“Gay Marriage” Shows Us Why Theology Matters.

TimothyJhammons.com ^ | May 15, 2013 | Timothy Hammons

[Gamecock]

Full Title: “Gay Marriage” Shows Us Why Theology Matters. Three ways Biblically sound theology will help in the same-sex marriage debate

To invite homosexuals to embrace themselves so that they are no longer lonely is agreeing with those on the left that God was wrong in ordaining the family as one man and one woman together in marriage. It is agreeing with those whom God is pouring out His wrath. It is agreeing with those who have cast off any notions of holiness, purity and piety in the church. It is, as I have said, theological suicide.

Over the weekend I came across an article by Dr. Peter Jones who pointed out that the recent shift by supposed “conservative” pastors on the issue of homosexual marriage, is due to the fact that they are theologically illiterate. Jones was commenting on the recent article by Dave Thompson of BlueHead Publishing who rips Genesis 2:18 to shreds when he admits that man should not be alone and concludes that gay people should be able to be with other gay people.

This is what Thompson writes:

My interpretation of Genesis shows me that God’s very first moral rule is that “man should not be alone.” (Gen 2:18) In my opinion, when we force gay people to be alone, we are in fact encouraging a life of sin for gay people who may not be gifted with celibacy. God himself created us to need relationship.

It truly grieves my heart that Thompson is convinced that “his interpretation” is the right one even though Genesis 2:18 goes on to show that God created a… woman to meet the needs of man, not another man. The same God that created all mankind later goes on to declare that men lying with other men is an abomination in His sight. Yet, Thompson, in his opinion, fails to see and understand this. This is why Dr. Jones continues by stating:

What did we expect from theologically-illiterate “conservative faith pastors” for whom “experience” is the overriding criterion and who seem to have no clue about the Bible’s fundamental worldview that defines existence, what we at TruthXchange call Twoism? Indeed the homosexual issue exposes the incredible long-standing weakness at this level of the Evangelical movement, so that vast numbers of “born again” people will finally join the pagan movement without even knowing it is happening. Watch what will happen. Many Evangelicals, with “faith pastors” and ”faith churches” will become 21st century liberals, preaching a watered down “faith” that goes easy on sin and eliminates the Fall.

This is so odd to me. How can a pastor be theologically illiterate? I’m not saying that it is not true. I fully admit that there are thousands of pastors who step into pulpits each week, Dave Thompson being one of them, that could be schooled by the anyone who has studied and memorized even the first 25 questions of the Shorter Catechism. It is odd to me because this would be the same as a person who is sick going to a physician that is biologically illiterate. You wouldn’t put your trust in a physician who didn’t know the basics of the human body. Therefore why do so many put their trust in men who don’t know the basics of theology?

Yet this is what has happened in the debate on gay marriage. Far too many are putting forth their opinions like Thompson above instead of biblical truth. If we were not so theologically illiterate, we would understand these things. The fact that the argument has made its way into the church shows we need theology. I’ve said for years that theology is important. I’ve said for years that we are all theologians even on superficial levels. And I’ve also said for years it is a matter being either good theologians, basing our views on God’s word, or bad theologians, basing our views on our opinions as Thompson does in his call for the church to embrace homosexual couples.

Biblical theology would help us in this debate in three ways. First, we would understand that gay marriage, and homosexuality, distort the Imago Dei, the image of God. From early on in human history, God has told mankind that we are different than the rest of creation because we are made in His image. His image is man, both male and female, together. It is not male and male together. Homosexuals are warping God’s image that He has placed on us. This is why it is such an abomination to Him. It has nothing to do with our warped sense of love, but on who God is and what He has done for us. Gays and lesbians are basically confirming their belief that God is wrong in who He made us to be. They are rejecting the fundamental truth of who we are and shaking their fists at God for making us this way.

Secondly, biblical theology would help us understand that homosexuality is idolatry before God. Homosexuality is the penultimate in self worship. Romans 1:18ff show this to be true. The very reason that our culture has been given over to homosexuality is found in this passage. Paul shows us that when we, even those in the church, suppress the truths of Scripture, that God pours out His wrath upon mankind. This wrath leads to the worship of creation, and ultimately the worship of self in homosexuality. For the church to embrace this sin is nothing but an invitation for our God to pour His wrath upon us. Embracing this sin is theological suicide and men like Thompson above need to be rebuked and run out of the church for their embracement of such wickedness.

(I know this is a side note, but I wonder if after a few years of embracing homosexuals, if Thompson himself is going to come out of the closet and make a brave announcement of his own depravity. He is giving himself over to such by not renouncing sin for what it is and not pursuing holiness as we should do.)

Third, biblical theology would help us understand that by embracing homosexuality we would be embracing man’s attack on the family which is God’s ordained structure for society. Those on the left know this, although they reject God’s hand in ordaining marriage, they know full well that it is an attack on the foundational structures God has put in place for society. The family is God’s idea, not man’s idea. Those on the Left are in opposition to all of God’s ordained institutions because they are in rebellion against God Himself (see Psalm 2).

To invite homosexuals to embrace themselves so that they are no longer lonely is agreeing with those on the left that God was wrong in ordaining the family as one man and one woman together in marriage. It is agreeing with those whom God is pouring out His wrath. It is agreeing with those who have cast off any notions of holiness, purity and piety in the church. It is, as I have said, theological suicide.

We don’t need theology based upon our opinions. As one theologian in history pointed out, the human heart is an idolatry factory. What we need is Biblically informed theology so that we can stand against the tide of humanism and theological kamikazes like Dave Thompson of BlueHead Publishing. If your pastors shy away from Biblically informed theology, perhaps you should shy away from them.

[wolfman23601]

The pastor is not theologically illiterate, he in it for the money and, as the general populace turns toward fudge packing, he will find a way to twist the words to justify it so the money keeps pouring in. This is not illiteracy as he knows exactly what he is doing.

[Travis McGee]

[chesley]

I am not trained in theology; I don't read Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic. I've read the Word of God a number of times, though and read through the parts I was most interested in in several commentaries.

My own opinion is this. God is not going to contradict himself. The Bible should be read like the Constitution of the United States, IMO. The specific overrules or modifies the general.

Thus, the welfare clause and the commerce clause, should not override the specific limitations on Congress, the way it so often does in modern jurisprudence. And "God's love" should not override the specific commands and injunctions that He gives us in the Bible.

[truthczar2000]

I agree completely with the point you are making. The problem is this; the church has lost its spine. We no longer want to be called “bigots” and “homophobes” so we sugarcoat god's Word to make gays feel better about themselves..and damn ourselves in the process.

I have a younger sister who “came out” to my mother a few years ago. My mother died a short time later of a broken heart. But she never denied her Faith, never said to my sister that what she was doing was right.

I can still remember my sister screaming at my mother “why can't you just be happy for me?!”. Indeed; how can ANY follower of Christ be happy that someone is living in open rebellion to God?

[fwdude]

I've noticed that activist, out homosexuals use their selfish defiance as an extortion tool against their family who loves them. They make it "my way or the highway," threatening to cut off contact with family members, particularly parents, if they don't whole-heartedly support their perverse choice. Many parents can't bear this choice and at least pretend to "accept" them in their new chosen lifestyle in order not to lose the child they love, exhibiting behavior they hate.

Many of the loudly touted "homeless 'gays'" that you hear about aren't kids that were 'kicked out' of their homes, but kids who left because they were not willing to live under the moral rules of the house set down by their loving parents.

[Sans-Culotte]

This is what Thompson writes:

My interpretation of Genesis shows me that God’s very first moral rule is that “man should not be alone.” (Gen 2:18) In my opinion, when we force gay people to be alone, we are in fact encouraging a life of sin for gay people who may not be gifted with celibacy. God himself created us to need relationship.

Wow, with that weak assertion, Thompson has waded right into the often derided "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" argument.

[DuncanWaring]

My interpretation of Genesis shows me that God’s very first moral rule is that “man should not be alone.” (Gen 2:18) In my opinion, when we force gay people to be alone, we are in fact encouraging a life of sin for gay people who may not be gifted with celibacy.

So if a guy is an absolute misanthrope who can't get along with anyone, male or female, we should respect his partnership with a sheep?

[lastchance]

Thank you for sharing this excellent piece.

[Salvation]

BTTT!

[onedoug]

I still rally to the “old” Episcopal acronym, REST: Reason, Experience, Scripture, Tradition.