THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND THE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE DEBATE

As the same-sex marriage debate comes to a boil point, I have found myself reading alot of articles on the subject.  One was written by a pastor-friend titled, "Ten Reasons Why “Same-Sex Marriage” Affects Your Marriage." I encourage you to read it (click the title). In the article he said something that I knew was true but had not really pieced together in this whole debate.

In the ninth point he states states: "The redistribution of marriage rights modifies your marriage as a natural entity afforded legal recognition." 

He goes on to explain this point saying: "Marriage is a naturally occurring relationship. A purpose of U.S. law is to create a flourishing context for the family to govern itself. Put differently, the state does not create marriage but is to create complimentary environments in which martial life is legally recognized and protected. Redefining marriage by legal fiat changes this point of reference. It shifts the legal posture of the state from recognizing a preexisting institution to creating the institution after its own image and likeness. The state would become the originator of your marriage."

But what does the Declaration of Independence have to do with this? As I have been studying Romans 13:1-7 further I have come to see that the Declaration of Independence is flawed in its view of where governmental authority comes from. In the Declaration we read the following: 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

The identity of the "Creator" is not specified but many Christians read this and believe it refers to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But Thomas Jefferson was the principle author of it, and he was a Deist, not a Christian. He essentially believed God created everything but that God is not directly involved in the affairs of mankind. The power of the government comes from the people. God gave man the authority to be self-governing because God is not all that interested.  As much as I love our freedoms, this does not square with Romans 13:1 which tells us plainly, that "there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." The State gets its authority from God, not from man. 

The same-sex marriage debate is based on this flawed belief, that we the people determine for ourselves what happiness is, what equality is, what liberty is, and what marriage is.  As it turns out, Christians have believed this for some time and just didn't realize it. If government derives its powers from the consent of the governed then the governed ultimately decide if same-sex marriage is legitimate through the government that gets its power from the people. We are a self-defining, self-determining culture. At least, this is how we have been programmed to think. Looking at the issue this way it is easy to see how we got here. We are not drifting from our nation's founding principles. On the contrary we are embracing them to the fullest extent. 

But here's something few stop to consider: Marriage has been around for a very long time.  It has outlived every government that came before the USA and it will continue to exist after the USA is no more. God forbid the day comes when total anarchy grips in this land, but even then people will still get married. Because marriage is a picture of who God is, he alone defines it. Our attempts to redefine marriage via the courts and politicians does not actually redefine marriage. All it does is exchange the truth for a lie.  However, adopting a lie is costly. Marriage is a fundamental institution,a  pillar of human society and what it means to be human.  If you mess with a major pillar of a building, don't be surprised if the roof caves in.

But what is the Christian response? This will sound troubling to some, but Christians need to stop thinking like Americans and start thinking like Christians. We are guilty of believing our "enlightened" American values and beliefs are essentially "Christian." We often don't see this is the case until those values and beliefs come home to roost. The same-sex marriage debate is simply traditional American beliefs and values that has come home to roost. Why are we surprised?

--Pastor Dave

Further reading:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2013/04/01/an-interview-with-russell-moore-the-new-president-of-the-ethics-religious-liberty-commission/

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2013/03/27/why-the-arguments-for-gay-marriage-are-persuasive/

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/subjection-to-god-and-subjection-to-the-state-part-2

http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2013/03/9432/