This is a guest post by Sam Riviera. He spends most of his time and energy caring for others in his community so that through his life and actions they might see Jesus. He has also written “14 Reasons I Never Returned to the Institutional Church.“
If you would like to write a guest post for this blog, check out the guidelines here.
Most newsmen know that politicians and corporations love to release bad news on a big news day, when other news will overshadow their bad news. It’s kind of like if our child brings home a report card with a “D” in both math and science, we’ll barely notice it if our house burned down that morning.
Likewise, endless discussions of the evils of gay marriage are a convenient mechanism for diverting attention away from the greatest threats to our families.
Does a child need to be protected from the knowledge that the two women who live across the street are married to each other, or does that child really need two parents in his or her home? Are two gay males who are married to each other a more ominous threat to families than are two straight men who live alone, apart from the women they impregnated who are left alone to raise their children?
Yet we dare not say such things in polite company for fear that we offend those whose sons are the fathers who have left both their children and the mothers of their children.
Just as we avoid talking about single parents, we also avoid discussing other issues that threaten our families.
True Threats to the Family
We do not like to talk about families that can’t find work, or that earn too little to keep a roof over their heads. As we crawl into our warm, dry beds we do not want to even think about them huddling under a bush in an ice storm, soaked to the skin, shaking and shivering uncontrollably, praying they’ll still be alive in the morning.
We do not like to talk about people whose only access to health care is an emergency room. We do not like to talk about people who cannot eat an apple because most of their teeth are rotten. They cannot afford to go to a dentist. We do not want to talk about extending health care, dental care and child care to many of the poor.
We’d rather raise money to build a new gymnasium at the church to “minister to the young people.” We’d rather give our money to “fight” gay marriage. Those causes are surely more worthwhile than poor, sick, cold people, than poorly educated single mothers (with children whose fathers and their families pretend they don’t exist) who don’t know how to make enough money to pay for the basics of life for themselves and their children.
Attitudes about gay marriage are changing at breakneck speed when compared to the rate that attitudes on major social issues often change. Literally, many of those opposed to gay marriage are dying (of old age). The youngest third of voters is twice as likely to favor gay marriage as the oldest third.
Also, many people are discovering that they have gay family members, co-workers, neighbors and other gay people in their lives. Only one person I know has told me in the past fifteen years that they don’t know anyone who is gay. For many people, their attitude about gay marriage corresponds directly to how many gay people they know.
Regardless of our opinions on the issue of gay marriage, let us carefully consider and focus on the many issues that threaten families. What are we personally doing to alleviate the plight of single mothers and children with absent fathers? What are we doing to improve educational opportunities, job opportunities, expanded housing opportunities, health care and childcare for those same people?
Some say they see Jesus weeping because of gay marriage. I see Jesus weeping for the poor, lonely single mother who is unable to provide for her children. I see Jesus weeping for the family living on the street. I see Jesus weeping for the little girl who cries herself to sleep every night because her daddy left her and her mommy. She doesn’t know what she did wrong.
Who do you see Jesus weeping for? What do you see as the biggest threats to families today?
…So, does Jesus HATE the deeds of the Nicolaitans ??? …You are of those that say,” You can’t legislate MORALITY.” …Uhhmmm, so we stand aside and look on as they legislate IMMORALITY ??? …This is not one or the other !!! Where does God say,” Just do spiritual warfare on ONE ISSUE at a time ??? ” …Ever since the day of John the Baptist a WAR has been RACING in the heavens, and the VIOLENT(…Holy Spiritually VIOLENT…) are taking it…BY FORCE !!!! …As for single moms ??? …The tiny home initiative has reduced homelessness in Utah by over 70% and that takes about 45-60% of a single year’s aide to build it THIS YEAR and next to nothing to keep it going !!!! …Next issue….
Gerald,
I am not actually sure what you are arguing here…
You sound like a liberal to me who seems to always be on the lookout for a highly sensitive issue that they can use in order to divert attention away from that issue. By the way, gay marriage is a very serious issue no matter how you may try to pretend that people should not be that much concerned about it due to its widespread acceptance among the people. I am not condoning the things mentioned in your post, but I seriously believe that gay marriage has many more spiritual implications than many of the things you’ve just said in your post. The reason is that you have two individuals who are living under God’s eternal condemnation, and you tie them into such a commitment that will worsen their situation even further. It’s like encouraging and emboldening these people on their way to eternal destruction.
With respect to single motherhood, I think that there are always two sides in every story. Sadly, many irresponsible fathers happen to forsake their responsibilities to provide for their own family. That’s a reprehensible behavior, which I condemn because a father has to always be there for his children. Thanks God, right here in United Sates, they can be given child support. In that case, I don’t see what can be done except providing some occasional assistance because helping such families continuously would be a huge burden since there are many out there.
On the other hand, many women place themselves in such situation by continuing to have children out of the wedlock. They made a mistake in the past, and you think that next time that action would be taken in order to avoid that from happening; unfortunately, the same thing keeps repeating itself. They bury themselves into poverty due to their bad choices. If think that every church would have gone broke if they were to tackle that serious problem in an aggressive manner.
Arnold
I think Jeremy is saying that their are other issue at hand that the church is not addressing that are also a threat to the family. As a Christian I do not approve of gay marriage either. I think the problem is that it is futile for the church to fight this, the inertia of the culture cannot be stopped at this point. I do not believe their is much the church or any of us as individual christians can do to stop the Gay marriage train at this point.
I think all we can do is be an example of Jesus to others gay or not, show them love despite whatever their lifestyle. We are not called to judge, just to be an example of Christ to others. The government is going to do what it wants about gay marriage and we just need to stay out of it.
We are called to live in peace with others as much as possible, to worship God be an example and teach our children is all we can do.
Christians. I invite you all to genuinely read the story of David and Jonathan. I mean really read it! Yes I know most of you are so confident of your exegesis of Romans 1 and Leviticus you don’t need to but just give it a try. I came to the story assuming they were just good friends. I remembered evangelicals mocking those who try to make the story a gay romance just because they give each other a peck on the cheek. Then I read the text. I asked myself what it really meant when (in a literal translation) it says they kissed until David “grew great” or “exceeded”. What was in Sauls mind when he said Jonathan had chosen the son of Jesse to the shame of his mother’s nakedness. Just for example, again, read the text! See if you can, without reading in your exegesis of other passages, avoid the conclusion I reached. Gay marriage was ordained by God the day Jonathan and David called him to witness their covenant of eternal love and sanctioned by scripture the day he inspired the writer to record that with obvious approval.
Also if anyone wants to take issue, just for fun see if you can make your case from that text, rather than citing others.
Oh, and one more thought. When it condemns a man lying with a man “as with a woman” what does the latter phrase mean? If it means sex is in view then why is the qualifying clause absent when it condemns lying with a beast?
Where did gay marriage was ordained by God? Can you give a scripture in which God has placed His stamp of approval on that issue? It’s just a desperate attempt by homosexuals, so that they can come out of the massive guilt they are under. I don’t see any verse in the Bible which condones this kind of practice.
The very act that transpired between both David and Jonathan which homosexual are clinging to is nothing more than a real example of true biblical friendship. Based on the account of scripture, true friendship, implies loyalty, sacrifice, compromise, and lastly, emotional attachment. The notion that the only individual who is considered as “a man after God’s own heart” all throughout the Word of God was a practicing homosexual (or was bisexual) is just silly and has absolutely no biblical ground.
Actually yes. I gave you the scripture. I assumed you would know where to find it. It’s 1 Samuel chapters 18 and 20. Perhaps you will say its not clear? Well, I will say that, in the light of the qualifying clause “as with a woman” the prohibitions you cite aren’t either. As for Romans 1, try reading to the punchline. Handy hint, the chapter divisions weren’t in the original letter.
I used to hold your view. Then I tried actually reading the text rather than assuming it taught what I had been told it taught.
But I don’t see anything that describes some form of homosexual relationship between both. The only thing that I can see in these accounts is the evidence of a genuine friendship they both had shared to each other. What about this scripture found (1 Corinthians 6:9) which plainly states those who are practicing homosexuality will not inherit the Kingdom of God. I don’t really see how something can be ordained by God while placing an eternal condemnation on those are practicing the very thing ordained by Him.
I did make some research regarding that relationship that you are referring to on Gotquestions which is an excellent website. If you need to find more about it just Google that question: What was the relationship between David and Jonathan?