Gay Marriage - How should the church respond
The U. S. Senate this week takes up debate on the Federal Marriage Amendment. Church people throughout the country are being urged by their pastors and leaders to contact their senators to urge passage of this amendment.
The Federal Marriage Amendment (S.J. Res. 30), states "Marriage in the
Much of the rhetoric being used by church leadership is truly astounding.
If we don’t make our voices heard now, traditional marriage and family could soon be a thing of the past. Rod Parsley
To put it succinctly, the institution of marriage represents the very foundation of human social order. Everything of value sits on that base. - James Dobson
The failure to pass an amendment will give a green light to liberal judges all across the country and the consequences will be devastating. The words 'husband' and 'wife' will be meaningless. Homosexual adoption will be instantly legalized…. Gary Bauer
Many senators are willing to let a single activist federal judge declare all marriage laws void and to make same-sex "marriage" legal. We must not allow this to happen. But it will happen unless God's people take action. Jerry Falwell.
So, according to Parsley, marriage AND FAMILY may soon be a thing of the past.
Does Dobson really believe that EVERYTHING of value to humanity rests on the foundation of marriage?
Someone needs to tell Gary Bauer that homosexual adoption is already being practiced in many states now.
Amending the Constitution
First of all many do not understand the constitutional amendment process. An amendment to the constitution must first be passed by two thirds of both the House and the Senate. That is just the first step. Next, the amendment must be ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the states. The amendment will include a specified time limit in which ratification must take place or the amendment will be considered dead.
This process can take years to accomplish.
My question is this. Do we really need to amend the constitution to define marriage and if we do will it have the desired affect?
The U. S. Constitution is the system of fundamental laws and principles that prescribes the nature, functions, and limits of government. Its primary purpose is to limit the scope and power of the federal government. It was never meant to address every social issue that arises in the course of history.
Amending the constitution for social reasons can be dangerous and counterproductive. The 18th amendment prohibiting the sale and transportation of alcohol is a perfect example.
Alcohol prohibition was an attempt by well meaning people to accomplish by human law what can only be accomplished by the grace of God. The effects of prohibition were two fold. First it made criminals out of ordinary citizens who only wanted an occasional drink. Second, it turned small time street gangs into big time organized crime gangs by providing a strong profit motive to supply the prohibited spirits.
We see the same effects today in the so called war on drugs which is strongly supported by the church. I believe that the war on drugs itself has had a much greater cost to society than actual drug use.
Another issue is this. If the marriage amendment passes and is ratified by the states, what makes anyone think that future judges or governments will abide by it?
The first amendment prohibits the government from passing any law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. This has not stopped activist judges from ruling against public displays and exercises of religion.
The first amendment also prohibits the government from passing any law abridging the freedom of speech. This did not stop the campaign finance reform law which prohibits individuals and groups from running political ads within 60 days of an election. If that’s not a free speech issue, I don’t know what is. Even president Bush said he thought the bill was unconstitutional. Of course he violated on his oath of office and signed it anyway.
The second amendment guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear (own and carry) arms. This has not stopped literally thousands of gun control laws from being enforced at both the state and federal level.
The fourth amendment guarantees the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. This did not stop the Supreme Court from its recent ruling that police have a right have a look around your house even without a warrant if they feel they might be in danger.
The tenth amendment says the powers not delegated to the
Considering the state of the legal system today and the inability of judges to read and actually understand the constitution, there is no reason to think that a federal marriage amendment will have the effect that it’s supporter’s desire.
The bottom line is this, SIN CANNOT BE LEGISLATED AWAY. Those who believe otherwise are simply fooling themselves and are distracting the church from its true mission to proclaim the gospel.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 2 Tim 3:1 – 4
These are the times in which we live. Our response should not be an attempt to reform society by law. You cannot make a sinner live like a Christian by passing laws. In fact, the more laws a society has, the more shall lawlessness abound. Would you like proof of that?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 1Cor 15:56
The law strengthens sin. Paul explains this in Romans chapter seven. The flesh is always under the power of sin. The good things that we want to do we don’t do, and the evil things that we don’t want to do is what we end up doing. As Christians, we have power over the flesh through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. The unsaved, however has no such power available to him. He is always under the power of sin in his flesh. That is why the only way to affect society in a positive and lasting way is to proclaim the power of the gospel.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
This is our directive. These are our marching orders. Jesus did not say go into all the world and register voters. He did not say go into all the world and pass laws to make sinners live like saints.
It is time that true Christians everywhere reject these attempts to reform society through human means and return to our call. We must accept the fact that the society in which we live is wicked. Yes, even here in our so called Christian nation there is no hope except for the power of the death burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This nation like all nations has rejected the God of the bible and will continue to pay the price for that rejection. This will not change until God’s people repent and return to Him.
We must repent of our trust in man. We must repent of our attempts to change things by the power of our own ability. We must learn to trust in Him and the power of His might.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Rom 1:16
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originally published 7-12-04
Steve Lumbley 2004
www.apostasywatch.com
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