Sunday, July 24, 2011

Gay Marriage, Heck State Control of Marriage

New York legalized "Gay" marriage and I don't care. I am a Christian and I still don't care. Why is the state involved in marriage in the first place, that is my question. Why is the state in the business of regulating personal relationships? Why do they care what people do in bed?

There are a couple of issues going on. Lets get sex out of the way. Clearly you don't have to be married to have sex. So, marriage is not about sex (although it can be a nice little diversion). So what is marriage about? Well the bible says it is when two become one flesh. Still, it is not about sex. The bible also says that "For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. And we are his body."

Basically the two unite to form a new being, a joint being. That is spiritual marriage. Then we have "legal" marriage. State sanctioned marriage. So I ask, why is government involved in "marriage" at all? I don't need government approval to have sex or be married, it is not relevant. So why have state sponsored marriage at all?

There are two sides to state sponsored marriage, the couple and the state. The couple usually have a state sponsored marriage because they get cookies, they get tax write offs, insurance benefits and other perks. The state on the other hand gets to make decisions for you if you divorce. The state gets to force one party to provide for the other. We can discuss regulating what happens to the children; but, the state can do that even if people were not legally married.

So state sponsored marriage is not about marriage, it is about divorce. Married people are given a slight break on their taxes in exchange for giving the government the right to make sure that if they divorce the state can force one to pay for the other rather than go on Welfare.

More and more we are seeing heterosexuals not asking the state for permission to live together. At the same time we are seeing "gays" wanting to get married. I cannot understand why some gays want to have state sanctioned marriage. Take my advice, it is not to their advantage. Government regulations have not been friends to gay people over the years.

Some states used to have laws regarding how people could have sex. How is that their business? Many states used to have anti-sodomy laws. Personally, I have never wanted to have that type of sex with a man or a woman; but, how is it anyone's business if it is consensual? Society should protect children and those who cannot protect themselves, I believe that. Society does not need to be involved in consenting adults personal relationships (to have consent one must be of sound mind).

Somewhere in the bible it says that in the end times government will outlaw marriage. Government cannot outlaw spiritual marriage, that would impossible. How can the government outlaw souls combining and becoming one? All government can do is prevent people from having state sanctioned marriage. We have lived to see that, some states have outlawed (it won't last long) "gay" marriage. All that really does is prevent the state from making one party pay for the other if they divorce.

Prior to these times it wasn't illegal for gays to marry, the state simply didn't get involved, would not make it a legal contract. Over the past few years, some states have actually made it illegal for gays to marry. That is foolishness, as I said, people do not need the state to make them a couple.

There are a lot of Christians that will think that what I am saying is sacrilege, sorry, it isn't. Our job as Christians is to be faithful and have an answer for the hope that is within us. It is not our job to tell others how to live their lives. We are told to follow the laws and to be good slaves (I love saying that because it really upsets some "Christians" who don't know their bible).

Oh, and for "Christians" who get a government sanctioned divorce, it doesn't make you divorced in the eyes of God unless you meet the standards of Corinthians. Matthew 5:32 says, "But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."

After my wife left me for another it was important to me to know what it was biblical for me to do. As I attempted to reconcile and my then wife did commit adultery, I am free to remarry and hopefully one day I will; but, I am not convinced that I will seek a state sanctioned marriage.

By the way, I should also state that I do not think a believer can be married to a non-believer in Christ (legally of course they can). This is found a couple of places in the bible; but, I want to discuss why. Spiritually you cannot become one because you do are not of the same spirit. The New Testament doesn't say it quite as nicely; but, the message is the same.

This post should have something to offend just about everyone. Lets see, I don't care if gays want state acceptance of their relationship. I don't want state involvement in marriage. If two believers make a commitment to God to be married then the states opinion is meaningless and the state acceptance of the divorce is equally meaningless and if you don't meet the requirements under God's law the people who remarry become adulterers. I guess I think that governments involvement in marriage has done more to harm the institution than help it. Be well.