Almost nobody wants to actually teach what the Bible does on this issue. But, this is a textbook example of how public acceptance of homosexuality leads to bigger government. Its inevitable because every single homosexual knows their behavior is perverted and unnatural.
Today's Christians caused gay marriage, not gays.
I want to address this because I don't want to get lumped in with the anti-homosexuality crusaders.
It is false preaching to say that every homosexual "knows" their behavior is perverted and unnatural. "Perverted" and "unnatural" mean the same thing by the way but "perverted" has a current connotation of "depraved" and I disagree that gay people are somehow more "depraved" than the rest of humanity.
Gays are sinners just like everyone else, that doesn't mean they are a sinner "because they are gay". Continuing in a homosexual lifestyle is just a continuation of sin not its origin, but no different on the "abomination" level than pride or greed. The death penalty was part of Mosaic law and that was for that time and place. Yes, the moral basis of the law is still in effect but that doesn't mean "the bible teaches" that gays should be executed or stoned.
Personally, my current stance on the subject is that homosexuality (along with other sexual abnormalities like transgenders, bisexuals, lesbians, etc.) is basically an affliction. It doesn't SEEM like an affliction because our sexuality is such a strong force that it deeply affects our self image and identity. So the love, affection, and connection that gay couples share is most definitely real but the affliction of how that manifests sexually puts it outside the realm of God's plan for sex which is in the marriage context which is between one man and one woman only*. This is why I think the gay community takes their "gay rights" so seriously. Because to them, the world isn't just judging the lifestyle, the "act", but they are denying that their relationships aren't really based on love , committment, or family values but upon lust. And in that sense I agree with them. The world has no right to lay this charge without being a hypocrite and Christians have no right to single out homosexuals as some "special class" of sinners.
(*see my post here for "well what about bibles support for polygamy?" type rebuttals
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...age-licenses&p=5809038&viewfull=1#post5809038 )
That said, I am COMPLETELY against gay marriage or any form of union that puts in on the same level as one man one woman marriage. I am against it being an accepted standard of society not because of my "stance on gays" or homosexuality. I'm not offended or disgusted by gays getting married. My stance on gay marriage comes from my stance on biblical marriage not as a reaction to perceived attempts by the gay community to "sabotage" it.
So all this crap that supposed Christians like Rand are saying about, "Well it offends me that you CALL it marriage but I would like to remove the government red tape that puts a traditional marriage above a gay union." Saying this is saying that you don't care about the standard of marriage in society you just don't want "your" marriage to be grouped in with "their" marriage. It is the disintegration of the societal standard that God cares about not "yours" or "their" individual marriage. God isn't going to come down from heaven and strike down gay couples and bless Rand's on account of the "sanctity" of his marriage. He is going to judge those who destroyed the standard.
You see gays didn't cause anything accept gay sex really. They are doing the same thing gays have always done.
CHRISTIANS CAUSED GAY MARRIAGE. Read that again if it isn't clear, Christians not gays.
Christians like Rand in their efforts to appease both sides for political reasons have refused to speak out about this. Rand maybe less responsible because he doesn't provide enough testimony for me to even be sure he has faith. From his words I posted in my second post on this thread my guess is he probably views the New Testament as a handy book of quotations. When someone mentions they are Christian but fails to mention Jesus or Christ in any way (except to call themselves 'Christian') but only "trys to follow the tenets" (which basically means he sees Christ's words as moral guidelines) I would say it's pretty accurate to say that he's a Christian in name only.
For a Christian not to understand how important marriage is to God shows me that they aren't very Christian. I've said it time and time again the entire salvation story, the entire gospel of Christ, and Christ's revelation is told primarily through the allegory of marriage. Another thing I've said time and time again is that GOD JUDGES NATIONS too. Read your bible, I'm not making it up. The spiritual/final "judgement" is for the individual, but a temporal judgement is often agnostic to the individual. God might kill a whole family and curse the grandchildren just for what the head of the household did. Tsunami's and natural disasters are the same way, they are impersonal.
I may seem to be implying that "gay marriage will bring a judgement" but that's not what I'm saying (I will get to that in a minute). What I'm trying to point out is that their are "community" things that God cares about marriage being primary. Being political and saying, "I'm offended. That's not real marriage. Mine is. As long as that's understood proceed. My hands are clean." It is the breakdown of the societal standard that is offensive to God not your personal condoning or rejecting of the "idea". All most so-called Christians do is claim offense at the idea, they do nothing to protect the standard.
As far as an impersonal or national "judgement" I don't think gay marriage will "bring" the judgement I think gay marriage acceptance BY SO-CALLED CHRISTIANS is a sign of the coming judgement. This country has a hell of a lot more issues both now and historically than gays getting married but I believe that to God gay marriage (or rather the societal destruction of real marriage from whatever source) is the final straw. It is the final breakdown becuase to God marriage is the core foundation of society. The last vestige of civil society is gone in God's eyes and now we're nothing but a nation of sinners in open rebellion against God.
So "what the bible teaches" about homosexuality is immensely less important than what the bible teaches on marriage. So for Rand and others to condone it societally and reject it "personally" is meaningless and will be no defense against being acountable for turning a blind eye to its destruction.
