(Dis)Respect for Marriage

On November 16, The Senate passed historic legislation codifying same-sex marriage into federal law. Spooked by the fall of Roe, this bi-partisan effort enshrines and protects homosexual marriage from the “baddies” of the Conservatives in SCOTUS and makes same-sex marriages an albeit permanent fixture in America.

However, does the State have the authority to define what marriage is? Absolutely not. And the reason is that the State doesn’t own marriage; God does. Marriage between one man and one woman is the foundation that society is built on. Created and ordained by God as recorded in the Genesis account (Gen. 2), this institution was defined, blessed, and predates the institution of both Church and State. Therefore, marriage is incredibly precious to God, and it is the height of arrogance for a creature to redefine and legitimize what God does not.

What happened on November 16th, indeed was historic. Although not “historic” in the positive sense, rather never before in history has a nation attempted to usurp God’s creational decree by redefining it and making it into law. To put it in perspective, not even at the height of Rome’s decadence and hedonism under Nero was this accomplished. But leave it to America to the unprecedented.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

As I read through the Respect for Marriage Act, I am surprised that there is no clamor or protests from polyamorous couples whom this act doesn’t benefit or protect. Furthermore, lump every other “variation” of relationships, and you see that this bill is very narrow in scope. This act only protects same-sex couples, but threesomes, foursomes, and people who want to marry their pet or a piece of furniture are simply out of luck. Therein lies the problem, by what standard does Congress say that same-sex marriage is legitimate and protected under federal law while others are not? If truth be told, Congress is just making arbitrary decisions based on rejecting the only standard that matters—the Law of God. When you deny what God clearly reveals in creation, everything is up for grabs, and it wouldn’t surprise me that the Respect for Marriage Act will be amended to be more “inclusive.”

Some wonder why I have my hackles raised. After all, it is written within the bill a religious exemption, so I have nothing to worry about. Secondly, why should it be an issue for same-sex unions to be officially recognized as marriages by the federal government? Don’t you want people to be happy?

In answering the latter questions, having people happy isn’t the basis for governing a nation, nor does it determine truth. In this world, there are a lot of “unhappy truths,” which doesn’t make them any less true. Moreover, our feelings cannot deny creation, nor can they redefine it. As creatures, we do not have that right or authority. Again, that authority belongs to God alone.

As for the religious exemptions, which Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican and a Mormon, used as a justification for his support of the bill, they are simply inconsequential. Think about it, when the State enshrines homosexual marriage, and the culture touts that as a virtuous institution, what do you think will happen to a church or Christian college that says the opposite? Of course, we have seen it on a smaller scale with Christian florists and bakers. Still, these religious exemptions will only zero in on those who oppose same-sex marriage and invariably make the Church even more persecuted by the State and culture because only “intolerant bigots” don’t want homosexual couples to marry. In other words, the term “religious liberty” in this bill is vacuous and misleading.

Since the Respect for Marriage Act will be the law of the land, we need to consider the cost of what it means to stand opposed to it. As a church, college, or individual Christian, are you willing to defend what God has ordained even though you may be labeled hateful and bigoted and fall under the scrutiny of American society? It will happen because it has happened already, and as Christians we need to practice, even more, the prophetic ministry of “Thus saith the Lord!” when it comes to marriage.

The Respect for Marriage Act does not respect marriage as defined by God. Instead, it makes blaspheming that institution federal law. The only remedy is repentance and honoring the Lord. Otherwise, any nation that rejects God’s design for marriage, dooms itself into oblivion (Psalm 2).