More Light Presbyterians & holding marriage in honor

 

It’s helpful when LGBTQ organizations admit where they are really headed in their advocacy, as More Light Presbyterians has done with their recent article, “In-Laws and Out-Laws.” The article is written by Donna Riley who is an author for MLP. She is also bi-sexual, a Presbyterian deacon and a teacher of engineering at Smith College. She is advocating not only for same sex marriage but also for non-marriage relationships. As she puts it:

How do we fight for the freedom to marry and yet ensure that it remains a true freedom — freedom to marry balanced equally with the freedom not to marry? How can we as a movement resist heteronormativity within and without marriage, and build new ways of being in relationship?

Obviously Riley is not talking about relationships as in dating but as in fornication which is sex outside of marriage such as in Hebrews 13:4. And it makes sense. Those who see one kind of sexual sin as acceptable will certainly see another in the same way. And it surely leaves those who accept the biblical view of marriage being only between a man and a woman standing in a lonely place. But history and culture has left the church standing in lonely places many times.

Riley is advocating for singles in relationship to have the same rights as married couples including parental and citizenship rights as well as health care. She is actually asking for a total breakdown of society. We are all aware of those women whose parent had multiple live-in boy friends who molested them as children. Parental rights in such cases would be a travesty. And who is to sort out all of the problems?

But what is important when reacting to Riley’s article is to have a clear understanding that within the Church marriage is to be honored. Again see Hebrews 13:4. This honoring of marriage does not degrade the position of single persons at all but it does insist that marriage is a special calling, a special position that entails a difference between single life and married life.

I once took a class from Stanley Grenz on human sexuality. I carried away from that class an understanding that marriage offers a ministry that strengthens the family, teaches contentment in a continuing relationship and builds foundations of faithfulness. And singleness opens a door to many to minister in a missionary way. I have seen this happen; a group of single Christians choosing to live in the same apartment and minister to each other in all kinds of ways. They pulled in non-believers because of their witness of love toward one another.

Our first assignment in Grenz’s class was to watch the movie The Bridges of Madison County. The movie had just come out and everyone was talking about it. But for Christians it should have been a travesty—a romance between a married woman and a well-known photographer. Although they part and she does not divorce her husband, nonetheless she carries the affair hidden in her heart as some special event in her life. American movie goers, including some Christians, found the movie acceptable. In the same way we have allowed ourselves, as Christians, to accept the wider society’s approval of unmarried sexual relationships.

And now we must face the fact that those who advocate for same gender marriage are now beginning to advocate for unmarried sexual relationships. It really isn’t about marriage but about having the right to do whatever is the most convenient. Cheap grace feeds on conveniences. We now find we must be clear—sex is a gift meant for marriage and that between a man and a woman.  

A Christian, acknowledging that their only righteousness is Christ’s righteousness, paradoxically attempts to live a life of holiness because they have been called to a life of holiness.  The Church referred to as the Bride of Christ is, as a whole community, called to holiness. United in the glory of Christ the Church aims for faithfulness and purity.

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)

The author of Hebrews places verse 4 in the midst of  commands to remember prisoners and those who are ill-treated, the necessity of not being greedy—not loving money—and a call to contentment. One cannot do away with one command without doing away with all.  The conclusion is a promise of God’s keeping care and this:

Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. (Hebrews 13:12-14)

 Picture is of my Grandpa and Grandma-John & Viola Trotter