Not all Christians are stupid

There's this new (well, to me) talk radio show I've been listening to called Free Talk Live. It started airing Saturday nights here in Indy. Here's an excerpt from the beginning of a recent episode. The hosts are Ian and Manwich (yes, you read that correctly), and they're reading an email from Seth titled “Not all Christians are stupid”:

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Seth: I'd like to think of myself as an enlightened Christian because I think most just don't give this issue much thought. They see that drugs and prostitution would be legal and gays would be marrying and so it's just evil.

I think the problem that Christians have with liberty and libertarianism comes from a misunderstanding of the role of government. A government's role is not to mandate morality and enforce Christianity. It is to protect an individual and his property from others. The government should have no role in the issue of marriage, for example and who can or cannot be married. What needs to be made clear is that morality exists outside of the government's legislation. Legalizing drugs doesn't make drugs morally right or wrong.

Ian: And I have to say that is such a great point. The politicians don't seem to understand this, because whenever you bring up the idea of de-criminalizing marijuana - or some other “worse” drug - then the politicians shoot back, “well, we don't want to condone that behavior” --

Manwich: (interjecting) Well do they condone drinking a fifth of vodka?

Ian: — “that's sending a bad message to our kids.”

Manwich: In that case, the good message they're sending to kids is smoke a carton of cigarettes a week and drink 2 gallons of vodka.

Ian: Dose yourself on cough syrup while you're at it.

Manwich: And while you're at that, drink some liquid drano and wash it down with some bleach.

Ian: *sarcastic* Because it's legal, they must be endorsing it!

Manwich: Absolutely.

Seth: These moral facts are to be discovered on your own and, in my opinion, through God. If you're truly a Christian and you truly want people to come to Christ, then you have to let them get there freely.

Condemnation, accusation, and legislation have never brought anyone to heaven. In fact, nothing has pushed them further away. It's said that in the church, “they will know we're Christians by our love”. Well, legislating morality is not loving your neighbor. Live freely and lead by example.

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Amen.