Wednesday, March 11, 2009

I'm a gay married man

Proposition 8 is so inane. It is a semantic battle.

The entire proposition reads:

Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized
in California.

What does “marriage” mean? What does “valid” and “recognized” mean?

This argument is going to take awhile, so bear with me.

I am a Christian. Born again. The only kind there is.

The Bible lists at least 600 sins.

Being a homosexual isn’t one of them. Having homosexual sex is.

So are at least 600 other things, including:

-Laziness (guilty)

-Drunkenness (guilty)

-Lusting after another’s wife (guilty. have you shopped at Ralph’s in Manhattan Beach?)

-Lying (“I never lied to you. I always told you some version of the truth.”)

-Gambling (guilty)

-Hearkening to the voice of your wife instead of God (so guilty)

-Laying up treasures on earth (I did until one really bad investment)

-Smoking (guilty, but only with morning coffee)

-Worrying (oh kill me now)

-Vain babblings (blogging isn’t specifically mentioned)

And my marriage is recognized in all 50 states.

Although our Constitution is unmistakably based on Christian thinking and principles, Christianity is not the state religion. And the Bible is not the Constitution.


So, homosexuals want to “marry”.

“Marriage” is nothing more than a voluntary commitment between two people that their relationship will be pre-eminent over all other human relationships.

It is a promise. A vow. A covenant. It isn’t anyone’s business but those two folks if they want to be committed to one another forever. And no law can or will make that commitment any more or less valid. If Tommy Lee and Pam Anderson are allowed to marry, where is the moral bar?

In the Bible, “marriage” is described as being between one man and one woman. That is because the primary purpose of “marriage” is for procreation and the establishment of the center of civilization, the nuclear family. The Bible goes on to provide instruction for husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children. There is no instruction provided for other arrangements.

So, the Christian church can’t be true to itself and bless or recognize homosexual marriages. And as far as I can tell, neither can Islam or Judaism.

In the Bible, there is no prescribed marriage ceremony. There are no prescribed vows. (The wedding vows we know by heart originated in the Common Book of Prayer, commissioned by that faithful, loving, honorable husband, Henry VIII.)

In fact, the church didn’t get involved until several hundred years A.D. when a priest was asked to bless a “marriage”. Then the church figured out it was a great marketing strategy and the wedding chapel was invented. Meaning that the covenant between Adam and Eve and Abraham and Sarah and jillions of others were valid and recognized before the religious establishment ever got involved.

But, the government can recognize these relationships if the people support it and want it to happen.

Now, once you get the government involved, you are talking a much more complicated situation. Basically, it is contract law. If you want the government involved in your personal life, get “married”. Each state has its own laws. Each state has its own ways of taxing you for the privilege. And, each state has laws if you want to end that contract. The federal government has absolutely no business being involved, except of course they demand to take their “fair” share of your combined income. And of your assets when you croak.

Domestic partnerships and “common law marriage” have been around since Genesis. Most states and companies and organizations now recognize both and offer benefits to those in such relationships. Especially in California.

So, if two people of the same sex want to get “married”, have at it. Just remember, consummating that “marriage” would be a sin.

I, on the other hand, am now declaring myself as being in a domestic life partnership with a woman. And this makes me happy. Or, in other words, I’m gay.

9 comments:

  1. hello,
    While the Bible doesn’t really directly talk about the marriage itself or the concept of gay or same sex marriage, the Bible does clearly and consistently tell us that homosexuality is a sin Genesis 19:1-13,
    Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26, 1 Corinthians 6:9 .
    God did not create a person with homosexual desires. A person becomes a homosexual because of sin Romans 1:24 and ultimately because of his or her own choice. A person may be born with a greater susceptibility to homosexuality, just as people are born with a tendency to violence and other sins.That does not excuse the person choosing to sin by giving in to their sinful desires. If a person is born with a greater susceptibility to anger / rage, does that make it right for them to give into those desires? Of course not. The same is true for homosexuality. We also have to remember that homosexuality is just as forgivable sin as all other sins. God’s forgiveness is just as available to a homosexual as it is to an adulterer, idol worshipper, murderer, liar, proud man, etc. God’s love and desire to save extends to homosexuals -John 3:16 and Romans 5:8. God also promises the strength for victory over sin, including homosexuality, to all those who will believe in Jesus Christ for their salvation - 1 Corinthians 6:11 and 2 Corinthians 5:17.
    To give sanction to homosexual marriage would be to give approval to that lifestyle, which the Bible clearly and consistently condemns as sinful. I believe that Christians should stand firmly against the idea of gay marriage / same sex marriage.
    Marriage is ordained by God to be between a man and a woman
    Genesis 2:21 and Matthew 19:4.
    Homosexual marriage is a perversion of the institution of marriage and an offense to the God who created marriage. God forbids and condemns homosexuality, so He clearly is opposed to homosexual marriage. As Christians, we are to seek to share the love of God and salvation through Christ with homosexuals. We are to be loving and kind to homosexuals, while at the same time not condoning their sinful lifestyle.

    "Proud married NON-GAY dude"

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  2. so, ncuh, you aren't happily married? that's what gay means.

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  3. i am happily married, i'm just saying i am not gay.

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  4. meaning, you are not homosexual? neither am i. but i am gay about being married to the woman that is my wife.

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  6. I too am gay about being married to the woman that is my wife.

    And hcnuh, I think the bigger picture is something Alan wrote: "Christianity is not the state religion. And the Bible is not the Constitution." While I am a Christian, I am glad that the United States is not theocracy and I appreciate and value a big tent federal government, because if I lived here and were a Muslim or a Wiccan or whatever I'd want to have the same freedoms that Christians enjoy. And while some gay people are Christians, many are not. And because we are not a Christian theocracy and because there are gay people out there who are not Christians, we should allow them to marry.

    My 2 cents

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  7. Jesus was American and the Bible was written in English. And the Bible is 100% accurate historically and scientifically.. And it's definitely the government's business who I love.

    Prop 8 is a joke and so is anyone that cares enough to shove their own religious beliefs down the throats of those who don't believe through laws.. there are lots of other countries like that you can live in.. Iran is one that comes to mind. Everything is great there!

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  8. if English was good enough for Jesus, it is good enough for me.

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  9. I ditto what blake said, and agree with you Alan!

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