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Now,
such a law, known as the Marriage
Protection Amendment, is being
considered by the U.S.
Congress. • Religion
and
politics:
Promoting
Christian
values
in
a
morally
pluralistic
society • Comparing
the
2004
party
platforms
with
the
official
positions
of
the
United
Methodist
Church Marriage,
defined in God's Word as a lifelong
covenant of one man and one woman
(Genesis 2:24), may soon be redefined
as a partnership of two or more persons
who want to legalize their sexual
and/or emotional
relationship. The
implications of such a change in the
foundational institution of our
civilization are ominous. One
of the common questions Christians ask
about homosexuality is this: If
someone has had a same-sex
orientation from his or her
earliest memory, doesn't it
mean God made that person that
way and therefore approves of
homosexual
relationships? Some
people are born with a tendency toward
alcoholism, but God doesn't intend for
them to be alcoholics. Some are born
with a tendency toward sexual
dysfunction of one kind or another, but
God does not want them to violate
biblical standards by giving free rein
to that dysfunction. When
we repent of sin and trust in Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord, God gives us
a new heart, filled and empowered by
the Holy Spirit. He begins to heal our
brokenness and make "new creatures" out
of us. Another
question often asked by Christians is
this: Why
make such a big fuss is
same-sex couples want to
marry? What's the harm in it?
1.
If we redefine marriage, we
will do grievous harm to the
real thing. In
the Netherlands, Belgium, and
Scandinavian countries,
same-sex marriages have been
legalized during recent years.
In these countries, the
institution of marriage is
rapidly dying, with most young
couples cohabiting or choosing
to remain single. In
some areas of Norway, 80
percent of firstborn children
are conceived out of wedlock!
When
marriage is redefined,
children and youth receive a
confusing message about
lifelong commitments, sexual
purity, and the sanctity of
marriage. Children conclude
that marriage has been
devalued and is therefore less
important. Without
a defining standard, the
"bisexual" person can demand
two spouses; the polygamist
can claim his right to three
wives. The American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) has
already pointed in this
direction by stating that the
nuclear family "may not be
necessarily the best
model." In
1972 the National Coalition of
Gay Organizations demanded
"the repeal of all legislative
provisions that restrict the
sex or number of persons
entering into the marriage
unit.... Group marriage could
comprise any combination of
genders." Because
homosexuals are rarely
monogamous, children are
caught in a perpetual coming
and going. More than 10,000
studies have concluded that
kids do best when raised by
loving and committed mothers
and fathers. Two
men cannot be a mother to a
child. Two women cannot be a
father to a child. What
will happen when married
homosexuals become divorced?
Instead of two moms and two
dads, children would have four
moms or four dads. The
public school system will be
required to teach that
homosexual marriage is the
moral equivalent of
traditional marriage. This is
currently happening in
California. Courts
will no longer be able to
favor traditional married
couples in adoption
placements. The ideal of every
child having a mother and a
father will instantly become
obsolete. Foster-care
parents will be required to
undergo "sensitivity training"
to rid themselves of bias in
favor of heterosexuality.
Moral training related to
sexuality will be forbidden.
Again, this is the current law
in California. Canada
gives us a preview of what
could happen in the United
States. Earlier this year, the
Canadian Parliament
effectively criminalized
speech or writings that
criticize homosexuality.
Anything deemed to be
"homophobic" is punishable by
six months in prison or other
severe penalties. Pastors
and priests in Canada are
worried that if they preach
the biblical truth about
homosexuality, they could be
charged with "hate
speech." This
battle for traditional, biblical
marriage can be won. All polls show
that a substantial majority of
Americans oppose any redefinition of
marriage. Right
now, the course of action is to contact
your Congresional representative and
your senators, urging their support for
the MPA. (Once passed by Congress, the
amendment would then have to be
approved by three-fourths of the
states.) Remember
the warning attributed to the English
statesment, Edmund Burke: "All that is
necessary for evil to triumph is for
good men to do nothing." In
the words of Margaret Thatcher, former
Prime Minister of Great Britain, "Now
is not the time to go
wobbly." Some
of the statistics and other information
for this article were drawn from
Marriage
Under Fire: Why We Must Win This
Battle,
a recent book by Dr. James Dobson,
founder and chairman of Focus on the
Family.
Gateway
Church gathers
for worship
Sundays
at 10:30 a.m.
(Hwy. 129) in Athens,
Georgia.
Ministry
of the
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Our quarterly e-magazine
Gateway
Today
For the Gateway family
Pastor
Jerry's Weekly
E-Mail
CONFRONTING
CULTURE
From
Gateway
Today
The
e-magazine of
Gateway Church
FALL
2004
Why
I support the
Marriage Protection
Amendment
Senior Pastor, Christ UMC, Memphis,
Tenn.
NOTE:
Earlier this year, the United
Methodist General Conference passed
legislation
supporting
"laws in civil society that define
marriage as the union of one man and
one woman." The measure passed
without debate and by an
overwhelming margin.
The
most vital domestic issue facing
Americans is the preservation of the
institution of marriage.
RELATED ARTICLES
A
biblical standard
The answer is, "No." The Bible teaches
that we live in a fallen world and
all
of us are born with some "brokenness."
The church has always referred to this
as "original sin."
Though
we recognize that sexual dysfunction,
especially the practice of
homosexuality, may be very difficult to
change and heal, we must not give up on
the grace and power of God. (And, of
course, we must support ministries that
apply God's healing grace to persons
with sexual dysfunction.)
What's
the big deal?
Here are six likely results if same-sex
marriage is legalized:
2.
If we legalize same-sex
marriage, we cannot prevent
polygamy and all other
alternatives to
oneman/one-woman
unions.
3.
Same-sex marriage will confuse
and harm
children.
4.
Public schools in every state
will have to embrace
homosexuality.
5.
Adoption laws and foster-care
program will be impacted
drastically.
6.
Religious freedom will be
jeopardized.
We
must take action
The
only sure way to stop a judicial
hijacking of marriage is to enact the
Marriage Protection Amendment (MPA),
defining marriage as solely the union
of one man and one woman.