Are You Judging Me, Dolly Parton?

This falls into the "Surprise: Another entertainer endorses homosexuality!" category. However, since Drudge put it out there, and since Dolly Parton is a popular fixture in the "Bible Belt," I feel the need to address her remarks.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised. There are many, in the south and all over the rest of America, who are--at least seemingly--much more spiritually mature than Ms. Parton who have taken the wide path when it comes to homosexuality.Though the 68-year-old Ms. Parton uses a tactic that is common these days when it comes to defending sin, hers is not an approach that I've often dealt with.

In a Q&A with billboard.com, Parton was asked about her theme-park Dollywood being a large draw for the LGBT community as well as church groups, and why she has such a large gay following. On Dollywood, she replied, "But as far as the Christians, if people want to pass judgment, they're already sinning."

On her large following in the homosexual community Parton added, "They know that I completely love and accept them, as I do all people. I've struggled enough in my life to be appreciated and understood. I've had to go against all kinds of people through the years just to be myself. I think everybody should be allowed to be who they are, and to love who they love. I don't think we should be judgmental."

Clearly Ms. Parton has a problem with those who wish to "judge" when it comes to homosexuality. Have you noticed how often people who want to excuse immorality--whether their own, or others--use a "Don't judge me!" attitude? Like I said, this is a common retort when it comes to those who wish to excuse the sin of homosexuality, abortion, divorce, or any other sin that has become widely accepted in our culture. This is especially true of sins in the sexual realm.

Of course, the reference is to Jesus' words at the beginning of Matthew chapter 7, where He declares "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." If one ignores the rest of Scripture, including the rest of Matthew 7, then one might come to the same conclusion as Ms. Parton and those like her. As most with even a cursory knowledge of Scripture are aware, a verse or two out of context can be taken to mean almost anything.

Jesus was not instructing us against making moral judgments. Just a few verses past "Do not judge," Jesus warns us to "Watch out for false prophets" and instructs us that we will recognize them by their "fruit." And, of course, when someone concludes that another is "sinning" by "passing judgment," they are themselves making a moral judgment.

Copyright 2014, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.
Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World
tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com