Defense of Gay Marriage From a Christian Worldview

[sleepthroughthestatic]

I wrote this paper for school, figured it wouldn't hurt to get outside perspective/discussion on it. Irrelevant note: I am writing this from the perspective of a staunch Christian, I personally don't know what I am.

In Defense of Homosexual Marriage from a Christian Worldview

Legal gay marriage is quickly shot down by Christians, not necessarily due to homophobia, bigotry, or any of the inflammatory words sometimes slung around by staunch gay-rights supporters. But rather, the Bible is clear that gay marriage is wrong. Most Christians believe the necessary extension of this is to be strongly against the legalization of it. However, the purpose of this essay is to demonstrate a Christian may be in favor of the legality of gay marriage while remaining wholly consistent with a fundamental Christian worldview.

For many people, it is very difficult to separate things they wouldn’t do themselves from whether or not something should be legal. Many religious people quickly jump from “my religious text says this is wrong� to “this should be illegal� and fail to see the distinction. The reality of the matter is that there is a huge distinction that many religious people recognize and accept on an intuitive level, but do not rigorously apply the logic on a conscious level and to controversial political matters. For example, a Christian will readily admit the necessary legality of religious freedom for religions other than their own--very few would deny a Hindu the legal right to practice Hinduism. Yet practicing religions other than Christianity is in stark contrast to the Bible. The reality of a fallen world is that not everyone will agree with each other, not everyone is a Christian, and laws must strive to reflect this reality in an unbiased way in order to maintain a civil, free society. When determining if something should be legal, the question is “should others have the right to do this?� and not “would I do this myself?�. Any other way of looking at the law leads to places like the Middle East, where it is illegal and punishable by law to have beliefs that do not line up with the Muslim faith.

So the question is, “should gay people have the right to get married?�. Answering yes or no need not be a religious or moral statement, it is primarily a governmental issue. One can still believe homosexuality is a sin, yet recognize that in a free society, people should be able to do things you don’t agree with. The United States is a free society. So, right away, it appears gay marriage should be legal. However, as most Americans understand, there are limits to freedoms. One cannot simply murder whom they please because America is a free society. If murder was not illegal, there would be societal chaos and absolutely no protection from harm for citizens. Restrictions are in place in order to protect the rights of others. So the next question would be “would legalizing gay marriage infringe upon the rights of others?�. The answer to this question is a simple one, gay marriage is between two consenting adults. It does not infringe upon the rights of others.

Around the time this realization begins to sink in, people begin screaming about the “sanctity of marriage�, polygamy, or even pedophilia. Any straw that can be grasped at is firmly waived in front of the face of Christians, and they are told that if they disagree they are somehow endangering society and violating their faith.

The sanctity of marriage is indeed a very important matter. For Christians, marriage should be about the unification of two people into one flesh, serving and honoring God together. This is a fantastic approach to marriage and one that should be dearly held. However, it again boils down to a fallen world needing to function in a civil manner. Not everybody who marries sees it as a matter that God is involved in. People should have the right to dedicate their lives to each other, and have it recognized by the government, even if they are not Christians. Christians do not claim that atheists shouldn’t be allowed to marry, or Jews, or Muslims, or any other faith or lack thereof. Yet, any non-Christian marriage would strictly violate the Christian interpretation of what marriage should be. However, most Christians recognize marriage as a right that people should have--even if their view of it doesn’t directly correlate to those who are marrying. At a governmental level marriage is simply the legal recognition of two individuals dedicating their lives to each other. That’s all it needs to be, and all it should be. Gay people should have all the legal ramification that marriage has for anyone else. The “sanctity of marriage� as an argument against homosexual marriage is abusing a valuable Christian concept and making it a veiled political weapon, taking it places it needn’t go. The absurdity runs deeper, as those same people beating the drum about the sanctity of marriage have no problem with the legality of divorce for non-biblical reasons, which would violate the sanctity of marriage as well. If Christians decide that the Bible is the authority on what should be legal regarding marriage, any non-Christian should be in a “civil union� and any Christian seeking divorce should only be legally allowed it in very extreme circumstances. This line of thinking is, quite obviously, not conducive to a free society and would not work in a fallen world.

The other arguments, that involve issues such as polygamy and pedophilia, are perhaps even weaker. Polygamy is an issue that can apply to heterosexual relationships, and there is no reason to bring it up as an exclusively homosexual-related matter. Polygamy is an entirely different issue with it’s own set of consequences and matters to deal with. Gay marriage is only about the marriage of two gay individuals, and the only people bringing up polygamy are the opponents of gay marriage. Pedophilia marriage as an argument against gay marriage is completely faulty--the obvious fault being that it is not between two consenting adults.

The duty of Christians is not to legislate their beliefs. The Christian Kingdom lies in Heaven, and not this world. This world is fallen, and it is necessary for Christians to recognize that fact and understand that in a fallen world, people will not always agree with Christian ideals. It is their right to deviate from Christian rules and thinking, because without that right--there would be no free will. Legal issues are matters of society at large, and the government--not an issue of which religion it happens to line up with. It is time for Christians to realize that though they may not agree with homosexual relationships, the right should be there--and with that right comes the right to marry, as it does with any other people who wish to. The Christian focus is to glorify God through the Body of Christ, and to bring others to Christ. The Christian duty is not to make anything that does not line up with the Bible illegal.

[dusk]

Because as it is right now, atheists, homosexuals and garden-variety seculaists are driving us into little ghetto's where we lose our numbers to seduction and fear.

God will protect you. You do have the objective truth in your new testament afterall.

[Autodidact]

The issue is with homosexuals that want to recruit (seduce) our children into homosexuality. With the Gay Agenda, there can be no dissent from being introduced to homosexuality. AT ANY AGE!!!

I think you're confusing gay people with Christians. The people who go around recruiting children into their lifestyle are called "Christians."

[99percentatheism]

The issue is with homosexuals that want to recruit (seduce) our children into homosexuality. With the Gay Agenda, there can be no dissent from being introduced to homosexuality. AT ANY AGE!!!

I think you're confusing gay people with Christians. The people who go around recruiting children into their lifestyle are called "Christians."

You're observation and opinion is not correct. Christians cannot "introduce" children to the Gospel in schools. Homosexuals have a free pass to indoctrinate at will. Also, no one can oppose them and their recruitment efforts as they do anything a Christian says and does.

Also, with listening and choosing a Christian life and lifestyle, there is hardly the chance to contract a sexually tramsitted disease. And debauchery is extremely rare within a Christian moral life. In a gay prde event it is a main part.

And certainly, when pederasty happens in Christian places (homosexual sex with young men), it is not protected by civil rights activists like it is when "introducing children" into homosexuality in the public, education and secular sphere is.

There's a reason why the LGBT's use the term "questioning youth." That's just about every one of them they demand access to. Christians and others can no longer keep these gay activists from their children because of this paradigm of phobia, hatred and bullying that LGBT's have propagandized into the popular culture.

[99percentatheism]

Because as it is right now, atheists, homosexuals and garden-variety seculaists are driving us into little ghetto's where we lose our numbers to seduction and fear.

God will protect you. You do have the objective truth in your new testament afterall.

Correctness through sarcasm. A broken clock you're snide comments.

Even the demons know Jesus is Lord.

[99percentatheism]

I wrote this paper for school, figured it wouldn't hurt to get outside perspective/discussion on it. Irrelevant note: I am writing this from the perspective of a staunch Christian, I personally don't know what I am.

In Defense of Homosexual Marriage from a Christian Worldview

Legal gay marriage is quickly shot down by Christians, not necessarily due to homophobia, bigotry, or any of the inflammatory words sometimes slung around by staunch gay-rights supporters. But rather, the Bible is clear that gay marriage is wrong. Most Christians believe the necessary extension of this is to be strongly against the legalization of it. However, the purpose of this essay is to demonstrate a Christian may be in favor of the legality of gay marriage while remaining wholly consistent with a fundamental Christian worldview.

For many people, it is very difficult to separate things they wouldn’t do themselves from whether or not something should be legal. Many religious people quickly jump from “my religious text says this is wrong� to “this should be illegal� and fail to see the distinction. The reality of the matter is that there is a huge distinction that many religious people recognize and accept on an intuitive level, but do not rigorously apply the logic on a conscious level and to controversial political matters. For example, a Christian will readily admit the necessary legality of religious freedom for religions other than their own--very few would deny a Hindu the legal right to practice Hinduism. Yet practicing religions other than Christianity is in stark contrast to the Bible. The reality of a fallen world is that not everyone will agree with each other, not everyone is a Christian, and laws must strive to reflect this reality in an unbiased way in order to maintain a civil, free society. When determining if something should be legal, the question is “should others have the right to do this?� and not “would I do this myself?�. Any other way of looking at the law leads to places like the Middle East, where it is illegal and punishable by law to have beliefs that do not line up with the Muslim faith.

So the question is, “should gay people have the right to get married?�. Answering yes or no need not be a religious or moral statement, it is primarily a governmental issue. One can still believe homosexuality is a sin, yet recognize that in a free society, people should be able to do things you don’t agree with. The United States is a free society. So, right away, it appears gay marriage should be legal. However, as most Americans understand, there are limits to freedoms. One cannot simply murder whom they please because America is a free society. If murder was not illegal, there would be societal chaos and absolutely no protection from harm for citizens. Restrictions are in place in order to protect the rights of others. So the next question would be “would legalizing gay marriage infringe upon the rights of others?�. The answer to this question is a simple one, gay marriage is between two consenting adults. It does not infringe upon the rights of others.

Around the time this realization begins to sink in, people begin screaming about the “sanctity of marriage�, polygamy, or even pedophilia. Any straw that can be grasped at is firmly waived in front of the face of Christians, and they are told that if they disagree they are somehow endangering society and violating their faith.

The sanctity of marriage is indeed a very important matter. For Christians, marriage should be about the unification of two people into one flesh, serving and honoring God together. This is a fantastic approach to marriage and one that should be dearly held. However, it again boils down to a fallen world needing to function in a civil manner. Not everybody who marries sees it as a matter that God is involved in. People should have the right to dedicate their lives to each other, and have it recognized by the government, even if they are not Christians. Christians do not claim that atheists shouldn’t be allowed to marry, or Jews, or Muslims, or any other faith or lack thereof. Yet, any non-Christian marriage would strictly violate the Christian interpretation of what marriage should be. However, most Christians recognize marriage as a right that people should have--even if their view of it doesn’t directly correlate to those who are marrying. At a governmental level marriage is simply the legal recognition of two individuals dedicating their lives to each other. That’s all it needs to be, and all it should be. Gay people should have all the legal ramification that marriage has for anyone else. The “sanctity of marriage� as an argument against homosexual marriage is abusing a valuable Christian concept and making it a veiled political weapon, taking it places it needn’t go. The absurdity runs deeper, as those same people beating the drum about the sanctity of marriage have no problem with the legality of divorce for non-biblical reasons, which would violate the sanctity of marriage as well. If Christians decide that the Bible is the authority on what should be legal regarding marriage, any non-Christian should be in a “civil union� and any Christian seeking divorce should only be legally allowed it in very extreme circumstances. This line of thinking is, quite obviously, not conducive to a free society and would not work in a fallen world.

The other arguments, that involve issues such as polygamy and pedophilia, are perhaps even weaker. Polygamy is an issue that can apply to heterosexual relationships, and there is no reason to bring it up as an exclusively homosexual-related matter. Polygamy is an entirely different issue with it’s own set of consequences and matters to deal with. Gay marriage is only about the marriage of two gay individuals, and the only people bringing up polygamy are the opponents of gay marriage. Pedophilia marriage as an argument against gay marriage is completely faulty--the obvious fault being that it is not between two consenting adults.

The duty of Christians is not to legislate their beliefs. The Christian Kingdom lies in Heaven, and not this world. This world is fallen, and it is necessary for Christians to recognize that fact and understand that in a fallen world, people will not always agree with Christian ideals. It is their right to deviate from Christian rules and thinking, because without that right--there would be no free will. Legal issues are matters of society at large, and the government--not an issue of which religion it happens to line up with. It is time for Christians to realize that though they may not agree with homosexual relationships, the right should be there--and with that right comes the right to marry, as it does with any other people who wish to. The Christian focus is to glorify God through the Body of Christ, and to bring others to Christ. The Christian duty is not to make anything that does not line up with the Bible illegal.

Read this Sleeper:

http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/p ... e&p=446672

richardp:

I am a Christian and believe that Biblical standards should be upheld, not diluted according to the whims of society and the fickle standards set by one generation of unbelievers or another.

Gay -anything- is wrong and should be forbidden in law, in practice and in preaching the gospel. God demands adherence to His righteousness and nothing less. If men and women behave any other way they are in rebellion against the will of God as revealed in the Bible.

That being said it should be noted that those who hold themselves apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ can be expected to do nothing less than to follow the dictates of their passions. It falls to those of us who know Christ to point the way to God's forgiveness and healing ways.

Those who call themselves Christians, deny the precepts of the Holy Bible, and yield their integrity to the call of the hedonistic society have fallen away. They are backslid and their lot is worse than if they had never believed at all. They are traitors to the gospel and unless they repent they too shall risk God's wrath. It is written that on the day a righteous man sins, all his righteousness will be forgotten.

We now come to matters of political importance. Those who pant after their passions like so many wild dogs want to be allowed to participate in their abominations. Even more, the Bible says they will denounce those who try to prevent it. Worse yet, the Bible says that because they have repeatedly and consistently refused the call to mercy, God has abandoned them to their self-deceptions and lusts. They are worse than animals, for God's kindness has been withdrawn for as long as they do perpetually indulge themselves.

It is being demanded of Christians to certify wickedness as good. Even more, it is being demanded that Christians shut up and retreat to dark corners AS IF WE WERE SOMEHOW TO BLAME for the filth in the world. Ultimately, there are those who call for the murder of Christians who declare the mercy and love of God. Is this really the kind of attitude that will benefit society? It is not. It is destroying society and it will destroy society because in truth there IS right and wrong. The gay life style is wrong.

Let us who are Christians not abandon the definitions of what is good and wicked. Let us not fall into the traps of the hedonists among us who merrily cry that wickedness is good and righteousness is evil. That way is foolishness and death.

Come out from the herd that follows its own nose into perdition. Come out and receive mercy and grace from the God of Heaven who has amply provided for salvation to those who come humbly to Him.

PS
Now here is a news flash for everyone whose feathers are ruffled, especially the gay crowd. You may hate and denounce Christians all day long if you choose. Because many Christians are not willing to stand up for their religion, you will get away with it for a while.

Now hear this, God is not willing that this abomination continue.

Islam is on the rise in America. The religion is on the rise in a mighty way. Nature abhors a vacuum, especially a spiritual one, and the Muslim is coming to fill the place Christianity has abdicated.

Islam is not as forgiving of the gay life style as the church has become. Preachers today are more concerned about their pitiful little jobs than in disseminating the truth. Therefore the Imam shall replace them, and the message of the Imam is not tolerant of the gay life style.

Enjoy your wickedness while you may oh ye of fleshy perversion. Enjoy bashing Christians and enjoy using your twisted logic to justify your twisted ways.

Islam is coming, and your abominations are about to come to a screeching halt.

but that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...
_________________
R.I.P. AMERICAN REPUBLIC
[June 21, 1788 - October 26, 2001]

- Here lies Liberty -
Born in the spring,
died in the fall.
Stabbed in the back,
forsaken by all.

[Autodidact]

99: I'm sure there is nothing I would say that would penetrate the complete thought circle in your own mind consisting of bigotry, prejudice, religious superstition, fear of difference and an apparent lack of humor.

I do however, encourage you to continue to post your hate-filled screeds to the internet, as every one drives people away from your belief system. Good job.

[dusk]

So the Muslims are your god's answer to liberal abominations. Interesting theory. Does that mean your they got it right and you got it wrong?

I also don't need to bash Christianity. You are doing a splendid job of displaying how a religion that is apparently based on love is by the overly zealos so easily transformed to one where everything circles around hatred. I am sure Jesus would be proud of you.

Muslims make like 0.6-0.8% of the US population I am sure they will overtake us and force their values on us any day now.

Maybe you should buy a gun (as a good Christian you probably already own one) and go to the next zoo and shoot all Bonobos. With all the gay Bonobos god surely made a mistake and you ought to end them.

[Haven]

Discrimination has no place in the laws of our nation, especially discrimination based on religion. Gay rights are human rights guaranteed by the constitution, and they should not be taken away by anyone.

[Quath]

I can come up with several ways Christians could defend gay marriage.

• We live in a secular society and should not push personal views on others. People should chose their religion instead of being forced to follow into the rules of one.
• Christians have already been though the "interracial marriage is ungodly" arguments fifty years ago. Do they want to play the same game again with the same arguments again and have it turn out the same way? Just look ahead and realize in the end, Christianity will do what it did for interracial marriage. It will claim that it was never denied in the Bible and past Christians misinterpreted the Bible.
• Stop being salad bar theists. Why is the sin of homosexuality worse than the sin of sloth or gluttony? We don't see Christians kicking fat or lazy people out of church. Why focus the hate on just one type of sinner? Why aren't Christians protesting outside of Red Lobster shouting at people to stop the abomination?
• Realize that gay marriage is not in the Bible. All that could be pulled out is some passages to kill gays and some commands not to be gay. So if you are not going to kill them and if you have decided not to be gay, then the Bible is silent on gay marriage. There is no passage like "Well, if you are not going to kill them, then don't let the ones living together call their union marriage."
• Realize that a Biblical view of marriage is now what conservatives and preachers say it is. The Biblical view of marriage involves rapists marrying their victims, killing women who have premarital sex and having sex with your slaves. It is not the romanticized "Leave It to Beaver" or "The Brady Bunch" marriages.
• Reinterpret the Bible to fit modern society. Say that the Old Testament stuff was just for the Jews and not for Christians. Say the New Testament stuff was misinterpreted. The stuff about man lying with man being against nature could mean that straight people should not act gay. Or it could mean that it is talking about pedophilia. Or it could mean not to do pagan orgies (if you read the context around it). Or it could mean that Paul was homophobic just like he was sexist and we should ignore him for those backwards views.

[99percentatheism]

99: I'm sure there is nothing I would say that would penetrate the complete thought circle in your own mind consisting of bigotry, prejudice, religious superstition, fear of difference and an apparent lack of humor.

I see you watch FSTV and MSNBC. Cliche comebacks all in a row. Why not try to rebut my positions using the New Testament. THAT would be an academic rsponse sir. Not the leftie intimidation tactics.

After all, this thread is about the twisting machinations to justify the unjustifiable biblical position through a "Christian" perspective. As I'm sure even you know, gay goals exist outside of Christian life.

I do however, encourage you to continue to post your hate-filled screeds to the internet, as every one drives people away from your belief system. Good job.

You are entitled to your opinion of course. You know the addage about oinions I'm sure.

They are like replacements for real sex organs for the aberrant and deviant among us.