The Definintion of Marriage
Very soon the United States Supreme Court will rule on two very important cases: DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, and Proposition 8, a California Constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. The DOMA is a federal law passed by Congress defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. The Proposition 8 amendment is a change to a state constitution.
I am very pessimistic about what the Supreme Court will do here. I think they will probably rule that the California amendment and the federal law of DOMA are both “unconstitutional.”
I will agree with their decision, but not for the same reasons that they will give. They will advocate that homosexuals must have “equal rights.” I have argued that the government (both state and federal) has no right to make any law concerning marriage.
Marriage is not a civil law; it is a religious law! And the Constitution forbids the federal government from making any law to establish or prohibit the free exercise of religion. However, states do recognize a marriage covenant. The license and certificate issued and recorded by states is purely administrative to recognize the event. But what about civil unions and a marriage performed by a Justice of the Peace? That is not religious, it is not a covenant of marriage before God; it is a civil contract recognized by the state.
For the record, the law of marriage has existed long before United States existed and its constitution was drafted. The law of marriage is well known in all religions from antiquity. In the Western world the Judeo-Christian definition of marriage is recognized as religious law. The rules of who can enter into a covenant marriage and under what conditions are defined by that religious law, not based on civil law. For any government to redefine the marriage covenant laws is to interfere with religion, a violation of the Constitution.
Marriage is fundamental to the very definition of any civilized society in the same way religion is to a nation. Scripture tells us righteousness exalts a nation, but lawlessness destroys it. The strength of marriage and the resulting family unit is the very strength of the nation itself. That family unit is defined as a husband/father coupled with a wife/mother nurturing and providing for the children. Even secular experts state that a child who grows up without a father or mother lacks the benefit of a child growing up in a complete family unit. This fact alone shows that same sex couples raising children will always lack the benefit of a complete family unit.
But despite this well-known history and the fact that marriage is a religious law (including principles against fornication, adultery, incest, homosexuality, bestiality, and the definition for perversion and lewdness), the highest court of our land will probably side with the LGBT (lesbian, gay, homosexual, and transgender) crowd and distort the basic tenets of our civilization. Let me say it in a more direct way. Our country no longer believes in God’s law as the foundation for right and wrong. They no longer believe that our nation is “under God.” They believe that they can get rid of religious laws and make their own rules (simply said, they think there are no rules when it comes to sexuality).
Militant homosexuals have been campaigning for their position and demands over the course of my generation to achieve equality with traditional families. They don’t want to feel guilty because of their lusts and behaviors, so they have decided to change the rules. First, they have argued that they are being oppressed and that this issue is a “civil rights” issue, akin to racial discrimination. Civil rights laws were established to stop racial discrimination; they never intended them to support homosexuals. I agree that all men are created equal by the same Creator, but all behaviors are not equal nor should they all be protected by law. The Constitution was never to interfere with religious law; it was written to work cooperatively with religious law. The very definition of “rights” in the Constitution begins with “inalienable rights.” Inalienable rights come from being created by a Creator. The Constitution is not separate from God’s definitions, it is based on them!
The evangelical church has done nothing to counter the homosexual influence. They cut their own throats a long time ago when they dismissed the Torah (the Laws of God) and did not protest when prayer was removed from schools and all public places. Besides, they just want to “love them” into the kingdom to get them to go to church. Meanwhile, droves of believers are leaving the churches because church teaching is irrelevant to the subject of what is holy and profane, what is clean and unclean, what is right and wrong.
Homosexual behavior is not holy, clean, or right according to God’s laws. Homosexuals are not born with that condition; it is not a “natural” way for a person. The practice of homosexuality is an aberrant sexual behavior along with a host of other activities. It is based on sexual lust and opportunistic choices to engage in such activities. Many feel justified in choosing such behavior and blame their weakness on birth or emotional scarring. The Apostle Paul explains that homosexuality is a condition that God can deliver a person from, hence not a birth condition.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, … will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and in the Spirit of our God. 1 COR 6:9-11
Religious law, particularly the Judeo-Christian ethic, is opposed to all of those sexual activities. Religious law specifies that aberrant sexual activities are the result of sexual lust without self control. Religious law says that proper human sexual activity is part of the law of marriage. It is the intimate relationship in marriage between a husband and his wife, keeping their sexual relationship to themselves, including the procreative part of bringing children into the world.
What happens when we leave God’s definition of sex and marriage? Some say that it has no effect on day-to-day life. The truth is, pervasive sins like homosexuality have the power to curse an entire nation. Just because you don’t participate in these behaviors doesn’t make you exempt from the punishment for these sins.
The United States of America, the Western nations, and the rest of the world are collapsing right before us because we have no self-control over our sexual lusts and we want to abandon God’s law for marriage. By collapsing, I mean that all basic human kindnesses are suffering. There is no more honor, respect, love, friendliness, or neighborly care among the people for one another. The trend is in the direction of more self-centeredness, rudeness, assault, violence, and murder. Self-righteousness and self-will are at the heart of it. Everyone wants to be their own god and make their own rules - forcing them on others if they can. People are actually shamed publicly for speaking out for goodness and wholesomeness. We openly desecrate sacred and holy things (and laugh about it). This trend crosses racial boundaries as well.
Yeshua said this would happen at the end of the ages.
Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. MAT 24:12
Whatever happened to the majority in a democracy? Where are the God-fearing men of our day? I thought I grew up in a nation that respected the law and the will of the majority. Since the majority believed in God, it followed that God’s laws worked in concert with the Constitution. And the Constitution said that it would not interfere with God’s law (changing it or disallowing it). But that has changed too. Instead of separation (which really meant cooperation) in church and state, we now have separation from religion and God. The state is now opposed to any religious expression or cooperation in the public arena. Forget prayer in a public forum, such as a graduation ceremony or at a football game; it’s “unconstitutional.” There is no righteousness anymore. It’s all about not offending anyone and everyone getting the same benefits and equal rights. This only scratches the surface of what is wrong with the world today.
People no longer work hard to earn their place in this world. Men used to be embarrassed to be on welfare, and would fight to get off as soon as they could. Today, unemployment benefits, food stamps and welfare are considered rights and not privileges. Those who work and have something to show for it now owe it to others who have not worked and do not have a proper work ethic. We give it to them through our taxes. Where did the idea that you don’t have3 to work hard to earn your keep come from? This is not the country I grew up in. What happened to us?
No democracy has ever lasted more than 400 years. As soon as the people discover that they can vote for anything they want, they vote themselves out of existence. But that is not what we are doing here. The United States is actually strong enough to give to others for a while. What we are doing is something else. We now have judges who overturn the majority position and twist the interpretation of the laws to fit what a select few want, particularly those who do not want cooperation between state and religion or the influence of religious law.
We are following the example of Sodom and Gomorrah! The great sin of Sodom was not just sexual lust including homosexuality; it was corrupt judges that supported and promoted sexual corruption. Those same judges went out of their way to harm the innocent and the righteous. This is why Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God. This is explained in extra-biblical literature
When God decided to judge the world that Noah lived in, He said that the world had gone too far in its corruption. Its corruption was so perverse that it could not turn back. It started with a liberal approach to marriage. They married whomever they wanted (this means that they got married, then divorced, then married again whenever and whomever they wanted).
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,… MAT 24:38
Marriage according to God is a covenant, which is to remain until one or the other dies. Divorce is a last resort. Marriage is the building block of a community. When you interfere with this basic building block of society, you are approaching the death of a people, a nation, and the world. The reason is that it doesn’t just stop with marriage. It expands rapidly to every aspect of their lives. They bring a curse on themselves. It becomes wickedness beyond control.
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. GEN 6:5
What we are seeing today is the same world that existed before the flood. Yeshua said it would come to this before He comes to judge the whole world. There should be no doubt about the world we live in. As the courts rule in favor of same-sex marriage, the stage will be set for you and I to be declared outlaws. I am still going to keep God’s laws and by my very existence I will transgress the new laws for homosexuality. As public opinion shifts in favor of the homosexual agenda, the same public will move to oppress people like us. It won’t just be oppression; it will result in them redefining us from humans to something less than human. That will then enable them to “get rid” of us. Violence will follow. They will kill us and think they have done a “good” thing.
“Can’t happen—can’t happen here in the United States,” you say? At this present time, we have a government that is clearly moving away from God’s law on every front. In fact, it is bordering on open persecution of those who believe in God and would speak for God in the public square. The government is increasingly staffed with people who are opposed to God, and they are beginning to use the power of government to discriminate against those of faith. Consider the small step of forcing organizations owned by religious persons to provide health care options such as contraceptives and abortions. This is only a small step but more is being planned by the government. Where is it really going in the end? Yeshua has answered that question.
Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. MAT 24:9-10
I have no doubt that the issue of same-sex marriage and the redefinition of marriage by our government will lead to oppression and violence against believers of God. We will become the unprotected minority. The government will be part of the oppression. Many present-day believers will give up the faith so that they will be liked and not be threatened by the government. Some will argue that God is all about “love” and that we should “update” our faith to include homosexuals because they “love” each other. But, we who hold to God’s law will be out of the “mainstream” and be dismissed as “homophobic.” We will be charged with a “hate crime.” They will want to get rid of us.
Many believers think that God’s judgment is already upon us as a nation. I agree with them. I don’t think that being a good citizen working with my representatives in Congress will work. They are already dismissing the majority vote in California and the Executive and Judiciary branches simply work around Congress (the Legislative branch). What are we left to do? No option remains for us at a national level. The media has also joined in promoting the homosexual agenda, so the court of public opinion is no longer a place for freedom of speech. How should we deal with this issue in our work places and communities?
Most believers have tried to avoid the whole subject, but they can’t avoid it any longer. Laws are being enacted that force all of us to deal with the issue. The only decision we have left is what we are going do about this matter personally. With that question before us, let me offer some personal counsel
Don’t be afraid or ashamed of your faith in God and His laws. His Word is superior to that of any President, Congress, or Judge.
Love the person; but hate the behavior that is contrary to God’s law. You are a sinner too, but you have received forgiveness. Help them receive the same.
You are not homophobic when you speak of God’s laws. (I am not afraid of homosexuals; I just find their behavior to be disgusting.)
No one is born a homosexual; it is a choice they have made. Everyone is tempted but we choose to turn away from it
You should boycott any business that openly blasphemes God. You should patronize any business that speaks honorable of God and His Word.
Don’t attend or support any function of same sex couples; it just compromises you.
When you are asked directly about homosexuality or same sex marriage, don’t give your opinion. Quote Scripture. Here is one from the Apostle Paul describing his day and our days as well.
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. ROM 1:24-32
Use this one, because if you quote the Torah, they will say that was “replaced” by the New Testament and you will be guilty of a “hate crime.”
