On Same Sex Marriage
- Details
- Category: Perspectives
- Published on Sunday, 11 September 2011 11:46
- Written by Aurelius
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Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24
Fear or a hatred of gay people is not the basis for my opposition to same-sex marriage. Like so many aspects of life, the Bible informs my attitude as to what is acceptable in the sight of God. I believe that marriages between people of the same sex are not possible because the law of marriage, as stated above, makes it clear that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. Besides the law of marriage found in the Old Testament, Jesus also confirmed that marriage, that is acceptable in the sight of God, must be between a man and a woman.
Though popular culture would have us to think otherwise, it is possible to be faithful to one’s understanding regarding the law of marriage without developing a hatred for gay people. Practicing Christians have learned how to live in a world filled with people that engage in activities hated by God without hating the practitioners of sinful behavior. Therefore, we have learned to live in a world full of liars, thieves, adulterers, haters, and anything else that violates God’s laws of holiness without hating the people who have given themselves over to unholy living. In this world, Christians work with, live with, and in some cases socialize with people who embrace a life style different from the one we follow. Some practitioners of unholy living are our spouses, co-workers, children, and family members. In the same manner God loved us while we were sinners, we have learned to love others in their sin without looking down our noses at them because we know from where we have come and how we have come to where we are today. People that practice the gay lifestyle are not any different from people that follow a gambling lifestyle, a whore chasing lifestyle, or any other lifestyle contrary to holy living. Therefore, our opposition to same-sex marriage has a basis in our fundamental belief in what constitutes sin and what constitutes godly living. Our opposition has a basis in what the Bible teaches about marriage and who can or cannot be married.
When Jesus talked about marriage in the context of divorce, he took the Pharisees back to marriage as God conceived it in the beginning. Therefore, it is proper for Christians to go back to the beginning to receive an understanding about marriage. In the beginning, a man would leave his parents and join himself to a woman. Marriage is the proper name for such a union. Therefore, when a Christian says that it is not possible for people of the same sex to marry, it is not hate speech. It is faith speech. If a gay person can say demeaning things about Christians who oppose same sex marriage and it is not hatred, then Christians should have a right to oppose same-sex marriage, when done respectfully, without anyone charging them with hating gay people. When people depart from the law given in the beginning, they are exercising their rights and freedom to do so in this country. When Christians elect to believe the law given in the beginning, they are exercising their rights and freedom to do so in this country.
As part of exercising their rights, Christians have a right to believe that it is not possible for people of the same sex to marry. Therefore, if the government changes the meaning of marriage, it does not mean Christians need to change their faith. Though same sex couples can legally purchase a marriage certificate, have a ceremony performed and exchange vows; it does not mean Christians have to recognize the same sex couples as married. Our belief only allows us to believe same sex couples go through the illusion of being married because marriage between people of the same sex is simply not possible. This has nothing to do with being homophobic in the same manner Christians are not adulteryphobic, liarphobic, stealingphobic or phobic about anything else that is contrary to the holy lifestyle. It has to do with what one believes. It also has to do with one’s refusal to forsake his or her religion because of a populist movement.
Christians do not oppose same-sex marriage because of hatred or a fear of gay people. They oppose same-sex marriage because it is impossible for people of the same sex to form a marital union. To consent that gay marriage is possible is to consent to an illusion. In an attempt to stay faithful to the Christian faith and condone marriage as viewed in the sight of God, it is necessary for Christians to oppose the illusion called same-sex marriage.