I originally wrote this for First Baptist Bonham in the Summer of 2015 after the SCOTUS decision that invalidated laws banned homosexual "marriage." With the recent headlines where the Chief Justice of the Alabama issued an order for probate judges not to grant marriage licenses to homosexuals seeking to be married, I thought I would post this to help you think through the issue of gay "marriage" from a biblical perspective. At the end of the article you will find several helpful websites and resources for dealing with this question. Make sure to check them out.
Answering Myths in the Aftermath of the SCOTUS Marriage Decision
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court Marriage decision, we find ourselves facing various “myths” that seek to obscure the debate and stifle any productive conversation about the truth. Let’s address a few of the more common “myths” about gay "marriage" that we are hearing now so that we might learn to think biblically, live circumspectly, and proclaim the gospel boldly.
MYTH #1: Why don’t we just let the world do what they want with marriage? We know the truth, and we can keep marriage the way that it is supposed to be in the church.
- This “hands off” approach to the rapidly changing landscape of cultural morality fails to appreciate the nature of the church as a witness to and pillar of truth. Paul reminds us that the church exists in part to uphold the truth both for those within and without its membership (1 Tim. 3:15). More pointedly, Jesus Himself tells us that His followers are salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16). As believers, we must be willing to show forth the truth to a dark world and preserve what is right in the midst of decay.
- Additionally, this approach is not loving to our neighbor who needs to know the truth to set them free (John 8:31-36). Speaking the truth—even the unpopular, hard truth—is a form of love. Without doubt, we must be kind, compassionate, and gentle as we speak the truth. But, compassion does not mean capitulation to error or sin. Instead, compassion means seeing the true need of those around us and addressing that need with the real solution (which is the gospel!). So, if the truth of the Scripture is that those who practice sexual immorality, idolatry, homosexuality, theft, greed, drunkenness, reviling and abusive speak, and swindlers (notice the other sins in the list!) cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, then we must be willing to proclaim the nature of sin AND the possibility of salvation. For indeed, any who practice sin can be “washed [and] sanctified [and] justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” even as we were (see 1 Cor. 6:9-11). Speaking that truth—the bad news of sin and the good news of redemption in Christ—is to truly love our neighbor.
- Finally, this approach doesn’t really work anyway. We tried this “hands off” approach with the divorce culture. Instead of watching the world go its own way, we watched the ways of the world invaded the church. To stand for nothing is to allow anything.
MYTH #2: What is the big deal with homosexuality anyway? It isn’t hurting anyone.
- Lack of “harm” doesn’t take an action out of the realm of morality. Morality is not merely based on perceived or actual harm, but on objective truth and the character of God. Would a man who cheats on his wife but is never found out (and so doesn’t cause “harm”) still be doing what is wrong?
- Just because we don’t perceive any harm in homosexuality and gay"marriage" doesn’t mean there isn’t any harm. Consider these points:
- “Harm” isn’t always immediate (like it is with acts of violence), so how do we know there isn’t future harm that is resulting from homosexual activity now?
- “Harm” isn’t always physical, so how we know there isn’t psychological, emotional, or social harm resulting from homosexual “marriage”? In fact, there is. Numerous surveys show how homosexual activity can harm to society and especially harm families and children.
- How do we know that there isn’t harm to oneself (or others) spiritually? In fact, there is, for the wages of sin (any sin) is death. This is true of any sin not just homosexuality.
- The “no harm” principle really leads to a position where there are no logical restrictions on who can be in a “marriage-able” relationship. Who determines what harm is? Is there harm in a 50-year-old man marrying a 10-year-old girl? Is there harm in a dad sexually “loving” his daughter or a mother and her son? Or what about a woman and her horse? Of course, we would answer a resounding “yes!” But without an objectively based moral standard (like God and His Word), who gets to determine what constitutes “harm”?
MYTH #3: Why are you Christians so worried about homosexuality? Jesus didn’t even address the issue of homosexuality, so follow Him and be quiet about it.
- This simply isn't true. In Matthew 19 (amongst other places), Jesus appeals to the Genesis account to say what constitutes marriage. He defines marriage as one man and one woman for life. By defining marriage as such, he has implicitly pronounced that other types of relationships (homosexual, incestual, bestial, polygamist, etc.) are outside the bounds and do not qualify as marriage or appropriate human sexuality—no matter if they are “loving” and “consensual” or not. In other words, just because Jesus doesn’t say “homosexuality is sin” doesn’t mean that He didn’t address the issue.
- More importantly, we need to recognize this claim for what it really is—a misdirect. The point of this claim is not an attempt to fairly address the biblical teaching (or Jesus’ teaching!) on homosexuality, but to obscure the issue and cause doubt. Do not be fooled.
- Finally, make sure to realize that this is an unfair attempt to pit Jesus against the the rest of the Bible, which He clearly upholds. Jesus reminds us that He came to uphold and fulfill the Old Testament Scriptures not destroy them (Matt. 5:17-19). Additionally, He promises to send His Holy Spirit who will guide the Apostles into all truth (John 14:16-17, 25-26) which they record for us in the New Testament. So hold fast and know that when Peter or Paul or John (or any Old or New Testament writer) speaks of something as sin, then that is as good as Jesus Himself saying it.
How Can Homosexuality Be Wrong If It Doesn't Harm Anyone?
50 Resources for Equipping the Church on Homosexuality and Same-Sex Marriage
Why Homosexuality Is Not Like Other Sins
Why the church should neither cave nor panic about the decision on gay marriage
