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Pioneer and Bell Church of Christ

COUNTING OUR FAMILY BLESSINGS

     Thanksgiving is a very special time for family. We will have one of our four daughters and two granddaughters with us with lots of good food. However, there are many in our nation today who would destroy the nuclear family as it has been for thousands of years. The homosexual agenda should be no secret to anyone; it is to pass "same-sex marriage” throughout the United States. Many think that this is simply a matter of fairness; for two men or two women to have the same marriage status as a man and woman in marriage. However, the truth of the matter is this: where same-gender marriage is permitted, the result will be the destruction of the home and traditional family.

     Note the results in Norway, which legalized gender neutral partnerships in 1993 and same-gender marriage in 2008. Anthropologist Stanley Kurtz writes, 
 
"When we look at Nordland and Nord-Troendelag—the Vermont and Massachusetts of Norway—we are peering as far as we can into the future of marriage in a world where gay marriage is almost totally accepted. What we see is a place where marriage itself has almost totally disappeared” (Slipping Toward Scandinavia, National Review Online, June 2, 2006).

     The article also goes on to point out that illegitimacy explodes to as much as 80% of all births born to women. Many recent studies have shown that having both a mother and father in the home today is of utmost importance in the upbringing of both girls and boys. Both genders need the influence of both a mother and father to be a stable, well-adjusted individual. Today those who are knowledgeable concerning children readily acknowledge not only that both genders be involved in the upbringing of the children, but that their environment be stable, which points toward a committed marriage, where there isn’t infidelity and constant fighting with the threat of divorce hovering over them. This coincides with the biblical admonitions concerning sexuality and marriage.

     When God created humans in the Book of Genesis, we have not just a legend or tradition, but the actual record of God’s intent in all of His creation. In Genesis 2:18 Moses recorded the creation of woman, "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18, KJV). The word translated "meet” in this verse is especially meaningful as it means, "…a front, i.e. part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate” (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Concordance). To illustrate this, we call to mind two parts that are obviously designed and made to fit together. We well remember when the modern feminists declared there was no difference in little boys and girls, and many used the "unisex” attitude and toys to minimize any environmental differences. To any thoughtful person who has been around children at all, that kind of attitude is laughable! God intended for the two, male and female to complement one another. Not just the sexual organs to fit and reproduce, but emotionally, physically and in every way both genders are very different! It doesn’t take a village to raise a child, but it does take both a father and mother in the home to do the best job of raising well-adjusted children!

     In addition, it is important for the children to be in a stable environment. In Matthew 19:3-12 Jesus emphasizes the permanence of marriage. In verse five, He points out in biblical marriage when the "male and female” come together in the sexual relationship they become "one flesh.” In verse six He pointed out that this relationship is not to be broken when He said, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” The only biblical reason to sever this relationship is death (Romans 7:2-3) or sexual infidelity (Matthew 19:9). This writer has seen situations where there are four or more children born to one woman with each having a different father! Often, the mother isn’t even sure who impregnated her in each case! We will make it much worse if same-sex marriage becomes commonplace in America!

     Truly this writer is thankful to God for his family. However, if the homosexual agenda of same-sex marriage is legalized in this nation, we will see the downfall of our culture and nation! 

Ed Rodgers, De Leon, TX.