Right now many of the politicians on the right side of the aisle are sticking mainly to fiscal issues, and steering clear of issues like abortion and gay rights. Politically that makes a lot of sense as the Tea Partiers who are making up the bulk of support for Republicans are not just made up of Conservative Christians. They are Conservatives, libertarians, independents, and even some Democrats that are deeply concerned with out of control spending and a mounting debt that has contributed to a reduction of our S&P bond rating, but once the election season is over and the plethora of cost cutting and debt reducing bills will be passed, should the Republicans take control, have subsided the social issues are sure to take their turn in the DC spotlight as well as in the state legislatures. One of the big issues that comes up every now and again is the defense of marriage amendment. The DOMA as it’s called is an amendment to the U.S Constitution intended to define marriage as between a man and a woman. As a Christian I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and so you may think that I would support such an amendment. You would be wrong. If you’re like most of my friends from church you just made a face at me like I just jumped up behind the pulpit and started talking about the wonders of voodoo and satanic sacrifice. Let me explain two general schools of thought and then the views I share with about 10 other people across the country. The first is the Conservative view that marriage is a state issue and not a federal one. Some politicians sincerely hold this view while others use it to calm fears among independents while still appeasing their base. The second, and might I add good intentioned view, is that we need to protect the sanctity of marriage to bring America back to its Judeo Christian roots. Now my turn. Why in the world would we want the Federal or State governments defining any of our religious institutions? Now maybe some of your expressions have changed from a look of disdain and shock to one of confusion or possibly interest.
My feelings are quite simple. When I stood at the front of the church before God and my family and friends and took my vows to take my lovely wife, it was a spiritual and deeply religious commitment. When I went to the court house and filled out my marriage license and certificate of marriage it was a legal arrangement. When the government gets involved it turned what to me was deep and meaningful into another secular action like getting my driver’s license or applying for a building permit. Why should the government have the power to define any aspect of my religion and my relationship with God? If they have the power to define what marriage is they can define it however they want to. God has ordained marriage. He defines it. If two men get married in the eyes of the state does God see it as a marriage? No. We don’t ask the government to define salvation, baptism, or worship, but too many of us are all too eager to view marriage through the eyes of government. As Conservatives we want government to be limited and stay out of our lives as much as possible. Besides that even with a DOMA homosexuality will not be deterred. As Christians we should seek to turn people toward Christ and give good council to our brothers and sisters as to how to live a Christian life. What we should not do is strive to change the outward actions and appearance of non-believers while leaving them as empty shells, giving the appearance of righteousness and being filled with nothing but an empty set of laws and moral regulations. Christ said follow me and I will make you fishers of men. He did not say go over to that guy and tell him to act like he’s one of us.
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