Romans 1:18-32



       If you are an atheist, what I have to say will make no sense to you.  Stop reading here.  But if you are someone who professes to be a Christ follower and you support same sex marriage, I hope that you read on.  And I hope that you consider the following point.
Reasonable people would agree that abuse and unfaithfulness in marriage are unacceptable.  But for a time I lived with these things.  I remember stating,  “These are not my rules.”  But he viewed me as a killjoy who sought to steal his freedom, and the relationship was destroyed.  I am reminded of those times as I watch the news of late.   Should the Federal ban on gay marriage be lifted?  Tweets and Facebook posts abound.  “Screw the haters!”  “Equal rights for everyone!”  “Love is love!”  Each side views the other as angry.  
Few would debate that rules are designed to protect.  From the time we are tiny children, we learn  Don’t hit.  Don’t steal.  Don’t lie.  And as we mature, we learn more complex rules.  Don’t cheat.  Don’t drink and drive.  Don’t kill anyone.
And we all want to trust that the penultimate judicial body, the Supreme Court, will make the right decision for upholding our safety and freedom.  (Let me state that freedom is often protected by the placement of restrictions, but that is a whole other essay.  If you are a mature Christian, it is something you should already realize.)  I am perplexed that so many self-professed Christians do not trust the rules of the God they claim to love and honor.  And if you do not claim to love and honor God, please don’t call yourself Christian.  You are not.
If you believe in Jesus Christ, at what point did you think it was okay to dismiss Him, His teachings, and the teachings of His Father?  At what point did you think it was okay to dismiss His rules and follow the rules of a lost mankind?  God’s rules are designed for His honor and our protection.  And there was a time when man’s rules were in line with those of God.  He is unchanging, and it is inappropriate to bend Him to our liking so that we may be more comfortable in our sin…like my former partner did when he decided that I was hateful and controlling for expecting peace and faithfulness in marriage.
How do we reconcile the belief in a loving God with what seems hateful restriction?  Remember that God hates the sin but loves the sinner:  He loves everyone, but He does not approve of everyone’s actions, just as human law-making bodies seek to protect everyone but do not support unlawful actions.  Realize that the Christian opposition is based not on hatred of our brothers, but on love of our God.  Realize that, despite the god that society has conveniently constructed over the years, the true God is indeed offended by certain behaviors.  If you are a Christian who believes that everything is okay with God, you do not know Him.  Read your Bible and give thought to what you read.  Violence and hatred toward anyone are wrong.  But Christians need to stand behind God, refusing to encourage what is offensive to Him.
So, as the Supreme Court considers the lawfulness of same-sex marriage, Christians please remember that there is a higher Ruler.  Are you really following Him?

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