As I grow older there are more and more things that I see changing. Some are for the better, and others not so much. This week, for instance, the Supreme Court of the United States is reviewing two cases which may change the face of America. Those two cases have to do with the California Prop 8 ban of same-sex marriage and the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). With a wide range of possible outcomes depending on individual rulings, there is a pretty good likelihood that the Court will strike down at least some of the restrictions put into place. It is even possible that a ruling will strike down all state bans and make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. So, what does this mean to Christians, and to the Church in particular?- First, my personal opinion is that I do not care who, what or how many you sleep with, within limits of course...such as being of the age of consent.
- Second, if you are a Christian, I expect you to hold to God's Word. Period.
These statements are going to be offensive to perhaps everyone on some level, which I consider good. I think it is time to stand up and be offensive. For the typical Christian, to say, "I don't care who you sleep with" is tantamount to saying "I agree with same-sex marriage". To be perfectly frank I do NOT agree with it, but I believe our government has backed itself into a corner and has become stupid in the extreme. Think of it as taking a laudable but flawed premise to the logical conclusion. I believe it is inevitable that same-sex marriage will become the law of the land.
What no one seems to see is the landslide that will follow. When marriage ceases to be based on biology and historical norms, the door is opened to define marriage any way one chooses. Why not define marriage as encompassing unions between multiple partners (polygamy/polyandry/group marriage), between currently proscribed ages (adult-child marriages), interspecies marriages (bestiality) or between animate and inanimate (objectisexuality). The problem lies in that the SAME arguments made for same-sex marriage can be made for each of these different 'lifestyles'. In fact, it is already happening. In the Netherlands one can form a cohabitation agreement called a 'samenlevingscontract' between multiple partners, and others have broken down the prohibition of bigamy through the court system using the same arguments used for same-sex marriage. The United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand and Saskatchewan, Canada recognize polygamous marriages formed elsewhere. On TV here in the US we have a popular television show called 'Sister Wives' in which a man showcases his life with four wives and their families. In Paris, a woman performs a marriage ceremony with the Eiffel Tower. An organization in the USA has actively advocated relationships of adult men with underage boys.
Even traditional psychology and biology are under attack, now. Current gender theory points to either ONE gender, differentiated, or many gender flavors defined by physical, psychological and other factors. Neither theory believes there are two distinct genders, male and female.
So, tell me again...why should we not allow two men, one dog and three women to marry? On what basis do you make that decision, if not biology or Western definition? Eventually, in the current environment, marriage itself will become meaningless in the eyes of the world.
The second assertion that will irritate people is I expect Christians to hold to the Word of God. In effect, this means we are going to be out of step with the world...and in my opinion this is a very good thing. We ARE different from the world. If we were not different, then what is the point of our faith? It also means the world is likely to become even more critical of the Church. For one thing, although we may recognize that the world has given legal authority to same-sex marriage, the Church cannot give God's blessing to something that is outside His Word. Despite the efforts of some theologians to legitimize so-called 'Gay Theology', the Bible is very clear that this is not a correct interpretation. In the Church of the Nazarene in particular we are forbidden from performing same-sex marriage blessings or ceremonies. Even if this were not so, any local church which I pastor will never perform such a ceremony...I will resign first. Gays and lesbians are welcome in my church, but they must realize that our church is not, and will not ever be, 'open and affirming'.
During the Civil Union legislation passed in Vermont in the early 2000's, the legislation was narrowly modified, largely due to the efforts of one of our Vermont pastors, to exclude religious organizations from having to cater to same-sex couples. For instance, if a local church refused to perform a wedding or host a reception on it's grounds which it felt was inappropriate, then it would not be allowed to do so for anyone at all under the guise of 'equal public accomodation'. Eventually that situation might change. It might even become defined as 'hate speech' for a pastor to say any of this. If so, the church might be driven underground.
The idea behind this post is simple. I want to point out that no matter what the world does, the Church cannot expect Christian behavior out of people who are not Christians. Our standards are not the standards of the world. We are held to a higher standard. Paul says all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial or constructive. We are called to do that which builds up, that which is good for people and what God has told us is beneficial. No matter what the issue is...abortion, same-sex marriage, pornography, theft of intellectual property, terrorism...we don't expect non-believers to act like believers and we do expect believers to act as God wants them. Maybe we need to be less concerned with the world's outrageous behavior and more concerned with doing God's will.
“ 'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive." 1 Cor 10:23 (NIV)
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