Christianity started 2 milenia ago, and Christians have developed different views of Scripture: a) As history and divine revelation, b) As all or partially instructional for modern life, c) Interpreted selectively by denominational leaders, d) or allowing changes by modern prophets, or a Pope. Yet all agree that each person is spiritually led. Their view on same-sex Biblical marriage may vary. Is it an expression of Christian compassion or permissiveness? Logic and Biblical exegesis can help.
Christianity is about love, understanding and tolerance. Allegedly, Christian marriage is about love and commitment, so two persons of any gender should be able to access the covenant of marriage.
Christian marriage is about much more than love and commitment. It is about completion of the human self, in both biological and psychological aspects, and the natural way for engendering children protected by the natural instincts of their GENETIC parents. We all have the instinct of protection for a child, but not as strong as for our own genetic children.
It is about tending to God's design of marriage, and not making our own rules.
Friendship, on the other hand, knows no gender in the Biblical sense, but friendship is not marriage in the Biblical sense. David and Jonathan in the Biblical narrative were friends, not sexual partners. Their friendship was heroic and fulfilling, and permitted David to become King of Israel and lead the nation into its Golden Age. Reading anything else into the Biblical story exposes a preconception, and self-deception.
There are many kinds of "tolerance", not just one. Tolerance is not permissiveness. Imagine if we were to change any part of the Bible for the sake of a kind of tolerance. Christianity is about much more than love, understanding and tolerance. It is a matter of reading the Bible in the historical context.
It doesn't matter what same-sex friends or committed room-mates do in their own privacy, but it does not compare to Biblical marriage. It does not complete the human self, nor does it potentially engender children who would probably be reared in love.
Christian marriage is about much more than love and commitment. It is about completion of the human self, in both biological and psychological aspects, and the natural way for engendering children protected by the natural instincts of their GENETIC parents. We all have the instinct of protection for a child, but not as strong as for our own genetic children.
ReplyDeleteIt is about tending to God's design of marriage, and not making our own rules.
Friendship, on the other hand, knows no gender in the Biblical sense, but friendship is not marriage in the Biblical sense. David and Jonathan in the Biblical narrative were friends, not sexual partners. Their friendship was heroic and fulfilling, and permitted David to become King of Israel and lead the nation into its Golden Age. Reading anything else into the Biblical story exposes a preconception, and self-deception.
There are many kinds of "tolerance", not just one. Tolerance is not permissiveness. Imagine if we were to change any part of the Bible for the sake of a kind of tolerance. Christianity is about much more than love, understanding and tolerance. It is a matter of reading the Bible in the historical context.
It doesn't matter what same-sex friends or committed room-mates do in their own privacy, but it does not compare to Biblical marriage. It does not complete the human self, nor does it potentially engender children who would probably be reared in love.