At the
church where I serve, we are in the midst of a sermon series entitled “Vote for
Jesus”. During this series, our hope and our prayer is to accomplish three
specific goals. First, our hope and our prayer is to demonstrate that Jesus is
not a republican and Jesus is not a democrat. Instead, Jesus is God and as God
Jesus is the one that we are to place our hope in, not a political party.
Second,
our hope and our prayer is to equip and empower us to think critically and
Biblically when it comes to the issues that our culture is faced with that
often find themselves expressed in the political process. And third, our hope
and prayer is to provide a framework from the message and teachings of Jesus
when it comes to how we as followers of Jesus are to engage in the government
and in the political process in way that reveals and reflects Jesus to those
around us.
This
week, I would like for us
to address the issue of marriage. Specifically, I would like for us to ask and
answer the questions “What policies would Jesus promote when it comes to the
issue of marriage? Would Jesus promote the legalization of same-sex marriage,
or would Jesus prohibit same-sex marriage? And more importantly, how would
Jesus engage in the discussion surrounding same-sex marriage?”
In our
current political climate, the conversation surrounding the issue of same-sex marriage is probably the most
emotionally volatile of all the social issues that are being debated in our
culture today. At one end of the conversation
when it comes to the issue of same-sex
marriage would be politicians and others who
advocate for same-sex marriage.
Those who advocate for same-sex
marriage point to several arguments to support their position.
First,
those who advocate for same-sex
marriage argue that denying some people the option to marry is discriminatory
and creates a second class of citizens. Second, those who advocate for same-sex marriage argue that same-sex
couples should have access to the same benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married
couples. Third, those who advocate for same-sex marriage argue that the concept of
"traditional marriage" has changed over time, and the definition of
marriage as always being between one man and one woman is historically
inaccurate.
Fourth,
those who advocate for same-sex
marriage argue that same-sex marriage is a civil right that is protected by the
US Constitution's commitments to liberty and equality. Fifth, those who
advocate for same-sex
marriage argue that marriage is not only for procreation, otherwise infertile
couples or couples not wishing to have children would be prevented from
marrying. Sixth, those who advocate for same-sex marriage argue that same-sex couples
make good parents and that same-sex marriage bans cause humiliation and
uncertainty for children being raised by same-sex couples.
Seventh,
those who advocate for same-sex
marriage argue that legalizing same-sex marriage will not harm the institution
of marriage, and same-sex marriages may even be more stable than heterosexual
marriages. Eighth, those who advocate for same-sex marriage argue that legal marriage is a
secular institution that should not be limited by religious objections to
same-sex marriage. And ninth, those who advocate for same-sex marriage argue that many
religious leaders and churches support gay marriage and say it is consistent
with scripture. And many who advocate for same-sex marriage, who would be
viewed in our culture as being on “the left”, often paint those who are against
same-sex marriage as being homophobic, bigots, prejudiced against homosexuals,
or as being religious extremists.
On the
other end of the conversation when it comes to the issue of same sex marriage would
be politicians and others who advocate for prohibiting same-sex marriage. Those
who are opposed to same-sex
marriage point to several arguments to support their position.
First,
those who are opposed to same sex marriage argue that marriage is for procreation
and should not be extended to same-sex couples because they cannot produce
children together. Second, those who are opposed to same sex marriage argue
that children need both a mother and a father. Third, those who are opposed to same
sex marriage argue that legalizing same-sex marriage could lead down a
"slippery slope," giving people in polygamous, incestuous, bestial,
and other nontraditional relationships to be defined as marriage.
Fourth,
those who are opposed to same sex marriage argue that allowing gay couples to
wed could further weaken the institution of marriage. Fifth, those who are
opposed to same sex marriage argue that homosexuality is immoral and unnatural
and that same-sex marriage is contrary to the word of God and is incompatible
with the beliefs, sacred texts, and traditions of many religious groups. Sixth,
those who are opposed to same sex marriage argue that people should not have
their tax dollars used to support something they believe is wrong.
Seventh,
those who are opposed to same sex marriage argue that marriage is a privilege,
not a right. Eighth, those who are opposed to same sex marriage argue that legalizing
same-sex marriage advances the "homosexual agenda" and unfairly
paints opponents as bigots. And ninth, those who are opposed to same sex
marriage argue that civil unions and domestic partnerships can provide the
protections and benefits gay couples need without changing the definition of
marriage. And many who are opposed to same-sex marriage, who would be viewed in
our culture as being on “the right”, often paint those who are for same-sex
marriage as being immoral people who are advancing an agenda designed to
destroy the foundations of America.
Now,
with all that background in mind, let’s take a look at what the message and
teachings of Jesus have to say when it comes to the issue of same sex marriage.
Specifically, what do the letters that make up the Bible reveal about same sex
marriage and homosexuality in general? Now whether you regularly attend church or never attend
church; whether or not you regularly read the Bible, you are probably at least
somewhat familiar with what the letters that make up the Bible have to say
about the issue of homosexuality. And the reason why you are probably at least
somewhat familiar with what the letters that make up the Bible have to say
about homosexuality is due to the fact that Christians seem to have no problem
telling people what the letters that make up the Bible have to say about homosexuality.
Many Christians who cannot quote the vast majority of the
Bible seem to have no problem quoting the Bible when it comes to the issue of
homosexuality. Many Christians have no problem quoting what author Preston
Sprinkle refers to as the “Clobber passages” when it comes to homosexuality.
Tomorrow, we will look at those clobber passages and
examine how Jesus engaged in conversations around this issue...
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