I started writing this before the Supreme Court had issued it’s decision.  I shared it with a few folks to get their feedback on construction and thought process; before I posted the Court announced their decision.  I had let it alone until I was cleaning up my site and found it to be in ‘draft’ still.  If you’re a person of faith and still struggling with how to deal with the new reality please take a look at the below.  I think there’s a fantastic opportunity for the Church universal to step out and do something amazing.

Hopefully we’ll hear soon about how the Supreme Court lands on Marriage Equality.  I have meant for some time now to put pen to paper to toss my two cents into the discussion.  It seems … as it often goes … that everyone assumes there are only two solutions.  In one case I’m not staying true to my faith in another I’m a closed minded bigot.  Personally I don’t really concern myself with what others think of me personally but I do hope that you’ll entertain a different perspective on the matter.

I see myself as a citizen in the Kingdom of God first, a citizen of the United States second.  That may sound odd if you are not a person of faith but I do not think it invalidates my point.  This means that when deciding how I vote and come down on certain issues means that I have to weigh out God’s commands (Love God with all my heart, body, and soul; and love others as I love myself) and then think of the society I want myself and my family to live in.

Recently an election was held where more power was given to the state in order for state legislators to enact laws that would slow down the slaughter of children.  It wasn’t an easy decision to come to when I went to the voting booth but at the end I voted to allow the lawmakers to have that power.  For me it came down to my hatred for the state to have more power verses my desire to protect life.  I know some that didn’t like my choice and others are shocked that I actually had to think about how to vote on that measure.  If you’re starting to think that I’m a misogynist then please look at this.  I’m not.

So it may surprise some to hear me say that I hope that the Supreme Court rules that same sex marriage should be allowed.

If you’re still reading please stop thinking about your response that you want to put below and listen to me for a moment.

As a Christian we know that marriage, from this point on we’ll call it Holy Matrimony, was ordained in the story of creation between Adam & Eve.  Throughout the bible we continue to see marriage as between a man and a woman.  This is a matter of faith and a matter for the church.

Marriage Licences have existed since the mid-1600’s but didn’t really become a matter of state until much later … some 300 years later in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  That’s not to say that they were not available but rather that the state typically recognized common law and public declaration as opposed to requiring a couple to be married with a license.  I will avoid going down the road of why do I need a ‘license’ to marry who I love because that’s quite a deep well and instead focus on the differences between what the state sees and what we can surmise God sees as marriage.

A Marriage License creates a legal binding contract that is granted by the state and impacts inheritance, property rights, etc.  It also grants certain rights to health insurance coverage … well maybe not rights but opportunity.  When I was married to my wife in 2001 I had to obtain a marriage license in order to inherit the aforementioned benefits.

For sake of argument, you could say that I had a Holy Matrimony & a legally binding contract ceremony.  In other words, I was married in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the State.  You could, in essence, call one Holy Matrimony (HM) and the other a Civil Union (CU).  Some are calling for same sex marriages to be allowed but call them Civil Unions.  I have to believe that if the news media were talking about same-sex CU as opposed to same-sex marriage that this would probably be a non-issue … it certainly wouldn’t be out of hand as it has become.

I had my ideas on how things should come down because I see them as two totally different events.  One is handled via the state and the other by faith.  One requires a religious ceremony and the other does not.  I could have gone to the local county court clerk and asked for them to marry me and I would have been legally married in the eyes of the state.  No church, no ceremony, no cake (but who wants that); done.

But I am a person of faith so I want the church, the ceremony, the cake, the vows, etc.

So why are they the same?  Newsflash … they’re not.

What if the church did something bold, what if it took a new direction on marriage?  What if the church married people that didn’t have a marriage license?  If I stand before my pastor and recite the vows, exchange rings, pay too much for a suit, pay WAY too much for her dress, kiss the bride, etc. am I not married?  In the eyes of the state I wouldn’t be but in the eyes of God, the eyes that really matter eternally to me, I am.

IF I want the state to recognize my marriage then I head to the clerks office and pick up a license.

We live in a country that speaks and looks for equality.  As long as the government does not require churches (which they shouldn’t) to perform same-sex marriages then I think they (same-sex couples) should be allowed to marry.  I am in no way saying that homosexuality isn’t sinful … remember though that it’s also sinful to speak ill of your brother and whether you like it or not if you’re crying out that “God Hates Fags” then you’re certainly not showing the love of Christ.

There is a man who has said all of this so much more eloquently than I can …

Post 1 from Roger Olson and a follow up Post 2 again from Roger Olson.

In the end, the government, nor any authority of man cannot re-define what God has already defined.  To put it simpler, if the government of the United States came out tomorrow and said that God did not exist and that worshiping Him in any way shape or form would be henceforth a criminal act … would you assume that God did not exist?  If the bible in all its forms were shredded & destroyed, never to be read again … does that destroy the ministry of Christ?  Can man un-do what God has set in motion? If the answer is yes then the god you believe in is not the God of the bible.

If the answer is no … then why are we so threatened by what the government calls marriage?  If the government says that I can have more than one wife but the bible says only one … who do you follow?

If you are worried about how same-sex marriage will damage the fabric of marriage lets talk about

• Old flames as friends on Facebook
• Pornography (both visual & text)
• Adultery
• Wandering eyes
• Wandering hearts
• Unrealistic Expectations
• Lack of Communication