Should we support or against same sex marriage?
As we all know, in the beginning, God created this world in his order. After six days, he created man and woman, and He named them Adam and Eve. But when we walk in the new age and new century, we have began to gradually and slowly break the law made by God. The issues on genders are really good examples to demonstrate how human beings disobey God’s rule. Same-sex marriage in 21th century is not a new thing or new topic for our society and culture. The attitudes on same-sex marriage from the public, society, and political party are all slowly start supporting same-sex marriage. From Pew Research Center, I found interesting results about how our attitude towards same-sex marriage has been changed throughout the year. “In 2001, Americans opposed same-sex marriage by a margin of 57% to 35%. Since then, support for same-sex marriage has steadily grown. Based on polling in 2016, a majority of Americans (55%) support same-sex marriage, compared with 37% who oppose it. The increase in the share of adults who favor same-sex marriage is due in part to generational change. Younger generations express higher levels of support for same-sex marriage. However, older generations also have become more supportive of same-sex marriage in the past decade”. (Pew Research Center)
Also, in addition to this, our legal system for the nation also made a big movement to support same-sex marriage. “On June 26, 2015, the court ruled 5–4 that gay marriage is a constitutional right, meaning that all 50 states must allow it and that all existing bans are invalid. Even more, there are 18 countries around the world have legalized same-sex marriage. Not only politicians support gay marriage”. Nevertheless, Christian and other religious group can’t escape this historic moment for the human rights. In past decades, especially these past few years, the issue on supporting or against same sex marriage has always been a hot topic among the church congregation and Christian community. On August 2015, Senior Pastor Brian Houston from Hillsong church announced a statement on “An openly gay couple directing a choir”. In the statement, pastor Brian Houston explained “I wish to correct reports that Hillsong church has ‘an openly gay couple directing a choir’ at New York City campus. Hillsong’s position on homosexuality and gay marriage has not changed and is consistent with Scripture. As I have stated previously, I believe the writings of Paul are clear on this subject. Several months ago when one of our choir directors made an unexpected public statement regarding his engagement to a man who sometimes same in the choir, it was a complete surprise to us as well. It is my understanding that they have not been involved in an active leadership or ministry role since. That said, we still love them and acknowledge that they — like all of us — are on a journey, and our role as a church is to assist them on this journey with grace and compassion” (Brian Houston)
Needless to say, the supporters for the same-sex marriage in the Christian church has been increased since they have been influence by our culture and society. As a Christ follower, my view on same-sex marriage and homosexual lifestyle is I won’t support any gay lifestyle and any kind of same-sex marriage. Because in the Scripture, our creator is clearly telling us that same-sex marriage is unacceptable.
Timothy Goeglein, Vice President of External Relations for the Christian organization named Focus on the Family, wrote an essay named “The Human case against Same-Sex Marriage”. In his essay, he directly points out the shortcomings of same-sex marriage, and he also point out that homosexual lifestyle would impact fundamental human roles. He used three strong points to argue why we should be against same-sex marriage. The first argument is, same-sex marriage is disobey the fundamental essence of humanity, and he claims that “Same-sex marriage is not primarily about homosexuality, individual rights or equality. It is not even about marriage or family at its deepest point. It is about the fundamental essence of humanity. At its core, same-sex marriage questions our historic and collective understanding that humanity is one nature embodied in two mysteriously diverse but wholly equal forms: male and female” (151) While Goeglein keep talking about homosexual life style and same-sex marriage is against the fundamental essence of humanity. He brought up his second argument to support himself. He addresses the essential elements of marriage, and how same-sex marriage would impact the fundamental essence of marriage, and he said “Marriage is humanly fundamental because it is the way we solve the primary paradox of humanity, that men are not women and women are met men, but both are human…Marriage-and particularly monogamy-socializes men, protects women from unattached males, regulates sexuality, and ensures that the people who create the babies are the ones who provide for a raise the babies.” (152) Goeglein’s last argument is about the role of male and female for our next generation. But actually, the author is truly arguing that same-sex marriage would make negative impact for the real image of family, and he said “Marriage requires male and female because nature demands it…Marriage exists in all human culture for the interest of the woman, the mother, making sure that the man who fathers her children is attached to her in a way that protects and provides for her” (151) The role of male and female in the marriage are significant and distinct. They both exist to compliment each other, and they need each other.
Not many people would be against same-sex marriage like Goeglein. From Pew Research Center, we already know that the support ration for the same-sex marriage is an upward trend. The book name “God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About gay Marriage” wrote by Gene Robinson give us whole new perspective on why we should support same-sex marriage, and why we should support homosexually. Gene Robinson is a Bishop in New Hampshire area. He has been widely known not only because of his book name “God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage” is support same-sex marriage. Another reason he is known by the world because he is a first priest in an openly gay relationship to be consecrated a bishop in the religious world. Mainly his argument in the book is the word of love. He tries to persuade us to believe love is the fundamental essence of our faith, and he said “God is all about love. Whatever is at the center of the universe, whatever gives meaning to creaturely existence, whatever we mean by ‘God,’ it is all about love. There is no more fundamental belief among people of faith” (187) Apart from this, he euphemistically uses his parents as example to point out the same-sex marriage is no different than heterosexual marriage. He thinks that the love between homosexual couples it is also pure love given by God, just like the love between any other heterosexual couple, and he said: “In the end, marriage is the most substantive and deep example of what every religion espouses in one form or another: love your neighbor as you would want to be loved. It’s struggle to have this kind of regard for those we don’t know or those we think of as enemies. We approximate such love for our friend and even have powerfully meaning ul experiences of this mutual love with our best friends. But it is marriage that becomes the laboratory for learning to love one’s neighbor in radically deep and mutually satisfying ways…That is why, for me, marriage is sacred institution; even which all its patriarchal history, faults, and shortcomings, marriage is still the best place to learn about love. And if god is love, and those who love know god and participate in the reality of God, then marriage is to be honored and cherished of the astounding opportunity it gives us.” (194–195) So in Gene Robinson’s book, the word of love is the main idea for his book. The importance of love can replace everything.
Religious groups are another major voice to the same-sex marriage. The view from churches about same-sex marriage has significant impact to Christians and non-Christians. The article name “A Theology of Marriage including Same-Sex Couples: A view from the Liberals” written by Deirdre J. Good, Willis K. Jenkins, Cynthia B. Kittredge, and Eugene F. Rogers, they definitely give to us a different perspective about why our church should support same-sex marriage. From the article, it offers different views from the liberals regarding theology of marriage such as same-sex couples in our society. They think that the Christian church should marry same-sex couples, and accept and host same-sex wedding to demonstrate the love of Christ to the community and our society. In the article, they proclaim that “we argue that the church should marry same-sex couple because it requires their testimony to the love of Christ and the church, and because it recognized that same-sex couples stand in need of sanctification no less than opposite-sex couples do. In grafting same-sex marriage onto the domestic rite, the church follows the pattern of God’s grafting wild, Gentile olive branches onto the domesticated olive tree of Israel” (51) In the article, another big reason for our church to accept same-sex marriage is because the cultural habits has been changed, and the church should follow the Spirit to face the challenges from our secular world, and from the essay they suggest, “As cultural habits of marriage and partnership change, the church’s following of the Son by the Spirit meets challenges. Cultural changes may work good or evil. Never simple, change calls for historical understanding and theological interpretation” (55) Culture and church can never be separated from each other. The role of the church would impact our culture but the impact from the culture could also challenge our faith.
After reading through all the articles, I was surprised by all of the strong arguments they have for the battle of support or against same-sex marriage. It is interesting to see how people and different groups in society use different angles to approach the issues on same-sex marriage. Now I understand why it is hard for our society to merely make decisions to support homosexuals or against homosexuals. For me I would agree with Timothy Goeglein’s thoughts and arguments on against same-sex marriage. The reason for me to agree with him is not because his sharp wording. His points on the fundamentals of human gender roles in the marriage, fundamental essence of humanity, and fundamental essence of family, caused me agree with his thoughts. Timothy Goeglein is surely right about same-sex marriage is against the fundamental essence of family because, as he may not be aware, recent studies have shown that same-sex parenting is not healthy for the kids. An article name “Another study finds same-sex parenting isn’t best for kids” tells us that kids who were raised by same-sex parents were mentally depressed as children, more so than those raised by heterosexual couples, and the author of the article said, “The study by sociology professor Paul Sullins found that ‘at the age 28, the adults raised by same-sex parents were at over twice the risk of depression as persons raised by man-woman parents.’ In Addition, there was an ‘elevated risk associated with imbalanced closeness and parental child abused in family or origin; depression suicidality, and anxiety at age 15; and stigma and obesity.’” (D.C. Mcallister) On the other hand, I would disagree with Gene Robinson’s view on same-sex marriage. Throughout the book, he didn’t clearly disagree with the homosexual life style and same-sex marriage. Rather than that, he uses the most common debate topics around the world to describe why we should support gay marriage. Even more, he believes same-sex marriage is the love from God. Although I agree with Robinson’s idea of we should show our love towards homosexual people, I cannot accept his overriding assumption that God is all about love. Kevin Deyoung wrote a book name “What Does The Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality?” in the book he clearly states that the God we worship is a God of love, not the God all about love. He also brought up a good argument to provide that love is not the only attribute God has, and he said “Without denying or minimizing one iota of these precious biblical truths, it also needs to be made clear that the love of God does not swallow up all the other divine attributes.” (121)
The issues on same-sex marriage has troubled our churches for a period of time, especially since same-sex marriage became legal in all fifty states. Many churches in the USA has been persecuted by the law of same-sex marriage. But, as Christian, we should always concern about church body and young Christians in the church, especially most of young generation are support social justice. According to the Pew Research Center, during the last decade, support of same-sex marriage has grow across nearly all segments of the U.S population. Surprisingly, Pew Research Center fond that younger generation strongly support same-sex marriage. The statistics from the Pew Research Center shows that “Millennials — adults born since 1980 who are currently ages 18–34, continue to be far more supportive of same-sex marriage than older age cohorts. Today, 73% of Millennials say gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry legally, while just 24% say they should not. Gen Xers, the next youngest cohort, also support gay marriage, though by a narrower margin (59% favor, 39% oppose). Among older cohorts , Boomers (age 51 to 69, are currently divided (45% favor, 48% oppose), while Slients (70–87) are the only generation in which significantly more oppose (53%) than favor (39%) gay marriage” (Pew Research Center).
For young generation, especially young Christians, our society could no longer provide them with the right image and right meaning of marriage. The image of marriage is no longer clear for them. In traditional view, marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Therefore, for them to realize the real image of marriage between man and women has become more important than marriage itself. On the other hand, the image of marriage is crucial for the church and for individuals in the church. Marriage is representing the unity between God and us, in Revelation 19:7 says “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready”(ESV), and also in Revelation 21:2 says “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from god, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”(ESV). For church individuals, the image of marriage is reflation of the unity between man and woman, in Mark 10:6–9 says “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate” (English Standard Version).
God’s word is the ultimate authority for us as Christians, we must seek the final answer from the Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 says “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality” (ESV) Therefore, the question of whether we should oppose or support same-sex marriage is already clear for us as God’s followers. In the book of Genesis, the first two chapters of the book clearly state that in the beginning God created one man, one woman, and one flesh, and in Genesis 2:22–24 states “Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken our of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken our of man.’ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become on flesh”. (ESV). At the end, my view on same-sex marriage would never change, because God taught me throughout His Scripture. On the other hand, we should learn how to love them, and tell them about the true love and real love from God, not blindly against them or discriminate them.
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Dost, Meredith. “Section 1: Changing Views of Same-Sex Marriage.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. N.p., 08 June 2015. Web. 11 Dec. 2016.
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Good, Deirdre Joy, et al. “A Theology Of Marriage Including Same-Sex Couples: A View From
The Liberals.” Anglican Theological Review 93.1 (2011): 51–87. ATLA Religion
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McAllister, Denise C. “Another Study Finds Same-Sex Parents Aren’t Best For Kids.” The Federalist. N.p., 06 July 2016. Web. 11 Dec. 2016.
Mitchell, Travis. “Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage.” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project. N.p., 12 May 2016. Web. 11 Dec. 2016.
Robinson, V. Gene. God Believes in Love: Straight Talk about Gay Marriage. New York: Knopf, 2012. Print.
