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.

[99percentatheism]

[quote="[url=http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 919#447919]connermt[/quote]

I don't know of any place in the bible that says "gay marriage is wrong" in that manner.

There is no such thing as same gender marriage anywhere in the Bible. To make a position that that there is, is dishonest.

Beyond that, the bible is a book of stories edited together for political purposes veiled in an effort to preach a belief system.

A book of substantial "stories."

It's not a legal binding document.

Tell that to the Amorites. Tell that to the Isrealites that dies in the desert.

Gay marriage isn't about making churches agree to this or that, or changing the biblical view of homosexuality, it's about independent gay people wanting equal protection under the law of the land, not biblical law.

That's simply hot right. The demand is that homosexuals are no different than Africans. So, preaching against homosexuality is being set up as being the same as a racist crime. It's here in our corporate world. And below, I show how it's a reality for every place in this country.

Bob and Morty getting married will have no more negative affects on Bill and Mary's marriage than Steve and Brenda's marriage will.

Homophobia shows otherwise. If ANYONE tells their children that homosexuality is wrong, those parents and their children WILL BE harrassed about how they are breaking "the law." It's creepy that sexual behavior is being elevated to race classification. But that's the deranged world we are now living in.

Bob and Morty's marriage (should) have no negative impact on the spirituality of Steve, Brenda, Bill, Mary or anyone else other than Bob and Morty. If it does, that's not an issue of Bob or Morty.

But for some wierd reason, Bob and Morty have to go into Churches that hold to the honest Biblical view that homosexuality is sinful and make that Church submit to their sexual proclivities.

For sure there are extremists in every camp, however, the vast majority of pro-gay marriage people aren't interested in changing anyone's religious views by force or by law. This concept is a smoke-screen created by the anti-gay marriage sects.

That's just not true either. Soul Force . com and other gay groups are attacking Churches about their stance on homosexuality. This is always how evil works. It must corrupt all.

Unless gay marraige can be shown to be a negative force on society, culture, individual freedoms and religious rights, there's no legitimate reason why it should be kept illegal.

It legitimizes and encourages homosexual acts. Bringing the celebration of gay pride into our schools makes a super market of products to be devoured by those that have no boundaries for their sexuality. The Legislative Bills I post below makes it illegal to press charges os sexual harrassment against a homosexual that sexually harrasses a student that is repulsed by homosexuality AND the homosexual trying to seduce the non-gay student.

This is only a religious issue because religious people made it a religious issue.

Actually, all of those warnings that the anti-gay Christian organizations told us about the Gay Agenda, have come true. Of course.

The Radical Homosexuals infiltrating the United States Congress have a plan:

Indoctrinate an entire generation of American children with pro-homosexual propaganda and eliminate traditional values from American society.

Their ultimate dream is to create a new America based on sexual promiscuity in which the values you and I cherish are long forgotten.

If they pass the deceptively named "Student Non-Discrimination Act," (H.R. 998 & S. 555) that’s exactly what they’ll do.

Better named the "Homosexual Classrooms Act," its chief advocate in Congress is Rep. Jared Polis, himself an open homosexual and radical activist.

And it's dangerously close to becoming the law of the land.

H.R. 998 already has 157 co-sponsors in the House!

And S. 555 already has 37 co-sponsors in the Senate!

[Haven]

The goal of your so-called "radical homosexual act" is not to "promote sexual promiscuity" or "indoctrinate children," it is simply to promote equality and appreciation for all people -- including those who happen to have LGBTQ identities -- in public schools. That's all. It's about equal rights, not indoctrination.

Here is the full text of HR 998.

Here is the full text of S 555.

[dusk]

[quote="connermt

[quote]I don't know of any place in t ... entatheism"]Homophobia shows otherwise. If ANYONE tells their children that homosexuality is wrong, those parents and their children WILL BE harrassed about how they are breaking "the law." It's creepy that sexual behavior is being elevated to race classification. But that's the deranged world we are now living in.[/quote]
What you don't seem to understand is that homosexuality IS NOT sexual behavior.
Anal sex is a sexual behavior.
You are homosexual if you get aroused by seeing a beautiful naked person of your own gender. If both gender have the same effect on you, you are bi. If it is only the opposite gender you are heterosexual. It is only about attractions between people and DOES NOT describe a sexual behavior (there are other terms for that).

[otseng]

Now, repent of your sin and move on to other sinners.

Moderator Comment

Telling people to repent is not a part of a logical debate. Further it implies that someone is actually sinning.


______________

Moderator comments do not count as a strike against any posters. They only serve as an acknowledgment that a post report has been received, but has not been judged to warrant a moderator warning against a particular poster.

[connermt]

Like ID, the anit-gay marriage people are trying to force their belief system onto the whole legally. That never works. It, many times, does the exact opposite of its design.

It did work somewhat. They somehow managed to say that marriage is a religious word and they got a trade mark on it. Therefore it is many countries called legal partnership simple because the politicians found it a compromise that didn't piss off their conservative voters. With religion it has very little to do. Being Anti-Gay is a cultural thing more than a religious and the religions only give an excuse for most of these people. In Russia, in Africa it wasn't the Christians who really are responsible for it, but they are to blame for building on it.

To clarify, using better wording, I would have said "it never works to bring those you claim are sinning into your religion honestly."

[East of Eden]

This is quite the passionately obnoxious post for someone who seemingly didn't understand my point.

My point has nothing to do with "celebrating" homosexuality. It is about recognizing that in a free civilization, people are entitled to lifestyles and beliefs that don't line up with your own. I don't know why you're quoting Bible verses at me, because my paper has nothing to do with whether or not homosexuality is biblically wrong--and everything to do with it being biblically wrong doesn't mean one cannot support it's legislation (because it is the correct, constitutional course of action under the U.S. Constitution).

My paper also had nothing to do with the fringe homosexual agenda. Any normal, moderate homosexual (see: person) would never claim that kids should be taken from their homes if their parents teach them that their religious text says it's a sin. Half of your "rebuttals" are you saying "tell THAT to the crazy, evil, child-stealing homosexuals!!!". I don't care what the fringe agenda is, I'm talking about how it should be handled.

If you are a Christian, you are absolutely not handling this issue with any degree of humility. Your opinions are presented arrogantly for no reason--and you really do give the impression that you've never even spoken to a gay person and that you believe they are all truly evil.

Their behavior is evil. Rather than rewrite the Bible why don't these pro-gay 'Christians' just be honest and quit the faith? Jesus said His disciples were not those who called him Lord, but those who do His will.

[East of Eden]

The goal of your so-called "radical homosexual act" is not to "promote sexual promiscuity" or "indoctrinate children," it is simply to promote equality and appreciation for all people -- including those who happen to have LGBTQ identities -- in public schools. That's all. It's about equal rights, not indoctrination.

Here is the full text of HR 998.

Here is the full text of S 555.

I disagree, the goal of the gay agenda is to normalize perversity. I'd be happy to give them civil unions and have them stop brainwashing the kids.

[Autodidact]

Their behavior is evil. Rather than rewrite the Bible why don't these pro-gay 'Christians' just be honest and quit the faith? Jesus said His disciples were not those who called him Lord, but those who do His will.

And what did Jesus say His will is regarding love and gay people?

[Autodidact]

The goal of your so-called "radical homosexual act" is not to "promote sexual promiscuity" or "indoctrinate children," it is simply to promote equality and appreciation for all people -- including those who happen to have LGBTQ identities -- in public schools. That's all. It's about equal rights, not indoctrination.

Here is the full text of HR 998.

Here is the full text of S 555.

I disagree, the goal of the gay agenda is to normalize perversity. I'd be happy to give them civil unions and have them stop brainwashing the kids.

Actually, that seems to be the will of radical Christian extremists. Because there's nothing as perverse as bigotry. I'd be very happy if they'd stop brainwashing the kids.

[East of Eden]

Their behavior is evil. Rather than rewrite the Bible why don't these pro-gay 'Christians' just be honest and quit the faith? Jesus said His disciples were not those who called him Lord, but those who do His will.

And what did Jesus say His will is regarding love and gay people?

Why do you care, you've already said you don't care what the Bible says. I don't think sodomy was a burning issue in His times, but I believe if he came across an active homosexual, He would have said the same thing He said to the repentant woman caught in adultery, "Go, and sin no more."