God's Rainbow Promise (Updated from July 5, 2015)

 

"I would truly like to know how the "rainbow" (which is God's covenant with Mankind promising he will never destroy the world again) became the international symbol for Gay Rights. I am all for equality but it distresses me that whenever people look at a rainbow now, they do NOT think of God and the promise He made to us..."

-- TMB

"I will always look at the rainbow and think of God's promise. I don't think the gays' use of any color changes the Christian belief system. Mattel (I believe it was) created a Rainbow Bright toy years ago, and I never related it to God's promise. Purple is the color for Alzheimer's awareness, orange for Leukemia, etc., so if they had chosen purple or orange, someone would find that offensive. I think the bigger issue in our world is when are we going to all stop finding things to be offended by?"

-- LBB

Ask and ye shall receive!  Once again, I went out to my readership for a topic. Once again, they have not failed to come through for me.  Two ladies I know, have questions of which I, of course, have my own, humble opinion.  I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. Kidding.

God's "rainbow promise" is from the book of Genesis.  It is referred to as the Noahic Covenant.  After the great flood, God makes an unconditional covenant with Noah, his descendants, every living creature, and the earth.  The "covenant" promises to never "destroy" the Earth by a flood, again, no matter how wicked man might become.  God sealed this promise with a rainbow, so the covenant would always be remembered.  Of course, this presupposed that man would always hold the word of God dear, and we all know how that has worked out. I thought the rainbow pointed to a pot of gold.  Silly me.

An important point to note? God does not promise never to destroy the earth again.  The promise is to never do it with water. So, man is not off the hook, when it comes to God's wickedness.  Watch out for fire, asteroids, earthquakes, famine, plague, pestilence, and more of the worst you can imagine. But, water?  Not so much. 

Perhaps, with more and more gays looking to the Abrahamic religions for answers, salvation, and faith, the rainbow might, once again, remind us all, of the covenant, the promise, God made.  But, for the time being, we will have to practice patience, understanding, tolerance, and love of Jesus.

My two ladies remember God's promise.  They look to the sky, after a rain, and remind us of a story, a parable, handed down through the ages.  Its truth is based solely on one's faith in the omnipotent power of God.  The ladies remind us of another "bigger issue." When we will all stop finding things to be offended by.  Being offended is the nature of mankind.  We offend, and we are offended. One usually follows the other in a vicious circle of selfish desire.  

I constantly refer to the League of the Perpetually Offended.  There is an old adage. It says that you can't save the poor from their lot, as it is up to them to save themselves.  The definition of "poor" is always based on a monetary sense, but we forget the many things we can be poor in.  

Tolerance is something man is sorely lacking in.  It is easier to be offended than to be tolerant. Tolerance requires us to exercise our brain, for something other than our selfish attitudes and desires.  It is what causes even the faithful to forget scripture. We sit in judgment over our fellow beings, voicing condemnation, and God's wrath in burning fires of hell, for all eternity, to those who don't measure up to the holier-than-thou interpretation of scripture that contradicts everything we think is holy.  I would say the bigger issue is that nobody pays attention to the more important messages of their scripture.

Just about every religion known touts a kinder gentler attitude toward one another. A more loving philosophy of life and the respect we are sorely lacking, for so many things.  I think we need to be more understanding.  We need to remember the Bible is simply a book. A collection of stories which, taken as a whole, is supposed to reflect the peace, love, understanding, and tolerance Jesus brought to us.  We try, too hard, to read too much into it.  The lessons of Jesus Christ are not that difficult. They were never meant to be. And the Bible? God promised never to write anything down, ever again, because man misinterprets it. Man wrote the Bible, and we misinterpret it... all the time.

…God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. "It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud,… and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. "When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth."

-- Genesis 9:12-17

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com