Should Conservatives Moderate Their Position?

I frequently hear from different political organizations discussing new strategies in order for the GOP to win future elections.  One school of thought suggest that social conservatives need to moderate their position on gay marriage, since according to some, “they’ve already lost [the argument].”

Here’s the problem: the GOP has already lost the conservatives, be they social or fiscal.  4 million conservatives stayed home in the last election, causing Mitt Romney’s loss.  We haven’t won the presidency since 2004; we couldn’t even win back the Senate in 2012.  The RNC is kidding itself if it believes that the Republican party still has any presidential viability or that it is going to recover any as it continues to look more and more like the Democratic party.

The voters are not obligated to change their beliefs simply in order to fit in a political strategist’s box of acceptable candidates that are allowed to run (and ultimately lose).  The Republican Party needs to decide if it is going to represent conservatives, or if it is going to represent some other ideology. “He who tries to please everyone, pleases no one.” -Aesop

How Liberals Argue

The way liberals argue about gun control is to refer to the gun, not the person, as the criminal. This gives them emotional license to regulate and ban guns or magazines however they want, because anyone in favor of the gun rights is therefore in favor of the criminal. This tactic of demonizing and disregarding a political argument is designed to effectively shut down all opposition to liberal perspectives on the issues.  If you identify, for example, the conservative position with the criminal’s position, you’ll never even consider their argument for fear you’ll be identified with the criminal.

This is similar to the gay marriage argument.  Liberals refer to gay marriage as a civil right, therefore by that definition if you are against gay marriage you are against a civil right.  This again gives them license to treat you and your arguments as bigoted, subhuman, and not deserving of any kind of respect or consideration.  This results–intentionally–in scaring away all who might consider the position against gay marriage, but fear to be identified with an idea that is associated with a heinous social sin.

So how do you successfully debate with someone using this kind of tactic?  Conservatives have to define the issue right from the beginning. Guns do not commit crimes, people do.  Therefore, the argument for gun rights is not to be associated with the side of the criminal. Likewise, gay marriage is not a civil right, it is a lifestyle choice.  Therefore, to be against the gay lifestyle is no more heinous than being against any other lifestyle such as that of a smoker or a vegetarian. Conservatives need to redefine the premise in order to win the argument, otherwise real political debates will cease to exist.

An Old Testament Look at Homosexuality

Far too frequently do I hear people advocating the atrocity of homosexual marriage. Shockingly, 00384794many of these gay rights activists also claim to be Christians. These are people that we sit next to in church, who claim to read the Bible and are seen doing what would seem to be “Christian” things.

These so called “Christian” gay rights activists seem to interpret God’s love as tolerance for anything that we do. To them this includes tolerance of non-Biblical lifestyles that other so called believers and non-believers may lead.

This belief is diametrically opposite to what the Bible really says concerning homosexuality and any other ungodly lifestyle for that matter. Genesis 13:13 states that, “[…] the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” Scrolling down to Genesis 19:5-7 we find that among their many sins was homosexuality. “They called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.’ Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, ‘No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.'” Verses 24-25 outline Sodom and its sister city Gomorrah’s punishment. “Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.” Obviously, God is not “tolerant” of sinful lifestyles.

So how should Christians treat gay rights activists? Well how would you treat anyone who is about to burn their hand on a stove? Warn them of what they are doing before it is too late. The best way you can help someone is by telling them the truth.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32