{"id":32837,"date":"2012-05-12T21:33:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-13T02:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=32837"},"modified":"2021-03-01T21:37:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-02T03:37:06","slug":"what-do-you-think-of-the-president-supporting-gay-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-think-of-the-president-supporting-gay-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"What do you think of the President supporting gay marriage?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

I know you’re aware of the Obama situation about passing the gay marriage bill. I had a conversation on Facebook about it and everyone — the majority are Christian — agree. They say he’s doing his job, people have the right to be happy, gay people are hurting no one, so why are you bothered? If someone wants to marry someone who they love unconditionally then let them marry regardless of same-sex. This is what is being argued. A friend of mine, who ministers in a church and is homosexual, is arguing this.<\/p>\n

I asked him how can you skip I Corinthians 6:9-10? We all sin, and I’m no better than any man, but I work to live better, right by God, and try to spread His word. He just continues to argue the fact that only God can judge, so I need to stop saying homosexuality is wrong. I’ve never judged, just stated what’s the Bible teaches. Obama should have stood by God and not in man’s favor just how Peter and the apostles did in Acts 5. What else am I to do?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n\n

While the argument that people cannot make judgments is false, it is correct that only God can determine right and wrong. This is God’s world, not man’s. It is God who has said homosexuality is a sin. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God<\/em>” (I Corinthians 6:9-10). Thus the arguer must learn to deal with the truth that he is a sinner.<\/p>\n

I’m sorry, but it is not the President of the United States’ job to define morality. His job exists because God allows it and his duty is to uphold God’s laws first and the laws of the United States second. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil<\/em>” (Romans 13:1-4). His job is to uphold morality, not redefine it.<\/p>\n

A right to be happy does not imply a right to sin. There are plenty of people who get their jollies from sinful practices, yet it isn’t a defense to say “Don’t I have a right to be happy?” “Who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked; whose ways are crooked, and who are devious in their paths<\/em>” (Proverbs 2:14-15).<\/p>\n

The argument that people committing sexual sins are hurting no one is also false. “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body<\/em>” (I Corinthians 6:18). Sexual sin is harmful to the person, whether he wishes to admit it or not.<\/p>\n

The claim is that love overrides God’s laws. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome<\/em>” (I John 5:3). See:\u00a0Using Love as an Excuse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Finally, people ought to be bothered by sin. To become calloused to it means you are no longer aware of it. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, peaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron<\/em>” (I Timothy 4:1-2). Being calloused to sin means you have left the faith.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: I know you’re aware of the Obama situation about passing the gay marriage bill. I had a conversation on Facebook about it and everyone — the majority are Christian — agree. They say he’s doing his job, people have the right to be happy, gay people are hurting no one, so why are you…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[310,35],"class_list":["post-32837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-government","tag-homosexuality"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3107,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-homosexuality-isnt-genetic-then-is-heterosexuality-genetic\/","url_meta":{"origin":32837,"position":0},"title":"If homosexuality isn’t genetic, then is heterosexuality genetic?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 9, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Please explain that if homosexuals are not born that way, then there is no evidence heterosexuals are born that way either. So when did you choose to be a heterosexual? Can heterosexuals also be converted into homosexuals? Can a heterosexual fall in love with someone of the same sex?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":32184,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-speak-to-my-friends-who-are-homosexuals\/","url_meta":{"origin":32837,"position":1},"title":"How do I speak to my friends who are homosexuals?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I found your answers on this page very helpful:\u00a0How do I tell someone they are sinning? I'm hoping you can help me speak to several friends I have who are gay. Most of them do not go to church or say that they were shown nothing but hatred\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62739,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/homosexuality\/","url_meta":{"origin":32837,"position":2},"title":"Homosexuality (Hamilton)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 15, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Discussions of homosexuality have been occupying prominent places in the news \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many arguments that the rights of those practicing homosexual relationships need to be protected. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Arguments that homosexual relationships are normal and should be taught in public schools as acceptable alternatives. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Annoucements of new studies attempting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39058,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-you-answer-some-questions-about-my-coming-out-as-a-homosexual\/","url_meta":{"origin":32837,"position":3},"title":"Can you answer some questions about my coming out as a homosexual?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I had contacted you once about this. I don't know if you didn't get it yet or are too busy to respond or just not interested in being a part of this kind of thing, but here is a little bit about my project to give you more of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37355,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/we-want-to-marry-but-we-cant-afford-to-lose-benefits\/","url_meta":{"origin":32837,"position":4},"title":"We want to marry, but we can’t afford to lose benefits","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What does a very obedient Christian couple do when they are living together and willfully obeying God and not having sex, who desperately want to be married but cannot due to one of them being on SSI? The other person cannot support the other person and that money that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30300,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-think-the-bible-treats-homosexuals-worse-than-other-so-called-sins\/","url_meta":{"origin":32837,"position":5},"title":"I think the Bible treats homosexuals worse than other so-called sins","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 22, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am in utter shock. Being homosexual is not a choice, no one wants to be different if it was not meant to be. The Bible says we should stone children who disobey their parents, same as homosexuals. I only see the concept being applied to homosexuals. 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