Gay Marriage and the Church?

Question

Do you think one day in the future it might be possible for the church to recognize gay marriage? Can someone please explain to me why it is wrong for two gay people who love and charish each other not be allowed to marry?

To me it is the same as telling someone they can't drink from the water fountain because of their color. It all seems like it is very disciminatory. While one may not condone their lifestyle, this doesn't give one the right to discriminate because of it.

Answer 1

Let's see if I can give an intelligent answer to your question, rather than just another knee-jerk emotional response. I'm sure that you are getting plenty of the latter.

For starters, Jesus stated that God intended sex (and thus marriage) from the very beginning to be a bond between a single male and a single female for life (Matthew 19:4-6). Of course, to keep this in context, in this chapter Jesus was using a passage from Genesis to argue with the rabbis that no-fault divorce was a sin, and you can see just how much the modern church pays attention to the words of Jesus.

Paul also argued in the first chapter of Romans that it should be self-evident from nature itself that God intended for certain acts to be sinful, since they are unnatural. Paul mentions many things in his list, such as murder, gossip, hostility toward one's parents, men lusting after men, women lusting after women, etc. This could be considered to be an early attempt to argue from biology that same gender sex (among other things) was obviously against God's plan because it serves no biological purpose (I.E.: it is aganst nature). It would be awkward, for historical reasons, for a Protestant church to ignore Romans chapter 1, because it was Romans 1:17 that inspired Martin Luther toward a train of thought that lead to the Protestant Reformation. No true Protestant wants to be seen as arguing against both Paul & Luther, since that would imply that the Reformation was a mistake (and that the Roman Catholics were right).

Peter makes a passing reference to Sodom & Gomorrah in his second letter (2 Peter 2) in such a way that it implies that he views unnatural sex as a sin. Here, the reference is not as clear as it is in the letters of Paul, but note that Peter goes on the declare that the writings of Paul are "scripture" (the very words of God) at the end of the same letter. Since the Roman church considers Peter to be the first "Pope", and since the Papal claim that the Bishop of Rome deserves to inherent the title of the head of all of the church rests partially on the fact that both Peter and Paul were supposed to have passed on their authority to the Bishop of Rome before they died (they were both killed in Rome), then no good Catholic wants to be seen as contradicting both Peter & Paul.

And no good Christian of any denomination wants to be seen as contradicting the Bible, because if the Bible is wrong, then there is no longer any basis for the church to argue about morality or what is God's will for someone's life. After all, if God can make mistakes, then we cannot trust him anymore, and we are on our own. The church loses its purpose, and its reason to exist, if it loses all moral authority.

So, the liberal churches might allow gay marriage in their buildings, because they have compromised unpopular parts of the Bible long ago for the sake of membership, but the conservative churches will not, because Jesus pronounced God's judgment upon anyone who would comprise the truth just to gain popularity.

Answer 2

In Matthew and Mark Christ said that man should leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife. The word that Christ used for the two to marry was male for man and the female form of the word for wife.
Paul in Romans stated that male and female would leave the natural order of nature. Man is the only ones that has sex with someone other than the way the rest of nature does. Man with man or woman with women. The only other primate that does this is when the Alpha male wants to make sure all of the others under him know that he is the boss.
Paul also stated in 2 Tim. that people will gather those teachers who will tell them just what the person wants to hear. Sound teaching will no longer be taught. You see this in allot of churches today. Teaching that it is alright to go against the natural order of things.
No this is not the same as a sign saying only whites can drink here or blacks are not allowed here. Blacks can not help the color of their skin but many people who have chosen to be homosexual can.

Answer 3

The church is suppose to be teaching the word of God and God does not condone homosexuality, although some modern day churches are very hypocritical. They condone pastors sleeping with members, other than their wives, they sit back and allow Priest to molest children, they smoke, they drink, and God knows what else. The list goes on and on. They may not condone it verbally, but every time you sit under a pastor or a church where this is going on, you're condoning it. The apostle Paul says "follow me as I follow Christ". I can understand the confusion one would feel when looking at all those factors. I personally don't care with anyone does, do I condone it-nope! Do I want to see it take place in my place of worship. Nope!

btw, no one sees drinking water from a fountain, regardless of your color, morally wrong either.

Answer 4

I disagree that it is the same as the drinking fountain/color issue, as race is not a choice. One can never "not be white/black (or whatever)," but one does choose their sexuality. Even if the argument is made that sexual preference is genetic, the decision of use over that sexuality remains a choice.

By the philosophy espoused in your question ("While one may not condone their lifestyle, this doesn't give one the right to discriminate because of it."), then where does society draw a line? Do not some pedophiles use that same argument?

Some churches choose to recognize gay marriage, so you cannot speak of "the church" as a monolithic institution with common rules. For churches that choose to not recognize gay marriage, the origins for that decision tie directly (but not exclusively) to the description of Creation.

Answer 5

Gay people can live together if they choose. but, they can't call it marriage because, God invented marriage it is a covenant between 1 man and 1 woman. God does not sanction two people of the same sex marring. Actually, there are several verses in which He forbids sex between same sexes

The water fountain thing was not sanctioned by God. The marriage thing is. This is not discrimination because it is God's decision. Not ours.

Also the definition of "the church" is, people who are followers of Christ. So one is not following Christ if they are not doing as He asks.

Loving and cherishing other people is what Jesus has ask us to do. Having sexual relations with anyone other than ones martial partner, is not. God bless you as you seek His will.

Answer 6

I'm not going in to the right and wrong of why the church doesn't support Gay marriage. But as far as condoning the practice that is a wrong question.

If a person accept the faith then they must be willing to learn fully about the faith they are claiming. If the faith they are claim teaches turn away from activities that against its teachings, then why are people trying to force their way of life on them?

If what we are after in the church is to be accepted then you must understand that acceptance comes at a cost. The cost is not you changing the faith but if you are real about the faith then you will change for the faith. If you are not willing to change for the faith, that only proves that you are not apart of the faith.

You are not willing to change for the faith, why are you trying to change those who believe in the faith. Who is more wrong here?

Don't point the finger and blame others of what you are not willing to do yourself, that is only fair.

Answer 7

Any God-fearing Church would not recognize such perversion! The Scripture plainly states that marriage is an institution reserved for a man and his BRIDE, not his gay lover! It is a sin to pervert the Temple whether it be the spiritual one or the physical one! But I will say that a Church that discriminates against a person simply BECAUSE they're gay is not a God-fearing body of believers! If you read Romans chapter 1, you'll see how God frowns (to be polite) upon the sin of homosexuality, but how in the Bible it also says, "Love thy neighbor as thyself"! If we cannot embrace a gay person and teach them and care for them, we cannot hope to fellowship with them! So, while I don't condone homosexuality, I don't discriminate against them. If they want to marry, it's their business, but I can guarantee you that a true God-fearing body will NEVER recognize such a union, not because of personal feelings, but because true Christians are BOUND to uphold the law of the Word of God!

Answer 8

No I don't think the church will ever recognize or perform gay marriages. It is a sin. Here is what the bible says about homosexuality.

In Genesis 19:1-29 the cities of Sodom and Gommorah were destroyed because the people were so wicked. The men of the city wanted to have sex with other men. So God's judgement on the city was to destroy it by raining down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah.

Leviticus 18:22 (speaking to men in Israel) "Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable."

Leviticus 20:13 "If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."

Romans 1:26-27 "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."

1 Corinthians 6:9 "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexual offenders...will inhereit the kingdom of God."

1 Corinthians 6:13 "The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."

1 Timothy 1:8-10 "We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers."

Answer 9

Who really cares what the church thinks. If you want to be a gay or lesbien go for it. The church should not have any say in who you marry and who you sleep with. The only person is should matter to is you. If you want to you want to marry a same sex patner go for it. You can get a friend to do it in some states. I am not a lesbien and I see nothing wrong with it. Why do other people because some book told them it was wrong. And the church will probably never recongnize gay marriage, the bible says it is wrong, and the church places most of its faith in the bible.

Answer 10

First, I'm gay.

Second, why the f*** are we as homosexuals making a big huff over the term 'gay marriage'? What's important, the word, or the legal rights? Is it so hard to realize we shouldn't care what the government calls it but that they do something about it? Civil union me baby, ain't got no problem with that. Religion should stay out of the legal marriage game, and the law should stay out of the religious marriage game. If this means the law grants Civil Unions to any couple, and the church grants Marriages to those who fit its definition of marriage, fine. Don't like it, start a new religion.

Thirdly, why this feeling that some gays seem to have that they need to shove it down the religious people's throats? As much as they should keep their bedroom and religious life private, so should we. When you prance out and have gay pride parades, you're not being proud, you're being a showoff. And yet, when they hold anti-gay rallies, they're denounced as hateful and discriminatory. This is hypocracy plain and simple. Welcome to the real world -- acting like a bunch of hormone replacement therapy rejects isn't earning us anything to be proud of and is making us a LOT of enemies out of people who'd probably be our friends.

Stop trying to change religion. That's up to the followers. Stop worrying about words and worry about meaning -- gay marriage isn't important, the right of two adults to live in a consensual relationship is. Stop shoving your deal down other people's throats and maybe they'll stop shoving their deal down yours. Even if they don't, at least you're being a better person than them.

People like you make me ASHAMED to be gay.

Answer 11

I don't think any true Christian church will ever recognize it, because homosexuality violates central teachings given to us by God. Also, you cannot apply principals of civil law to church doctrine; this would be a blatent violation of Christians' First Amendment rights.

Primarily, the Christian position regarding homosexuality is based on two portions of NT Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:9 and Romans 1:18-32. The most controversial of these is 1 Cor. 6:9, because certain irresponsible folks have purposefully mistranslated the meaning of the words "malakos" (translated as "effeminate" in the KJV) and "arsenokoites" (translated as "abusers of themselves with mankind," in the KJV, i.e. homosexuals). One web site that perpetuates these mistranslations is "soulforce.org": http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosex... These folks argue Paul "made up" the words "malakos" and "arsenokoites," and we cannot be certain what they really mean. Soulforce postulates these words only condemn male prostitution. This is blatently incorrect.

Ask any reputable Greek scholar about this controversy; after he/she rolls his/her eyes in complete exasperation, you will be told this: "malakos" is an established Greek word and means "soft or fancy." "Arsenokoites" is a combination of words: "arsen" means male; "koite" means bed, although it's also a pun meaning coitus. Put together, this word refers to homosexual activity.

Unfortunately, some churches have succombed to this, or similar, scriptural error and permitted gay and lesbian marriages.

Romans 1:18-32 mentions women who are condemned because they "did change the natural use into that which is against nature;" it also mentions men who, "leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."

And finally, Jesus affirms that marriage is between one man and one woman at Matthew 19:

4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

This has always been God's plan for marriage.

Peace.