God and Same-Sex Marriage
Four things you didn’t know about God and same-sex marriage.
By Center for American Progress
April 27, 2009
(AP/ Eric Risberg)
Last week, Iowa and Vermont joined Connecticut and Massachusetts to legalize same-sex marriage. Progressive religious voices and civil rights groups worked hard to help achieve these victories, moving us closer to our nation’s promise of equality and justice for all. Even so, conservative religious opponents are criticizing the victories, claiming that same-sex marriage violates the biblical definition of marriage. They are wrong, and here’s why.
1. There are few biblical verses that address homosexuality at all, and most of those are not directed at homosexuality per se. Opponents of same-sex marriage routinely cite seven verses in the Christian Bible as condemning homosexuality and calling it a sin. But when taken in context, these lessons speak not against homosexuality itself, but rather against rape, child molestation, bestiality, and other practices that hurt others and compromise a person’s relationship with God.
2. Jesus never said one word against homosexuality. In all of his teachings, Jesus uplifted actions and attitudes of justice, love, humility, mercy, and compassion. He condemned violence, oppression, cold-heartedness, and social injustice. Never once did Jesus refer to what we call homosexuality as a sin.
3. The Bible never mentions or condemns the concept we call same-sex marriage. Although opponents of same-sex marriage claim that lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender unions violate biblical principles, no verses in the Bible explicitly address gay marriage or committed same-sex relationships.
4. Those who claim a “biblical definition of marriage” as a model for today ignore various marital arrangements in the Bible that would be illegal or condemned today. The Bible is filled with stories of polygamy and husbands taking concubines. In accordance with the culture and laws of the past, women were often treated like property that could be traded or sold into marriage. Today we understand that these examples of marriage reflect the cultural practices of the time rather than a spiritual model for today.
For more on civil rights from American Progress please visit the Civil Rights, Liberties, and Justice page of our website. For more on faith and religion from CAP please see the Religion and Values page of our website.
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Comments
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Gays are not forbidden to partake in marriage – it just happens that MOST homosexuals don’t feel the inclination to marry someone of the opposite sex. Stop trying to redefine an ancient tradition to fit your lifestyle. BTW, your “Progressive” Christian definitions have more twists than a pretzel and are so nuanced as to be laughable. Nice try.
What do homosexuals deserve? They deserve to be treated with courtesy. They do not deserve to redefine society so as to bolster self-esteem.
— mighty aphrodite - Apr 30, 05:34 PM - #Mighty Aphrodite,
— kelso - May 1, 11:20 AM - #If I may ask, are you yourself a homosexual? Can you yourself speak for “MOST homosexuals”? You have made a sweeping generalization that is not only offensive to me personally, but is offensive to millions of LGBT persons in our world.
You’re right – homosexuals deserve to be treated with courtesy, and assuming that you know the definition of “courtesy” this entitles them the equal treatment and rights of every other individual. Oh wait, that includes marriage to the same sex, doesn’t it?