Christianity and gay marriage

Jesus addresses and defines marriage in Matthew –6 and Mark –9 using both Genesis –27 and Genesis to parse it out. Here Jesus defines and affirms marriage as between a man and a woman, a reflection of the fact that God made us male and female to care for creation together. LGBT-affirming denominations regard homosexuality as a natural occurrence.

The United Church of Christ celebrates gay marriage, [54] and some parts of the Anglican [55] and Lutheran [56] churches allow for the blessing of gay unions. The United Church of Canada also allows same-sex marriage, and views sexual orientation as a gift from God. Since the Supreme Court struck down anti-sodomy laws in Lawrence v.

Texas (), same-sex sexual behavior has been legal in all fifty states. The state is not going to prohibit those in homosexual relationships from committing themselves to each other in public ceremonies or religious celebrations. Many of the largest U.S. religious institutions have remained firmly against allowing same-sex christianity and gay marriage, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Jewish movement and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as the Southern Baptist Convention and other evangelical Protestant denominations.

While Jesus did not explicitly address homosexuality, when it comes to how christianity and gay marriage treats individuals who engage in homosexual relationships, Jesus’ attitude is the benchmark. The gospels illustrate how Jesus wants us to treat a person who has been marginalized by society by highlighting several encounters Jesus had with women. And, there will be no more marriage. This is precisely the point at which genuinely fruitful reflection must begin.

He is a former Banner news correspondent, and he was member of a CRCNA synodical study committee to provide pastoral guidance on same-sex marriage. So what should we make of the Biblical ethic of celibacy and why we might or might not adopt it as mandatory for all LGBTQ individuals? Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Christians can in no way support or celebrate a union that is an offense to God and is, in fact, no marriage whatsoever.

Instead, it is a choice between endorsing same-sex marriage or endorsing the new idea of mandatory lifelong celibacy.

Same-sex marriage theology

If, for example, the early church had begun a campaign against slavery, its message of redemption in Christ would have been lost amid the uproar. Paul then even goes further. We are not staying in the chrysalis, but we are joining creation in turning into butterflies. As further proof, it is a man and a woman who produce a child.

When this letter—which we now know as the book of Romans—was publicly read in the Roman church, you can imagine that it caused tremors in the congregation between those who affirmed same-sex relationships and those who bowed to the truth, whether they liked it or not.

The Case Against Christians Attending a Gay Wedding | Clearly Reformed

He did not let his love for homosexuals negate the warnings he was led by God to give them. By no means. Jesus reiterates the creational permanence norm by rejecting nearly all reasons for divorce. Unity within the body of Christ is the most basic christianity and gay marriage about our lives. To stake our sexual ethic here is to reduce the gift of marriage to a biological jigsaw puzzle.

I grew up convinced that the Bible is clear on homosexuality as wrong. Yet, I also know that Jesus talked more about not judging than he talked about not sinning. None of these are equal, committed, loving relationships. We find here yet another image revealed to us in Christ. I am concerned that Christians who have lost their livelihoods because they refused to bake a cake or take pictures for a gay wedding will be thought extreme for refusing their services when they could have just explained their reservations beforehand and accepted the job in good conscience.

Our failure to celebrate singleness has contributed to the sense of rejection experienced by many who have a homosexual attraction. Turning to Genesis 2, we learn that the male-female polarity is by no means only for the purpose of biological reproduction. Many claim different perspectives. But in short, the creational intent of procreation has been made new.

Meanwhile, we as evangelicals need each other, standing as one, determined not to cower away from engaging our wayward culture. Our job now is to fill in Act 5, Scene 2. Jesus gave us the two-fold principle of love in place of the commandments of law Mark This is not a time to buckle under pressure, but we must instead remain united with both truth and grace.