didn't want to offend someone. Offend them. They need to know they are wrong if they're ever going to know what's right. As my friend Shell often says, dare to move!

Pass this blog along to others you know and let them read it. Let them comment. I'll try to stay on top of this for the next few days and answer their questions, objections and pray for them. I don't have all their answers, but God does and I know others who do. Let's let our voice be heard. Hey Shell, I've dared to move.