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March 20, 2007
Love Your Enemies
Mike Heath would do well to read this series by Mark D. Roberts on loving one's enemies.
Heath is a frequent target of this blog and my column for a reason. When you write nonsense like this, you have to expect someone will take you to task.
The Chancery, and Maine, is between a rock and a hard place. The Chancery is promising to fight same-sex marriage. I’m not sure what their position is on civil unions. The radical homosexual lobby owns the Maine Democratic Party and a good chunk of the Maine Republican Party. This gives the so-called gay lobby a lock on the State House.Do I believe that gay marriage is a societal good? Probably not. But do I think the "radical homosexual lobby owns" the major political parties and has "a lock" on the Maine legislature?It appears that political forces within Maine’s largest religious group, the Roman Catholic Church, and Maine’s most powerful immoral group, the homosexual lobby, struck a deal. Everyone wanted to avoid a political war over same-sex marriage after 2005’s brutal ordeal. To avoid the fight, the Catholic Chancery and the gay lobby decided to become domestic partners.
No.
Heath has claimed to speak for Jesus, but seems to have forgotten that Jesus' command was not to defeat one's enemies, but to love them. This doesn't mean we should just roll over and accept things such as gay marriage, but it does mean that we should be more concerned with the state of souls than with the promotion of our personal political beliefs.
The Christian Civic League, under the direction of Heath, seems to have forgotten that the Great Commission is to save people, not society.
To his shame.
FULL DISCLOSURE/FAQ - Why do you pick on Michael Heath so much?
I guess I should go into the history of this.
A few years ago, the CCLM dealt with a controversy involving its finances. Some former board members, including former state legislators, questioned Heath about some financial practices. I should be clear that there was no proven wrongdoing by Heath or the League, and I do not now believe they were guilty of any of the charges brought against them. No matter how much I disagree with Heath's leadership style, I do not think he is a dishonest or bad man. However, the defensiveness shown by Heath and the League's leadership at the time was not reassuring.
At that time, I wrote a letter to Heath about the financial issues, asking for more disclosure. The letter I received in return, signed by Heath, was appalling. In it, Heath almost arrogantly asked who I was to question the League and its finances, and seemed to suggest that I should regard Heath as a spiritual leader, not a political one, and therefore should submit to his leaderhip, as if he were an elder and not a political lobbyist.
So I'll be honest - I do not believe Michael Heath is an effective spokesman on behalf of Maine's Christians. I think he will be the last director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, because I do not believe the organization will survive his tenure. Under Heath, the organization has become obsessed with one issue above all others - homosexuality. No other issue has commanded as much of Heath's attention, or ire.
In his attempts to fight what he calls "the radical homosexual agenda," Heath has made numerous political errors, including threatening to out gay or lesbian legislators, and suggesting that the governor has "a gay gene." These errors have all but ended his effectiveness as a speaker on behalf of Maine Christians, which is unfortunate.
Michael Heath is an articulate, charismatic figure and from all I've heard, a very nice guy. However, he's not a good spokesman for me, or for those who believe that Christ was more concerned with evangelism than with homosexual behavior. I hope that he soon realizes this, and resigns. I no longer want him as the public face of my faith in Maine.
Posted by slublog at March 20, 2007 12:00 AM
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Comments
Such illustrates the growing divide in society between institutional Christianity and the rest of the culture. One spokesman for one organization will invalidate the witness of thousands of Christians.
I cringe to think about what is going to happen in this next election cycle, especially after so many religious leaders making such a huge issue of 'character' in leaders during Clinton's presidency. Are we Christians first, or Republicans first?
Posted by: adam h at March 21, 2007 05:42 PM