Most people in our country would agree that marriage is beneficial to society. Marriage provides companionship, security, and a stable environment for raising children. But people are sharply divided over an issue that has bubbled up to the surface of public policy in recent years: same-sex marriage. Should it be legal in the United States? Where can we find a definite answer?
In the Bible, we are told that God created man in His image. Seeing that it was not good for man to be alone, God created a companion—woman. Thus with the first man and the first woman God created marriage, of which the Bible says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). There, in the very first book of the Bible, God gives us a standard for marriage. It is defined as a lifelong, monogamous union between one man and one woman. So the term same-sex marriage is an oxymoron. A relationship between two men or two women could never be called marriage. It is something else entirely, something God never intended. Men and women each, because of their inherent differences, bring something unique and necessary to the relationship that cannot be present when only one gender is represented.
Overall, the statistics show that homosexual unions rarely sustain for long periods of time, especially when compared with heterosexual marriages:
- A 2003-2004 online census surveyed the lifestyles of 7,862 homosexuals. Of those involved in a current relationship, only 15% were found to have been in that relationship twelve years or longer, and only 5% reported theirs lasting more than twenty years. [1]
- A study of homosexual men in the Netherlands (where same-sex marriage has been legal for several years) found that the “duration of steady partnerships was just 1.5 years.” [2]
- In contrast, 67% of first marriages in the United States last 10 years or more, and more than 75% of heterosexual married couples report being faithful to their vows. [3]
This lack of stable same-sex relationships shows that homosexual marriage simply doesn’t work. It is not the building block of family and society that marriage is meant to be. Protecting marriage as it is now, an exclusive union of one man and one woman, does not discriminate against anyone or infringe on anyone’s civil rights—rather, it protects the sacred bond of marriage as God intended it.
One point that must be made is that while the Bible declares homosexuality to be a sin in several places in the Old and New Testaments—for example, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman” (Leviticus 18:22)—it is no worse than any other sin that any of us commit. Lying, pride, jealousy, adultery—these are just a handful of the many sins that plague humanity in our imperfect world and separate us from God (Romans 3:23). Therefore, if homosexuality is something you struggle with, you must not feel as if God is singling you out, pointing a finger at you and saying, “Your sin is worst of all.”
Further, anyone who abuses homosexuals in any way is defying God’s commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), and does not represent the Christian community. The Bible tells us that all people were created in God’s image and therefore have value and deserve to be loved and respected. Still, being tolerant and respectful of homosexuals does not require accepting the idea of same-sex marriage.
Because human sin separates us from God, it is crucial that you reconcile yourself with Him. No one can “earn” his or her way into Heaven simply by following a set of rules or commandments; it is only by the grace of God that we can be saved. God did this by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die a horrible death by crucifixion, taking on the full weight of our sins. Three days later God raised Him again, and Jesus now lives in Heaven.
All you must do to receive the gift of salvation is this: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). And the best part is, no one who comes to the Lord through Jesus Christ will be turned away: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). All those who repent for their sins and truly believe Jesus Christ to be their Savior will find love and acceptance with the Lord, now and for eternity.
Notes
- “Largest Gay Study Examines 2004 Relationships,” GayWire Latest Breaking Releases. http://www.glcensus.org.
- Maria Xiridou, et al, “The Contribution of Steady and Casual Partnerships to the Incidence of HIV Infection among Homosexual Men in Amsterdam,” AIDS 17 (2003): 1031.
- Gerard V. Bradley, “Stand and Fight: Don’t Take Gay Marriage Lying Down,” National Review, 28 July 2003.