Overall, a solid majority of white mainline Protestants (62%) now favor allowing gays and lesbians to wed, with just 33% opposed, according to a Pew Research Center survey. A similar share (63%) say there is “no conflict” between their religious beliefs and homosexuality. Taking it a favor further, Christian leaders were also overwhelmingly likely to support same-sex marriage, with 79 percent in favor across all Protestant churches.
The Community of Christ officially decided to extend the sacrament of marriage to same-sex couples where gay marriage is legal, to gay covenant commitment ceremonies where it is not legal, and to allow the ordination of people in same-sex relationships to the priesthood. Jesus addresses and defines marriage in Matthew –6 and Mark –9 using both Genesis –27 and Genesis to parse it out.
Here Jesus defines and affirms marriage as between a man and a woman, a reflection of the marriage that God made us male and female to care for creation together. Among all religiously affiliated Americans, 47 percent favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, compared to 45 percent who oppose. And support among all religious Americans has jumped nearly 20 percentage points, up from 28 percent in Resources to dig deeper We hope these thoughts help to clarify the issues in your own mind.
The case against Christians attending a gay wedding is relatively straightforward. The christian act of bowing had a recognizably public meaning, whatever their private intentions or whatever private conversations could have taken place. The state denies marriage licenses to sexual threesomes. The fact is that even as Jesus gladly ate with sinners, and as sinners were drawn to him, he never joined in any are where sin was being freely practiced, much less celebrated.
See D. What does the Bible say about homosexuality? No longer is marriage treated as a prepolitical entity which exists independent of the state. April 21, Marriage, in the traditional view, is a prepolitical institution. Surviving Religion Robert P. Their intentions may be to love the bride or groom without in any way celebrating what is taking place.
Sign Up for Our Newsletter. Anderson, and Robert P. We hope these thoughts help to clarify the issues in your own mind. This week we wrap up our marriage and family series. The state is not threatening to criminalize homosexual behavior. Attending a gay wedding, or counseling other Christians to do so, raises serious concerns in my mind. Carl R. Subscribe to the latest.
My concern is with the church—what she believes, what she celebrates, and what she proclaims. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. The Gay Gospel? Your biggest struggle is with your own selfishness.
I am concerned that Christians who have lost their livelihoods because they refused to bake a cake or take pictures for a gay wedding will be thought extreme for refusing their services when they could have just explained their reservations beforehand and accepted the job in good conscience. Of course, Christians want to extend love and keep the door open for gospel conversations, but surely this good desire is not by itself a sufficient moral framework for making ethical decisions.
In other words, there is no place for hatred, hurtful comments, or other forms of rejection toward those who experience same-sex attraction or identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Crawford is right:. To learn more, check out the resources below, and visit our Understanding Homosexuality webpage.
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