I heard about a Supreme Court case where a Christian web designer wanted to assert religious freedom and refuse to serve gay couples as clients. When I thought about this case as far as the law goes, I really didn’t know what the answer was. I know in our country we should have religious freedom and be able to conduct our businesses with that freedom, but at the same time we shouldn’t discriminate against people based on the fact that they have different religious views than our own mainly that being gay isn’t a sin against God.
Then, I realize that I couldn’t really write about this subject matter in this blog because at the heart of the matter was a question of man’s law not God’s law. God wasn’t going to decide the matter the U.S. Supreme Court was. More so, it wasn’t my story tell. However, I wanted to consider: what does this case tell me about my own faith journey? As I conduct my own writing business, what is my view on dealing with people of other faiths?
The matter is difficult because while I believe in religious freedom, I also want to uphold the tenets of my own faith. I realized that once again I had to fall back on God’s greatest commandments. Even if someone’s beliefs aren’t the same as mine own, I should show them the same love, respect, and understanding that I would want to be shown. In fact, I think it’s even more important to show them the same love, respect, and understanding.
When people have the same beliefs as most of the people around them, then their lives are fairly easy. They are more accepted by society. When people choose to have the courage to stand up for beliefs that aren’t those accepted by most, then their lives are more challenging. It really doesn’t matter if they are wrong or right. It isn’t a matter of wrong or right. These people are being true to themselves. That takes courage. That is what God asks of us. People who have the courage to stand up and face the rest of the world to be themselves should be shown love, respect, and understanding because that is the teaching of Jesus Christ.
I don’t know what the U.S. Supreme Court will decide. However, I know for me, everyone that I meet no matter who they are, no matter what they have done, and no matter how they live their live, will always get my best effort to show them my love, respect and understanding because that’s my faith.
My faith saved me. May God’s peace reside in all of our hearts.
