Gay Marriage & the Bible

[This is Bible 101 #4] Get out your Bibles, and let's look at what happens when biblical concepts are taken out of context and suggested as the basis for civil or constitutional law.

 Some of the proponents of the anti-gay marriage legislation and/or constitutional amendments quote as a basis for same the passages in the Bible, mainly Lev. 20:13 & Rom 1:27-28), which condemn male homosexuality (there are no such prohibitions re women). Why should those passages be taken literally and others ignored? What criterion does one bring to the Biblical text when one says this verse should apply but not others?

In the same chapter of Leviticus, there is this verse: "If a man commits adultery with the wife of a neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death" (Lev 20:10). Should that become law? Should we legislate that marriage is only between one man and one woman forever?

Check the Bible which allows more than one wife (Gen 29:17-28; 2 Sam 3:2-5). Some would quote Genesis 2:24, but notice the plural pronoun: "Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh." Given the numerous examples of men with more than one wife, such as David, Solomon, etc., should that pronoun be limited to one woman? Jesus quotes this verse but changes the pronoun: "and the two shall become one flesh" (Mat 19:5).

A marriage can only be considered valid if the woman is a virgin. If not, she shall be executed. Check out Deut 22:20-21. A man should also be allowed to have many "concubines" in addition to one or two wives if we follow David's example: (2 Sam 5:13). See also 1 Kgs 11:3 and 2 Chron 11:21). Then there is the Biblical legislation that requires that the brother of a man shall marry the man's widow if the man dies before they could have children (Gen 38:6-20; Deut 25:5-10). Wouldn't that change courtship and marriage practices in the USA?

The question of divorce would have to be revisited also. Moses allowed divorce under some circumstances (Deut 24:1), but forbade it under other circumstances (Deut 22:29). Jesus also forbade divorce (Mark 10:5-12) in Mark's Gospel, yet allowed under certain circumstances in Matthew's Gospel: "except for unchastity" (Mt 19:3). Paul also struggled with when to allow it and when not to allow it (1 Cor 7:11-17). If we go the whole route, then a believer should not be allowed to marry a nonbeliever (Gen 24:3; Num 25:1-9; Exra 9:12; Neh 10:30). But then we would have to decide if "believer" means Jews or Christians.

The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate the great difficulty in taking passages directly from the Bible and using them as a basis for civil or constitutional law. Taken out of context, these passages would radically change American society. When taken in context, they make sense. Take for example Lev 20:13: "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committee an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them." See also Lev 18:2. These are found as part of a section in this book of Leviticus called the Holiness Code (chapters 17-26), and it includes that beautiful statement: "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev 19:18). You will also find verses like: "you shall not eat anything with its blood" (Lev 19:26). Doesn't that rule out rare steaks? It also prohibits wearing a garment made of "two different materials" (Lev 19:19).

 The only legitimate criterion which can be used to decide that context of what applies and what does not apply can be found at the very front of the Code: "you shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt" and of Canaan, which was the name for the Holy Land (Lev 18:3-4). Regarding a male with a male, Egyptian armies would treat conquered soldiers as "women" (property in those times) thereby degrading them. Sacred prostitution with males and females was part of the religious practices of the Canaanites. This is where Bible study becomes important. What is the context of the verse? What did it mean in that context? In all verses, ask what the Lord is saying to you at this time? Read on...

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