I’ve recently come across several news stories that piqued my interest. They all had a common thread; they all had something to do with the LGBTQ issue. The first one was the obvious story: the Chick-Fil-A story. The debate was all about whether or not Chick-Fil-A capitulated to leftist “LGBTQ” groups? Another post was about a young man who regretted undergoing sex change surgery. The third talked about four “woke” Bozeman High School girls who attacked their local Fellowship of Christian Athletes club for “discrimination against LGBTQ’s” and for not being “inclusive.” Lastly, there was a controversial transgender decision made by Illinois District 211 school board. They approved a transitioning biological male the privilege to use school female locker rooms.

What caught my attention was how some used labels in an abusive way. Equivocation and wwokeoke language seem to be slammed about to demonize Christians. While that is obviously wrong, what mystifies me is when authentic Christians don’t use verbal judo on woke disingenuous rhetoric! Why not redeem the abused rhetoric and false labels for the positive? Now, you may think this would not be Christ-like. Maybe I am being too mean or sarcastic? Well, at least I’m not angrily flipping tables in temples, calling people snakes, blind fools, whitewashed tombs and hypocrites! On second thought, however, I guess I am calling out hypocrisy and deception.

For example, Christians are often skewered with terms like “homophobic” or “anti-LGBTQ.” The crazy part is that many Christians put up a defense for being “homophobic” or “anti-LGBTQ,” even when they are not! Some capitulate and apologize. Here’s my advice. Stop, don’t fall for it, hold your ground and do a rhetoric judo flip to bring the hypocrisy to light!

Homophobic and Anti-LGBTQ

Leftists like to frame the debate to make you look as if you believe something you don’t. This frame sets you up to defend something you never believed! Of course you are not homophobic! Who goes around with phobia about homosexuals? Who’s scared of them? Don’t tell me that disagreeing with another’s sexual immorality is homophobia; it’s not. I may think it is wrong to sleep around with others, but obviously that doesn’t mean I’m “fornicatophobic.” Here’s my point: instead of backing down or defending yourself about your “phobia,” call out the lies. Step back and reframe the dialogue. How? Well, try this for starters.

Someone tells you “Stop being homophobic.” Your response: “So you are saying I’m terrified of homosexuals? That’s crazy!” And the other says “Well, you hate gays.” And you respond back: “So now you are saying I’m a people hater too? Real? Why are you so prejudiced against me?”

This is no different when someone labels you as “anti-LGBTQ.” Well that’s news to you! So now they are saying you hate gays, lesbians, transgenders and queers? What a barefaced lie! Authentic Christians aren’t called to hate people—even their enemies! If we are to love even our enemies, of course we love our gay, lesbian, transgender and queer friends!

Of course we all know it’s not hateful to disavow physical violence done by LGBTQ radical activists, just like it is not hateful to disavow the same from radical socialists and radical neo-Nazis. You don’t have to let a radical’s intolerant physical violence force you into their exclusive thinking. Nor is it hateful to express opposition to sexual immorality. Sharing why living in fornication, homosexuality and adultery is sin is not hating people. Don’t kowtow to their bullying, their lies, their false frames and their mislabels! You don’t have to let their cognitive intolerance bully you into their exclusive thinking. The real issue is hypocrisy, the real bigots are those who scream intolerance while being intolerant.

Now, some are quick to judge your views. Fine. But here’s the problem; as soon as they do that, they are judging Jesus too. Jesus, not Christians, grounds morality. Jesus trained people to teach morality. It was Jesus who also inspired the Holy Scriptures that teach morality! Christians are called to follow and share Jesus’ teachings.

In addition, you are obviously not bigoted by pointing out reality. The truth is that Jesus is the source for reality! Jesus created our real universe, real life, real humanity and real human reproduction. The real need for companionship comes from Jesus the creator. The real need for procreation comes from Jesus the creator. The real need for human flourishing comes from Jesus the creator. Who is more authoritative on the topic of sexuality and life than the creator himself, Jesus Christ? Are they going to try to judge Jesus again? If so, who are they to judge?

Many also seem confused about the Christian teaching on gay marriage. Are Christians against gays getting married? The answer is simple, of course Christians are not opposed to gays getting married. Jesus was obviously not opposed to it either! Here’s the back story: Jesus created two genders, or sexes, in the beginning. Jesus created men for women and women for men. Jesus created marriage between one man and one woman for life, which is the definition of marriage. By definition, you can’t marry yourself, your pet, the Eiffel or the same sex. So, one who identifies as a gay has this same right to join into a marriage union.

Reappropriating the definition of marriage is not woke, it is delusional. Delusional people believe all sorts of things that don’t match reality. That’s not being bigoted, it is just pointing out reality. If one opposes reality, one is actually judging Jesus’ design and ethic! Again, if you plan on judging Jesus, I again have that same previous question; who are you to judge?

Love Trumps Tolerance

Some try to shout you down, become uncivil and at times resort to physical violence to stifle your “intolerance.” Don’t let them manipulate you with their illicit flipped rhetorical tricks and violence. They have turned the virtue of tolerance into a vice. They are screaming intolerance while actually being intolerant!

Tolerance is being civil and respectful even if you disagree with another’s ideas. In other words, tolerance isn’t needed unless you disagree with someone! Tolerance is being egalitarian toward people, but elitist toward ideas. Being disrespectful, uncivil and shouting someone down is not tolerance. Nor is someone being tolerant if others are forced to capitulate to unwanted views.

Let’s go one step farther and reframe the word “tolerance.” We need to realize that the old tolerance is a micro-virtue, and extremely weak virtue. Christians advocate a mega-virtue, the motherload virtue, a virtue that goes way beyond its weakling “tolerance” cousin. What is this mega-virtue? Every “Bibliophile” (yep, in this context, it means “Bible lover”) knows this mega-virtue is love.

Why would I say that tolerance is a micro-virtue and love is a mega-virtue? Let me answer this with an example. We tolerate smokers smoking as we ignore their dangerous behavior. Tolerance, in a way, is like “I don’t care enough about you to show you why inhaling toxic fumes initiate cancer.” Love is quite different. Love is “I’m warning you that smoking is dangerous, because I care about you so much.” Warning others of the dangers of smoking is not being “anti-smoker,” rather it is being “anti-smoking.” It’s not “smokerphobic;” rather, it is speaking truth in love.

When compared to love, tolerance looks small. Love aims for patience, understanding, empathy, kindness and forgiveness. It is being self-controlled and selfless, enduring and hopeful, believing and bearing other’s burdens. Love affirms goodness, righteousness and truth while staring down badness, sin and lies.

Thus, this love promotes sexual morality and opposes sexual immorality. Love sets aside time and energy to share the pitfalls and dangers of sexual immorality through gentleness and kindness. It shows freedom from sin and redemption from a brokenness. It offers Jesus identity in place of one’s sexual identity.

Discrimination or Inclusion?

Another fake label that needs a judo flip is the claim that Christians discriminate and are not inclusive. The woke scream “You’re not inclusive” when you affirm marriage is between a man and a woman. What’s your response? Never fear, you sit in bliss. Your options are so many! How about this: “I thought you held the high standard of inclusion, but maybe you don’t.” How about, “Why would you discriminate against me?” You can always say “Remember, we need tolerance!” What about, “Why would you ever think about discriminating against my view?” Really, these individuals ought to be more inclusive and end their discrimination, right?

The “discriminate” label is obviously so twisted. We all discriminate to some level. We love our family more than the family down the road. We marry someone who showers often rather than one who showers once a month. We invite friends into our houses but not our foes. So, not all “discrimination” is wrong.

What about when people are “judged by the color of their skin” rather than “by the content of their character?” Well, here again Christians go beyond MLK’s anti-discrimination line. Isn’t it common knowledge that Christian teaching is very inclusive? The inclusive Christian teaching doesn’t even discriminate against bad people and sinners, except maybe the self-righteous. Here’s why I say Christian teaching is inclusive to the sinner: because all humans are sinners. We all stand foot to foot in our broken human nature. Since that is the case, all humans need fixing, if you will. Sin is sin, no matter what type it is. Lying and theft are bad. Murder and enslaving others are bad. Adultery and homosexual acts are bad. Pedophilia and bestiality are bad. This means that we all stand on the same ground as all the other sinners in the world. Everyone has lied, blasphemed, committed sexual immorality and/or stolen something. Yes, you, along with the rest of humanity, are just an average sinner.

Jesus doesn’t discriminate on one’s sex, gender, race, disability nor social status. Males and females, rich and poor, black and white, young and old, bad and good, educated and illiterate, are all welcome. You can be disabled, bedbound, depressed, divorced, broken and oppressed. No one comes privileged; all are of the same value and worth to Jesus. A diversity of people come to Jesus; they come with a diversity of sins, a diversity of wrongs and a diversity of bad behaviors. No sin is okay. Jesus calls the fornicator, the homosexual, the adulterer, the thief, the transgender, the blasphemer and the murderer. The exciting part is that Jesus inclusively receives them all!

Each comes twisted to be ironed. Each comes sinful to receive salvation. Each comes wretched for redemption. Each comes segregated needing reconciliation. Each comes broken to receive healing. Each comes enslaved by Satan for freedom in Jesus. Each comes destined to Hell desiring Heaven.  Jesus’ message, the message of the cross, is inclusive. Jesus invites all with open arms.

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