5 reasons why marriage still matters to you
A small group of USA judges took it upon themselves to redefine historic marriage on behalf of millions of people. Whu gave them that right?
In light of these developments, many Christians are wondering if the struggle to preserve marriage is worth it. “What’s the use?” they ask. If you’re wondering why this battle is still important, here are five reasons why marriage still matters – and why it matters to you:
In light of these developments, many Christians are wondering if the struggle to preserve marriage is worth it. “What’s the use?” they ask. If you’re wondering why this battle is still important, here are five reasons why marriage still matters – and why it matters to you:
1. Marriage as defined by God has not changed. Ideologies come and go. Cultural customs can – and do – change. Societies can decline and descend into depravity. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia reminded us, “Societies can rot as well as ripen.” But God’s Truth and God’s standard remain unchanged.
2. If same-sex “marriage” is now legalized, the religious freedom of your church and your pastor is threatened. We have seen this in other countries that are further down the road to redefining marriage. In Sweden, a pastor was convicted of a crime for simply preaching what the Bible says about homosexual behavior. Sweden PM is now demanding all pastors must marry gays or resign.
In Canada, a pastor wrote a letter to the newspaper editor expressing his biblical views about homosexual behavior. He was fined $5,000 and ordered to remain silent on the topic. Alliance Defending Freedom has successfully helped these pastors fight these charges. We are already facing battles like this in the U.S. and you can count on them becoming more frequent. Business people who hold Christian beliefs regarding the sin of homosexuality have been taken to court and fined.
3. Your freedom to decide what your children and grandchildren are taught in schools has come under attack. Those pushing the homosexual agenda will be in a much stronger position to influence what children are taught in public schools about sexuality and family structure. They can use their new-found power to expose students to propaganda designed to promote sexual sin to children at earlier and earlier ages, when they are most impressionable.
4. Redefining marriage had opened the door to many other alternatives. Once a society rejects God’s standard for marriage and looks to the wisdom of man instead, all bets are off. Without a true basis for morality, there is really nothing to stop a society from legitimizing all sorts of other relationships, including group “marriages.”
When Canada redefined marriage in 2005, what followed was a fight to legalize polygamy. Valiant efforts by Alliance Defending Freedom Allied Attorneys and others convinced the Supreme Court of British Columbia to not permit polygamy, but new efforts are underway within the United States to legalize plural marriages.
5. Redefining marriage will hinder the spread of the Gospel. This is especially true when it comes to ministering to those caught in the snare of sexual sin. When the government implicitly endorses behaviors that can ultimately lead to a person’s eternal destruction, it is an easy step to prohibit proclaiming the biblical Truth about marriage by labeling it “hate speech.” How tragic! Once a society descends to this depth, evil is labeled good, and good is labeled evil.
Those who oppose the biblical definition of marriage and sexual sin do not just want the government’s endorsement of homosexual behavior. As evidenced by numerous lawsuits we’re defending, many want to use the full force of the state to silence, and even punish, anyone who has convictions to the contrary.
Alliance Defending Freedom will continue the ongoing battle to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Please pray that God showers His mercy on our nation and that His Spirit leads us to repentance.
