by Tom Wacaster
Times have certainly changed since my childhood days. In some ways that change has been for the better. Socially, medically, technologically, and educationally, we enjoy a far greater standard of living than did our grandparents. But with the advancements in our living conditions there has come a corresponding collapse in our moral living. One area that has suffered from this moral collapse has to do with the family. In the 1950’s we saw an increase in the divorce rate, an increase that has yet to peak. In the 1980’s society gave up on marriage and began to move toward “live-in” partners. Universities sponsored co-ed dormitories, with little if any supervision of what goes on after classroom hours. The 1990’s saw the push for “homosexual rights.” Every imaginable attempt has been made to make the vile practice of homosexuality look legitimate. “You were born that way,” or “What the homosexual does in the privacy of his home will not affect you,” were the initial volleys that were fired over the bow of the societal norms. Like the proverbial camel that was allowed to push his nose through the door, eventually the entire camel has managed to push his way into the tent. Government leaders have coddled, cooed and compromised to the point that the very fabric of our society is now threatened. What started in Vermont, found acceptance in Hawaii, and has now been declared “constitutional” by the high courts in a dozen or more states. We are speaking of the acceptance and legitimization of homosexual marriages. Our Supreme Court cracked the door more than 30 years ago when it legitimized abortion on the grounds that what one does in private in no way affects society. The Supreme Court overthrew the Texas anti-sodomy law on this same flimsy argument of personal “privacy.” My friends, if this “camel” is allowed to get into the tent, then I humbly suggest to you, “there goes the tent!” Consider the following concerning homosexual marriages.
First and foremost, homosexual marriage is completely contrary to God’s divine law. Marriage was instituted and defined in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall become one flesh.” This first marriage serves as a pattern for successive marriages, as implied by Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6. If homosexuality is condemned in the scripture (and it is, Rom. 1:26-27, Gen. 19:1 ff.) what makes us think that God will smile on the “union” of two homosexuals? He will not!
Second, homosexual marriage harms marriage in general. Proponents of gay marriage frequently argue that allowing it would have no effect whatsoever on the institution of marriage itself. Former Harvard anthropologist Stanley Kurtz, writing in the Weekly Standard (August 4, 2003), reports on various European studies that challenge this argument. Kurtz reports that in those countries where full homosexual marriage rights have been granted, marriage and indeed concrete family structures have been considerably weakened. Mr. Kurtz writes that “same-sex marriage has locked in and reinforced an existing Scandinavian trend toward the separation of marriage and parenthood instead of encouraging a society-wide return to marriage gay marriage has driven home the message that marriage itself is outdated, and that virtually any family form, including out-of-wedlock parenthood, is acceptable.”
Third, homosexual marriage fosters immorality in society in other areas. Sweden, Denmark, and Norway-all of whom have incorporated full gay marriage rights over the past ten to fifteen years-have seen jumps in out-of-wedlock births since they legalized homosexual marriage. This deterioration of the traditional family structure has ushered in an era where the majority of children are born outside of marriage. What makes us think that legalization of homosexual marriage is going to strengthen the family? To the contrary, it will weaken the family unit and usher in more radical departures from the Biblical definition of marriage. Is it any wonder that some sociologists are declaring that marriage is an outmoded, outdated, and obsolete institution?
Fourth, homosexual marriages give a false impression of respectability of homosexual unions. I wonder in my own mind, why does the homosexual even bother with marriage? What do they hope to accomplish if it is not to give some sense of respectability to this sorted and sinful behavior? If the homosexual rebels and ridicules God’s law on homosexuality, what makes us think they respect God’s law concerning marriage, commitment, fidelity, etc. that comes with the union of two people in marriage?
Finally, homosexual marriage is not just a political issue; it is a moral issue. In fact, it is first and foremost a moral issue. Liberals have attempted to move the issue of homosexual rights and now homosexual marriage off the moral table and classify it as a “civil rights” issue; purely political. But the child of God realizes that this is a moral issue. What is shocking is that some members of the body of Christ will support, encourage, and stand by political candidates that have made it known that they favor homosexual activity and/or marriage.
Dear friend, homosexual marriage runs contrary to all that is right and decent. It is a slap in the face of God. The homosexual community is laughing at God-fearing people in this country. Let’s not be taken in by this devil’s lie that homosexual marriage will not affect you or me. To believe the lie is deadly.