Gay 'Marriage' and Soft Despotism

I have not read or seen the versions of the Bible that declares homosexuality is a sin - but congratulations to the author, Zondervan and Tyndale for publishing it.

My question to the person or anyone objecting to it, why did you read it in the first place? It appears that the "moral compass" inside of you and each one of us, was already at work telling you that it is wrong!

God created you for a purpose! He created a man and a woman for a purpose. We cannot fulfill our purpose and destiny on earth if we go against God's design for our lives.

The Bible with all the admonitions, warnings, laws and commandments are not there to keep us in bondage to sin, but to deliver us from all it's entrapments. God loves you and I, and the Bible serves as a road map for this journey in our lives - pointing the way to our eternal destiny!

www.youhaveadestiny.com

One reader who objects to the notion of marriage being exclusive to one man and one woman cites concern with aBiblically based defense of this understanding. As with many who cite such objections, the reader's posting here singles out Christianity as being to blame for those who would have it otherwise not getting their way. The question is raised as to what requirement is next, a belief in Jesus.
Leaving aside what this writer has in mind regarding a "belief" in Jesus... this "straw man" argument is absurd! Christianity is far from the only faith in which marriage is considered to be exclusive to a relationship between a male and a female.
We must be VERY careful in not accepting the false premises that are tossed about so easily by those who would promote same sex marriage. Their shoddy logic will to easily lead one down the path of accepting their false premise and losing sight of the real argument.

I highly recommend the book "The Homosexual Agenda", by Alan Sears and Craig Osten. In the chapter that discusses the efforts of GLSEN and the NEA, the authors include these examples of how the homosexual agenda is pushed to school children:

* Boulder, Colorado has a curriculum that would require students to demonstrate their acceptance of homosexual behavior.

* In St. Louis, MO, a parent requested her right to exempt her child from a GLSEN seminar. Her request was granted, but when she showed up to see what was presented, an ARMED SECURITY GUARD told her school officials wanted her to leave the school grounds.

* In Silver Lake, Massachusetts, the freshman health text says: "Testing your ability to function sexually and give pleasure to another person may be less threatening in your early teens with people of your own sex...You may come to the conclusion that growing up means rejecting the values of your parents."

To those of you who responded so forcefully (and exhaustively) as to the bible-based reasons to consider homosexuality a sin: whether you believe homosexuality is a sin is relevant only to you and to your personal sense of right and wrong. Lead your lives as you think appropriate. But don't be greedy. Why keep the benefits of marriage (tax, inheritance, and other goodies) just to yourselves? The government-granted benefits of marriage do not belong to just Christians. Or, would your next litmus test for marriage be belief in Jesus?

Here's the solution: eliminate all government benefits to the married couples, allow people to get married in their own churches and traditions, and keep government out of it.

Contiued: "by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.**SIN is what you dislike about yourself, and you keep doing because you can’t stop it ON YOUR OWN. You are a slave to it. God wants to set you free. He has provided the WAY, in the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.*John 1:4-5,9,14; John 14:6; Jude 4,7,10,16,19,24; 1 Peter 4:13*Sodom & Gomorrah not only practiced homosexuality, but much other sexual perversion, e.g. adultery, pedophilia, bestiality, and rape, and also child sacrifice. Much of the Law (O.T.) was to keep Israel healthy (lack of modern hygiene & medicine). God wants us to live well because He made & loves us. Leviticus 18:3,20-24; Romans 1:20-27. Even though God loves us, He cannot tolerate corruption. Luke 17:28-30; Isaiah 13:19; Is.30:15; 2 Peter 3:9; Rom.2:4; 2 Corinth. 7:9-10;Romans 8:1-2"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death

This is for chriswinner, who wrote at 8:30 this morning:

First, it is sad that you believe Christ-followers rarely dialogue with gays and lesbians, which seems to be your given reason for their lack of acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle. I have had very close gay friends, despite our differences. I would never change the Word of God merely because a human person whom I love disagrees with it. Whether I like it or not, God hates sin, and I must obey. It is never easy or comfortable to do the right thing. However, His purity will leave the world if everyone refuses to obey, and then He will destroy it for all time.

I want to ask you to be open-minded and consider some passages from the Word of God that you may not have read. I wish I could sit with you and turn to these pages with you. I send this with a prayer that the Holy Spirit of God will bless you with a special gift of understanding, that you will endure until the end, and that you will seek the Bible itself rather than someone else’s interpretation of it.

2 Peter 2:2, 6-10, 18-19
2Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;…6and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; 7and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8(for by what he saw and heard, that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), 9then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation…10and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority, daring, self-willed…18For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcom

Here is one example of scripture re. homosexuality..

Romans 1:24-28 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In 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.

28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Maybe I should sue Dan Brown for suggesting Jesus Christ fathered children with Mary Magdalene.

It's scary to see posts defending homosexuality with the Bible. The older translations call it "an abomination" (KJV) and even the user-friendly TNIV calls it detestable (Leviticus 18:22). it is what it is, black and white. You can't say otherwise. Why delude ourselves? If you believe it, live by it. If not, don't.
THAT'S the choice. Jesus IS Lord, the Bible IS clear, and one way or the other, we all will deal with that fact, whether here or eternity. Wouldn't it be better to settle accounts with God while mercy and grace are available, than on our knee before a throne of judgement?

My opinion about this article is summoned up in one sentence.. The bible doesn't condemn homosexuality!! Stop twisting the bible as you want.. get informed well. Instead I suggest build bridges with those who are different, dialogue with gay and lesbians. When you do that you realise that someone being Gay or Lesbian can also be spiritually free.. Stop patronizing.

Tonnenator: The point: sectarian religious views shouldn’t dictate gov’t benefits. You make no argument. Gay/straight is irrelevant. I don't have to be black to oppose slavery, Jewish to oppose Nazism. I don't have to be a Deist founder to see that theocracy degrades a just society. Yr friend’s story is irrelevant. I commend her search, respect her choice. Does she respect others’ choices? You’re wrong: the country wasn’t founded on the Bible.Enlightenment European thinkers had far more to do with it. But, what’s the point? Yr understndng of it is different than mine. Who wins? What on earth do evil dictators have to do with this? USA wasn’t created immaculately perfect. Our history is awesome b/c upon recognizing that some are denied its benefits, we change and share them. Lincoln said, “"Can we do better?" The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present…we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”

tonnenator (response below): could you please show me where my reasoning is flawed instead of engaging in ad hominem attacks.