Human rights, and the defense thereof, comprise the battle
cry of many an international organization today. Indeed, many regions in the
world, including those in my ancestral land, show inadequate respect for human
rights. Innocent people are bullied, enslaved, or even sentenced to death by
those who are socially or politically in power. Individuals encounter
discrimination even when they do no wrong to deserve it. Yet what if they do
indeed do wrong? Then we have a problem.
There is a thin line between granting basic human rights and
condoning sinfulness in today’s world. Whereas slavery, unfair trials, and
undue discrimination should be uprooted, many other issues that hide behind the
mask of human rights do not merit the same treatment. Human beings—lovingly
created in the image of God—have the right to be protected from sin. We have
the right to be protected from physical abuse, from wrong accusations that lead
to death sentences, and from denial of service based on our God-given
ethnicities. I salute the historical heroes who have sacrificed much in their
own lives in order to ensure those rights are met. Today, however, there is a
growing movement in multiple nations to push the boundaries of human rights
towards an ungodly agenda—a “right” to sin.
The individuals behind this agenda are crafty with their
words. Abortion is no longer called murder, but a right to choose. Same-sex
marriage is not properly identified as open sodomy, but as a right to equality.
Behind the deceitfulness of these terms is the blasphemous belief that an act
of deliberate sin can be a “right.” If Christians are not careful to see
through this ungodly ideology, the next generation is in very grave danger.
Once murder of unborn children and sinful application of sexuality become “rights,”
other sins and crimes with more far-reaching consequences are merely years away
from becoming “right.”
Please understand that I am not advocating any hatred
towards those who believe differently than I do. Every human being born today
is born a sinner. My loved ones and I are no exceptions. Just because someone
has sinned or has the temptation to sin does not devalue him as a person. I
despise homosexuality, but I do not disrespect the individuals who have sinned
in this aspect. In the eyes of the extreme left, I am a “homophobe”—someone who
believes in God’s definition of sexuality, someone who believes that God made
men and women different for a reason, someone who believes the Bible contains
God’s moral standard. I believe I am in no way better a sinner than people who
choose homosexual lifestyles, but I am a villain in their eyes just for
believing that they—with God’s help—can be capable of refusing to sin.
We are all sinners. I am, however, a sinner saved by grace;
many others are not as fortunate to have come to that liberating salvation. In
a mostly unsaved world, we have the right of protection from others’ sins—but
not one of us have the right to sin.
