First, ask of the Samaritan his sexual orientation

JOHN YOUNG Opinion page editor
Sunday, May 01, 2005

Were it not counter-productive and counter-intuitive in a nation of many creeds, it would be tempting to say, "All right, already. We hereby declare this a Christian nation."
Why? Because, as adherents point out, if our nation comported itself as Christ would, all social problems would be solved. All charitable needs would be met.
Sure, there would be re-adjustments – like how to ramp down our military machine (“Put up your sword.” Matthew 26:52), or what to do with the greed that makes our economy run (“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon Earth.” Luke 12:15)
But when it came to children hurting, the sick going without care, families sleeping in junked cars, well, in a Christian nation it wouldn't happen.
In a Christian nation, every human need would be announced as with a civil defense siren.
As I said, the whole Christian nation idea is counter-intuitive, so I profess not to have dwelt on the logistics. But Raymond Anderson has.
Anderson, a Texarkana attorney, is devoutly Christian. Recently he formed a corporation that has given away 15,000 copies of the book The Way – The Three Steps of Jesus to people all over.
The other day Anderson was so struck by an action of the Texas Legislature that, pursuant to his faith, he wrote to newspapers around Texas.
"If Christianity means anything at all," he writes, "it means that there should not be one child in Texas who needs foster care for which there would not be an abundance of loving Christian couples."
Then he imagined the plight of one child – an abused 6-year-old in need of foster care.
This isn't much of a stretch. Texas has several thousand real-live ones. But for the sake of parable:
A boy, abused and abandoned, needed a home. A caseworker called all over town.
She called a pastor, who begged off. "He had been selected to do the annual sermon at the Baptist State Convention and was too busy," writes Anderson. The sermon "was projected to be a lulu and he hoped it would be reported in the media."
Another pastor couldn't take the abused child into his home. He was in the heat of the spring revival. He did, however, invite the caseworker to come and be saved.
Several other men of the cloth and high morals said the demands of Christian life were too intense to take in the abused child. The caseworker was running out of options.
Then two pleasant, presentable, law-abiding 30-something men came to the office and inquired about offering their home as foster parents. The interview process made apparent: They were domestic partners.
At this point in the parable, Anderson asks, who in the story had "practiced the second greatest commandment, which is to love your neighbor as yourself?" Was it the too-busy pastors or the two accommodating domestic partners?
That's just hypothetical, you might say. The Texas House was dealing with the real world when it voted to require Child Protective Services to reject compar- able applicants who would offer sanctuary, even if it means abused children go without foster care.
So, here is how today's Texas House might answer the parable's query about how best to serve the child's welfare: "We suggest that he hitch a ride to the next revival."

John Young's column appears Thursday and Sunday. E-mail: jyoung@wacotrib.com.
source: http://www.wacotrib.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2005/05/01/20050501wacyoung.html