These issues have taken on a new dimension for me. I am Christian, and accept that traditional teaching that homoesexuality is neither created by God... nor pleasing to Him. I also have a homosexual daughter whom I love very much, and want the best for her. So I live in a certain tension between two places.
I wish I could say (truthfully) that I understand. One thing I do believe though is that God loves her even more than you do.
My unsolicited two cents: Things changed when Jesus came. He had followers who had a hard time following him completely. He never, ever said anything against it. (I'm a Red Letter Christian FWIW)
Not sure this is the place I would go for an extended exchange, but I do see in Jesus radical rejection of divorce, based in the creation order (And a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined with this wife... and the two shall become one flesh") a blue print for christain sexaul ethics. (And those would be RED letters!)
But, regardless of what either of you believe about God, the Bible, Jesus, Christian ethics, etc., the post is about the human laws that define what happens here on Earth. The question is, should Fred be denied equal rights under the law because Bill views Fred as being a sinner against Bill's god?
Marriage is a legal contract between two people. Yes, a lot of people have the ceremony performed in a church of some sort, but the documentation is filed in a court of law. The "power vested in me" is given by the state, not a church. People can be married anywhere, by anyone who has that power. There is no religion required to be married -- why should the laws around it be based on any particular set of religious beliefs?
If we base all of our laws on Christian (just because it's the majority?) beliefs, we will end up with the Christian equivalent of Sharia Law. Also, which version of Christianity are we going to use? Catholic? Baptist? Southern Missionary Baptist? Would the laws in Utah be based on Mormon instead of Christianity?
Well, actually- it's not even specifically about marriage. There are many other rights that some would be happy to deny to others based on any number of criteria.
I agree also!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't believe homosexuality is a sin!!
ReplyDeleteThese issues have taken on a new dimension for me. I am Christian, and accept that traditional teaching that homoesexuality is neither created by God... nor pleasing to Him. I also have a homosexual daughter whom I love very much, and want the best for her. So I live in a certain tension between two places.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could say (truthfully) that I understand. One thing I do believe though is that God loves her even more than you do.
ReplyDeleteMy unsolicited two cents: Things changed when Jesus came.
He had followers who had a hard time following him completely.
He never, ever said anything against it.
(I'm a Red Letter Christian FWIW)
Not sure this is the place I would go for an extended exchange, but I do see in Jesus radical rejection of divorce, based in the creation order (And a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined with this wife... and the two shall become one flesh") a blue print for christain sexaul ethics. (And those would be RED letters!)
ReplyDeleteBut, regardless of what either of you believe about God, the Bible, Jesus, Christian ethics, etc., the post is about the human laws that define what happens here on Earth. The question is, should Fred be denied equal rights under the law because Bill views Fred as being a sinner against Bill's god?
ReplyDeleteMarriage is a legal contract between two people. Yes, a lot of people have the ceremony performed in a church of some sort, but the documentation is filed in a court of law. The "power vested in me" is given by the state, not a church. People can be married anywhere, by anyone who has that power. There is no religion required to be married -- why should the laws around it be based on any particular set of religious beliefs?
If we base all of our laws on Christian (just because it's the majority?) beliefs, we will end up with the Christian equivalent of Sharia Law. Also, which version of Christianity are we going to use? Catholic? Baptist? Southern Missionary Baptist? Would the laws in Utah be based on Mormon instead of Christianity?
Well, actually- it's not even specifically about marriage. There are many other rights that some would be happy to deny to others based on any number of criteria.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely true! But the marriage issue seems to be the biggest one being discussed currently (at least with regards to homosexuals).
ReplyDelete