Gay Marriage – Shouldn’t Christians Speak the Truth In Love?

Ephesians 4-14-15 reads: Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

It is easy to be blown here and there, isn't it? These days Christians are attacked on all sides, even within our own communities. We want to be loving, so we don't say anything in the face of sin – or we stray to the other side and say too much without showing love and grace to those around us.

Proposition 8 was recently overturned in California, allowing gays and lesbians to legally marry (this probably will become law after August 18). Many Christians are upset at this ruling, believing strongly that marriage is created by God for a man and a woman. Other Christians and non-believers say that we have no business not being “accepting” of a gay lifestyle and allowing them marriage. What is the solution? How do we navigate these increasingly windy and wavy waters, as Paul wrote in Ephesians?

I believe that it is our duty as Christians to lovingly and graciously stand firm in what we believe. We are saved by grace and only wish to share this grace with others, and we cannot give up our convictions in order to do so. I wrote about Prop 8 the day after Judge Walker set down his ruling, and I still stand by what I wrote here: “It is not hateful to state what we believe, to vote based on it, and to boldly tell our world that we love them but we will not back down. An easy majority of Californians still believe in the traditional definition of marriage, and were just silenced by one man. As Christians, we need to be willing to have the conversation, prove through our strong, deliberate marriages that this is something worth fighting for and always, always love without losing our guts or our convictions.”

Stand to Reason, a Christian apologetics organization, released a blog saying that Christians need to be engaged in this conversation because “ideas have consquences.”

Ideas do have consequences, don't they? Are we not called to be salt and light, the hands and feet of Christ, and speakers of the truth in love to world filled with bad ideas?

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  1. Duderman said:

    You can say you are doing it with love all you want; what you are really saying is that they are less than you and not deserving of equality. But then the church is good at that, isn’t it? Has had a hard time keeping up over the last century or so.

    August 14, 2010
    Reply
  2. said:

    Hey Duderman – I’m sorry you feel that way, but I actually am in favor of equality, in the form of civil unions for all. You might be interested in a discussion and further thoughts on my position located here: http://wp.me/pNDMo-14

    August 15, 2010
    Reply
  3. Mike Hearts said:

    I see Christianity as much more inclusive, rather than exclusive. If marriage is such a priority to Christians, let’s make it available to everyone. How are we supposed to promote stability in families if we explicitly deny marriage to all the gay people out there? I say we open our hearts!

    August 19, 2010
    Reply

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