I want to make you feel. Because I think the worst thing we can do is separate our morality from our feelings. I want you to feel humanity, I want you to feel Jesus’ life and words. Because most of us know plenty of things, but few of us feel. I want you to feel those things so bad, I just might get under your skin. And that’s ok for me, if it causes you to feel.

Gay marriage is another burning issue of our day. I’m just going to come out and say it, I think two people of a homosexual orientation should be allowed to marry each other. I think the church should support legislation that would enable gay and lesbian couples to have, at the very least, civil unions. And I’m sure that right there, in two sentences I have probably angered a few if not a lot of people. So allow me to explain why I think the way I do.

Ok, one of the biggest arguments against same sex marriages is that it will undermine and destroy the value/sanctity of the family. Let’s say that it does, let’s say that same sex marriages will destroy the sanctity of marriage. I highly doubt it will devalue marriage more than we already have. Pornography destroys the sanctity of marriage. Extra-marital sex destroys the sanctity of marriage. Working too much destroys the sanctity of marriage and the family. The fact of the matter is that we have undermined the value of marriage and the family way before the issue of same sex marriage became an issue. The fact that the same percentage of evangelical Christians get divorced as people who don’t claim to be followers of Christ is pretty telling. While it is true that same sex marriages could possibly undermine the family structure, its only one of many such threats to family. If we really care about the sanctity of marriage and family, we would spend less time watching tv and surfing the internet, and we would spend time with our families. But due to the fact that a majority of people today (inside and outside of the Church) speed their through day consumed by activity and loneliness, I’d have to question how important marriage and family really is to us.

By supporting gay rights, does that automatically mean that we are supporting their lifestyle? I personally do not think that it does. Just because I think that people of a homosexual orientation should have the freedom to marry each other does not mean that I think they are in God’s will. It simply means I think they should have the freedom to marry who they want to. It is not our job to make sure the world is living up to our standards. Here’s some scripture:

 

 

6The mind of sinful man^[a] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind^[b] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Romans 8:6-8 (NIV)

 

 

 

12For what have I to do with judging ^(A)outsiders? ^(B)Do you not judge those who are within the church?

1 Corinthians 5:12 (NASB)

 

 

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d]says the Lord. 20On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[e] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:17-21 (NIV)

I often wonder how much would be different if instead of shunning the homosexual community, we rallied behind them and pushed for their rights? What if we saw them as individuals who, by simply being fashioned in the image of God, deserve the same rights that we have, instead of condemning them? I think you would see the Church having a much better opportunity to bring these people to the foot of a Rabbi who offers unlimited freedom from bondage. Instead, by and large, the Church has gone to great lengths to put great distance between us and them. Instead of judging them at at distance, (which from the verse above, Paul says is not his job) we should be sharing life with them. This is what Jesus would have done. The book of Luke says that Jesus hung out with notoriously bad sinners. People with bad reputations.

Once again our attempts to legislate morality will not change things. Even if we ban civil unions or same sex marriages, people will still engage in the homosexual lifestyle. If we ban same sex marriages,  why don’t we make pornography illegal, so that anyone who looks at pornography would have to serve jail time? I can guarantee you that if that was the case, our churches Sunday morning attendance would drop dramatically. Just because Jesus shared meals with sinners did not make Him a sinner. The religious leaders of the time thought so. If the Church were to take up the banner of gay rights, I assure you that we would indeed conquer evil with good. And let’s be really honest, in many ways we have made the lgbt community our enemy. We have told them that they can’t come to Jesus unless they stop being gay. We have asked them to fit their camel through our needle’s eye.

I know that another big issue is if we should allow same sex couples to adopt/raise children. While I do think it is true that it is best for a child to be raised by a mom and a dad, I often ponder a question. “Are children better off with no parents or with gay or lesbian parents?” Just because a couple is of a homosexual orientation does not mean they are incapable of showing love or affection. I would say that children would be better off with parents who are in a homosexual relationship than with no parents at all. I also think its possible that a significant number of orphaned children could be adopted by same sex couples. Once again, I would prefer there to be a mom and a dad, but then again, there are a lot of dads who are terrible fathers, who is to say that just because it is two women raising a child that they will do way worse than a man and a woman?

Obviously, the Bible is clear that homosexuality is sin. That it’s outside of God’s perfect plan for our lives. But so is legalism. Anytime our morality gets in the way of us loving people, I believe something is wrong. If you want to see people leave their homosexual orientation, don’t vote to restrict or deny rights, step out and love people with all of God’s love. I can guarantee you that if our first response was to love people instead of judge/condemn them, homosexuality wouldn’t be nearly as big of an issue as it currently is. I’ll end this post with some Derek Webb lyrics:

Love Is Not Against the Law

politics or love

can make you blind or make you see

make you a slave or make you free

but only one does it all

and it’s giving up your life

for the ones you hate the most

it’s giving them your gown

when they’ve taken your clothes

it’s learning to admit

when you’ve had a hand in setting them up

in knocking them down

love is not against the law

love is not against the law

are we defending life

when we just pick and choose

lives acceptable to lose

and which ones to defend

cause you cannot choose your friends

but you can choose your enemies

and what if they were one

one and the same

could you find a way

to love them both the same

to give them your name

ok. discuss.