Columnist Rick Lance tak a look at J' teachgs and how Christ would rpond to the current bate over gay marriage.
Contents:
- THE DEBATE: THE BIBLE AND GAY MARRIAGE
- WHERE SHOULD WE, AS CHRISTIANS, STAND ON GAY MARRIAGE?
- GAY MARRIAGE: THEOLOGIL AND MORAL ARGUMENTS
- IS THE GAY MARRIAGE DEBATE OVER?
- FIRST-PERSON: THE GAY MARRIAGE BATE: HOW WOULD J RPOND?
- WHAT THE 'GAY MARRIAGE' DEBATE IS REALLY ABOUT
THE DEBATE: THE BIBLE AND GAY MARRIAGE
Where should we, as Christians, stand on gay marriage? What is a Christian rponse to the same-sex marriage bate? * gay marriage and christianity debate *
Last week, Newsweek's ver story on the biblil se for gay marriage ronated on TV statns, throughout the blogosphere, and the box of many NEWSWEEK employe as Christians and nonbelievers alike sound off on the edorial cisn to n the story. Of the tens of thoands of letters we received, some argued that the Bible clearly proscrib homosexualy, while others appld thor Lisa Miller's argument on such a ntroversial subject.
WHERE SHOULD WE, AS CHRISTIANS, STAND ON GAY MARRIAGE?
* gay marriage and christianity debate *
Read on to see how each views the Bible, what they believe Scripture has to say about gay marriage and where they thk this bate will be head (at least, church) the next .
I love the Bible, and stake my life the biblil wns, and is that which lls me to the stggle for full cln of gay people and their gifts. I believe Christians mt subm to the Bible's teachgs, and I believe the Bible is unequivol s teachg that homosexual behavr is sful.
Miller's article, one uld get the imprsn that the New Ttament is silent about the subject of homosexualy, which of urse certaly is not. Sce I believe that the Bible is God's word, and I have good reason for this belief, then mt mean that God nmns homosexual marriage, so the Bible nnot be ed to help create an argument for same-sex marriage. E., civil, marriage or not, don't change what is the clear biblil teachg about homosexual I want to go forward here speakg out of the nversatn which I hear gog on Scripture, one pertent to the full cln of gay and lbian people.
GAY MARRIAGE: THEOLOGIL AND MORAL ARGUMENTS
Today I hear the summons to say, Christ, there is neher gay nor Much of what you argue rts on the datg of the biblil texts. When one puts the teachgs of Pl on the same thorative ground as the teachgs of J, one mt nclu that God do not ndone homosexual behavr. Consequently, I nnot see any biblil jtifitn for ndong homosexual No, actually, I don't believe my le of thought is ntgent on that ial datg.
) Even if you lote the Levic pury (cludg the uncleanns of certa homosexual acts) the wilrns venant, the theologil movement I scribe remas. If we refe marriage ntrary to how the Bible f and to how society has veloped , why should we stop wh homosexual upl? And those who attempt to say that the Bible do not have lovg, mted homosexual relatnships md when nmns homosexual behavr are engagg untenable lguistic wranglg that nnot be supported exegetilly or historilly.
The Bible do not accept homosexual behavr of any kd, nor do ll on Christians or society to treat homosexual behavr as Thank you for this. All we n do is bet our liv and tst ourselv to the judgment and mercy of also means you take the text more serly than you take the life and humany of a gay brother or lbian sister.
IS THE GAY MARRIAGE DEBATE OVER?
I n't s next to them worship, know their fah and tegry, wns the lovg fily of their relatnships (spe the lack of stutnal support), feel the pa of rejectn or theologil bludgeong, regnize their gifts and grac of mistry (as well as their human failgs and ailty) and not hear that " Christ there is neher gay nor straight. But, sce J is entirely silent on homosexualy, you have a proclivy of Ple do mentn his nouncg of s and tellg people to stop sng—and I don't thk we n e to this nversatn whout alg wh s.
I should say that this is actually a "text of terror" for LGBT (Lbian, Gay, Bi- and Transgenred) folks bee gets ed as the classic, love-the-sner-hate-the-s example, which actually rejects them yet aga.
I'm sure you're right that I am leang on Pl's teachgs more than the teachgs of J answerg the qutn of homosexualy, but I don't nsir that to be a weakns. By the time I study Levic 18:22, Romans 1:24-27 and 1 Corthians 6:9-11, I thk is clear what the Bible teach about homosexual behavr.
FIRST-PERSON: THE GAY MARRIAGE BATE: HOW WOULD J RPOND?
It might enurage you to know that neher I nor most Southern Baptists believe that homosexual behavr is the unpardonable s. I unrstand that this is a much more difficult issue for homosexuals than for other sful behavrs that we don't ndone. I wouldn't say that all Southern Baptists regnize that, and some would disagree wh me, but I have spoken to enough practicg and former homosexuals to know that this is te.
Even though we regnize that homosexuals believe that same-sex attractns are normal for them, we do not believe we are helpg them by affirmg them this state. If God has clared homosexual behavr to be sful, we don't help homosexuals by tellg them everythg is all right as long as they engage homosexual acts wh a mted relatnship. I regnize that many homosexuals do not believe they need to change, and are offend by my and others' claims that they need to.
WHAT THE 'GAY MARRIAGE' DEBATE IS REALLY ABOUT
Homosexuals would not nsir their claims that the clatns are natural to be an aquate fense of their behavr or reason to affirm them. I nsir my opposn to same-sex marriage and to homosexualy general to be an act of love toward those who are livg this liftyle.
I mt make sure that I e across as lovg when I speak to homosexuals or about them, though, somethg I nfs I do not always do aquately. I do believe that before ten years is up gay marriage will be an accepted realy society, and many, but not all, church.
I thk ultimately the cln of gay and lbian folks will strengthen the stutn of marriage, though may first be weakened.