Does the Bible really say that? Excerpt from my book, 22

[Continuing a discussion of homosexuality, in relation to the Bible.]

Occasionally someone will say that homosexuality is “the greatest threat to marriage,” or something like that. Really? Not making and keeping marriage vows is the greatest threat to marriage. This is true, whether we mean the greatest threat to individual marriages, or the greatest threat to marriage as an institution. Marriage, in present-day North America, needs commitment, by both partners, and it needs a partnership with God, to truly succeed. There would be significant marriage problems even if homosexuality didn’t exist. All too many marriages have failed, and will fail, and all too many of these failures are failures of heterosexual believing couples. God help us!

Homosexual marriage?

Some Christians believe that it is their duty to prevent homosexual “marriage” from becoming legal, or to work to make it illegal in places where it has been declared to be legal. Perhaps God has, indeed, called them to do this. But other Christians feel led to try to lead homosexuals to repentance and a loving relationship with a Christian congregation, and that seems to have been the approach of the New Testament Church. Being militant about homosexual “marriage” most likely makes it difficult or impossible to carry out the New Testament approach.

Should a church be required to hold a marriage ceremony for a homosexual couple? No. Churches should not be required to marry anyone. Various churches, and pastors, will refuse to marry couples, for several reasons. As indicated above [in another section of the book -- see here], it is not clear that marriage should even be a church function, although, for many people, it is now.

Should homosexual partners be allowed to receive certain legal benefits? At least some of them. I personally believe that a hospital should allow visitation privileges to long-time homosexual partners. Receiving this, and other, legal benefits is not the same as marriage, and legal marriage should not be the same as Christian marriage. A Christian can be in favor of some legal benefits for homosexual partners, but still believe that homosexual activity is sinful, marriage between homosexuals is wrong, and that practicing homosexuals should not be received as church members, or ordained as pastors.

The above is an excerpt from my recently published e-book, Does the Bible Really Say That?, which may be obtained free of charge, or purchased from Amazon for $0.99, which is the lowest price Amazon lets an author set. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain.

The previous post in this series is here. God willing, the next excerpt will continue  discussion of this topic.