The Gay Marriage Debate Keeps on Rolling
If you go to the Washington Post/Newsweek On Faith site you'll find a series of responses to the debate ignited by Lisa Miller's article, an article some find very interesting and others offensive.
As I was scanning them I found that Martin Marty had offered his response. I am, I confess, a Martin Marty fan (I miss his Christian Century column). Marty has great wisdom to share, and he does again in this case.
He notes that
Yes, the texts that deal with same gender relationships come down on the "against" side. As for prescriptions of marriage life -- Scripture is less clear (as Miller points out). You can make a strong case that neither Jesus nor Paul were family values types. Both, however, came down strongly against divorce, which Christians by and large have given in to (and often for good reason).
On the pro-side of the argument, there are no biblical texts that support gay marriage explicitly. But, there are other arguments that could be brought in, what he suggests are commonsensical and empirical -- the latter is the examples of strong, enduring gay relationships.
But perhaps most important is where things are trending. Marty notes that among young people this is no longer an issue. This is a battle being fought among baby-boomers and maybe some Gen-Xers, but its a non-issue among college students. Consider:
We can continue to debate and discuss, but what we need is a bit of clarity and a lot of charity (in the biblical sense).
As I was scanning them I found that Martin Marty had offered his response. I am, I confess, a Martin Marty fan (I miss his Christian Century column). Marty has great wisdom to share, and he does again in this case.
He notes that
You can with some contrivance make a scriptural case against same-sex marriage, but not FOR most things we practice and cherish in other marriages, as Lisa Miller so well pointed out. As for the "for" case, other factors , including common-sensical and scriptural issues enter at least obliquely.
Yes, the texts that deal with same gender relationships come down on the "against" side. As for prescriptions of marriage life -- Scripture is less clear (as Miller points out). You can make a strong case that neither Jesus nor Paul were family values types. Both, however, came down strongly against divorce, which Christians by and large have given in to (and often for good reason).
On the pro-side of the argument, there are no biblical texts that support gay marriage explicitly. But, there are other arguments that could be brought in, what he suggests are commonsensical and empirical -- the latter is the examples of strong, enduring gay relationships.
But perhaps most important is where things are trending. Marty notes that among young people this is no longer an issue. This is a battle being fought among baby-boomers and maybe some Gen-Xers, but its a non-issue among college students. Consider:
I travel to many campuses, secular, Christian and more, and carry back this report: if you want to lock in hard and fast anti-same-sex union policies, work hard and fast, legalistically and lovelessly, to nail down opposition on this front, because among young people you have lost the long-term issue already. Ask the chaplains, campus pastors, programmers, Christian faculty members, to list the top twenty issues their student groups would choose to discuss. Same-sex marriage, they will say, is, to "the kids" an old-peoples' issue, not theirs.
We can continue to debate and discuss, but what we need is a bit of clarity and a lot of charity (in the biblical sense).
Comments
You and Marty mention contrivance of scripture and trending...both concepts create theological problems for me. Are these the primary reason we should act?
You suggest it shouldn't be an issue of faith because the young adults don't consider this an issue. Help me with that, please.
I wish I heard more pastors speaking about helping and healing those who believe this is a sin issue. How do we bring both to the table?
What else (and I mean in addition to) can the church use its resources to address? Surely there is something more.
Mike Hunter
If you make negative attitudes toward homosexuality a litmus test for campus ministry (high school or college) - participation, proselytizing or conversion - you will find a very small audience, driving all the rest away.
I guess I share Mike's concern: how do we respond to and sincerely be of service to those who see this as a sin issue. How can we make a positive contribution short of taking up their banner?
I also think it unfair to describe the explicit Scriptural pronouncements regarding homosexuality as "contrived." They are there and they say what they say.
Along side those references there is much said about grace and kindness, and acceptance, and mercy, and forgiveness. Such actions are to be shared with all sinners, not just the ones whose sins we approve.
And then there is the Christian notion that all things are lawful if done with gratitude and if done for the Glory of God. Even Paul says "why should my liberty be subject to the judgment of someone else's conscience?"
It is only by contrivance that all of this gets overlooked in the rush to pronounce judgment on the other people's sins.
John
I will confess that my understandings of this issue were changed due to personal experience. That is, it became personal when my brother came out to the family. Before that, it was an academic issue.
I like the Cornelius passage because for Peter outreach to Gentiles, whom he would have seen as unclean (an abomination), required a conversion on his part.
My sense is that for many people it will take a conversion experience, a seeing of the Spirit in the other.
We can argue scriptural interpretation until we're blue in the face, but there will be other issues that will drive the day.
Marty talks about the plumbing defense -- that is Natural Law -- and that's where I was. But the more I thought about the issue, the more it became clear that this was a bigger issue. But your question is a good one, which requires more of a posting!
But I had a conversion, and I really can't say where, why, or when it happened. I am not well acquainted with anyone who is openly gay.
But it came to me that for me this issue was an academic question - for a homosexual it was a matter of personhood. I could sit back and ponder Scripture and Nature and theorize in the abstract what God has to say on the issue all day long. But in the end for me it is merely an exercise in reason and exegesis - a puzzle - not much different than a game.
I couldn't ignore the accusation in Matthew 23:4 where Jesus says: Pharisees "tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them."
It was supremely pharisaical for me to make pronouncements about the choices (if such is a matter of choice) made by others whose lives and circumstances I have no understanding of, and whose 'choices' in this regard have no adverse impact on my life.
And if the choices they make are motivated by love and they believe them to be approved by God, who gave me permission to judge otherwise - especially when it is no more than an academic exercise for me!
Having let go of the plumber's wrench, I now pray that God would bless their relationships with love, happiness and peace.
John
I appreciate your feedback. I guess it is the large step from accepting into the church to affirming decisions/actions that is the real issue. That is quite a leap and for me, where some of the civil rights and slavery comparisons break down. The intended action for many was the abolition of slavery. This conversation isn't about wanting to abolish gays. Slavery ultimately was a binary issue, you have it or you don't. This is not. As to the sin issue, we certainly want the church to welcome all sinners, but we don't want the church put in a position to move from once seeing something as sin to full acceptance of that previously held sinful action. So, we're stuck at trying to contrive whether or not this is truly sinful...and none of us will be the ultimate authority on making that call.
I'm not saying I see it as sin, but I am saying that a great part of the church does and how do we keep these polar distinctions in faithful community?
While this conversation isn't about ministry, where for me, this issues takes on a slightly different position, none of us have found a way to bring everyone to the table.
In a perfect world, we would only care about every individual and their response to God's grace, but we live in a world where we think we have to put labels on every action. The problem is, I am called to bring all persons to God's care and knowledge. Some just don't want to care about those they diometrically oppose on some belief point.
And so the struggle will continue. And as we hurl scripture and interprative principals at one another, those on both extremes will depart for places of absolute acceptance...and the church I love will continue to suffer subtraction.
For what purpose?
So I guess I've grown to a place of "open" but not "affirming" because many cannot square the affirmation by scriptue and faith. I am trying to faithfully lead all.
Always appreciate your blog.
Mike
But we do need to make this "call" in our own lives - we do this all the time. We are empowered to consider the question prayerfully.
John