What do you think about civil unions?

by Ashley
(Texas)

Rick Brentlinger Answers -

I strongly support same sex civil unions AND gay marriage rights. Current marriage traditions of western civilization are not at all similar to marriage as practiced in Bible times in the ancient near east.

“Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband... But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn” in lust. -1 Corinthians 7:1-9

Scripture gives us
a wonderful principle

In 1 Corinthians 7, I understand Paul to be speaking in a general sense. Because about 95% of humankind is non-gay, Paul naturally addresses himself to the majority but the principle of "it is better to marry than to burn” in lust also holds true for the 5% of us who are gay and lesbian.

Traditional Christians read 1 Cor 7 as only allowing male-female marriages like the Adam and Eve model. In the same way, they read Genesis 2 as only allowing a one man with one woman marriage like the Adam and Eve model.

Follow the logic...

We know from scripture that God also blessed polygamous marriages, Gen 4:19 and Deut 21:15-17, so we know that God did not intend us to read Gen 2 as strictly as non-gay traditionalists read it.

Because Genesis 2:24 leaves room for polygamy to be fine with God (and it does), then 1 Cor 7:1-9 leaves room for a gay and lesbian civil union to be fine with God, as long as it is within the Biblical moral frame work, committed, faithful, noncultic.

We also know that Jesus Himself pointed out in Matthew 19:11-12 that born eunuchs cannot receive His teaching about Adam and Eve style marriage. Please note that in Matthew 19:11-12, Jesus carefully differentiates between eunuchs who voluntarily abstain from marriage for the kingdom of heaven and born eunuchs, who are excluded from the Adam and Eve marriage paradigm but who are not forbidden committed, faithful, noncultic marriage or civil union.

In places where gay marriage is not yet legal, civil unions are a good way to go.

Equal rights for gays and lesbians? Its a matter of simple justice.

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