Changing perceptions of a sinner

Just the other day, in the midst of housework, I decided to listen to an old favourite CD from my teens – Firehouse’s “Good Acoustics”. I loved that CD so much I remember writing an essay for my mid-year English exam justifying why “I live my live for you” is the best song ever. (Not that this matters, but I got second highest in class for that essay. :P )

It’s funny how different things are ten years on. One of the songs on the CD is titled “Love Don’t Care”. When I was in my mid-teens, I never thought about song lyrics or what they meant. I simply enjoyed the songs as is. The lyrics to this song struck me in a whole new light as I listened to it again, this time in my mid-20s.

The argument running through the song was that love don’t care who you love, so long as it feels right and makes you happy and if you don’t hurt anyone in the process of loving someone. (I’ve copied and pasted the song lyrics at the end of this post for reference).

I agree yet disagree with the song. Allow me to explain.

Yes, I think love, in the context of friendship, shouldn’t care about race, colour, status, background, gender or any other factor that would differentiate us as humans. Humanity consists of a kaleidoscope of people, we are all different, but yet all so human.

However, love, in the context of marriage and boyfriend/girlfriend relationships are different. The two things that should separate people in this context are gender and religion. I believe there are absolutes in this world. There is absolute right and absolute wrong. There is an absolute God.

This absolute God states out very clearly in His Word – the Bible – that homosexuality is wrong. He also says that if you call him God and Lord, you ought to only marry (and by implication therefore, date) a person (of the opposite sex) who also calls this absolute God, Lord.

My opinions may be considered archaic, conservative and discriminatory in today’s postmodern society. Regardless, I stand my ground. According to the Bible, same sex relationships are wrong and Christians shouldn’t marry (and date) non-Christians.

Lest I get abused for my views, allow me to take my argument to another level.

I have gay friends. I also have friends who are in ‘inter-religious’ relationships. At no point would I ever Bible-bash my friends into accepting and adopting my opinion. These are my views that I subscribe to because I strive to live in obedience to what God says in the Bible. It would be unreasonable on my part to expect anyone to follow what the Bible says if God isn’t their God. A person can only live by what they believe to be true.

I would never stop loving my gay friends or my ‘inter-religious’ relationship friends. I may not always agree with what they do, but I hope friendship will always prevail. At no point would I judge my friends for their actions. If one understands the Christian message, one would know we’re all equally undeserving sinners, saved by grace.

My loving prayer for all my non-Christian friends and family, gay, straight or bisexual, is that one day they may come to know Christ and make an active choice to follow Him. But until that day happens, God willing, if it ever does, I cannot and will not expect that they live as I do. That wouldn’t be fair to them.

Isn’t it funny? As a 15 year old I’d never thought I’d string such an argument about a silly song ten years on. My, how things have changed!!



Firehouse - Love Don’t Care

Little girl, face all black and blue
But she knows better
That's not the way a man should treat you
But that's ok, she'll change her life tonight
She's leaving him
For a woman who will treat her right

And everybody needs somebody
She could be with anybody
Doesn't matter if it's not another man

Chorus:
Because love don't care who you love
I said love don't care who you love
If you ain't hurting anybody
And if you feel it deep inside
Then love don't care who you love
Don't care who you love

Little girl, she's no sister, she is white
But she loves a brother
Takin' him home to meet her folks tonight
Mom and dad don't understand
We're all the same inside
They just don't realize
That love is always colorblind

And everybody needs somebody
You can be with anybody
It's not the color that makes the man

Because love don't care who you love
I said love don't care who you love
Don't let anybody tell you
That it's wrong if it feels right
'Cuz love don't care who you love
Love don't care

And everybody needs somebody
You can be with anybody
So love someone who makes you happy