In presenting her case for justifying same sex marriage, she observes, "If you surmise that in 30 AD two men or two women marrying would have been anathemahad it even been under consideration, you're probably right." Anathema is an interesting word and carries the connotation of that which is "accursed of God." Paul uses anathema in Galatians 1:6-12 when chiding the Galatian brethren for embracing the doctrine of the Jewish brethren that were trying to bind the Law of Moses on Gentile Christians (Cf. Acts 15:1-5).
Paul makes a number of interesting observations about the Gospel of Christ. The term Gospel embraces all the teachings of the New Testament. It reveals God's will to mankind and is just as applicable to 21st century as it was to the 1st century (Cf. Romans 1:16ff). Back to Galatians chapter one. Paul points out (1) some would pervert the gospel of Christ (verse 7); (2) that even if an angel from Heaven preached any other gospel; and (3) if that so-called gospel was after man rather than being from God; they were to be considered accursed of God or anathema (verse 8).
Same sex marriage is obviously a new and different doctrine (or teaching) from that which is found in the teachings of Christians and the Church of the 1stcentury. As our writer points out concerning Jesus' statement about divorce, "He was not saying anything about same-sex marriage, which didn't exist at the time." Homosexualism and same sex marriage is justified and "can be inferred from her example of loving and accepting everyone, especially the oppressed and those whom the religious establishment considered unclean." Practicing homosexuals would certainly be considered unclean, not only by the church but by the vast majority of the unchurched as well.
Let us take a look at "love" and "hypocrisy" as defined by Scriptures. First, love is not to be divorced from practicing God's will in our lives. Jesus admonished his disciples, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). It can be easily said of the "religious" homosexual community, in the words of Jesus, "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:6-8).
Dale I. Royal, Elk City OK
