The Sanctity of Marriage

Some people out there, not necessarily any of my regular readers, might be thinking, 'yeah, you really shouldn't be spouting about the sanctity of marriage'! Well, maybe I have no business doing so, but after hearing this morning about the people of North Carolina passing a constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions, or 'marriages'. I decided to 'jump on the bandwagon'!

Did you know that '4 out of 5 'Christian' divorcees hate homosexuals for ruining the sanctity of marriage'? Being one of those divorced persons myself; I can say that I must be the 1 out of 5 that doesn't hold that against homosexuals! Now, please don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that I love the things homosexuals do ( although sometimes, I think they act more Christ-like than many 'Christians' ); on the contrary, I abhor that death-style, and believe that they are flagrantly 'thumbing their noses' at God and His institution of marriage ( union ) between a man and a woman. One way to put it is, 'God brought Eve to Adam, not Steve to Adam'.

Following somewhat of a rabbit-trail here, viewing some of VP Biden's remarks this morning on this subject, I read, 'I just think that the good news is that as more and more Americans come to understand what this is all about, it is a simple proposition: Who do you love? Who do you love? And will you be loyal to the person who love?' There is much talk from those who are either homosexual, or at least pro-homosexual ( or pro-choice ) about 'love'. What is love? I have asked that question in several articles that I have written on the subject, and I have come to the conclusion that, as Scripture says, 'love [ is ] the fulfillment of the law' ( Romans 13:10 ). Just prior to this startling ( to some ) statement, Paul stated that 'Love does no harm to a neighbor'. Love, as I have discussed in the aforementioned articles, is an action, and not so much a feeling. Although most of us naturally and usually act on our feelings, those actions are not always right, because our feelings are not always correct. If we, however, act according to what God has revealed to us through His Word, then we are truly acting in love, and not just having warm feelings for our brother one day, and giving him the 'cold shoulder' the next, based on our 'roller-coaster feelings'!

In other news, and the most recent addition to our subject, the restaurant chain 'Chick-fil-a' has recently come into the headlines for their admittedly admirable stand for traditional marriage, and against same-sex 'union' ( what 'union' can there be between two people of the same sex; surely not physical: more later.... )! How many managers/employees of Chick-fil-a, do you suppose, have ruined the sanctity of marriage by divorcing their spouse for an unbiblical, even wanton reason?

Back to the subject now; you must see the irony in any 'Christian' who denounces anyone else, homosexual or not, for 'ruining the sanctity of marriage' ( being divorced myself, as I said; I can say this, pointing at least four fingers at myself ). What is the 'sanctity of marriage', except, as Paul wrote, a picture, or example ( earthly ) of  'Christ and the church' ( Ephesians 5:32 ). When we, as Christians, base our marriages and, God forbid, divorces, on our feelings, and not on the Word of God, then we make a mockery of this institution!

Many have come out, in defense almost, of those who feel free to pursue this, or other 'death-styles', saying things like, 'well, one sin is no worse than another, so we shouldn't condemn'! In a sense, they're right; we shouldn't condemn homosexuality over divorce, when it comes to 'the sanctity of marriage'. As Scripture does give allowance for divorce, though ( Matthew 19:1-10 ), although He still hates it ( Malachi 2:16 ); nowhere does Scripture make allowance for homosexuality, or more correctly, 'sodomy'! The practice of homosexuality runs in direct opposition to God's Revealed Will, and therefore should be opposed, itself, at every turn, but is it truly homosexuals and their push of the recognition of same-sex unions that are ruining 'the sanctity of marriage', or is it those of us who divorce 'for [ just ] any reason', Christian or not, who are turning the picture of  'Christ and the church' into a laughable ideal?

Writing to myself more than anybody else,
Charles Haddon Shank