I want to post this link so that if anyone hasn't had an opportunity to watch the Saddleback Civil Forum where Pastor Rick Warren interviews Barrack Obama and John McCain they would have the opportunity now. This is a very helpful forum in that it provides a very good point of clarification for Christians on the positions of these two men. I know many Christians are confused about how to cast their vote in this election and I think this forum might help make that decision easier. Enjoy
http://trevinwax.com/2008/08/17/obama-mccain-with-rick-warren-at-saddleback-forum-video/
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Church's Response to Gay Marriage
This week Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill to repeal a 1913 law, which up until now protected the sovereignty of other states to determine what constituted a legal marriage. With this bill Mass. has opened the door for gay couples from any state to come to their state to be legally married.
Several problems present themselves to me as a result of this decision. First and most practically is the question of what do states do with couples who return from Massachusetts with legal marriage certificates looking for the rights any other married couple in that state? A great dilemma will be faced by many states. I can only imagine the legal expenses that will be supported by tax payers all over America when states have to debate these issues and defend their findings.
Second, and more pressing for the Church is the question of how to respond. I fear we will simply ignore the problem as we have already ignored the problem presented by insurance companies and corporations that choose to recognize same sex couples as equally deserving of coverage as married couples.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a proponent of using the Church as a political platform. I’m not really all too excited about the Church being directly involved in social activism. I’m certainly not one to encourage Christians to make fools of themselves in the work place or on public stage.
With that said, while I’m not opposed to Christian organizations and individuals representing Christian standards in the corporate and political world I believe the Church’s response should be focused in a different direction, i.e. it’s teaching. The Church needs to remember that it’s job is not to change social policy but to change hearts, and the only effective change in hearts that the Church should ever focus on is one where the heart is changed in it’s disposition toward God and sin. Only when people’s hearts have gone from hating God and loving sin to loving God and hating sin will the Church have an eternal impact on such issues as we are faced with in Massachusetts. And this brings us back to her teaching. Her teaching must be routed in the gospel teaching about the grace of God that comes to us through the death of Jesus Christ. She should address the moral issues of the day, but only in so far as they serve to point people to their need for Christ and to God’s sovereign authority over all creatures.
To some this may sound simplistic and even naïve. However, it is my opinion that the gospel is more effective in changing people’s minds than any theory, argument or political position and thus the Church should focus her attention on proclaiming the gospel to the heart’s of God’s children.
Several problems present themselves to me as a result of this decision. First and most practically is the question of what do states do with couples who return from Massachusetts with legal marriage certificates looking for the rights any other married couple in that state? A great dilemma will be faced by many states. I can only imagine the legal expenses that will be supported by tax payers all over America when states have to debate these issues and defend their findings.
Second, and more pressing for the Church is the question of how to respond. I fear we will simply ignore the problem as we have already ignored the problem presented by insurance companies and corporations that choose to recognize same sex couples as equally deserving of coverage as married couples.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a proponent of using the Church as a political platform. I’m not really all too excited about the Church being directly involved in social activism. I’m certainly not one to encourage Christians to make fools of themselves in the work place or on public stage.
With that said, while I’m not opposed to Christian organizations and individuals representing Christian standards in the corporate and political world I believe the Church’s response should be focused in a different direction, i.e. it’s teaching. The Church needs to remember that it’s job is not to change social policy but to change hearts, and the only effective change in hearts that the Church should ever focus on is one where the heart is changed in it’s disposition toward God and sin. Only when people’s hearts have gone from hating God and loving sin to loving God and hating sin will the Church have an eternal impact on such issues as we are faced with in Massachusetts. And this brings us back to her teaching. Her teaching must be routed in the gospel teaching about the grace of God that comes to us through the death of Jesus Christ. She should address the moral issues of the day, but only in so far as they serve to point people to their need for Christ and to God’s sovereign authority over all creatures.
To some this may sound simplistic and even naïve. However, it is my opinion that the gospel is more effective in changing people’s minds than any theory, argument or political position and thus the Church should focus her attention on proclaiming the gospel to the heart’s of God’s children.
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