Posted on 06/26/2012 3:56:40 AM PDT by rhema
After listening online to a recent sermon on "same-sex marriage" by John Piper. . . . I was surprised to read an article in the Star Tribune ("Key Minnesota pastors opt out of marriage fight," June 21) that misrepresented how Piper is addressing the November vote on a proposed marriage amendment to the Minnesota Constitution.
[ . . . ]
It's clear that Piper did, indeed, direct his church members to vote to approve the amendment. He did so by explaining how to think through this critical cultural issue biblically and logically, rather than merely telling them what to do in the voting booth.
Piper said, among other things, the following:
• His sermon was going to address the amendment.
• There is no such thing as same-sex marriage, and we shouldn't use the word "marriage" to describe a sexual relationship between two people of the same sex.
• Endorsing "so-called same-sex marriage" contradicts both love and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Laws exist to preserve the public good. What constitutes the good is a moral question. All laws legislate morality. Voting is a moral activity.
• Constitutional amendments must address only significant issues. The people of Minnesota approved an amendment on the issue of hunting and fishing, which is not nearly as significant as marriage.
• Legalizing same-sex marriage would make a clear and tragic statement that either mothers or fathers or both are expendable and have no effect on the public good.
• Marriage is the most fundamental of human institutions, and legalizing same-sex marriage is a deceit that will bring incalculable dysfunction and destruction to children and society. . . .
• Legalizing same-sex marriage is unrighteous; unrighteousness destroys nations, and the celebration of unrighteousness hastens the destruction of nations.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Piper concluded by saying, "If the whole counsel of God is preached with power week in and week out, Christians who are citizens of heaven and citizens of this democratic order will be energized as they ought to speak and act for the common good."
If this is what "opting out of the marriage fight" looks like, let's hope and pray that countless pastors across the country opt out as John Piper has.
These learned dolts have never understood that marriage is a Convenant between G-d and man, and is sacred.
These learned dolts have never understood that marriage is a Convenant between G-d and man, and is sacred.
Thanks for posting this article. The original news left me very disheartened.
I’m happy to find out they were lying through their teeth.
Wow! Pastor Piper’s language sounds so strange because nearly all of us have been immersed in the unavoidable culture of political correctness to some degree for so long.
It almost sound like a foreign tongue, but a beautiful one.
With that stand the right question to ask here is, "Why involve government at all?"
It's an absurdity to see small gov't conservatives happy to invite government into "marriage" in order to reap political and financial favor.
It's the camel's nose under the tent for government picking winners and losers, offering affirmative action, preferences, set asides and more.
For too many Gov't has no role in assisting the starving, disabled or unemployed but must grant us our "marriage" benefits.
As bad as all that, it's worse to see them play "my church is better than your church" games which I see too much of.
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