As President Bush and his opportunistic band of Republican politicians again raises the issue of a gay marriage amendment vote, this spectacle once again demonstrates man’s impotence in trying to forward “moralistic” policy without the power of God’s Word behind them. This is akin to trying to get a monolith of people to agree with you simply because you say so. This argument inevitably will fall flat on it’s face, as the inevitable push back from the other side (those in favor of gay marriage) will undoubtedly be…”who are you to tell us what is right; what glass house have you been living in?”
You see this timidity in arguments against gay marriage using rationale such as “it will weaken the institution of marriage” or “it will put us on a slippery slope towards legalized marriage by multiple people etc.” If you happen to be one of those who truly believe a gay marriage ban is the right thing to do, are the previous phrases among your counter-point lines to try and “sell your argument”? If so…why do you think that secular humanists, liberals and an increasing American plurality will be persuaded by your opinion? Are their opinions any less valid than yours?
The problem is that largely absent from the anti-gay marriage rhetoric such as the phrases above is the authority of God’s Word as the sole reason for opposing gay marriages. God’s Word is definitive on this topic and needs no additional human arguments to stand with it. It has the credibility of God’s spoken declaration behind it, and as it says in the Bible: So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed (void). They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them. (Isaiah 55:11 – parenthesis mine- The Message Bible). Here God declares that His Word will not return void; it will accomplish its purpose. In this gay marriage debate, too often gay marriage opponents (almost all of whom resist it on religious grounds) fail to wrap themselves and their position in the infallibility of God’s Word when defending their position. Instead, you get the pragmatic “let’s not seem too preachy or judgmental” phrases such as “the slippery slope” argument or that it will “devalue the institution of marriage” What? Will it devalue the institution any more than a 50+% divorce rate, on which you can add another X% above that where one or both persons in the marriage are cheating on each other. How about the seemingly blissful marriages wrought in verbal or physical spousal abuse? God has very definite comments for these aspects of the marriage institution as well.
But since we are on the topic of the proposed gay marriage amendment, we will have far more credibility in God, if we were to make our argument based on his Word – and by the way, not in condemnation or judgmental abuse, otherwise our bellicose sinfulness will simply nullify our own credibility as spokespersons for God’s inerrant Word which says: Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NIV) – by the way aside from homosexuals, readers please take note of all the other offenders who are grouped together in this same declaration. Elsewhere in the Bible speaking of those who were to inevitably reject His authority, God says: For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools… therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion…although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:21-22, 24-27, 32 NIV)
Despite protestations to the contrary, God’s Word is very consistent on the issue of homosexuality. He is equally consistent on his decrees for marriage: Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called `woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (Genesis 1:22-24 NIV); Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. (Hebrews 13:4 NIV). It is always interesting to point out, to all those judgmental (and unscriptural) Christians who are quick to condemn and vilify homosexuals: God’s Word is just as pointed towards your own sins – the adulterer defiles the marriage bed as much as the homosexual union pretending to be under it’s authority. And it (the homosexual union) can only be a pretend, unsanctioned-by-God union. His Word makes that very clear.
So, as the opportunistic politicians again attempt to use this issue simply to curry votes, for the genuine Christians among us, always stand on God’s Word. It’s the only authority that you will ever need on this topic. Remember, God calls us to spread His Word; we in and of ourselves are unable to change people’s minds. Spreading His Word is our only responsibility. Changing people's hearts and minds belongs solely to Him.