I think a more appropriate topic is the marriage of the Church to the World, and how the Church has copied the ways the world behaves and operates.

Then I think all your questions would have far more significant material for us to discuss...so imagine, if you will Url, if you had ask this instead...

Should the recent election results and the polls be interpreted as a mandate for the way the Church has mingled with the world's way of doing things?

If it is, how should we respond?

Obviously many churches are not going to suddenly begin admitting to this marriage between itself and Americana, but will Christian leaders still publicly and politically question why we're seeking government and social acceptance of our relationship with the way our world behaves?

Is the missional cost to opposing this marriage between the Church and the world just too high for our edifices and pastoral jobs to survive opposition?

Can the American church survive the syncretic relationship we've established with the country and culture of the United States, or is our failure to speak out in opposition to this marriage between Church and the world a slippery-slope to wider review of how we have forsaken G-d?

Imagine if we had tackled these questions a long time ago...where would we be today?

After slavery was abolished, southern Christians not longer talked about all of the slavery verses.

After women got the vote in the 19th amendment, Christians who quoted "head of the wife" verses eventually found something new to protest.

After the birth control pill was approved by the FDA, Christians no longer made a big deal about its availability. (And since the majority of Catholic women use some form of birth control, the point is moot.)

After no-fault divorce was made the law all 50 states, Christians no longer tried to make divorce illegal despite the Bible verses.

Time to accept the fact that the tide is turning in favor of gay marriage. You have a choice of how to respond. Quickly or slowly, but you will change, if not in your church today, then certainly after the current pastor moves on.

The church (speaking generally-- I realize there are some groups, of course, that affirm gay relationships) is in the minority on this issue because it has neither articulated nor demonstrated a compelling counter-narrative or counter-argument. We cannot explain, apart from appeals to a scriptural authority nobody else accepts, why gay marriage is bad for society. And we have not demonstrated any real ability to preserve the sanctity of traditional marriages within our community. Why are we so inneffectual in staying happily married? Why is the apparent rejection of homosexuality by scripture so much more difficult to explain beyond "because the bible says so?" I think these are hard questions that each community of believers needs to be asking of God, because it is His Spirit that is supposed to empower us, change us, grant us wisdom, and call othes to Himself.

Perhaps the reason the church "has neither articulated nor demonstrated a compelling counter-narrative or counter-argument" against same-sex marriage is because no such argument exists. Bible passages that are used to condemn homosexuals and homosexuality are most likely bad translations of difficult Hebrew and Greek words and phrases that, at most, condemned same-sex prostitution along with other types of prostitution. Meanwhile, many Christians have welcomed into their families same-sex lovers of their children and grandchildren, realizing that these are not particularly wicked or uncouth people. On the other hand, look who is most vociferous in its opposition to homosexuality: the bullying, bigoted, foul-mouthed, and mean-spirited Westboro Baptist Church.

I guess now we will see just how far the mandate to be “relevant and in accord with the culture” will go in the American Evangelical church movement. Will the American Evangelical church, known for its continual push to get people in the door at whatever cultural cost, give in here? Mainstream Protestantism has already complied and has embraced the homosexual community with no regard for scripture, they are not the issue. Ordaining homosexuals is commonplace there already, although in a case of irony, the Anglican Church recently voted to not ordain women…

Evangelicals have awakened to the need to drop its bigotry and prejudice against homosexual individuals, and this is critically important. Jesus would never have treated homosexuals the way Americans who call themselves Christians have.

But, now we are facing the questions of whether the Evangelicals will allow the homosexual community into their churches unquestioned, unchallenged for their lifestyle choices. In an attempt to be tolerant, or simply gain greater numbers into their churches will the Evangelical community do what it has been doing with most sin, leave it unchallenged? Adulterers, gluttons, hateful and carnal people fill the churches and go unchallenged every week in American churches. Will this be the case for homosexuality? Have we finally reached a dividing line with the culture and new social norms? Well, that remains to be seen.

Why all of this fearful hand-wringing over being accepted by decadent American culture? Shouldn't we instead fear God, and the judgment that looms over any culture that transgresses His holy will? Should we not repent, having been warned in the Scriptures that rampant homosexuality is an indication that God is giving us over to judgment?

"For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." (Romans 1:26-27).

And yes, it says the same in Greek that is says in English. I just checked.

Is less than 5 percent of the population "rampant"? What has changed is the fact that virtually no one stays "in the closet" anymore. Gay people are loud and proud, but not anywhere close to being in the majority.

Sheerahkahn...as always you make excellent, difficult points that will have some people's blood boiling.

Nate...you do ask some hard questions. They're excellent and need to be asked.

Mark, your points on marriage are spot on.

What I have appreciated by all responses (so far) is that they are thoughtful, and most seem willing to admit that this is a tough nut to crack. We need to spend ample time as Christians praying about these difficult questions, and engaging in the discussion without the vitriol I've seen on many similar discussions.

Bottom line...whether or not the culture (or law) is with us is irrelevant. The Christian faith came of age in the Roman empire of all places!! If we live as Christ taught us, and serve others as Christ taught us, and preach the gospel as Christ taught us...instead of fighting for relevance with a secular earthly kingdom, we might be surprised at what could happen.

Whoever decided to put homosexuality in the same category as slavery and sexism was brilliant. By marketing it as a civil rights issue, those with a pro-homosexual agenda have managed to convince many people that homosexuality must be accepted by the world.

But here's the problem: It was never a sin to be born either black (or brown or whatever colour). Nor has it ever been a sin to be born a woman. When it comes to ethnicity or gender, the Bible states clearly that everybody is equal in God's sight (Gal. 3:28).

However, the Bible states clearly that homosexuality IS a sin and God has never changed his idea of what constitutes sin. Yes, I know there are people who have attempted to interpret the verses about it in ways that render it acceptable, but they have to falsely stretch the language to reach that conclusion.

Truly, putting homosexuality in the same category as slavery and the subjugation of women is an insult to both of those groups. There is NO comparison.

If we accept one sexual sin, does that mean we will soon be asked to accept others -- adultery, for example? Will we be having an adultery pride day taking place in the near future?

I'm not being facetious. When we start to cut and paste the Bible, throwing out those verses that are not politically correct, we open a dam and a deluge will ensue.

Personally, I am tired of being told I am a hateful, intolerant person because I call homosexuality a sin. If I truly hated homosexuals, I wouldn't speak out against homosexuality. I would just keep quiet and let them remain separated from God forever.

As for being tolerant, that word seems to have been redefined. I understand tolerance to be respectful of someone even in disagreeing with them. Too many people define it as accepting what everybody else believes, thinks and does whether I agree with it or not. Yet the ones who call me intolerant aren't tolerant of me -- in either sense of the word! LOL!

I live in a country where same-sex marriages are legal. Interestingly, very few homosexuals have married here or in other countries where it has been legitimated legally. When asked why, homosexuals have stated that they are not interested in marriage at all. They want to be free to move from sexual partner to sexual partner. However, by getting the government to give them the privilege of marriage, they are getting society to condone their lifestyle choice.

And yes, it IS a choice. Nobody is born gay. There are plenty of people who have walked away from homosexuality and never looked back. I recommend Exodus International to those who would like to read testimonies from those who have broken from the bondage of the homosexual sin habit.

We really need to help people break free of homosexuality, not help them become entrenched in it.

@Richard: just a point of order, "rampant" has nothing to do with percentage. it's an 'unchecked spread', which as you pointed out, is the case. "Gay people are loud and proud"

LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS! OH MY! That's from the movie, The Wizard of OZ. Today, surely it would be LESBIANS, GAYS, AND BEARS! OH MY!! Is the Church of Jesus Christ left with only two choices? Either condemn or accept homosexuality?? How about choice #3? "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." "...but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world."

How is it, today, Christians may choose to condemn or accept homosexuality? You do not have the answer...If you had the answer you would have been giving it. The answer is to overcome the world. How exactly did God overcome the world? God sent his only Son, Jesus to save the world. You aren't interested in seeing the world saved, but God has never changed his purposes and plans to save all kinds people. God called us into relationship with him, and he made it possible by overcoming our sin and brokenness. The relationship with God gives eternal life. That life flows from him to us, and from us to each other. The overflow of that love for one another, flows out into a lost world so that they may be overcome with God's goodness, mercy, grace, peace, and eternal life. The answer has always been relationship.

God overcomes our worlds of sin and brokenness first, and then we allow God to offer his overcoming relationship and power to flow through us into the lives of the sin filled world around us. The sexually broken/immoral person is long past the reach of condemnation. When LGBT people "comes out of the closet", they've decided they can live with the absolute rejection of their closest family and friends. It is a declaration of freedom from the fear of rejection and in a very powerful way it is also an act of embracing that rejection. Rejection becomes a powerful force to move them into action, and the fear which kept them imprisoned in hiding is now the strength which drives them forward.

Sexually broken people don't find their strength in life giving relationship. What drives them is forsaken relationships, and forsaken dreams of relationship, and forsaken groups which reject relationship with them. Can you not see why God would reach out to LGBT persons??? The most needy of relationship, but none of God's people would reach to offer relationship?? How is it the Church cannot see the overcoming power of relationship with God? How is it you do not see the cure to sexual lust is God's all overcoming love in relationship?? The problem isn't the LGBT community, gay marriage, nor anything gay. The problem is that the Church's broken relationship with God mirrors the sexual brokenness of the world. The cure for both Church and world is the same that has always been: Healed relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. When the Church begins to offer the life giving, sin overcoming relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, then the Church will see themselves free just as they see the sexually broken freed. Want to see God overcome homosexuality, then you'll first have to see God overcome your own broken relationship with him. Part of the cure for the Church is to reach to all the sexually broken/immoral with the overcoming love of Christ. Love always defeats lust.

I would know love defeats lust. God freed me from bondage in homosexuality. He taught me how to be free from my own sexual brokenness by leading me to minister to hookers. I didn't like hookers, but as I offered God's love to the hookers and compassion, God started overcoming my judgment, and started to fill me with the understanding that I just like the hookers. Then I started to be filled with desperation. I was desperate for the hookers to be overcome by the powerful love of God. My focus wasn't the hooker's sins. My focus was completely upon God's overcoming love. I simply wanted the hookers to know how much God loved them. When I was overcome with desperation for God to love the hookers then God gave me eyes to see the roots of my own sexual brokenness.

God's love and freedom are waiting for the Church. Find the hookers, homos, crack addicts, and etc. and you will find God's love and freedom for you as you offer his overcoming love.

Do not obey the teachings of Christ and you will find yourselves beneath the feet of the hookers, homos, crack addicts, and the like. After all that is where the salt which has lost Christ ends up...it's thrown out and trampled under foot. That is of course, if Jesus is to be believed. Since you can only condemn, or swallow sin hook, line, and sinker, I'd say you're destined to be treated as asphalt.

It's up to you!!

As a teacher of Religious Studies I must state what the Bible says on the subject and also if I am referring to the Koran. Both do oppose this practice and therefore there is no question of supporting same sex marriage.Will I therefore be condemned by the law and removed from my career because I present the teaching of either book for study and comment. Students will ask me for a personal opinion. Do I decline? I must be consistent to the material I present in class as the authentic teaching of a particular faith. It students disagree with the teaching then they must discuss alternatives.
From a personal stance based on scripture I believe there is a direct correlation between what we do and the consequences of our actions. This issue will damage our society and there will be a case to answer before God.The institution of marriage, the union of a man and a woman is a creation ordinance and designed for the procreation and protection of children.The consequences of the breaking away to form other units of living is I believe very obvious in The United Kingdom and in the United States. We will be judged for this.

Sheerakahn gave a lucid response. Church leaders have done a poor job of protecting us from the wolves and few Christians these are willing to take up the cross to follow Christ. Now it might be a case of too little too late.

There was a time when Christians were willing to die a horrible death for their faith (Roman persecution). Even many centuries later Christians had the confidence to take up arms when Islamic hordes threatened to wipe them out completely.

Christians were responsible for creating a society where life wasn't "nasty brutish and short". In Christian civilization learning flourished and Christians were the first to eradicate slavery from their lands. Although some Christians (like some today who support gay marriage) tried to twist slavery scripture against the obvious and always understood meaning they were defeated by a Christian society who didn't accept that nonsense.

Until the 1930s Christians universally accepted that when God told the first married couple to be fruitful and multiply He didn't have any fine print saying "when convenient".

However things started to change. Now only Catholics officially oppose contraception in marriage and most use it themselves.

No line in the sand was drawn by Church leaders with no-fault divorce in spite of the Bible verses and the obvious consequences that it would have for marriage.

Many Christians are aware that they shouldn't get divorced for convenience but get divorced anyway.

Now with most married couples essentially practising something akin to gay sex (contrary to God's direction and the basic definition of marriage) and many are willing to destroy the fundamental unit of society. For those who are still open to God's Word it is hard to claim a moral platform to argue against further rejection of God's values when the world sees it as contradiction.

2 Timothy 4:3-5 New International Version (NIV)
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."

Seems we can change the content of the Message to suit whatever the current culture finds acceptable.... a very dangerous form of religion it would seem. Such oscillating foundations are not a religion/faith many would live for much less die for. If our faith has to be culturally 'correct' to be relevant, I would reconsider that faith.

2 Peter 2:1-3 New International Version (NIV)

2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

Sorry, I noted the wrong name in my comment (not Nate). Luv Lonnie's note about his/her life change and helping to change other peoples lives. Bravo!

If you support gay marriage, an issue clearly spoken against in Scripture, why preach the Scripture at all? Are we to use Scripture for our convenience or to somehow support the feelings/beliefs of a majority even if those beliefs are unbiblical? I don't get it. Why is this a question? If the majority of Americans believe salvation comes through living a good life and being a good person, should we begin to preach that message as well (which I suppose is already preached by some). Isn't this an issue that requires us to say, "We must obey God rather than men?"

Man has departed from the way God instructed us to live. Then when we see all the evil this produces we blame God. There is a list of what comes from the minds of those given to sin. Maybe it is time to take a look at that list.

ORIGINAL SIN

When the peoples of earth do not understand the third chapter of Genesis, the story of Adam and Eve, and the sin that was forbidden for each and every one of us we cannot understand God, goodness, holiness, or the rest of the Bible.

Departing from God and following the ways of Satan is established in Genesis and revisited throughout every story in Scripture. In the Garden there are only two powers available for man to serve. And today, as it has been since Eden, there are only two powers – God or Satan. This truth is restated in the story of Noah and those in the flood – the population of the earth divided into two groups. If Adam and Eve were placed in the story of Noah, they would not be in the Ark with righteous Noah. Adam and Eve would be in the water for they were deceived by Satan. Their sin was sexual for it was a sexually perverse generation in the water at that time and so it is today. Then the land was filled with violence as our land is today.

If placed in the story of just and righteous Lot, the first couple would not have been delivered with righteous Lot. Adam and Eve would have been citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah. An understanding of this first sin that spread so rapidly is critical for the salvation and well being of mankind, for all sorrows ultimately come from the continuation of original sin.

I believe the evidence will prove that oral sex was the sin in Eden. Adam and Eve had no one to sin with except each other. Romans 1:28-31 describes men with men and all those who give up the natural use of the body to do that which is not natural. This includes all the sexually perverse: same-sex partners and heterosexual partners married or unmarred who engage in oral and anal sex.

This Scripture goes on to tell us what comes out of the minds of those given to the sex forbidden by God. “Being filled with” means their minds are filled with the list of evils that is then listed. Below is the list of what fills the minds of those given to unnatural sex.
All unrighteousness: (If no one had sinned by this first sin in Eden, the earth would still be an Eden with no need for ten more commandments.)
Fornication: (The name of the sexual activities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Gentiles, the mount of Esau, and Babylon.)
Wickedness: (The opposite of righteousness.)
Covetousness: (Greed) A major problem within our society today.
Maliciousness: (Spiteful and cruel.)
Full of envy: (Greedy, jealous, full of malice, and resentful.)
Murder: (All murder comes from the minds of the sexually perverse. If no one had committed original sin, oral sex, we would still be in a paradise without pain and suffering. When sin ends murder will also end. War will end. Original sin is the root of all that is wrong, all the evils that are committed. It is the root of society’s problems, and until the root of all sin is acknowledged and removed these atrocities will continue. I am not saying all sexually perverse people will commit murder. But all murders come from the minds of those who commit unnatural sexual acts.)
Debate: (Their main debate is with God, rebellion against God. They debate truth, leading to all the religions and divisions in religions. The lie they fell for is the opposite of truth, therefore, they change truth. The sexually perverse are the unjust. Jesus is just and the unjust debate with and oppose Jesus.)
Deceit: (Lying, injustice, corruption. All corruption in the church, in the business world, and at every level of government comes from those who have disregarded this first law for all mankind.)
Haters of God: (Regardless of what they claim; they hate God. To hate God is to break the greatest commandment - to love God.)
Proud: (This is the pride God hates. God never walks in a gay pride parade. He never attends a same-sex marriage.)
Boasters: (We have all seen this demonstrated.)
Inventors of evil things: (This would include pornography, sex gadgets, group sex, prostitution, child sex trade etc.)
Without natural affection: (Today, many are given to unnatural affection as was the perverse generation in the days of Noah as demonstrated in the molestation of children, incest, rape, same-sex relationships, pornography, prostitution, the high divorce rate, gangs, physical and verbal abusiveness, and the demeaning of women, etc.

It is natural for a father to love his children. But it is unnatural affection for a father to have sex with his children. It is natural for all of us to love children but unnatural for any one of us to have sex with a child. This type of unnatural affection comes from the minds of those first given to unnatural sex: oral and anal sex.)
Unmerciful: (In the darkness original sin creates those captured by Satan cannot see that they do not care about others. When the Bible says “woe to you,” that does not mean “God will get you.” It means we will have woes: sorry, pain, sickness, injustice, and unhappiness if we as a people choose to sin. Yet, those given to unnatural sex prefer to please their own desires even if it brings all the evils listed above. The greatest commandment is to love God and one another. But those given to the forbidden sex of Eden actually are showing hate for God, self, and also for others. They have little mercy for their fellow brothers and sisters.

Read the list again and analyze how a nation could put an end to every evil on that list. Isn't the answer simply by putting an end to all unnatural sex? Wouldn't it be much more advantageous to begin a campaign of actions designed to end this so very popular sin rather than to condone, defend, practice, bless, and spread it as many organizations, churches, and our government are doing? However, it is the responsibility of Christianity and not the government to bring an end to sin. A holy Christianity will bring an end to sin. The end of sin will bring heaven to earth.

As stated, there are only two powers available for man to serve, God or Satan. Everyone on earth stands with one or the other and so it will be at the end of this age. In Isaiah 1:9, that truth is stated this way, “Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom and like unto Gomorrah.” There is no fence to sit on, no other group to claim to be a member of, and no place to hide. A remnant is left at the end and at that time almost everyone will have been deceived just as the couple in the garden was. In this darkness many will believe oral sex is not sinful.

The Remnant Sodom and Gomorrah
A few The masses
Believe in God Deceived by Satan
Upright Fallen
Holy Profane
The narrow way The broad way
No unnatural sex Oral and anal sex.
Truth Lies
Upright Fallen
Wheat Tares
Lambs Goats
Good Evil
God Satan
Christ Antichrist
Just Unjust

Adam and Eve were the first to be deceived by Satan and if placed in this illustration they would be part of Sodom and Gomorrah. They would not stand with the remnant who believe in the ways of God. There is no other explanation for the sin in Eden. By removing original sin (the root of all other sins) from the earth all other evils will eventually come to an end.

I can understand why many heterosexual couples who engage in oral sex believe two people of the same sex can marry. After all, the heterosexual and the homosexual couples are committing the same acts. I believe this is why so many heterosexual couples are in favor of same-sex relationships, marriage, and ordination of the homosexual. One major problem is that our society does not see oral sex as forbidden by God and sin for each and every one of us.

Three verses speaking of marriage.
Mark 10:6-9, “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” From the beginning marriage was designed to be between a male and a female. To disagree with this is to disagree with God and considered to be rebellion against God. The following two verses give a man and his wife instructions not to sin.

Ephesians 5:21, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” The fear of the Lord is to hate evil as simply stated in Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.” A man and his wife are capable of committing evil when submitting in a sexual way. However, they should not commit evil with each other.

Colossians 3:18, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as ® it is fit in the Lord.” This verse means that husbands and wives can do what is unfit. And the cross reference to “as it is unfit in the Lord” sends me to Ephesians 5:3, to explain what is unfit. ®“But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you.” Oral and anal sex is forbidden and unfit for husbands and wives for it is stated in Jude 7 that the sex of Sodom and Gomorrah is called fornication, “Sodom and Gomorrah giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example.” So we can see that God forbids all men and women, all husbands and wives, to use their bodies for fornication, the sex of Sodom and Gomorrah. This truth is reinforced and made clear in 1 Corinthians 6:13 where it declares, “The body is not made for fornication, but for the Lord.”

The purpose of Jesus.
1 John 3:8, “He that committeth sin is of the devil. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” The purpose of Christianity should be the same as the purpose of Jesus. And that is to put an end to the sin that began in Eden. The end of sin will bring heaven on earth. My prayer is that Christianity will someday unite, require all members to be holy, and then speak with one voice to put an end to sin.

Sincerely,
Marilyn Taplin
Author of A Law from Eden
Solving the Mystery of Original Sin
My book may be read at:
www.jordanriverpress.com

A remnant is left at the end. In the days of Noah there were only a few who were not given to unnatural sex. The few were in the Ark. The masses were in the water. The land was full of violence. Today the earth is full of violence and there is once again a perverse generation on earth. If it were possible for the remnant to live on their own planet they would have heaven on their planet. The list of what comes out of the minds of those given to perverseness would not occur on their planet. There would be no murder, child molestation, political corruption etc.

However, the just and the unjust both live on planet earth and if we want to experience heaven on earth the unjust will need to return to the way of the just. This would be love for God, for self and for our fellow humans.

The Remnant Sodom and Gomorrah
A few The masses
Believe in God Deceived by Satan
Upright Fallen
Holy Profane
The narrow way The broad way
No unnatural sex Oral and anal sex.
Truth Lies
Upright Fallen
Wheat Tares
Lambs Goats
Good Evil
God Satan
Christ Antichrist
Just Unjust

I will try once again to make this clearer. Sorry about the confusion.

The Remnant:
A few
The undeceived
Believe in God
Upright
The narrow way
No unnatural sex
Truth
Wheat
Lambs
Good
God
Christ
The Just

Sodom and Gomorrah
The masses
Deceived by Satan
The fallen
The broad way
Unnatural sex
Lies
Tares
Goats

OK, so I'm a little late getting to this conversation, but I think another really interesting question, is what seems to be the question behind the question. The question of homosexuality has been long discussed here and elsewhere (btw, I thought Sheerahkahn's reply alluded to some of this, and also, I loved Lonnie's reply as well...really great stuff for reflection!).

What stood out to me was the tone, implication, and ending of the article. "Is the missional cost to opposition just too high? Can the church afford to alienate younger people...?" This article, as well as many Christians, seems to believe the misconception that it's "our" job to save the Church. The undercurrent of fear is palpable: if we don't act now we're going to lose everything! But isn't that just the point? Will many local churches come and go--live and die--on this an other issues? You bet. But are any of these vacillations for relevancy going to be the undoing of the Church? Not according to God's Word. So the underlying premise--that we should all be anxious about this or any issue--seems unfounded in God's view.

God is love. There are a few things in the Bible that don't make sense from a moral point of view (women's rights, slavery...). If gay people want to get married I say have at it. Be blessed!