Gay marriage: right or wrong?
CMI’s new booklet helps give Christians answers
Published: 10 October 2013 (GMT+10)
Gay marriage is one of the biggest social issues debated today. As presidents, prime ministers, and many prominent Christian leaders endorse same-sex unions, it is gaining popularity. Many churches and Christians are struggling to reconcile the clear teaching of Scripture with a desire to be in step with the culture. Just a few decades ago, homosexual activity was a criminal offense in many countries, but today, people who oppose gay marriage and make a stand on the Bible’s teaching are often characterized as ‘bigoted’ and ‘homophobic’. Recently, the US Supreme Court’s rulings on gay marriage were a further discouragement to many Christians.
But often, Christians do not know how to engage the culture with this issue, or how to help people in the church who are struggling in this area. Homosexuality is sometimes treated like a unique problem, but really, it is just another variation of humanity’s universal sin problem, and so, like every other sin problem, the solution is the Gospel.
To help Christians with answers in this area, CMI’s Gary Bates and Lita Cosner have written a new booklet: Gay Marriage, Right or Wrong? And who decides? In an unintimidating booklet format, they answer questions including:
- What is marriage?
- Did Jesus say anything about homosexuality?
- Isn’t it unloving to oppose gay marriage?
- Is homosexual orientation ‘fixed’?
- Is 10% of the population homosexual?
- What about counseling to change sexual orientation?
CMI-Australia’s Managing Director, Dr Carl Wieland, says about this new publication:
It is becoming ever more difficult, even for Christians, to think clearly about this emotion-charged issue. Yet in the modern world, it is more important than ever to do just this.
The authors in my view have set the content, tone and balance ‘just right’. This is one of the very few publications that deals head-on with the iconic statements and sound bites that have come to dominate the issue.
Both scientifically and biblically sound, it displays genuine compassion while at the same time not shirking the truth. In short, a really great little booklet that clears up much confusion on a vital topic.
This booklet openly and frankly discusses the facts (while avoiding vulgarity or graphic descriptions of homosexual behavior) and helps clear away much of the confusion and misinformation that characterizes the debate.
Bulk discounts: share with others!
To make this booklet affordable to give away, we are offering discounts on orders as small as 10 or more. Why not order a case lot of 180 at a heavily discounted prices. See the webstore for prices in your country.
Reader’s comments
While I understand your wanting to avoid the details of homosexual behaviour, it is also the general tactic of homosexuals to keep such details hidden.
Our motive for shunning homosexual behaviour must always be that it is sin. However, that motive does little to demonstrate to the casual supporter of such behaviour just how disgusting homosexual practices are. Further, they have no basis for understanding how dangerous and costly they are to society both economically and socially.
Ephesians 5:12 says, "It is shameful even to speak of the things they do in secret." While not specifically a statement about homosexual acts, I believe it certainly applies. And we as authors did not want to be responsible for introducing people to the knowledge of such evil practices.
There are many mentions in the Bible about homosexuality - just consider what happened nto Sodom and Gomorrah but then again, the Bible is no longer considered as God's word by which to live. Truly, we are living in the last days!
But I must repeat that there are far, far worse issues for modern society than gay marriage. I’m married and have been so for a third of a century. I’ve drunk the Kool Aid. Where’s the beef? This isn’t a zero-sum game. A gay marriage doesn’t affect me in any different way than yours would, for example.
I’ve written much more on this subject myself, as it turns out. I don’t know what your policy is about links, but I’ve included one to a too-brief summary of my view on the subject.
I haven’t read your booklet. Perhaps you have new ideas that I haven’t encountered, but I doubt it. I’m pretty well informed on the issue.
As for the faithfulness to the Bible, that won’t get you very far in government, constrained as it is by a secular constitution and the First Amendment.
[link deleted per feedback rules]
I read your blog, though our feedback rules don't allow us to publish the link. Frankly, that blog demonstrates that at least in this area, the Bible is not your authority and you have a low view of Scripture. As such, we'll probably talk past each other. But what I find surprising is that you aren't even able to put yourself in an evangelical's shoes and see why it would be a huge issue to us, and well-worth publishing a booklet about.
There has not been any problem heretofore with a "gay" person marrying. New laws were not needed for a "gay" person to marry.
Heterosexual and homosexual persons heretofore had the same rights to marry. If you were a man and you wanted to marry, you found a woman who would have you and you got married. If you were a woman and wanted to marry, you found a man who would have you and you got married.
If you wanted to have close friends of the same sex, in addition to having a spouse of the opposite sex, you did. No problem.
Now, in some US states and other countries where "same sex marrige" unfortunately is legal, a man can marry a man and a woman can marry a woman. Although it is true that these laws were advocated by and for homosexuals, one does not have to be "gay" to take advantage of them. In such places, if you are a man and want to marry, you can marry a man or a woman, and if you are a woman you can marry a woman or a man.
So I submit that what we have now is marriage and "same sex marriage", not marriage and "gay marriage". Therefore, I urge that we all use the term "same sex marriage", rather than "gay marriage" to describe same sex marriage.
All that being said, your comment about 'making merchandise' of the Gospel is unfortunate. If you think that this booklet should be available freely, you are always welcome to buy it and give it away to the people you think should have it freely, if your comment was made in concern for a particular person who cannot afford even the minimal cost of the booklet. We even have bulk discounts which make it even easier to do so.
Homosexuality is a complex issue. There are multiple causative factors in "becoming gay." The fact is, there is no "gay gene" yet some aspects of our make-up and environment are more likely to encourage development of it.
Personally, I am sick to death of the mantra "who are you to judge" that's the keystone of the gay promoters. Hope this pamphlet gives some specific, hard hitting tools to help these misguided people "see the light."
If you don't want a gay marriage, then don't get gay married. Pretty easy, right?
Of course, then you wouldn't sell as many books or get as many Christians in a lather about this nonproblem, but that's all for the good, no?