I had thought this thread was locked, so I didn't believe I'd get an opportunity to post in it. Actually, I had intended to go to bed, after reading a couple of emails... But...
[Anyway, before I get started, please understand that throughout, I am not speaking from malicious intent, but simply from deep conviction. Personally, for many years prior to becoming a Christian, I would have said, "whats the big deal?" in regards to gay marriage. I did not grow up with any ingrained anti-gay or "homophobic" tendencies that I am aware of, and my change of view regarding these issues came about simply as a result of my conscience becoming "captive to the word of God" as Luther would have put it. I have no desire to "gay bash" (and that despite the fact that prior to going to seminary, and becoming a minister I very nearly lost my job due to homosexual activism in my workplace) nor has confronting homosexuality ever been a key part of my ministry, any more than analyzing and confronting any other part of the contemporary culture]
Where does one even begin on this subject? Well, let me outline my basic theological presuppositions on the subject of marriage generally.
I. What is Marriage anyway? A.A. Hodge, a 19th Century teacher at Princeton Seminary, answered that question very well, and for the sake of time, I'm going to use his definition (which is old enough, 1869, to be in the public domain). I should state that this is the Christian definition of marriage, but it is also one that prevailed in America and the British Isles for hundreds of years:
"Marriage was ordained of God, and is therefore a divine institution. This is so—
(1) Because God created man male and female, and so constituted them, physically and morally, that they are mutually adapted to each other and are mutually helpful to each other under the law of marriage, and not otherwise; and
(2) Because the law of marriage, the conditions of its contract, continuance and dissolution, are laid down in the Word of God.
Hence it follows that marriage is a religious as well as a civil contract. No State has any right to change the law of marriage, or the conditions upon which it may be lawfully constituted or dissolved, as these have been ordained by God. Neither has any man or woman a right to contract any relation different in any respect, as to its character or duration, from that which God has ordained as marriage. Hence marriage is a human contract under the limits and sanctions of a divine constitution, and the parties contracting pledge their vows of truth and constancy to God as well as to each other and to society.
But it is also a civil contract, because every State is bound to protect the foundations upon which social order reposes, and every marriage involves many obvious civil obligations and leads to many civil consequences touching property, the custody of children, etc. The State must therefore define the nature and civil effects of marriage, and prescribe conditions upon which and modes in which it shall be publicly acknowledged and ratified or dissolved. It is of the highest importance that the laws of the State do not contravene the laws of God upon this subject, but be made in all respects to conform to them. In all cases of such conflict Christians and Christian ministers must obey God rather than men. ... The law of the land is to be obeyed for conscience’ sake whenever it does not contravene the higher law of God. When it plainly does so, then Christian men and church sessions are to act themselves and to treat others just as if the ungodly human enactment had no existence, and then take the consequences."
II. "What does the Bible Teach About Homosexual Practices?"
This is almost a pointless endeavor, simply because the biblical witness on this subject is so clear. In both the Old Testament and the New, homosexual practices are spoken of as:
1) An Abomination punishable by death under the O.T. civil laws (Lev. 18:22, 20:13)
2) A Vile Passion (Romans 1:26)
3) Shameful, unnatural, and an error (Romans 1:27)
4) A sexual sin common amongst those who will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9)
5) Unholy, Profane, ungodly, lawless, insubordinate, sinful, and contrary to sound doctrine (1 Tim 1:9-10)
6) Sexual immorality (Jude 1:7)
Thus Homosexual Sex is considered by the bible to be a sexual sin, on the same plane as fornication, adultery, or bestiality. Just as, from a scriptural standpoint, adulterous sex, is never not sinful, so too homosexual sex is always sinful as well.
Incidentally, the Greek text of the New Testament quite clearly dilineates homosexuality using unambiguous terms like malakos and arseneokoites both of which terms were in common use in Hellenistic culture. Hebrew is more difficult, it uses compound terms "Man who lays with a male as with a woman" for instance.
III. What is the Biblical teaching on "Gay Marriage?" If we understand the above, coming to a conclusion about what the bible teaches regarding "gay marriage" is all too easy (but admittedly not very satisfactory to our modern culture)
Marriage is a creation ordinance, it was ordained to be between one man and one woman, and as in the discussion of Christian marriage in Ephesians 5, this essential formula never changes, even despite the sinful polygamy of the patriarchs.
We read in scripture that Marriage was ordained for:
1) the mutual help of husband and wife ( Gen. 2:18; Eph. 5:28; I Peter 3:7)
2) For the increase of mankind with legitimate issue (Gen. 1:28; 9:1)
3) To provide God and his church with holy offspring (Mal. 2:15)
4) And for preventing of uncleanness. (1 Cor. 7:2,9)
Manifestly "gay marriage" cannot do any of these, and in fact viewed biblically, Gay marriage is designed precisely for the facilitating of sexual uncleanness rather than its prevention. Therefore, from a scriptural perspective, "gay marriage" is an oxymoron as impossible as "adulterous marriage" or "edifying pornography"
Well that's enough of the theological for tonight, sorry its so long, I'll try to get to pragmatic arguments tomorrow.
- SEAGOON
