Bible answers questions about gay marriage

Clarence Furman

The Friday, Aug. 8, Frontiersman article, "Gay marriage: Are the president, pope in line with societal thinking?" raises three questions. First, are values, morals and truth properly based on societal thinking, or on principles beyond the scope of society's changes? Second, what does the Bible say about the subject? Third is the Bible relevant to life today?

Societal thought has many positive values. This was clearly evidenced by our country's response to the Sept. 11, 2001 crisis. On the other hand, societal thinking has a lot of negative values, which are shown by the crime rate and disregard for law, and many other practices.

The last half of the first chapter of the Bible book of Romans gives a fairly accurate and up-to-date description of today's negative side of society.

Included in these negative values, verses 26 and 27 show, in very plain language, God's disapproval of homosexual activity, both by women and men. The Old Testament also gives two clear commands in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, which give obvious disapproval of the gay lifestyle.

While I don't recall Jesus speaking specifically about gay marriage, He does give a beautiful description of marriage in Matthew 19:4-6:

"Haven't you read," he replied "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

The book of Romans, however, does not stop after giving a negative description of humanity, which in Chapter 3 Paul, the author, calls 'sin,' of which we are all guilty. Instead, Paul goes on to say that we can be redeemed and changed by faith in Jesus Christ. It's not that we suddenly completely stop sinning, but we are forgiven and changed by the power of Jesus Christ. As for societal thinking, Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

When I was a teen, I had a sexual attraction to and action with another teen boy. Since I had already passed the age of 13, "the average age of coming out," as the article stated, I supposedly should have had adequate knowledge to determine my lifetime sexual orientation. Consequently, I should have thrown a "coming out" party, and told all my friends that I was born that way, without any possibility of change.

On the other hand, I knew the Bible disagreed with my actions, and that Jesus Christ had the power to change my thinking. By His mercy, He did, and eventually gave me a wonderful wife. I've never had any desire to go back in all the 48 years I've been married to Ruth.

Moreover, if I'm stuck in the first century, I'm in good company. There are Peter, Paul, brothers James and John, Mary, Elizabeth and sisters Mary and Martha, as well as the most up-to-date man who ever lived on earth, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

He's still alive today and still changing lives.

Clarence Furman is a Palmer resident and a missionary with InterAct Ministries.