3 minutes

"Homosexuality is no different to bestiality, next thing you know it will be legal for people to marry animals".

"Homesexuality is an abomination".

"There's a special place in Hell for homosexuals".

"I'm not judging, I'm just telling you what God's word says".

"The Bible is about Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve".

"The Supreme Court is taking this country straight to Hell".

"If any of you reading this are okay with this whole gay thing going on, unfriend me now".

"Absolutely disgusting!"

These are all actual quotes I've seen flying around on my Facebook news feed since the Supreme Court's historic decision to allow same sex couples to marry.  These people actually took the time out to post something negative and judgmental about a topic that, although they dislike it, has ZERO impact on their life or well being.

There are several random things that cross my mind when I think about what I'm seeing.

1)  This country is a democracy, not a theocracy.  The laws are made by the government, NOT one religious group. 

2)  As a Christian you are, by definition, a "follower of Christ".  The Jesus Christ in my Bible teaches about loving one another, loving your neighbor as yourself, helping others. He does not teach us to condemn or to judge.  That is God's job. (Of course, if you are any religion other than Christian, point 2 is invalid anyway).

3)  Many of us supporting the Supreme Court's decision are not gay, but have friends or family who are, or (gasp) just think all humans on this planet should have equal civil rights.

4)  Jehovah's Witnesses won't have blood transfusions because of their religion, but they aren't up in arms because other people are legally allowed to have them.  Muslims don't eat pork, but they aren't trying to make it illegal for anyone else to eat pork.  Jewish people don't celebrate Christmas, but they aren't out there yelling foul because other people can celebrate it.  Why is it okay for Christians to condemn gay marriage, because they don't think it's okay?

5)  If you personally don't like chocolate, don't eat it.  Likewise, if you personally don't like gay marriage, don't marry someone of the same sex. 

Bottom line is this, people - all people - of all colors, races, backgrounds, religions, all deserve the same basic human/civil rights as each other.  Why would any person with a good heart want anything less for their fellow man?  For their friends?  For their children?

Here's the thing...  It took the above people maybe 3 minutes to write the things they wrote, in anger, or disgust.

In those 3 minutes...

* approximately 5-6 gay teenagers committed suicide because they've seen and heard what an abomination they are, how disgusting they are, and how they are going to Hell anyway.

*  approximately 30 children and babies in Africa died of starvation.

* almost 800,000 homeless people sat on the streets hoping to eat today, just in the USA.

* over 107,000 of those homeless are US veterans.

* 1.5 people were physically/sexually assaulted by their domestic partner.

So the next time you want to spend 3 minutes doing something "Christian", maybe you could go feed a homeless person, or volunteer at a battered women's shelter, or watch this video and pray for the families left behind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vISl9w6tKgo