Argument against gay marriage: ‘It’s a God thing’

In John, chapter 8, we read where Jesus was once in the temple teaching the people.

The “religious” ones brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to see what he might say when they reminded him of Moses’ law that she should be stoned. They asked him what he would do. Jesus then took his finger and drew a line into the dirt. We are not told what it was he drew. Jesus simply replied, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”

For those words, they had no reply. But those who saw it quietly turned aside and went away, for whatever he wrote turned out to be one of his most powerful sermons.

The line in the sand? Perhaps Jesus began writing the law of Moses. Those who wanted to stone the woman were face-to-face with their own personal decisions, and people do not readily want to come face-to-face with themselves and the exposure of hypocrisy hidden in their hearts.

Jesus then spoke to the woman and asked her, “Woman, where are all your accusers?” She looked around and saw none. “Neither do I accuse you,” he said before adding, “go and sin no more.”

He did not qualify adultery as something to be accepted and condoned, but simply a sin she must turn from.

I believe strongly we are now standing in front of another such line drawn in the sand.

Do I believe marriage is reserved only for a man and a woman? Yes I do. Why? Because God defined it that way. Do I judge others who disagree? No, but God also defines sex between persons of the same gender as sin. And again, I must agree with God.

It’s a God thing.

It is what he says about things, which determine my opinions.

In this country, citizenship for foreigners requires an application, many months — even years — of waiting, indoctrination and an investigation process. I have had friends from other countries who had considered moving here, but were turned away by the high cost and long wait to becoming one of our citizens. I watched television showing the elation of those who were finally accepted. There were tears in their eyes as they said the “Pledge of Allegiance.”

But many other thousands do not pay any price at all. They simply come in illegally to enjoy every benefit without having to work to qualify themselves. They have an agenda — accept me, recognize me and qualify me as an American citizen. In the same way, so many want to be accepted as being “married,” but not under God’s definition of marriage.

Will that be enough to satisfy their wants? No. The men of Sodom beat hard against Lot’s door to try and break it down so they could “know,” and even the very angels of God were sent to deliver his family from the judgment to come.

Breakdowns of moral restraints and the allowance for every man to do what is right in his own eyes is rapidly leading us to soon face the same horrible judgment that would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

It’s a God thing, whether we agree it is or not.

But it will also surely cost us, whichever choice we make. For those who choose to defy God’s word, judgment is to come. For those who choose to respect and follow God’s word, expect to suffer scorn, hatred and retribution from those very same ones who now accuse God’s people of denying them their “rights.”

You’ll be called a bigot, a narrow-minded intolerant and a right-wing religious nut. Even some Christians will turn aside from you. Your government may even imprison you and close the doors to your church for the stand it makes on this issue. Your pastor could be imprisoned if he refuses to marry a gay couple.

We don’t have to wait and see if that will happen or not. It already is or is awaiting Washington, D.C., to soon make it the law of the land.

Mary E. Adams is a member of the Family Christian Center in Palmer.

Opinions expressed on the Faith page are the author’s and are not necessarily those of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, its staff or its parent company, Wick Communications Co. To submit a column or other news for the Faith page, send email to news@frontiersman.com, or call 352-2268.