Reflections on the gay-marriage issue and the state of heterosexual marriage among American Christians.
Guest Blogger, Neil Jennings email Neil
Some of you may know Neil Jennings in our fellowship. He and I have been corresponding regarding the issues of marriage, sexuality, gay marriage, etc. as I have dealt with them recently on the blog.
His most recent thoughts were very convicting, and I asked him if we could put them up for all of you to read. I hope you will take time to think and pray about some of his conclusions. ~KB
Luke 6:41-42 (NKJV – Jesus speaking…) 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
What’s at stake here?
Homosexual-marriage is one of the pivotal topics of our generation, and if it is eventually legalized and normalized, this will set the stage for lots of difficult challenges that our kids and grandkids will have to deal with.
Our religious rights as Christians to raise our children in the moral standards of our faith will become subservient to required public school implemented indoctrination in the equality of same-sex marriage.
Congress will enact additional laws against teaching, as the Bible teaches, that homosexuality is wrong. This issue is undoubtedly the threshold to a systematic cultural removal of any bias that promotes heterosexual monogamous relationships to the exclusion of other alternatives.
In short, we will lose our religious rights to teach the precepts of our religion, as they are divinely written in the Bible.
Make no mistake, legalizing homosexual marriage is not an “end state,” but rather it is an incremental step toward an unthinkable set of future so-called “rights” that are just waiting to be asserted.
On a purely organizational and “activist” level, those behind the pro-homosexual agenda are doing some really great work for their side. They have their foot firmly in the door in a variety of influential places, such as public schools and the entertainment industry.
As their side already realizes, if you win the youth you will win the fight. They are well on their way toward winning, and we are doing little to stand in their way.
Dust in their eye – plank in ours…
But every time I think about the topic of homosexual marriage, it also provokes within me other thoughts and emotions. I can’t lie, every time I hear a Christian speaker discuss the issue of homosexuality, the homosexual agenda, the politics, or the sin, I get weary. Here’s why:
-
I am highly suspicious that the divorce rate in the church is nearly the same as the divorce rate in the U.S., overall. There are many studies that compare Christian and secular marriage and divorce rates, and some go so far as to state that Christians are on the losing side of marriage (that our divorce rates are higher than the overall population). Statistics can be difficult to interpret, and conclusions are sometimes misleading, but a compelling argument can be made that we Christians are not keeping our marriage covenants with our chosen partners.
-
I am also suspicious that adultery in the church is rampant—which could possibly lead to our high divorce rates. I often think, yes, we are right about the homosexual marriage issue, BUT, how can we tell homosexuals how to live, or how the laws should read, when us heterosexuals are having difficulty remaining monogamous and married in our own relationships?
-
In the small-minded world I live in, I look at divorce and adultery as being equally as wrong as homosexuality. Nay, it is worse! We Christian heterosexuals have a written and cultural standard that is clear (New Testament teachings on marriage), and we are not even closely following it. The homosexual community—especially those who do not claim religious faith and guidelines as we do—has no such standard, and therefore they’re not breaking any of their own rules. We are worse than they are, and we need to “take the mote out of our eye” before we will see clear to “remove the speck” from theirs.”
Where are the voices crying out against divorce and adultery?
Why is it that the church is comparatively less passionate about the sins of divorce and adultery than the sin of homosexuality? Why have we not made this issue more public, and why have we not spoken out against it with equal zeal?
Why is the problem of adultery not an issue in overall society? Shouldn’t adultery be at least as big of an issue as homosexuality? I would suggest that the one sin is tolerable to us, while the other sin is repulsive. I would also suggest that we are wrong, and that both sins should be equally rejected.
It is not unusual for the topic of divorce and adultery to be discussed within the confines of closed-door meetings, in counseling, or during Bible studies. This is good, however we need to take it one step further. There is not a single preacher I am personally aware of, anywhere, that speaks out against the divorce issue on a local or national level, as is done with homosexuality. Why have we Christians lost our voice in this area?
Moving from contemplation to action…
I’ve got a lot of questions but not a lot of answers. The older I get the more I consider how important it is for me to be involved in the issues that face our day. Standing in opposition to homosexual marriage is important. Our effort in this arena will have a significant impact on the world we will leave to our children and grandchildren.
To be candid, on most days I hope I can bury my head in the sand, work a little harder in my career, and contribute financially to the causes I support. No disrespect to chickens intended, but that’s the chicken’s way out.
It’s time for me to become involved with one or more of the issues of this day and time. There is so much at stake, and if I don’t do it, who will?
I hope to hear your comments…
Neil
