Gays and Marriage

While my husband and I were chilling out in our living room watching The World Cup, he came across something in his news feed.

Some talking about how homosexuality is a sin.

We both are pretty passionate about the subject.

You see, we have a very diverse group of friends. We have many friends in the LBGT community.

One of his closest friends is a proud bisexual pagan and one of my good friends is a gay Wiccan high priest.

The both of us are in agreement.

WHY, oh WHY THIS subject that so many Christians feel like THIS is is the hill to die on.

Living in the Bible belt south my entire life, I've heard the subject MANY times.

Homosexuality is a sin! That's why gays can't get married!"

I want to make something very clear. I am a devote, born again Christian. I believe that the Bible is the word of God. I'm not one of those Christians that say "Well, the Bible was written by man".

If that was the case, why would I devote my life to studying if I thought the message has been tampered?

So do I believe being gay is a sin?

Well......It's complicated.

I do believe that it was put in the Old Testament for a reason. But I also wonder why you do hear so much about it in the New Testament.

This is a subject I'm still searching the whole truth answer for.

Now, do I believe that all gays are going to hell?

Well...No. I don't.

I believe what john 3:16 say.

"Whosoever believes in him shall not parish, but have ever lasting life."

The word, WHOSOEVER is the key word there.

But the thing I really don't understand is why this is the subject that the modern church is putting so much time, energy, and in Washington, MONEY into.

We have Veterans waiting for health care.

Countless wars we have no business being in.

Digging ourselves into a sea of debt we'll never be able to pay back to China.

But for some reason, we got to stop these queers from getting married.

Really? THAT'S the thing we gotta focus on?

I'm so sick of the same reason too I hear.

"Well, we can't let gay people get married. Marriage is a sacred institution and homosexuality is an abomination."

Did you forget what else the Bible list as abominations? Homosexuality isn't the only one.

Proverbs 6:16-19

American Standard Version

"16 There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him:

17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood;

18 A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren."

And six of those happen in our churches every day and we turn a BLIND EYE!

As for marriage being an institution:

I believe that. I was a virgin until the day I got married. The only way my husband and I will part is by death.

But that's not the case in our modern world.

In the US, 50% of marriages end up in divorce. Second marriages lasting statistics are even less.

The enemy of your marriage is not someone else' relationship. Its adultery and divorce.

"Well, marriage is between ONE man and ONE woman".

Again, read what I just stated. Also, if you have been married more than once, unless your ex-spouse was an abuser or a cheater, you have NO right to make that statement.

Looking at you, Newt Grengrich!

There has been one concern that I've heard from those opposing homosexual marriage that is a fair concern:

"If we allow gay marriage, then the couple would be able to sue the religious organization for not allowing them to use their minister or building for the wedding ceremony."

Okay, THAT is a legit concern.

Especially in our country. I swear, you can sue anyone for anything now and days.

But other countries have taken this into concern before.

I had a friend from Finland once and she told me that gay marriage was legal, HOWEVER a religious organization had every right to deny a couple if they felt that their union was a sin.

So if you make a law protecting the churches and other religious organizations, that won't be an issue at all. And I think we should make sure that every religious organization has that right.

"But Apple isn't that discrimination?"

In my opinion, no. Churches do it to straight couple all the time.

I think it would be awesome to have a wedding at the Mormon temple in Utah.

But I'm not Mormon, so I can't.

In fact any church can deny any one for any reason. If the couple is are of two different religions, if they have sex outside of wedlock, or if the Minister feels like they aren't ready for marriage through counseling, out of good Conesus, they'll deny the couple. When that happens, the couple find another venue and another officiate.

And lastly, I've heard this a lot to:

"Why do they have to call it marriage? Can't they call it a civil union?"

Like y'all know, I'm a Libertarian (obviously). I knew that marriage was sacred and wanted to marry my husband, but I wasn't sure if I just wanted to get married in the church and just skip legalism.

I understand why the legalism is there.

I get that.

So, you want gay couple to be in "civil unions"?

Great! That means your union has to be civil too!

Really, think about it. Everyone who is a consenting adult at least the age of 18 are recognized as civil unions by the state.

That means straight couples, gay couples, polygamists, and polyamorous.

It's only recognized as a marriage in the eyes of the people in the union and the religion they are affiliated with. If you don't see their relationship as a marriage, you don't have to call it that and the state no longer gets to decide who is married and who is not.