The Supreme? Court

Now that the furor over the Supreme Court's decision to mandate gay marriage in all states has died down, it may be possible to have a thoughtful discussion. My position on this issue may aggravate some believers, but I am convinced I am right. There are several ways to approach the topic that may engender debate.

First a fantasy: since the state must recognize a private opinion about who can be called man and wife, shouldn’t they also recognize a private opinion about who is my brother? The gays insisted they needed the institution of marriage for legal purposes such as IRS filing, hospital visitation and inheritance laws. The same kind of distinction is made by law concerning familial transactions. The passing of guns and other property as well as inheritance issues differ for family members as opposed to non-family. As co-adoptees of our Heavenly Father, I think we should have familial privileges. The fact that this means I married my “sister” shouldn’t bother anyone, given the latest redefinition of marriage, right?

Seriously though, I don’t see how Christians can argue against the Supreme’s right to mandate anything they can support from the Constitution. Marbury v. Madison set the precedent long ago that the Court determines what laws are Constitutional. If the people of any given state try to make a law that violates the US Constitution, the Supreme Court is the arbiter of the dispute. Never mind that numerous states have passed laws that define marriage as between one man and one woman only. The Supreme’s have declared those laws unconstitutional.

The real debate here is whether the Supreme Court has gone off the reservation in their recent interpretations of the Constitution. Forget “recent” and consider the 1973 Court decision that gave the right to murder children in utero. The Court has “discovered” all sorts of “rights” that defy traditional reasoning. I have no problem with Miranda rights, but that is just the tip of the iceberg of criminal rights. If there is a pendulum in that arena, it has swung too far off center.

The latest spate of dubious opinions from the Supremes casts doubt on the wisdom of Marbury. It creates a situation where five people can dictate the “meaning” of various principles of Constitutional law. The nonsense that came from the Court’s decision on the Obamacare state mandate and now gay marriage makes one wish for another way. The governor of Texas has made a start. After the Court decision on gay marriage, he announced that no one in State government would be required to force a fellow-Texan to violate their First Amendment right to free exercise of their religious beliefs. He may have done little more than tee up the next Supreme Court “interpretation,” but I say bring it on.

The Bible is full of admonitions to submit to the powers and give honor to whom it is due. It also says that we must obey God rather than man. The believers’ “supreme court” does not meet in Washington DC; it is held in an entirely different venue. Christian wedding planners and bakers may find themselves in awkward situations from time to time, but so far no one is being forced into a same-sex marriage or to abort a child. These unfortunate decisions are being made by people who think the Supreme Court has given them license; what they don’t realize is that they will answer to THE Supreme Judge one day. As believers we must continue to stand for what we believe and warn of the coming judgment. Oh, and love them all, from the Bench on down.

Stupitegrity

I know the title is not a word; I made it up. It represents my feelings about the "stupid" concept of "integrity." I shall explain. Being stupid is like being ignorant except that it's willful. There are times when one must choose to be ignorant of the consequences of one's actions. Practicing integrity of character can frequently bring on that situation. There are times when integrity demands the submission to certain rules or standards when the results are unknown. This is "stupitegrity."

Case in point: I bought a car from a private party and the Secretary of State wanted to know what I paid for it so the transaction can be taxed.  (I will reserve the rant about the Governor getting between private party sales for now.) I have been in this situation before, and I had a conversation with the nice lady behind the counter. She said politely that neither she nor the Governor cared what I paid for the vehicle; she just needed a number to report for tax purposes. Knowing that six percent of my answer would be going to Lansing, I really struggled with my answer.

My through-the-Bible reading schedule has me in the Gospels right now, so I am continually having those WWJD moments. “Hand me that title,” Jesus says. Looking at it he asks, “Whose name is on the document?” “The State of Michigan,” I respond. “Then render unto Snyder that which is Snyder’s, and unto God that which is God’s.” Then he turns away and leaves me to do what integrity demands… stupitegrity.

I might easily “get away with” saying I paid five hundred for the five thousand dollar car. But here’s what haunts me: when I ask God to bless the cattle in my fields, which in today’s world are Fords and Chevys or Deeres and Mahindras, can I honestly expect a blessing when I have not been obedient? I do not believe in the “Christian” version of karma which so many preachers shout about these days. Do good and your cars run great; do bad and get mechanical difficulties out the wazoo. I do however believe that I cannot live with myself if I “cheat” Caesar and expect the best from God. Stupitegrity.

Or on a far more serious level, a Christian marriage involves the expression of certain vows. When two love birds go all google-eyed and promise to love and cherish and all that, "for better or worse... etc," they have no idea what integrity might demand of them down the road. Too many marriages crash and burn because of a lack of integrity – they don’t take the vows seriously. Burn my toast once too often and you’re outta here, Baby. But I think of the guy who watches his wife descend into early Alzheimer’s or MLS or whatever and he stays by her side cherishing, honoring… that’s stupitegrity.

And there are encounters like this every day. You may call me simple, naïve, or even stupid, but this is what I think it means for a believer to have integrity. I recall reading something else Jesus said: “If you’re honest in small things, you’ll be honest in big things; if you’re a crook in small things, you’ll be a crook in big things. If you’re not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store? No worker can serve two bosses: he’ll either hate the first and love the second, or adore the first and despise the second. You can’t serve both God and the Bank.” (Luke 16:10-13 The Message) Stupitegrity.