Posted on 05/10/2013 4:21:33 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952
Marriage and the Church Someone quipped, "The world is moving so fast these days that the one who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it." I thought rather cynically about this quote as I listened to the Supreme Court argue over the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Just a decade and a half ago, this legislation was signed into law, defining marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman. DOMA came as a safeguard against individual states redefining marriage and forcing the federal government (the whole nation!) to treat same-sex marriage as legitimate.
Two sources tell us what marriage is. First, the Bible tells us that man and woman were created by God as the perfect match, and that marriage is to be a sacred, lifelong union of one man and one woman. The Bible universally rejects sex outside of this man/woman marriage. Second, we know from so-called natural knowledge, which is part of all human existence, and which has been codified by custom and law through the millennia, that marriage is for one man and one woman. It is Gods perfectly designed institution for the creation of new human life and for the nurture of civilized individuals. As Luther famously noted in his Large Catechism, If he wont obey his parents, hell obey the hangman!
What has come with lightening speed is merely the summation of a long process of the devaluation of marriage in Western culture. In 1970, only one state had no-fault divorce. By 1980, 49 had it. Coterminously, marriage has increasingly come to be defined as an emotional bond with a significant other rather than a fundamental building block of all society, religion and culture, based upon the fact that a man and a woman choose to enter a solemn life-long contract and bring new life into this world.
The Supreme Court will likely rule on the two cases (DOMA and Proposition 8) in late June. Like Roe v. Wade, which found a (fictional) right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution, the court could rule that the traditional definition of marriage of one man and one woman is unconstitutional. No matter how the court rules, the fight has just begun. Many in our own fellowship think, Whats the big deal? Isnt it just about widening the tent of tolerance a bit more? If that were it, it would a major relief. But its not. Whats at stake is our First Amendment right to the free exercise of our religious conviction in the way we act in society. As the same-sex marriage train gains steam, we find ourselves increasingly under attack, our social ministry agencies are forced to either capitulate to the state or lose funding and even licenses. All opposed to same-sex marriage for conscience grounds are and will increasingly be labeled bigots in line with slave-holders and those who were opposed to ending of legalized racism in this country. And know this: As traditional Christians are driven out of the public square, the door is also closed for the Gospel.
The task before us is monumental. We are called to repent of our lack of appreciation for marriage and family. We are called to confess Christ to all and call all to repentance. We must elevate marriage among us and educate, educate, educate. Even as we seek specific ways to care for those challenged by same-sex attraction, we must resist conforming to the culture.
We know whose we are. We know what is in store for us. We know we will be severely tested in these last days, but this testing will abound in faithfulness and praise (1 Peter 1).
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Pastor Matthew Harrison "Let's go!" Mark 1:38 e-mail: president@lcms.org Web page: www.lcms.org/president
Matthew C. Harrison
You may want to ping the LCMS list to this from the latest Lutheran Witness.
Mods, if this needs to be moved to another forum, I have no problem.
ping!
I agree on the first point, which is obvious and universal throughout all cultures that survived long enough to be recorded in history.
As for the second point, the LDS church had a different perspective, as do Muslims (not that they are a positive culture, but they have endured for 1400 dreadful years), the Buddhists, Celts, and even the Jews: Now there were twelve sons of Jacob — the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun; the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali; and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
You’re offering examples of man’s corruption of God’s original intent, though. The ancient Jews, the LDS, Muslims——all sinful human beings, all wrong when practicing polygamy.
What was God’s intention? He created one man and one woman, and joined them together. Genesis says “the two will become one flesh.” In Corinthians 1, it says that each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. It says nothing about a husband and several wives.
It's the legally required deconstruction of sex, gender, and marriage by force of law.
"Let's not obsess about the gays; let's just strengthen normal marriage across the board," many faithful Christians will say. But no, you won't be able to. Because of the new definitions of "invidious discrimination" and "hate speech," it will be unlawful to have any kind of program aimed at strengthening an exclusive commitment to natural sex and gender, and real marriage.
Try organizing any activity or service in support of specifically gender-normal kids, man-woman marriage or mom-dad families, and you’ll find out you can’t. Examples of what you won't be allowed to do:
• boys’ or girls’ activity group (like Boy Scouts)Worried about being forced to conduct same-sex nuptials? Don't worry about that. They'll shut you down for 2 dozen other reasons, way before it ever gets to that point.
• a marriage-oriented dating service (like e-Harmony)
• religious wedding venue (like Methodist Ocean Grove)
• an adoption program (like Catholic Social Services)
• personal counseling (like by an Armed Forces chaplain)
• an engaged couples' weekend prayer retreat
• a marital communication series
• a discussion group for husbands and wives
• a "Your Future Family" parenting class in any school
• talks on genuine mother-and-fatherhood
• a counseling program supporting kids’ natural sex/gender identity
• a University course on Family Law
• or on Natural Law
• an overnight lake campout for just boys (or just girls)
• a Father-Daughter Dance
• a Father-Son Sports Day
Anything at all related to gender-normal child development, relationships, courtship, weddings, family-building, fertility, adoption, ANYTHING...if you don’t rewrite your program content to affirm the LGBT gender perspective, and open yourselves to the participation of sexually disordered couples, they will take you down for "invidious discrimination" and "hate speech," --- yes, take you to court, and shut you down.
Even many "conservatives"--- even many pastors--- only find the LGBT thing mildly nonsensical. Silly. Or merely transiently obnoxious. I fear most people do NOT know the scope of the totalitarian crisis we are facing.
Militant faggotry, militant racism, militant islam, militant feminism are all totalitarian ideologies.
I actually read this article twice before posting it here. This hit me as one of the very rocks of our foundation and I wanted to get it here for people to discuss.
I am very glad you posed it. It’s an excellent article.
I mean “posted” it. My typing is getting worse and worse. :o/
King David committed adultery and murder but just because God forgave him, doesn’t mean we should all go out and commit adultery and murder.
That people committed sin is written in the Bible but certainly not written for the purpose of us copying it.
Sex outside marriage is adultery. People can call it marriage all they want, but the facts are one man and one woman make one flesh. Anything outside of that is adultery.
Polygamy is wrong.
Look at the price the world is paying now for Abraham’s polygamy.
I know what you mean. My typing is getting bad too. I have little light at my keyboard, so have to be very careful.
I know what you mean. My typing is getting bad too. I have little light at my keyboard, so have to be very careful.
“Now, since the family and human society at large spring from marriage, these men will on no account allow matrimony to be the subject of the jurisdiction of the Church. Nay, they endeavor to deprive it of all holiness, and so bring it within the contracted sphere of those rights which, having been instituted by man, are ruled and administered by the civil jurisprudence of the community. Wherefore it necessarily follows that they attribute all power over marriage to civil rulers, and allow none whatever to the Church; and, when the Church exercises any such power, they think that she acts either by favor of the civil authority or to its injury. Now is the time, they say, for the heads of the State to vindicate their rights unflinchingly, and to do their best to settle all that relates to marriage according as to them seems good.”
—Pope Leo XIII, 1880
He saw it coming 133 years ago. First civil marriage with no element of faith, then civil divorce and remarriage, then easy civil divorce and remarriage. Now ‘gay marriage.’ It makes you wonder what the state will consider marriage in another 130 years.
Freegards
I hear you. A few months ago, our LCMS pastor asked everyone in the congregation to stand up if we supported traditional marriage. There was not one person sitting in the pews.
Well-said, metmom. I agree 100%.
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