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VIEWPOINT
God and homosexual marriage

D.P. Thiessen

As I browse the newspaper, a feeling of sorrow and hopelessness sweeps over me. Two men are planning to sue the Ontario government for failing to recognize their marriage. I do not feel surprise, as I could see this coming. The lobby to accept homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle has been gaining momentum for years. It was just a matter of time. My sorrow is for a country that seems to be in the midst of steady moral decline, this incident being just one more step in that journey. I feel helplessness because even though we have many vocal Christian politicians and an ever increasing number of evangelical mega-churches, the moral decline seems to be accelerating instead of slowing. What are we Christians to do?

There is a battle waging within me as I humbly ask God, “What would You do in this situation?” Many of my Christian colleagues, maybe even you, would respond without hesitation that God would never allow such a marriage. Homosexual practice is a sin, and God loathes sin. Tempering that, however, is the fact that God gives me a free will to choose my own lifestyle. Shouldn’t homosexuals have that same choice? So what are we to do?

One choice would be not to have any laws at all with regard to marriages such as these. This parallels what God did when He sent Adam and Eve out of the garden. That plan ended with a world that was “only evil continually”, except for Noah. After the flood, the same lack of laws spawned a world full of war and conflict, along with places like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Another option is to have laws disallowing homosexual marriages. This is often referred to as legislating morality. God began this idea by giving the Law to Moses. It resulted in a nation that needed frequent purging by other nations as a result of its disobedience. In Canada, we had laws dealing with homosexuality for years, and they did not stop the practice. Instead, we have seen a trend toward more and more visible displays of this lifestyle. It seems that neither of these options works very well, so what are we to do?

If we look at the life of Jesus, we see a third option. The religious leaders of the day expected the Messiah to be a political figure who would straighten out society, probably using laws and military force. Instead, Jesus chose to talk with prostitutes, tax collectors and fishermen. He changed their lives by showing compassion, forgiveness and acceptance. If He were to come to Canada now, who do you think He would associate with? My guess is that drug addicts and homosexuals would be high on the list. With compassion, forgiveness and acceptance, He would convert them. He would change society from the bottom up.

Svend Robinson, a homosexual member of Parliament, refused to shake Stockwell Day’s hand when Mr. Day first came into the House of Commons. To explain his behaviour, Mr. Robinson claimed he loathed everything Mr. Day stands for. In those words, I hear intense hurt. Christians are being perceived as anything but accepting of homosexuals. I wonder how a known homosexual would be accepted in your church. Would he fit in with all the other sinners, or would he feel condemned and isolated?

So, what are we to do? A beginning would be to understand that homosexuals feel isolated and lonely in our society. Next we need to realize that in God’s eyes they are no different than we are. We are all sinners. Finally, every one of us needs to pray and ask for God’s help to creatively think of ways to say to them, “God loves you. We love you. Come home.” Let God do the rest.

D.P. Thiessen is a teacher in Rocanville, Sask.

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Last modified April 2, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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