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10/02/2009
Eternity, but from here too
This is how Focus on the Family president Jim Daly sees his role in combatting our political movement:
I had the chance to speak to our public policy team after the first of some of these [articles about Daly's work] was published. The conversation got around to a man named Tim Gill, a multimillionaire software developer and gay activist who has donated a lot of money to candidates and causes of a liberal bent. Some of the most crucial work we do in public policy is to advocate from the other side of an issue that Tim Gill has lent his cash and his clout to. That work — opposing efforts to redefine marriage — is vital. But what I told the team that day was, "In the end, if we're more concerned about where Tim Gill spends his money than where he spends eternity, there's something wrong." I couldn't believe that more strongly. I'm not saying it's either/or, only that the condition of our heart as we carry out our calling to effect policy change has to reflect the truth that even those we disagree with, who op-pose everything we stand for, are made in God's image. We should not be "soft" on our principles, but our hearts must be soft toward our opponents.
The Daly Doctrine [Citizen mag]
So essentially he's saying that it's the eternal that he considers most important. We get that. That is what his faith-based work is all about, and we fully support his freedom to hold whatever views on our post-life afterparties as he wishes. He can give us all of the forecasts that he wants, and we'll dress appropriately.
But here's the thing: We humans all co-exist on this mortal coil. We, as a body collective, hold differing views on morality, hell, and the application process for obtaining a low-interest mortgage on a heavenly cloud. But the consistent is that we ALL live under CIVIL law. So it is, again, 100% fine for Mr. Daly and his wholly faith-based outfit to think and say whatever they want about Mr. Gill's infinite future. But the bottom line is that they are using these views -- these PERSONAL views -- to stop tax-paying American citizens from all spiritual walks of life from having full civil equality under state and federal law. No matter how much they spin this fact or hide it behind a supposedly "soft heart" for their opponents, it doesn't change that they are quite arrogantly hoping to use their theology to stifle democracy.
But then again, maybe Mr. Daly is just preserving his own movement. After all, these evangelicals would definitely weaken their fiery portraits of immortality if they did back out of public policy, as everyone would immediately start declaring that Hell has frozen over.
Your thoughts
It's always galled me that there are people in the world that find THEIR personal qualms over who I love give them the right to come into MY life and tell me that I can't marry him.
Quite frankly, it's seems to be some kind of deep rooted arrogance that they can even hold those ideas.
Posted by: Matt | Oct 2, 2009 2:35:03 PM
If it is the eternal he is concerned about, then he should keep his big mouth shut and worry about himself. I suspect a liar, an adulterer and a thief should definitely be worrying about himself.
Posted by: Mykelb | Oct 5, 2009 10:58:14 AM
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