Today, the US Supreme Court overturned the Defense of Marriage and left the Prop 8 decision to the lower court- which had said it was unconstitutional. I excitedly posted my support on my Facebook page, and a conversation ensued. I know everyone doesn’t agree with me. I know that from comments I get on this blog and emails I’m still receiving concerning my immortal soul. How dare I not support God? How dare I write in support of equality? What would Jesus think?
I don’t know. But I can tell you what I know from His life. What I know from the Jesus in the New Testament.
He chose love above rules. In fact, time and time again, he defied the very rules that the Sadducees and Pharisees had based their own holiness on. He loved the people more than he loved the traditional law. While the religious leaders of the time were quick to condemn, he was even quicker to have compassion.
He had empathy for others. When Lazarus died, Jesus wept with Mary and Martha. Why? He knew he would soon raise Lazarus. Why then would he weep? My belief is because he felt what they felt, he had sorrow for their sorrow. He bore their grief with them.
He believed all people were equal. In the time of Jesus, women had little place in the church. Yet, his followers were both men and women. He used the Samaritan woman at the well to deliver the message to her people. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared first to Mary, a woman whose testimony would not have been accepted as competent in the courts of the time based only on her gender. When the disciples saw children approaching Jesus they tried to send them away. Jesus rebuked the disciples and spent real time with children. All were equal to him.
He lived a life of service- to all people. Jesus was not found with just people who were of higher status. No, he spent his time with the poor, the sick, the sinner. He lived a life of service to all people, not just to people who believed as he did.
He was accepting. At the time, people who were sick or disabled were often looked down upon, even stigmatized as “sinners.” When he healed the sick, he used the term that they were now “whole,” meaning that he not only healed their physical infirmities, but healed them socially, physically and emotionally. He removed the stigma of disability being a result of sin, either by the parents of the person or the individual themselves. In so doing, he showed a great acceptance to people who in that day were thought of as less. (I should qualify this here in saying that I do not believe homosexuality is a disability or something to be healed from. I gave this example to show how he treated those that society had shunned.)
He was merciful. In an effort to trap Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes brought a woman caught in the very act of adultery. The Law of Moses required her to be stoned to death, but Roman law prevented such a thing. Jesus simply said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” The people left, leaving him with the woman. “Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” Jesus, the very judge of us all, did not condemn her.
I don’t know what Jesus would say about marriage equality. I do know by his character that he loved people first. That he cared more about the heart of the man. “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” Even if you don’t believe as I do, are your actions consistent with who you say you follow? Do they show that you really know Christ?
Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have we cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
– Matthew 7:21
Or do your actions cast judgment on those who you believe are sinners? Do they make them feel unwelcome and unloved? You don’t have to believe that they are worthy, but you are obligated to follow the commandments of the man who you take the name of- “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”
Lexi Mag 
I love this. Well said, Lexi.
So very well-said.
Well written! I would also argue that Jesus preached a message of love…and I don’t recall anywhere within scripture where he put limits on love. So, yeah…
So very well said!
That was a wonderful post – thank you! As a believer in the state of California, it has been very hard to come to terms with what we were “taught” versus how He would treat others. I know in my heart, if it were my baby, my answer would be instantaneous, so shouldn’t I be that way for everyone else’s “babies”. It has been an internal struggle for me and others, so thank you for sharing something so personal.
Well said, Lexi!
Good, love, and empathy. Whether you believe in Jesus or the FSM, today was a win. Love ya lady!
So mote it be. (a Wiccan “amen” if you will)
Nothing wrong with loving love.
Lexi—Love you, love this post. At the end of the day, if we can say we tried and loved and loved with peace in our hearts then I think we did OK. Today I think you did OK. Love you heaps—Liz
It’s all about the love. Even the Beatles said, “All you need is love.” Jesus AND the Beatles couldn’t be wrong.
I think we are called to love Everyone. Considering Jesus said the two greatest commands are to love God and love our neighbor.
Love this! You are great at putting perspectives into words and stories! Thanks for sharing!
I did not think I could love your blog any more but today has proved me wrong. Fantastic piece and Amen.
Perfectly stated.
*hip bump* It’s too bad common sense isn’t contagious. It’s also to bad that those who quote the Bible don’t absorb what it says.
Lexi, you surround yourself with cheerleaders who leap and shout at every stroke of your keyboard. Not me. Your understanding of the workings of the Savior is negligible at best. The Savior defied rules established by the Sadducees and Pharisees. He did NOT defy the commandments he gave through his prophets.
So what I said here about the Savior was untrue? So the Law of Moses WASN’T a law from his prophet?
Are you serious here?
Quite serious. The rules established by the Sadducees and Pharisees were BASED on the Law of Moses, BUT interpretted by what the Phariseees called the Oral Torah. The Oral Torah consisted of the words God allegedly said to Moses when he gave him the tablets. So, no, Lexi, the Pharisees were not following the Law of Moses as it was written, but, rather after filtering it through an unsubstantiated “authority.” Don’t try to school me, sista. Even when you were wrong in correcting me, your brain-dead minions broke out their pompons. You now worship at the altar of your own intellect. Enjoy the fleeting glory.
The irony in your comment is RICH.
I am asking in this post for people to be kind. Even if they disagree. You come here and condemn me for that. You come here and point out the flaws in the little things I said, and totally missed message. You tell me how much smarter you are than I am, and then say that I’m the one worshiping at the alter of my own intellect.
Why do you come here? Is it because you feel a need to bring me back to your beliefs? Do you think that saying horribly mean things to people makes them want to be ANYWHERE where you’re at? Do you think that calling my readers “brain dead minions” makes you sound more Christian?
If heaven is filled with people like you, I choose hell. I want nothing to do with what you’re selling. NOTHING.
Dear Bort,
We aren’t her cheerleaders we belong to the cult fondly referred to as “Lexifollowers”
Of course people that subscribe to this page support Lexi and unlike you she has NO issue with the fact we don’t always agree with her.
Signed,
Lexi follower #118
I’ve got no argument here. Clearly, I didn’t read the content of your post. It was almost as if I had my nose right up to the painting, I only saw the brush strokes. It took me all of this time to take that three foot step back and see this post for what it is: a call to be kind.
I was being unkind. I said unkind words because I am what you would call a pious asshole. I only follow this blog because I want to have ammunition against Lexi to use to attack her with. And I realize now that that is not very Christian of me at all. Calling you readers here names is not very Christian.
I thought that being right trumped being nice. I was wrong. I would never say such things here in this space again. I will repent and stop being such a douchebag troll.
Thank you for saying that, Bort. It probably wasn’t easy to admit.
aaaaaahahahahahahahahahahaha!
ugh…whew….
ahahahahahahahahahaha.
Maybe I should switch to wordpress.
Nah, all you have to do is get commentluv! I think you can have it on blogspot. It’s super dreamy, huh?
THIS right here, Lexi. For me, this rebuttal of yours is pure gold. This has to be the most well-formed counter-argument I have come across in a long time.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not brainless and do not have this illusion that you are perfection itself. (sorry, but I think you’re with me on this, at least a little) I realize you are flawed, every human being is. What I admire most is when people can still be excellent to each other despite, or sometimes even because of, their flaws… *AND their differences. I think you know from my comment on your wall yesterday that I am in the, ohhh… let’s say the “unaffiliated” camp when it comes to God and religion, so that is a pretty big fundamental difference between us, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know an excellent human being when I come across one. You, lady, definitely fit into my catalog of excellent people. So much so that I may have to fashion an image of you out of legos (no gold around here) and have my children parade and dance around the house with it. (Probably naked, no less, as you know… sensory issues. They hate clothes sometimes.)
Keep the excellence flowing, luv.
Lets get gay married. Please?
time and place, woman…. time and place?
😉
Well said, Bort. When you are LDS you have to realize that there are Laws and Commandments. Laws that even Heavenly Father has to abide by. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t be God. There are countless Scriptures that are very black and white in the Old Testament, New Testament and Doctrine and Covenants about the Laws of marriage AND homosexuality. There’s no way around it. It’s cut and dry. Not to mention the countless amounts of counsel from our Church Leaders which we (LDS members) ultimately believe comes from Heavenly Father.
With all that said, it’s not anyone’s place to be unkind or un accepting of someone who lives a different lifestyle than that of your own.
I don’t think it’s cut and dry though. The church is pushing “one man and one woman” when even that isn’t the doctrine of the Old Testament and it isn’t even the doctrine of the church. The church itself tried to redefine marriage with polygamy.
The fact of the matter is that there is a reason why there needs to be a separation of church and state. You don’t want someone else’s religion dictating your life, do you? Then why should your beliefs dictate the rights and privileges of others?
Amen!
*wild applause* Amen, sister.
I’m glad you posted this. Christ was merciful above all things. Our views on marriage should not affect how we treat others and show love to them.
I’m not a believer, when people ask me why, I have no answer other than “I just can’t.” I’ve read it all, examined it all, and my heart and head just don’t believe in a god. That being said, I could almost get on board with a religion that has good general principles like what you have posted–equality, acceptance, empathy and so on. It’s sort of why I’ve tried to get on board with Quakerism. But I just cannot believe in or even support people who cherry pick passages that fit their opinions, all the while ignoring those that do not. I could almost go along with believing in the general spirit and feeling of good will that the bible is to promote, but not cherry picking phrases I like and then, even worse, trying to pass them off as law!
What I find interesting about this type of controversy on the internet, is the simple fact that PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO READ YOUR BLOG or any of your words unless they choose to do so. It seems we feel so entitled to share opinions here in this country, that with those very opinions we extinguish the liberating spirit of the right of free speech with the flames we throw at each other. Thank you for pointing out THE most consistent theme of Jesus’ life=to love God and to love people.
Whoa….Bort needs a little less hate and self-righteousness and a little more Jesus in his/her heart. I agree with your post 100, Lexi! Guess I’m a brain-dead minion too! Woo hoo!
You really are a brain-dead minion. People who only surround themselves with people who believe the same way and treat others horribly for not are the REAL thinkers.
Preach it lady!
Well said. Thank you for putting yourself out there for all of us struggling to love thy neighbor without fear of judgement.
Who is this Bort character anyway? I hope you don’t actually know this guy in real life.
I would be your brain dead minion in a heartbeat, Lexi. This post you wrote–I agree with it wholeheartedly. You rock, sista!
A well-written, thought-provoking post, once again Lexi. Your passion for equality and HUMANITY is infectious. Thank you.
I love this post, Lexi.
For me, however, it isn’t even a question of religion. I like what Rep. Jerrod Nadler said. “People can believe what they want. They can go to what church they want…That’s a question of religious belief. We’re not dealing with religious belief in all these questions. We’re dealing with what the state or government does, and we have a separation of church and state in this country….”
I thought there was something special about you as a human being when you as a complete stranger said thank you and gave a stranger encouragement, at a point in their life where they really needed to hear it.
My sister is gay, and she has faced horrible discrimination, in my fundamental religious town for most of her life. As an androgynous child, I was tormented by classmates. Of course the Autism, was a challenge too.
I am strange I know that. But it is nice not to feel like a stranger.
I have been hesitant to share this post, with complete strangers, but you give me additional courage to do it, with the spirit you show here in this post.
Thank you, I always thought about what would Jesus would do. It saved my life, as a young person; the only ‘person’ I could relate to…
I suppose that part hasn’t changed…:)
http://katiemiaaghogday.blogspot.com/2013/06/seein-eleven.html
I don’t know the bible. Not really. And I’m not religious. At all.
And I think stepping back from the bibleness I see two ways of looking at gay. Is gay a choice or is gay something you’re born with…?
If it’s a choice, who is that choice hurting? It’s not hurting me…continue with the gay.
If it’s something you’re born with…continue with the gay.
Let gaydom ring!
Long time reader, never a commenter.. I can not, not comment today though.. I love love love this and you and your ability to put into words you heart… And your testimony that God is LOVE… For the love of all things, YES… Thankyouverymuch, that is SO SO true! Thank you for this post! Thank YOU!
Seems to be very hard for people to grasp the concept of God=love. I think you do a good job of describing this equation. All to often we get caught up in the rules and traditions of religion and deciding who is right and wrong that we forget that it all really does boil down to caring about one another.
Oh my lord, woman, I love you. You are awesome. I don’t agree with everything you say, but what you do say is said from the heart, with intelligence and compassion. If God was on the side of your narrow minded nay-sayers, then I wouldn’t want me or mine hanging out with him anyhow. I’ve read that God created mankind in his image, and mankind has been returning the favor ever since. I can’t help but believe that any God that could be would have to be so much more than we are, more than we could imagine. It’s too bad so many people insist in insisting that God be small. Like them.
I’m so late to this party, but I do so admire a person who thinks for themselves. I am no “fan girl” of yours, I am a quarterly reader at best. I almost never comment on blogs. I found you when I was almost 40 and pregnant and had just passed up genetic testing. I stayed because of your honesty and because of your lovely relationship with God. I’m a former Catholic, now atheist who loves the story of Jesus, his life and his words. You not only learned about Jesus, clearly, you have connected with his message. Day to day, I see the worst in Christianity, the fear and hate and separation. But there are those who’s words find me and help me stay on the path to search for Jesus. Thank you. Bort and those like him need to attack you because they their only connection to their “spirituality” is their blind obedience to rules, without that, they have no true connection to Jesus or any other blessed being. They are “earning” their way into God’s favor by being obedient, not loving or kind. Bite me Bort.