Saturday, March 28, 2015

What Would Jesus...uh, Legislate?

I've researched the Indiana Religious Freedom law and am still unclear of its repercussions. I've read it and don't fully understand it. Getting unbiased information is nearly impossible and both sides are relatively convincing. On one hand, I become suspicious of most single interest groups. On the other, I don't trust what some people define as "religion".

If you've read my blog, you know that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. To that end, I am attempting to understand what Jesus' position would be on the matter. All I know for certain is that his choices for company look a lot different than that of many who purport to follow him. Even the Apostles weren't too good at recognizing who his followers were. For example, they thought the "rich young ruler" was a perfect fit for the group. They were wrong. Certainly, as he pointed out, the religious elite of Jesus' day didn't know how to follow him. So, who fits and doesn't fit, I'm always hesitant to say. One pattern I think continues to hold true...his choices sometimes aren't ours and he usually sides with the downtrodden. Similarly, I try to error on the side of inclusiveness and love for others.

So, does this legislation legalize the mistreatment of anyone based on religious conviction?  I don't know. I hope it doesn't. That would be wrong. I've seen that this law is already in place nationally since 1993 and passed with overwhelming support of both parties. Whether there have been negative repercussions of the law, I just don't know.

I do know that there are some credibility issues at stake. One side claims that blatant discrimination will occur here. Some within that group are acting with real aggression toward an entire state populated with many people who have no interest in this legislation. The other side is acting on the fear that their religious liberty is at stake. But, Jesus himself asked for no similar government protection even to the point of his execution.

I hope both sides are wrong. To some degree, I'm certain that they both are; neither side has a corner on the entire truth nor have they an impeccable track record of righteousness. I'm sure this will be read by some as support for the legislation - while others will guess that I'm against it. I tend to side with the great Christian Martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer that said "Politics are not the task of a Christian". Even more, I side with God and whatever bunch of misfits he chooses as his followers. But, I can't count entirely on my own judgment to determine who they are...or will be.

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