OceanSide church of Christ
CHANGING THE DEFINITION OF
MARRIAGE
Victor M. Eskew
The date was Friday, May 16, 2008.
The state was California. The headline read as follows: “California Supreme Court overturns gay
marriage ban.” The bi-line of the
Los Angeles Times read: “In
a 4-3 decision, the justices rule that people have a fundamental ‘right to
marry’ the person of their choice and that gender restrictions violate the state
Constitution’s equal protection guarantee.” This was not the first state to grant
marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples. “Same-sex marriage in the U.S. state of
Massachusetts began on May 17, 2004, as a result of the Supreme Judicial Court
of Massachusetts ruling in the Goodridge vs Department of Public Health that it
was unconstitutional under the Massachusetts constitution to allow only
heterosexual couples to marry” (Wikipedia, “Same-sex marriage in
Massachusetts”).
These two judicial decisions should cause every Bible believer grave
concern for several reasons. First,
these decisions reveal that U.S. law will no longer be rooted in
the laws of the Creator. In the
beginning of the creation, man was lonely (Gen. 2:18). God solved man’s aloneness by creating a
woman from his rib and bringing her unto the man (Gen. 2:22). One has rightly stated: “God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and
Steve.” God’s design for marriage
never involved two men or two women joined in holy wedlock. In fact, both the Old Testament and the
New Testament classify homosexuality as sin (Gen. 18:20; Rom. 1:26-32; I Cor.
6:9-10). Prior to the cross of
Calvary, homosexuality was punishable by
death. “If a man also lie with
mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their
blood shall be upon them” (Lev. 20:13).
Many of the judges of this nation no longer care about God’s divine
laws. They are seeking to satisfy
the fleshly desires of wicked men and women. Their decisions on behalf of homosexual
marriages are ripping the divine framework from the legal system of this
land.
Another reason we should be concerned about the decisions made in
Massachusetts and California is because
these decisions are the beginning of an avalanche of decisions to come. After California’s judges rendered their decision, one college
professor noted that more states will follow California’s example. If they do not, they will have cases
forced upon them by the gay and lesbian community. Gays will marry in states where it is
legal to do so. They will then move
to states where it is illegal and challenge the constitutionality of those
laws. Eventually, a case will make
it to the Supreme Court of the United States. The professor we referred to earlier was
convinced that the Chief Justices would rule in favor of same-sex marriages.
If this happens, the flood-gates
will be opened to all types of discrimination law suits. These suits will also be brought upon
many churches that oppose homosexuality.
Third, the approval of gay marriages will bring our nation far down to
the road of moral bankruptcy. If
the homosexuals can change the definition of marriage to include gays and
lesbians, others will be free to include polygamy, pedophilia, and incest within
the definition. If not, why
not? We will eventually live in an
“everything goes” society.
Having turned from God, many have forgotten that it is God who ordains
the powers that be (Rom. 13:1). In essence, the United States
exists as a world power because God allows it to exist. Dear readers, our existence is not
guaranteed. If we turn from the God
of heaven, He can easily turn from us.
In fact, He has promised that He will do just that if we do evil in His
sight. “And at what instant I shall
speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then will I repent of the
good, wherewith I said I would benefit them (Jer. 18:9-10). Will Bible believers allow this to
happen to our nation? Let’s right
up and demand that all of our
government officials abide by God’s laws of morality and righteousness. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people”
(Prov. 14:34).
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