Where in the Bible does it say that it is against God's law to have gay marriage?

I found this via an online search.

Leviticus 18:22
22 " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

The whole chapter

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
-Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)
"And the LORD God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.' Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: 'This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.' Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
-Genesis 2:18-25 (NKJV)


What Jesus taught

"And He answered and said to them, 'Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,'"
-Matthew 19:4 (NKJV)
"But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'"
-Mark 10:6 (NKJV)


When Jesus was asked questions about marriage he went straight back to the defining passages in Genesis that say that marriage is between male and female and is meant to be life long. He saw the creation accounts in Genesis as authoritative in His day. And what is authoritative for Jesus is authoritative for Christians also. While Jesus did not specifically teach on homosexuality, His establishment of the Genesis passages as the fundamental passages on marriage (even more fundamental than the Law) leaves no doubt as to the outcome.

"For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due."
-Romans 1:26-27 (NKJV)
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."
-1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)

"Knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,"
-1 Timothy 1:9-10 (NKJV)

Thank-you for those passages. The gay rights movements are trying to move into some churches, and they want to be married in our church if the law will say that it is legal.

Thanks to Massachusetts for supporting and pushing that law through, now we have to face the idea that they may want your church to marry gay people. What next?

Well you can take the passages literally and say they're as appropriate in today's society as they were when they were written, or you can say they are an example of what we should strive for, or that they were written for a different society with different mores.

When I was doing my search about homosexual relations, I also found one that said that any illegitimate child should not be allowed in the church, nor any of their children, for ten generations.

So, if a church is going to ban gay marriages are they also going to refuse entry to a g-g-g-grandchild of a rape victim?

Yeah, I know... can of worms, probably doesn't belong here.

Of course you're speaking of Deuteronomy 23:2, but I would suggest caution when referring to Old Testament passages.

Maybe this will help:

Question: "Where should we, as Christians, stand on gay marriage?"

Answer: First, we have to remember what the Bible says about homosexuality. The Bible clearly and consistently tells us that homosexual activity is a sin (Genesis 19:1-13; Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; 1Corinthians 6:9). God does not create a person with homosexual desires. A person becomes a homosexual because of sin (Rom 1:24-27), and ultimately because of their own choice. A person may be born with a greater susceptibility to homosexuality, just as people are born with a tendency to violence and other sins. That does not excuse the person choosing to sin by giving into their sinful desires. If a person is born with a greater susceptibility to anger / rage, does that make it right for then to give into those desires? Of course not! The same is true for homosexuality.

We also have to remember that homosexuality is just as forgivable a sin as all other sins. God’s forgiveness is just as available to a homosexual as it is to an adulterer, idol worshipper, murderer, thief, etc. God’s love and desire to save extends to homosexuals (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). God also promises the strength for victory over sin, including homosexuality, to all those who will believe in Jesus Christ for their salvation (1Cor 6:11; 2Cor 5:17).

To give sanction to homosexual marriage would be to give approval to that lifestyle, which the Bible clearly and consistently condemns as sinful. I belief the Christians should stand firmly against the idea of gay marriage. Marriage is ordained by God to be between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6). Homosexual marriage is a perversion of the institution of marriage and an offense to the God who created marriage. God forbids and condemns homosexuality, so He clearly is opposed to homosexual marriage. As Christians, we are to seek to share the love of God and salvation through Christ with homosexuals. We are to be loving and kind to homosexuals, while at the same time not condoning their sinful lifestyle.

Taken from Here

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by cardinal:
<strong> Thank-you for those passages. The gay rights movements are trying to move into some churches, and they want to be married in our church if the law will say that it is legal.

Thanks to Massachusetts for supporting and pushing that law through, now we have to face the idea that they may want your church to marry gay people. What next? </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">You're confusing church and state. The state of MA has every right to allow gay marriages if the citizens of that state choose to allow it.

However, every church has the right to refuse to perform marriages. In fact, many churches already refuse to perform marriages if there was sex outside of marriage, if either person to be married is not an active member of the church/religion, etc.

So while gay people can "ask" to be married in your church, all your church has to do is say, "No, our religion does not believe in homosexual marriages." The state cannot force you to perform the the marriage. Separation of church and state is a good thing.

April

I wish I were confused on this issue. Unfortunately it is a fact that the UCC is talking about this. And the fact is that the state is putting out the marriage license as the exact same license that the man and the woman recieve when married, under the laws of the state, and under the laws of God.


I do not care to talk about what is right for the state to do with this, but it is certainly not a same marriage as a man and a woman . Call it something else, a union of two, or something, but not a marriage of a man and a woman.

Our children will have to deal with so much more later, when they will be asking to approve the marriage of three people. I do feel angered by the atmosphere of permissivness that we are surely creating. I suppose that God was aware this stuff would happen. And I do think that this kind of encouragement in living will backfire on humanity.

Why stay married to your man when you can find a good woman or why stay married to your wife when you can find a good man. After all they would understand your NEEDS best being of the same. And havent you heard of this happening, friends you knew (thought you knew,).

I just think it is amazing. When an inch is given, the yard is simply assumed.

There are also many references in the letters at the end of the New Testament that condemn all kinds of illicit sexual behaviour.

Of course the Bible is also very clear in saying that we should love one another and also take the log out of our eye before we try to take the speck out of anyone elses.

Furthermore, we are also reminded that God is the only one qualified to pass judgement on sin.

dewt

Bravo Dewt!!!!

That was the best I've heard on this whole forum yet! You have more guts than I to jump in on this one.

You said exactly what I was thinking dewt! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

I agree that we ought to keep our judgements to ourselves at times. And sometimes we need to talk about issues that are demanding a decision. It is easier to avoid making a decision, of course that in itself is your decision. Avoidance kinds of decisions are usually the kinds of decisions which get us in over our heads.

You have to stand for something, or ....you will fall for anything.

I don't condemn a person with the gay lifestyle. I don't condemn people who live their lives as they will peacably and functionally in the society.

I disagree with the changing of laws that have been governing my church for hundreds of years, doors opened to all kinds of people. The church has been allowing all people in. The rules are to keep. Not to change to perversions of those rules.

I think that we honor God by living by his rules. Those rules promote healthy H/W relations and the children of these families enjoy a stable home with them.

Cardinal -

With all due respect, I always thought that a church was a house of God and that he wanted all people there. Especially those that have fallen out of grace (I don't personally think that gay's have fallen out of grace).

This is off the subject of gay marriages, but
I am a single mother with a daughter I had out of wedlock. Would we be allowed in your church?

I just always thought that it was about loving one another, which is what Jesus asks us to do.

I am in no position to get in a religious discussion but I would welcome Gay marriages in my church, and hope that it happens.

W.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by cardinal:
<strong>
I disagree with the changing of laws that have been governing my church for hundreds of years, doors opened to all kinds of people. The church has been allowing all people in. The rules are to keep. Not to change to perversions of those rules.
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Weaver, did you read what I wrote?

In our church are all kinds of people. However, when we go to a church and we like it, does that give us passage to alter the Bible? These people are members.

Yes Cardinal, I read what you wrote, but not good enough I see.

I still don't understand your position... and now I am taking myself out of this discussion. Knew I never should have jumped in.

Weaver

I think this can be put in terms that many here can understand.

Unrepentant sinners are like spouses in affairs. They don't see that they are cheating on the One who loves and created them.

Churches have a responsibility to love all people because that's what God calls us to do. But that love does not extend to enabling them in their sin. To sanction an unrepentant sinner via membership is tacit acknowledgement that their continuation in sin is acceptable.

Church bodies have EVERY right to determine what is considered sinful behavior based on their interpretation of scripture.

Now, churches SHOULD accept and love REPENTANT sinners of all kinds and extend an invitation to fellowship as well.

Yes, weaver, you would be welcome in most churches. I assume that you no longer engage in the behavior that brought your beautiful daughter into this world. Your daughter is a wonderful creation of God. He would certainly never reject her becasue of the circumstances of her birth.

As a repentant FWS, I would expect that most churches would welcome me (although this has not been my experience).

So, in summary, churches can choose to exercise a type of "Plan B" when someone chooses to continue in sin. They have no obligation to enable them (e.g. allow homosexuals to marry). It is NOT loving to enable someone to continue in sin.

Consider Jesus' example...He showed love to everyone, but He took very firm positions on sin. He was quite stern with those who He knew refused to turn from their sin.

Low

My understanding is that what we want, we should not always get. My understanding is that gay people have rights to live as they will. They may become members of our church.

My belief in those rules in the Bible stand. I think that we ought to try and live by them. I think that if I wanted to change the rules in the Bible, then I either need to change something about me, or create the place of worship according to my own needs.


We should not marry two people in a church if they are not a man and a woman. It is not what the Bible teaches us to do. It seems to be saying that we need to encourage what is right, and not to condemn, but certainly not to change the vows to accomodate what people want.

Matrimonial vows are sacred and speak of a man and a woman...

These are some tough questions. Leviticus is a strange chapter, going on and on about how to sacrifice an animal to save us from sin...which I have been taught, Jesus died so we would no longer have to sacrifice animals, he was our sacrificial lamb. Throw that part out?

OK, so that is one part of Leviticus not to be used. It goes on and on about who not to "lay down" with. Right, agree with those...incest is out.

But what about Chapter 18:19
"You shall not approach a woman to have intercourse with her while she is unclean from menstruation."

Huh? I have never understood this. It is a sin for 2 men to have sex...and what about 2 women having sex?

This getting really OT, but I'll add a little something else and leave it at that...

JMHO, I think many make the mistake of trying to make an "instruction manual" out of the Bible. While there is quite a bit of good "instruction", the book is more of a record of God's relationship with people. As we watch that relationship, we get insight into who God is and what kinds of things are important to him.

By watching how God instructed the Israelites, we can see that there are types of behavior that He thinks are not good. I think we should work to extrapolate that ATTITUDE to our culture.

Jesus didn't supercede any of the law...He fulfilled it. That tells me that the law and our response to it is more about faith and attitude than it is about following the rules strictly.

I think when the Bible says unruly teens should be stoned that it means He really hates to see this kind of behavior and we should deal with it strongly. Doesn't mean we should stone our teens as well.

Just my interpretation...

Low

Where do matrimonial vows come from?