I'm fully aware that I might get a lot of heat for this post, but I do believe that I may as well touch upon some relevant issues that are filtering through society. I do insert a disclaimer at this moment: Keep an open mind. Set aside your biases and presuppositions when reading this text because emotions can fuel the most negative of responses. So. I challenge you to simply read what I'm going to say, let it marinate, and if needed you may so choose to respond. I will promise you that I will not respond to responses that are nothing short of impulsively emotional bigotry.
You know, there has been a longstanding debate about this issue of Gay Marriage vs Religion. So I just want to take the time to share a few thoughts about what I think about this whole thing.
Fundamentally and biblically speaking, from the beginning of time, it is made clear that marriage was an institution set in place by God when he joined male and female together. Here is what we can assert from the original institution of marriage:
1) The parties were of opposite sexes: Male and female (Genesis 2:22).
2) The original marital covenant and "ceremony" (not a literal marriage ceremony, but I mean more so in terms of the unification of two parties) was presented at the inception of creation by God, who created this concept of unity amongst the two parties (Genesis 2:22-24).
3) I believe that when God created man and woman, He created them in His own image (Genesis 1:26, 27), reflecting the same elements of submission as seen in the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit as One). Though man and woman are two distinct elements, they are "joined together as one", which allows us to better understand how man and woman, two different flesh, can be joined together in unison, and how that also reflects how the 3 elements of the Godhead can be joined as one- Father, Son and Holy Spirit as One.
4) Therefore, we can already see that this original marital covenant was a) established by God and b) since it was established by God, He was the one who set the parameters on this concept of "marriage".
5) If God created marriage, and He set the parameters on what marriage is, then He is the ultimate defining factor of what is meant by "marriage" between two parties.
So what are these parameters?
6) Well, for one, we see that in the beginning of time, man and woman (opposite sexes) are the model conceptual frameworks for this notion of marriage. So what does that mean for us in todays society?
Well:
a) Since we have now established the marital covenant as one instituted by God, we can assert that He is the one who has already set the parameters as to what marriage is, and because He is God and has the final word, these parameters remain unchanged, and for those who believe in Christ and the Word of God, then these are the brackets in which we abide.
For example.
Let's say, for illustrational purposes sake, that I create a paper shredder, right. So I invent this shredder that shreds whatever size of paper that your little heart so desires to shred. The purpose of this shredder was to shred paper. Now. If you so decide one day to shred, let's say, a transparency sheet (the kind they use for overhead projectors), and you say, oh my, this shreds transparency sheets too! Does that change the initial purposes of my invention? Because clearly I invented a paper shredder to shred paper- and not plastic.
Now why would I invent a shredder that can have dual uses? Now let's explore the implications of such a concept.
a) I, the inventor, created a paper shredder to shred paper.
b) You, the purchaser of my invention, decide to use the shredder for purposes that are outside the initial intent of use of my invention.
Little do you realize- I created the paper shredder to shred paper and not plastic, because the system through which the paper is fed into and shredded generates an increasing heat flow with the repeated use of the device. So. Continue to shred plastic, and you'll see that 1) the paper shredder will no longer be able to shred paper anymore 2) Plastic will begin to melt, stick and dry within the device, not allowing you to continue to shred more plastic transparency films even if you so chose to stick to that method of shredding.
Now let's drive the point home. If God instituted marriage, He set it in place with specific parameters in which we are to abide by. Therefore, marriage is God's "invention", and we are simply disobedient to the initial purpose of what was already instituted in one way. Whatever we therefore produce as a result, is simply a counterfeit replica with a dysfunctional purpose.
What I'm saying is, to sit here and try to redefine a concept built into the very fold of Christian living is to not only assert that what God has instituted is not "good enough", but to give it a meaning that is apart from its own.
What does this mean for us?
I believe that if homosexual "marriage" wants to be deemed as such, it should be set apart from God's original intent, which is directly oppositional to the idea of homosexual marriage. Therefore, in order to not blend God's initial inventions and not disregard the "Instructors manual", let's not create a fine line between what God's will is and what our will is. Let us not attempt to alter the word of God from its original meaning because- who can alter the lasting Word of the God who created the entire existence of life as we know it? Who is more qualified to alter the documents than God himself?
And this brings me to a note that I want to stick in here before I close out. To say that not acknowledging homosexual marriage as a marital covenant by Religious leaders/people of faith is discriminatory, is a completely invalid argument, considering the fact that marriage was originally set in place by God, and God's moral law are the scaffolds of which our country was built upon. So let us ditch that argument. If homosexuals want to get married, and society is in support of such a concept, then it must be understood that the unity between those two parties must not be forced upon religious leaders and deemed discriminatory if they do not consent, but should be recognized as another form of union, not a "marriage" per se, because marriage was created by God for the purposes of two people.
God is not in support of homosexual marriage- that is clear throughout the bible. And if you want to completely disregard Christianity because it does not fit into your particular lifestyle, then your beliefs are simply built upon what is accommodating for you. But God doesn't only speak against homosexuality- he speaks about idolatry, lustful desires, murder, witchcraft/sorcery, stealing, abuse of our bodies etc. etc. Sin is sin, period. We must understand that God loves us, but He does not love sin. God takes us as we are, but does not leave us as we are. Therefore, in Christ, we are made into new beings through the belief and faith in Him. The gospel makes us uncomfortable. But that is its purpose. We are immoral beings, and are always subjected to the devices of Satan, so we must really be careful. And through faith and acceptance of Christ, we can stand victorious over any sin that makes us feel good or feel comfortable.
*By the way, I can only speak for myself here- just because you're a homosexual, does not mean that you are being discriminated against when this topic of Religion vs Homosexuality is brought into the frame. Homosexuality is what is not accepted- not you. So yes, as a Christian, do I approve of your lifestyle? No. Do I love you? Yes. Does God love you, unconditionally? Yes. End of story.*
And faith in God? That's another topic. This whole post centers upon and finds validity within the parameters of faith in God, which is not understood by many, and therefore rejected by most. I encourage you all to study the scriptures for yourselves, and if you sincerely have doubts about the existence of God or don't really understand the point, ask Him to reveal Himself. And I assure you, He will.
But also remember- God will never eliminate doubt from our minds. These are which we find the grounds for belief in Him. Regardless of your current standing, know that whatever you seek you will find. If you seek God, you will find HIm. If you search for evidence against Him, you shall. But such is the same with gossip- just because someone says something about you and others feel like they have sufficient grounds to believe the claim, doesn't mean that is is necessarily true.
Seek God. Prepare to be convicted.
Stay Groovy, Keep Kickin'.
-Alda
You know, there has been a longstanding debate about this issue of Gay Marriage vs Religion. So I just want to take the time to share a few thoughts about what I think about this whole thing.
Fundamentally and biblically speaking, from the beginning of time, it is made clear that marriage was an institution set in place by God when he joined male and female together. Here is what we can assert from the original institution of marriage:
1) The parties were of opposite sexes: Male and female (Genesis 2:22).
2) The original marital covenant and "ceremony" (not a literal marriage ceremony, but I mean more so in terms of the unification of two parties) was presented at the inception of creation by God, who created this concept of unity amongst the two parties (Genesis 2:22-24).
3) I believe that when God created man and woman, He created them in His own image (Genesis 1:26, 27), reflecting the same elements of submission as seen in the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit as One). Though man and woman are two distinct elements, they are "joined together as one", which allows us to better understand how man and woman, two different flesh, can be joined together in unison, and how that also reflects how the 3 elements of the Godhead can be joined as one- Father, Son and Holy Spirit as One.
4) Therefore, we can already see that this original marital covenant was a) established by God and b) since it was established by God, He was the one who set the parameters on this concept of "marriage".
5) If God created marriage, and He set the parameters on what marriage is, then He is the ultimate defining factor of what is meant by "marriage" between two parties.
So what are these parameters?
6) Well, for one, we see that in the beginning of time, man and woman (opposite sexes) are the model conceptual frameworks for this notion of marriage. So what does that mean for us in todays society?
Well:
a) Since we have now established the marital covenant as one instituted by God, we can assert that He is the one who has already set the parameters as to what marriage is, and because He is God and has the final word, these parameters remain unchanged, and for those who believe in Christ and the Word of God, then these are the brackets in which we abide.
For example.
Let's say, for illustrational purposes sake, that I create a paper shredder, right. So I invent this shredder that shreds whatever size of paper that your little heart so desires to shred. The purpose of this shredder was to shred paper. Now. If you so decide one day to shred, let's say, a transparency sheet (the kind they use for overhead projectors), and you say, oh my, this shreds transparency sheets too! Does that change the initial purposes of my invention? Because clearly I invented a paper shredder to shred paper- and not plastic.
Now why would I invent a shredder that can have dual uses? Now let's explore the implications of such a concept.
a) I, the inventor, created a paper shredder to shred paper.
b) You, the purchaser of my invention, decide to use the shredder for purposes that are outside the initial intent of use of my invention.
Little do you realize- I created the paper shredder to shred paper and not plastic, because the system through which the paper is fed into and shredded generates an increasing heat flow with the repeated use of the device. So. Continue to shred plastic, and you'll see that 1) the paper shredder will no longer be able to shred paper anymore 2) Plastic will begin to melt, stick and dry within the device, not allowing you to continue to shred more plastic transparency films even if you so chose to stick to that method of shredding.
Now let's drive the point home. If God instituted marriage, He set it in place with specific parameters in which we are to abide by. Therefore, marriage is God's "invention", and we are simply disobedient to the initial purpose of what was already instituted in one way. Whatever we therefore produce as a result, is simply a counterfeit replica with a dysfunctional purpose.
What I'm saying is, to sit here and try to redefine a concept built into the very fold of Christian living is to not only assert that what God has instituted is not "good enough", but to give it a meaning that is apart from its own.
What does this mean for us?
I believe that if homosexual "marriage" wants to be deemed as such, it should be set apart from God's original intent, which is directly oppositional to the idea of homosexual marriage. Therefore, in order to not blend God's initial inventions and not disregard the "Instructors manual", let's not create a fine line between what God's will is and what our will is. Let us not attempt to alter the word of God from its original meaning because- who can alter the lasting Word of the God who created the entire existence of life as we know it? Who is more qualified to alter the documents than God himself?
And this brings me to a note that I want to stick in here before I close out. To say that not acknowledging homosexual marriage as a marital covenant by Religious leaders/people of faith is discriminatory, is a completely invalid argument, considering the fact that marriage was originally set in place by God, and God's moral law are the scaffolds of which our country was built upon. So let us ditch that argument. If homosexuals want to get married, and society is in support of such a concept, then it must be understood that the unity between those two parties must not be forced upon religious leaders and deemed discriminatory if they do not consent, but should be recognized as another form of union, not a "marriage" per se, because marriage was created by God for the purposes of two people.
God is not in support of homosexual marriage- that is clear throughout the bible. And if you want to completely disregard Christianity because it does not fit into your particular lifestyle, then your beliefs are simply built upon what is accommodating for you. But God doesn't only speak against homosexuality- he speaks about idolatry, lustful desires, murder, witchcraft/sorcery, stealing, abuse of our bodies etc. etc. Sin is sin, period. We must understand that God loves us, but He does not love sin. God takes us as we are, but does not leave us as we are. Therefore, in Christ, we are made into new beings through the belief and faith in Him. The gospel makes us uncomfortable. But that is its purpose. We are immoral beings, and are always subjected to the devices of Satan, so we must really be careful. And through faith and acceptance of Christ, we can stand victorious over any sin that makes us feel good or feel comfortable.
*By the way, I can only speak for myself here- just because you're a homosexual, does not mean that you are being discriminated against when this topic of Religion vs Homosexuality is brought into the frame. Homosexuality is what is not accepted- not you. So yes, as a Christian, do I approve of your lifestyle? No. Do I love you? Yes. Does God love you, unconditionally? Yes. End of story.*
And faith in God? That's another topic. This whole post centers upon and finds validity within the parameters of faith in God, which is not understood by many, and therefore rejected by most. I encourage you all to study the scriptures for yourselves, and if you sincerely have doubts about the existence of God or don't really understand the point, ask Him to reveal Himself. And I assure you, He will.
But also remember- God will never eliminate doubt from our minds. These are which we find the grounds for belief in Him. Regardless of your current standing, know that whatever you seek you will find. If you seek God, you will find HIm. If you search for evidence against Him, you shall. But such is the same with gossip- just because someone says something about you and others feel like they have sufficient grounds to believe the claim, doesn't mean that is is necessarily true.
Seek God. Prepare to be convicted.
Stay Groovy, Keep Kickin'.
-Alda
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