Christians should be advocating same-sex marriage

Another sign showing the church struggling with evil:

Pastor Romell Weekly  •  Kirkwood

In response to Pastor Doug Elders’ letter (Nov. 30) criticizing pro-gay statements made by Pastor Scott Stearman and Rev. Rebecca Ragland, I must say that his position is biblically indefensible. He stated that "a true Christian does not live a blatant lifestyle of sin, trying to justify it through laws and social acceptance." Biblically, the "true Christian" is determined on the basis of faith in Jesus (Romans 10:9), as a result of God's free gift of grace through faith, not on the basis of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Elders' phrase, "true Christian," betrays the very judgment Jesus warned against in Matthew 7:1. We do not have the right to examine someone's lifestyle and pronounce him a "true Christian."

Elders' letter is founded on tradition, not sound biblical interpretation. Scripture does not condemn people who are naturally (not by choice) attracted to the same sex, though it rightly condemns ancient expressions of idolatry and sexual exploitation. Consequently, as Christians, we should be advocating same-sex marriage, so that homosexuals can be given a means to enjoy God's gift of sex through the holy state of matrimony.

Finally, Pastor Elders claims that the duty of the church is to "challenge people to live according to (the Bible's) standards." The apostle Paul expressly contradicts this in 1Corinthians 5:12-13, saying that it is for God alone to judge non-Christians. Even if Elders is right in his contention that homosexuality is a sin (and he is not), what good does it do to publicly condemn or legislate it at the expense of non-Christians' perception of Christianity as tyrannical, making them antagonistic toward the very gospel that is the hope of their salvation (Romans 1:16)?

I am a Christian and a pastor, and I support same-sex marriage. My congregation is open to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities because it is the right thing — the Christian thing — to do. I publicly challenge Pastor Elders to respectful discourse on this important issue, which he chose to publicly inject himself into. STL