Same-Sex Marriage Legalization

Earlier this week, the United States supreme court ordered that all states within the union now legalize same-sex marriages.  This week, I want to address this issue.

I’ll talk about how the Bible is explicitly against same-sex marriages later, but for now I want to spend some time talking about why I think this shouldn’t be a big deal for the contemporary Christian.

First, we have to realize that there is a difference between legal and ethical laws.  There is a commonwealth in the United States that makes it illegal to buy a bicycle on Sundays, but tricycles are fine.  In certain countries, non-consensual sex between married persons isn’t rape.  In the first case, buying a bicycle or tricycle on a Sunday is not really an ethical question (but obeying a law of government is), and in the latter, I’d (hopefully) think that you’d consider rape in any circumstance as wrong.

So legal and ethical laws don’t always align, but in an American’s pleasantly homogenous and relatively safe experience, we often assume that laws made and enforced by a governing authority are the same.  And that’s not entirely incorrect.

In America, we believe that murder is an objectionable offense; same as theft, rape, sexual assault, and child molestation.  We also believe that people should have the right to speak their mind, to participate in the country’s political arena, and to make a decent living.  How we go about enforcing and monitoring these processes I’ll leave to more informed minds than mine, but the point is that the majority of the laws (I feel) pretty much align with the rights that should be recognized and protected in every individual.  So what about same-sex marriage?

Well, the Bible doesn’t 1) Outline the conduct and behavior of people in a same-sex union, and 2) is directly opposed to same-sex romantic relationships.  So if anyone uses the Bible as their standard of morality, then they can safely assume that same-sex marriages are ethically wrong.  But that doesn’t mean they are legally wrong.

Christians live in a dual existence—we live in the world but we are not of the world.  While the laws in America may have changed to accommodate those who do not wish to follow the Bible, the laws of the Bible itself has not changed.  Same-sex unions are legally permissible but morally illegal.

This brings me to the next point: just because people call themselves Christians doesn’t mean that someone IS a Christian.  I can buy a gun and a set of handcuffs, and then run around telling everyone that I’m a cop, but that doesn’t make me a police officer.  Same thing with being a Christian, and I feel that we can all agree on this: just because you own a Bible, go to church on Sunday, and call yourself a Christian, doesn’t mean that you are a Christian.  Sorry ‘bout that. 

Despite personal statements to one’s religious affiliation, saying that you are a Christian doesn’t make you one, and I think willfully going against what the Bible directly says would certainly be a blatant black mark against any statement you could make to the contrary.  But this doesn’t help the majority of the Christian population: What can the contemporary Christian do with people who have a union recognized by the state as a marriage?  1 Corinthians 5:12 says:

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?  Are you not to judge those inside?”

If you’re not a Christian, then I can’t hold you to the same standards as one.  That’s like trying to give a red card from soccer to someone who’s playing golf: those rules just don’t apply.

What’s more is that the verse after 1 Corinthians 5:13 gives us detail on how to react to people doing things contrary to God’s laws, and who is responsible for enforcing them.

“God will judge those outside.  Expel the wicked person from among you.”

Someone’s doing something contrary to God’s directives?  Let God handle it.  Someone calling themselves a Christian but doing decidedly un-Christ-like things? Expel them.  Of course, there is a difference between a wicked person and someone deeply mistaken, and there is a method and a process that needs to be done before disfellowshipping someone, but my main point remains true: people who don’t belong to Christ can’t be held accountable to God’s laws, and people making direct efforts to go against God’s laws shouldn’t continue communing with God’s Church.

Tomorrow I’ll go back to talking about how awesome Ruth is, but in an effort to stay relevant I had to address this issue.

See you tomorrow.

Christians in the Military, Pt 2

Last week we talked about the strong historical evidence of Christians in the military, the reasons why modern-day Christians believe that Christians should be in the military, and that the earliest recorded Christians were unanimously against Christians being the military or committing any violent acts.  This week we’ll look at scriptures that talk about how Christians should conduct themselves in times of war. Let’s begin.

We all know that Christ had two Advents (when he would appear to the world and save it).  The first, obivously, was when God came in human form and died on the cross.  The second will bring an everlasting peace, and when that everlasting peace will come, is more debateable.

All Christians believe that there will be an “End Times”, and that during this period people will live in harmony with each other.

He will judge between the nations
And will settle disputes for many peoples
They will beat their swords into plowshares
Nation will not take up sword against nation
Nor will they train for war anymore.
Isaiah 2:4

The wolf will ive with the lamb,the leopard will lie down with the goat,
The calf and the lion and the yearling together
And a little child will lead them.
Isaiah 11:6

And we also know that after Jesus left for the first time, that there would still be conflict.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Matthew 24:6-7

So for right now there will be war, but later on there will be peace.  What should a Christian do during times of war?

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  But I tell you the truth, do not resist an evil person.  If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other also.
Matthew 5:38-39

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Matthew 26:52

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If my kingdom were of this world, my servant would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here.
John 18:36

Most perplexing though, is that before Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, he asked his disciples to sell their cloak (a most precious possession if you tend to live outside most of your life) to buy a sword (Luke 22:36-38).

Whether this was to allow Jesus to later heal a man who was harmed by Peter so he could say “those who live by the sword will die by the sword”, or that Jesus gave permission for his follows to arm themselves, is not clear to me.  Personally, I’d rather not have to give an accounting to why I killed someone, especially if God holds all life to be sacred.

Next week I’m going to talk about Ruth.  See you there.