Love One Another

I am a member of a local homeschooling group.  Last winter, the director of the group asked if I would be willing to join her in helping to set up board, something that I was glad to do after realizing the possible legal issues involved with activities in the group.  I wanted to see an organization that strongly supported home educators in our area.  I wanted to be able to offer more opportunities and be welcoming and encouraging to people new to homeschooling.  I wanted my kids to have the opportunity to meet other kids who were home educated.  I know that I am unashamed to be a Christian, and I knew that if anyone wanted to judge me based on that than they would.

Recently, there was some controversy that arose over a statement that I support.  I do not believe that God has called me to be hateful to people who are a different race, family background, sexual orientation or religion from me.  I believed that we were commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to love one another  (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:49, Mark 12: 29-33, Luke 10:25-37, Romans 13:3-10).  The statement that I support is a basic non-discrimination policy that is found in family oriented organizations such as 4-H.  I support this statement because I cannot justify breaking Jesus' second greatest command (The greatest command being to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, Matthew 22:37).  I honestly feel that I am directly following Jesus by supporting this statement. 

Because of the controversy involved with my supporting a nondiscrimination policy within our homeschool group, I have come under fire.  Publicly and privately, my faith has been questioned.  My intentions for the group have been questioned.

...there's been more but its not worth going into further.  

To add to all of this, the very thing that I support, the following God's greatest commandments, now excludes my children from participating in a popular Christian curriculum and activity here in the Magic Valley.

Granted, I know that people are first and foremost judging me on my appearance.  I know that pink or purple hair and a nose piercing (by the way, Isaac's first gift to Rebekah was a nose ring), make me a likely target for adults who like to judge others.  I am rather surprised by people who have spent time with me and my kids questioning my faith in God though.  I am surprised that people feel that my kids are now a threat to theirs.  I am hurt by people who I thought of as friends now turned against me.  I'm hurt by people choosing to exclude children who would like to participate in a program that advertises the exact values that we are instilling in our children.  

It hurts to watch my children be punished because I stand for my beliefs.  It hurts that friends, who claim to follow the same basic system of beliefs that my family does, are the ones punishing my children.  Yet, I cannot back down.  I cannot choose to break this command.