To begin, I challenge the concept that America is a “Christian nation.” Countries, organizations, and businesses do not have souls so they cannot be “Christian.” Only the individuals within can be of one religious persuasion or another. I don’t think anyone would argue that most people in America have a true relationship with Jesus. Putting “In God We Trust” on our money and “One Nation Under God” in our pledge of allegiance does not automatically make it so.
Rather, I would argue that America is a “Free nation.” Or, at least, we will be once everyone has equal rights and the freedom to practice their own beliefs.
Yes, our country was founded by Christians. But what were these Christians seeking? They were seeking the freedom to practice their own beliefs without persecution from the government or religious organizations that disagreed with them.
Freedom is the ability to have your own thoughts, beliefs, and life-styles without fear of persecution from others. Marriage is a basic human right, and using the Bible to define it as only between a man and a woman is forcing a Biblical worldview onto a society that was founded on the belief that religious bigotry should not dictate the freedoms therein.
It always startles me when topics like divorce, adultery, and co-habitation (all of which are inconsistent with a Biblical worldview) come up--Christians shake their heads, shrug their shoulders, and discreetly change the conversation. But as soon as homosexuality becomes the topic, blood pressure rises and the hate-talk begins.
Supporting freedom only when it lines up with your worldview is not really freedom at all, is it? Freedom is accepting that there are others in your society different from you. Freedom is providing the same basic human rights to all individuals. And if two consensual adults want to file joint taxes and have hospital visitation rights, no one should be able to stop them. This is a requirement of a free society, whether you personally agree with the morality or not.
I welcome comments and discussion. Please keep them kind and respectful.