Lewis
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- Aug 5, 2005
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A Great Big Lie
They have really went to far.
Gay marriage is required by the Bible and the Constitution
By Joseph Audette
Our society is marred by questions that smack of heresy to religious scholars across the country. Issues like gay marriage feature prominently on America's political landscape. Men like the late Jerry Falwell have enabled the church to encroach on state functions and gain influence over senators and presidents.
The primary argument against gay marriage is that it's seen as an abomination under Christian doctrine. Indeed, there are several passages in the Bible that make this point, the most prominent being Leviticus 18:22 which states:
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
It's kind of hard to avoid the clarity of such a statement. Reinforcing this view are passages from Genesis, Romans and Deuteronomy, but can these passages establish a legal precedent in the United States? The answer is no. Homosexuals have a constitutional right to marriage. Though not expressly stated, the First Amendment implies the separation of church and state. This notion is reinforced by a letter written in 1802 by Thomas Jefferson. Since then, it has been the de facto understanding that church and state are two separate entities. Additionally, Article Six establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
Read the facts about Thomas Jefferson and church ans state, in the below link http://www.contenderministries.org/arti ... onmyth.php
This point is important because in justifying the legality of gay marriage, one must first define marriage as a state function and not a religious one. It can be argued that marriage is a state function because it has the power to modify other state functions such as Social Security and tax filing status. Because marriage affects state functions, constitutionally, it too must be a state function for it to legally do so. If not, the government is violating Article Six and is actively discriminating against unmarried citizens. If marriage is a state function, then it's protected under various civil rights laws.
If marriage is a state function, then it begs the question: does the church have to recognize the legality of gay marriage? Not surprisingly, the answer to this question is "no," due to the same reasons that the state has to. The First Amendment establishes a two-way road for church and state:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
It is clear that no church, in regard to religious ceremony or conduct, must recognize gay marriage. Legally, a church doesn't have to marry same-sex couples. They are, however, encouraged to do so. Ironically, this advice comes from none other than Jesus Christ himself. Jesus set the tone for dividing earthly and spiritual loyalties when he was questioned by the Romans about taxes. According to Matthew 22:21 he said:
"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."
In this passage, Jesus seems to acknowledge that earthly law should not be ignored simply because one's religious beliefs conflict with it. He further illustrates this point in Romans 13:1, saying:
"Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. If the law of the land is that everyone must pay war taxes then that is what we must do. It is the law!"
The legality of gay marriage is incontrovertible when these passages and precedents are taken into account. Romans 13:1 goes on to say that those who believe a law is wrong should work within the system to change it. Simply denying homosexuals the right to marry on the basis of religion is illegal. According to Christ, it is also against Christian pathology.
It is time this country's leadership acknowledges peoples' rights under the Constitution and legalize gay marriage.
Joseph Audette is a second-year secondary education and psychology major.
They have really went to far.
Gay marriage is required by the Bible and the Constitution
By Joseph Audette
Our society is marred by questions that smack of heresy to religious scholars across the country. Issues like gay marriage feature prominently on America's political landscape. Men like the late Jerry Falwell have enabled the church to encroach on state functions and gain influence over senators and presidents.
The primary argument against gay marriage is that it's seen as an abomination under Christian doctrine. Indeed, there are several passages in the Bible that make this point, the most prominent being Leviticus 18:22 which states:
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
It's kind of hard to avoid the clarity of such a statement. Reinforcing this view are passages from Genesis, Romans and Deuteronomy, but can these passages establish a legal precedent in the United States? The answer is no. Homosexuals have a constitutional right to marriage. Though not expressly stated, the First Amendment implies the separation of church and state. This notion is reinforced by a letter written in 1802 by Thomas Jefferson. Since then, it has been the de facto understanding that church and state are two separate entities. Additionally, Article Six establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
Read the facts about Thomas Jefferson and church ans state, in the below link http://www.contenderministries.org/arti ... onmyth.php
This point is important because in justifying the legality of gay marriage, one must first define marriage as a state function and not a religious one. It can be argued that marriage is a state function because it has the power to modify other state functions such as Social Security and tax filing status. Because marriage affects state functions, constitutionally, it too must be a state function for it to legally do so. If not, the government is violating Article Six and is actively discriminating against unmarried citizens. If marriage is a state function, then it's protected under various civil rights laws.
If marriage is a state function, then it begs the question: does the church have to recognize the legality of gay marriage? Not surprisingly, the answer to this question is "no," due to the same reasons that the state has to. The First Amendment establishes a two-way road for church and state:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
It is clear that no church, in regard to religious ceremony or conduct, must recognize gay marriage. Legally, a church doesn't have to marry same-sex couples. They are, however, encouraged to do so. Ironically, this advice comes from none other than Jesus Christ himself. Jesus set the tone for dividing earthly and spiritual loyalties when he was questioned by the Romans about taxes. According to Matthew 22:21 he said:
"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."
In this passage, Jesus seems to acknowledge that earthly law should not be ignored simply because one's religious beliefs conflict with it. He further illustrates this point in Romans 13:1, saying:
"Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. If the law of the land is that everyone must pay war taxes then that is what we must do. It is the law!"
The legality of gay marriage is incontrovertible when these passages and precedents are taken into account. Romans 13:1 goes on to say that those who believe a law is wrong should work within the system to change it. Simply denying homosexuals the right to marry on the basis of religion is illegal. According to Christ, it is also against Christian pathology.
It is time this country's leadership acknowledges peoples' rights under the Constitution and legalize gay marriage.
Joseph Audette is a second-year secondary education and psychology major.
