PeteTackett.com

This week, the Supreme Court took up two cases involving same-sex marriage and the social media world went berserk. Christ followers and non-believers alike defined their positions on a very complex subject with tweets of 140 characters and a profile image. Friends were dropped and added based on whether you had an “equal” sign on your page or not. The traditional media joined social media in declaring those who believe in marriage only between one man and one woman as bigots and conservative churches and pastors as neanderthals. I have some thoughts on the subject. Feel free to get mad, de-friend, or do whatever you must. I will not waste a lot of time defending these thoughts. They are my thoughts and in spite of the politically correct world in which we live, for today, I can still think and say what I want to think and say. So, here goes….

1. I believe the Bible clearly declares homosexuality to be sin. It is not the worst sin, nor the unpardonable sin, or even a particularly “icky” sin. But, if you consider yourself to be a follower of Jesus Christ and that the manual of your faith is the Bible, you cannot deny that homosexuality is therein declared to be sin. The book of Romans says it is “unnatural.”
2. Because God’s word calls it sin, I cannot call it otherwise even if the Supreme Court, public opinion, and the law all line up against me.
3. I believe there are Christian men and women who struggle with the sin of homosexuality. Those of my conservative friends who summarily declare that no gay person can be a christian set themselves above God and  limit God’s grace. All my life, I have struggled, failed, and rebounded from any number of sins. If God loves me and still calls me His child under those conditions, who am I to opine that “their sin” is outside the grace of God while mine is not. (Yes, I know the Bible says men who have sex with men will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but you might want to check out who else is on that list and read it in context. I Corinthians 6:9-10)
4. I believe the Bible teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman and should last a lifetime.
5. I believe it is not only possible, but necessary for the church to speak with a clear voice on this matter. According to John the Baptist, Jesus came preaching grace and truth. Unfortunately the church has decided we have to pick a side…to be people of grace who decide to go with the world and say it is not sin or people of truth and condemn those who struggle with this sin. Jesus would do neither. He would boldly declare the truth and he would love and welcome the struggler into his most inner of circles.

To be sure, the debate will be heated and vitriolic in the days to come and I am but one small voice, but I will be doing all I can to foster honest conversation among Christ followers and non-believers about grace and  truth.

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