Using religion as an argument against homosexuality is nothing new, however the use of religious chatter has increase greatly during this whole gay marriage ban issue we are currently facing. Mostly it’s gay-marriage opponents who use Scripture to prove their point, however a recent article in Newsweek shows how the Bible’s message of love does not denounce same-sex unions but rather it celebrates and encourages loving unions (no matter what the gender of those involved).
while the Bible and Jesus say many important things about love and family, neither explicitly defines marriage as between one man and one woman. And second, as the examples above illustrate, no sensible modern person wants marriage—theirs or anyone else’s —to look in its particulars anything like what the Bible describes. “Marriage” in America refers to two separate things, a religious institution and a civil one, though it is most often enacted as a messy conflation of the two. As a civil institution, marriage offers practical benefits to both partners: contractual rights having to do with taxes; insurance; the care and custody of children; visitation rights; and inheritance. As a religious institution, marriage offers something else: a commitment of both partners before God to love, honor and cherish each other—in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer—in accordance with God’s will. In a religious marriage, two people promise to take care of each other, profoundly, the way they believe God cares for them. Biblical literalists will disagree, but the Bible is a living document, powerful for more than 2,000 years because its truths speak to us even as we change through history. In that light, Scripture gives us no good reason why gays and lesbians should not be (civilly and religiously) married—and a number of excellent reasons why they should.
I encourage you to read the full article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/172653/page/1
it really raises some great points about how the Bible is interpreted. Personally, I was raised Catholic, and for me, I have learned from the bible that my God loves unconditionally. No one has the right to tell anyone who they are legally allowed to love. No one has the right to play God. Really, love shouldn’t be this complicated. Legally, publicly, religiously, complicated.
CATEGORIES: Culture, Ethics, Human Rights
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You are right, the lord does love unconditionally. That is why it pains him to see his creation fall from grace and commit sin. Maybe you should read the bible a little more deeply and then you could make an educated decision that is based on actual facts from the bible, not just loose interpretation. The bible is very clear with very specific words.Whenever the Bible mentions marriage, it is between a male and a female. The first mention of marriage, Genesis 2:24, describes it as a man leaving his parents and being united to his wife. In passages that contain instructions regarding marriage, such as 1 Corinthians 7:2-16 and Ephesians 5:23-33, the Bible clearly identifies marriage as being between a man and a woman. Leviticus 18:22 identifies homosexual sex as an abomination, a detestable sin. Romans 1:26-27 declares homosexual desires and actions to be shameful, unnatural, lustful, and indecent. First Corinthians 6:9 states that homosexuals are unrighteous and will not inherit the kingdom of God. Since both homosexual desires and actions are condemned in the Bible, it is clear that homosexuals “marrying” is not God’s will, and would be, in fact, sinful. According to the Bible, marriage is ordained by God to be between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6). Gay marriage/same-sex marriage is a perversion of the institution of marriage and an offense to the God who created marriage. As Christians, we are not to condone or ignore sin. Rather, we are to share the love of God and the forgiveness of sins that is available to all, including homosexuals, through Jesus Christ. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and contend for truth with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). I will agree that some folks will go about their rebuttle with little or no knowledge of the biblical background. This is the same for believers and non believers. If you are truly a believer than you can not get away with disagreeing with God. The bible says you are either for him or against him. There is no gray area. God is loving, but he is also just, and leaves no room for disagreement. I hope you have taken the time to read the whole article I have written and the one that I have paraphrased, as I have taken the time to read all of yours and kept an open mind before writing.
http://www.gotquestions.org/gay-marriage.html