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 The author backs same-sex marriage because of his faith, not in spite of it.
May 19th, 2012
02:00 AM ET
My Take: The Christian case for gay marriage
By Mark Osler, Special to CNN I am a Christian, and I am in favor of gay marriage. The reason I am for gay marriage is because of my faith. What I see in the Bible’s accounts of Jesus and his followers is an insistence that we don’t have the moral authority to deny others the blessing of holy institutions like baptism, communion, and marriage. God, through the Holy Spirit, infuses those moments with life, and it is not ours to either give or deny to others. A clear instruction on this comes from Simon Peter, the “rock” on whom the church is built. Peter is a captivating figure in the Christian story. Jesus plucks him out of a fishing boat to become a disciple, and time and again he represents us all in learning at the feet of Christ. During their time together, Peter is often naïve and clueless – he is a follower, constantly learning. After Jesus is crucified, though, a different Peter emerges, one who is forceful and bold. This is the Peter we see in the Acts of the Apostles, during a fevered debate over whether or not Gentiles should be baptized. Peter was harshly criticized for even eating a meal with those who were uncircumcised; that is, those who did not follow the commands of the Old Testament. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories Peter, though, is strong in confronting those who would deny the sacrament of baptism to the Gentiles, and argues for an acceptance of believers who do not follow the circumcision rules of Leviticus (which is also where we find a condemnation of homosexuality). His challenge is stark and stunning: Before ordering that the Gentiles be baptized Peter asks “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” None of us, Peter says, has the moral authority to deny baptism to those who seek it, even if they do not follow the ancient laws. It is the flooding love of the Holy Spirit, which fell over that entire crowd, sinners and saints alike, that directs otherwise. My Take: Bible doesn’t condemn homosexuality It is not our place, it seems, to sort out who should be denied a bond with God and the Holy Spirit of the kind that we find through baptism, communion, and marriage. The water will flow where it will. Intriguingly, this rule will apply whether we see homosexuality as a sin or not. The water is for all of us. We see the same thing at the Last Supper, as Jesus gives the bread and wine to all who are there—even to Peter, who Jesus said would deny him, and to Judas, who would betray him. The question before us now is not whether homosexuality is a sin, but whether being gay should be a bar to baptism or communion or marriage. Your Take: Rethinking the Bible on homosexuality The answer is in the Bible. Peter and Jesus offer a strikingly inclusive form of love and engagement. They hold out the symbols of Gods’ love to all. How arrogant that we think it is ours to parse out stingily! I worship at St. Stephens, an Episcopal church in Edina, Minnesota. There is a river that flows around the back and side of that church with a delightful name: Minnehaha Creek. That is where we do baptisms. The Rector stands in the creek in his robes, the cool water coursing by his feet, and takes an infant into his arms and baptizes her with that same cool water. The congregation sits on the grassy bank and watches, a gentle army. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter At the bottom of the creek, in exactly that spot, is a floor of smooth pebbles. The water rushing by has rubbed off the rough edges, bit by bit, day by day. The pebbles have been transformed by that water into something new. I suppose that, as Peter put it, someone could try to withhold the waters of baptism there. They could try to stop the river, to keep the water from some of the stones, like a child in the gutter building a barrier against the stream. It won’t last, though. I would say this to those who would withhold the water of baptism, the joy of worship, or the bonds of marriage: You are less strong than the water, which will flow around you, find its path, and gently erode each wall you try to erect. The redeeming power of that creek, and of the Holy Spirit, is relentless, making us all into something better and new. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mark Osler. soundoff (15,115 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 Next » |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Editor's Note: 
"Haven't you read," [Jesus] replied, "that at the beginning [God] 'made them male and female', and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matt 19:4-6).
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another (Rom 1:25-27).
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Tim 3:1-5)
In the last days, many false prophets will rise and CNN is full of them, able to communicate lies to millions. People will claim to be lovers of God and Christians, but are they really?
You've been waiting for judgement day for 2000 years. It isn't going to happen.
"People will claim to be lovers of God and Christians, but are they really?"
No they're not! And really the only way to find out what someone is made out fo is to expose them to the Word of God. Then they show their true colours!
Mr Wise
Last I checked this is what is written: What! Do YOU not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom. And yet that is what some of YOU were. (Showing they no longer are, changed there ways) Next chapter tells you about Marriage, Husbands and wives. So say what you want. The creator has condemned those who do not change not men. It's not a man's judgement...
who wrote these words mr dumber than a bag of rock salt...... some idiot male person sitting in a cave, wearing robes and inserting his own view of what is right and wrong into a book that is nothing but a freaking fairy tale.... written LONG after "jesus" was here... who ever that person might have been... the bible is a list of stories that happened over a very long period to many and different people and were told by the "storytellers" of the day.. if you think that god or jesus wrote even one word in that book then nothing more is to be said.... cause yo ears r closed ..
I believe in god, but I don't believe any American christians such as the GAY Pastor Long and his die-hard gullible followers.
They HATE the others, They are the lowest of the lowest bottom feeders. The world would be better off without these heinous Christians.
Love you, too.
God has children of honor and of dishonor, but they are all his kids. Lose the hate. It does not represent God well.
You are certainly allowed to have your opinion, but for the love of God, will you please change your Fake Name so "Christians" is at least spelled correctly? Kinda tough to take you seriously when you can't spell the most important word correctly.
LIBERAL "CHRISTIANS" .......Oh hears a secret they're not saved, WILL KILL BABIES YET LET TWO PEOPLE MARRY AND GO TO HELL! CRAZY WHAT GOSPEL ARE TH3Y READING, NWO101.
you can be saved and still sin. we all do.
What happens when you realize that their is nothing to be saved from?
Great point.
The only thing I need to be saved from is bigots that think they have the right to control society and force their misguided views on others.
We need an interesting and authoritive article here on the theology behind counting angels on the head of a pin.
the man shall leave his mother and cleve with the woman.
If you're crazy and you know it quote the bible
*clap *cllap
the man shall leave his mother and cleave with the woman. The word says that man shall. It is God's preference but no where does he tell us to condemn or hate those that don't do it the way he prefers us to cleave. He knows they are gay and they still receive the blessing of waking up each morning. Let God do what God does and lets focus on doing what God wants us to about ourselves.
HERE'S LIES THE PROBLEM CNN. IF YOU WANT TO PROMOTE THAT BEING GAY IS NORMAL, THAT IS FINE. BUT ONCE YOU BEGIN TO BRING RELIGION INTO THE MIX TO JUSTIFY SOMETHING AS CONTROVERSIAL AS THIS THEN THAT IS WHERE YOU BEGIN TO LIE AND TRY TO DECEIVE OTHER PEOPLE. STICK TO YOUR PROGRESSIVE IDEAS AND LEAVE THE BIBLE OUT OF IT.
So you want to stifle a person's honest opinion on the matter?. This christian guy feels that the bible instructs him to be in favor of gay marriage.. Why shouldn't he explain his views?
Totally agree!
Once we as Christians stop condemning gays and let God do what he do, God will bless us in many more matters.
I will happily leave the bible out of it – as soon as the bible and its readers stay out of things that are not their concern/.
Is this article about being gay or getting baptized?
the tow have nothign in common.
UNBELIEVABLE ...This Literally made me nauseded....one day...
Prayer changes things .
Well you haven't caught fire yet. And there must be a million or so praying for that.
if you want a Bible answer here it is from the book of Mathew (19:4-6)
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
if you want a poltical answer here it is
So you found that gay Marriage is ok therefore the law should honor it, ok! Let’s say few years from now, adults want a law that allows them to marry minors, so a 40 year old man can marry a 5 year old girl. Let us make that legal too. Why not? Following your concept, who are we to judge? In my opinion, if a man wants to be with a man or a woman want to be with a woman, let them take it upon themselves and do whatever they want! Just don’t mess with the current laws and make it to their own liking. If I buy a racing car that can move at 300 miles per hour, I am not going to court to make them change the speed limits on the highway so I can drive it.
What the bible says has no bearing on our nation's laws. As to the second part of your asinine post. What part of consenting ADULTS don't you understand?
No religious instruction should be allowed to be given to minors.
Don't you think you're going a little over board? Adults will never be allowed to marry minors, minors are not conisidered to not have the experiance to make an informed decision about things, not to mention having their body chemestry changing so much, that it also affects their decsicion, and nothing will ever change that, its a matter of biology. Be allowed to drive 300 mph? One; no comercially available cars can go that fast. Two: cars, going that fast can't stay at those speeds for long before tearing themselves apart. Three: human reaction times can't react fastr enough for that, let people drive that fast, they'll kill themselves the first time. Four: roads arn't straight enough in urban and city envionrments to accomidate those speeds.
O'really?
If you found no sense in what I wrote, and since you are very knowledgeable with physics and human biology. Explain to me how natural is gay marriage?
Hey CNN: Just stick to reporting the news and don't push your values on me!
Thank you.
Says the person who didn't have to click on the article and read it and then even comment on it in the BELIEF section.
this is a belief blog. this is not hard news. something about equal rights bother you? don't feel lonely. look at the other posts, there are lots of bigots out there
NOPE WRONG
You can clothe them in white, you can decorate them with flowers, you can put cherub wings on them and a halo on their heads, but still – they are what they are, and it is what it is: they are willful deniers of God's Word, rebels against His commandments, and what they are doing it is perversion of God's intent, His natural order, and abominable offence in His eyes. There is nothing you can do to justify it and make a human rights issue! It is a SIN and PERVERSION issue.
Those who do it and justify it ND those who don't do it but justify it will be accountable to God, and judged by HIS Standard of righteousness, NOT man's!
Saying all this, it is the Deed that we're judging, not the doer. But e will not condone the false claims of those who are justifying it. Therefore the warning is still the same: those who pervert the Word of God may have their say now, and have crowds approval, but the day of reckoning is coming. And you'll have to stand there alone, no comfort of cheering crowds, only those of weeping and mourning, as you hear them nearer and nd nearer going into your new home..... You know the meaning of that!
well said.
correction: "no comforting VOICES of cheering crowds"
It's not your right to judge them. Let """""GOd""""" do it, you aren't doing anyone any favors by telling them how wrong they are. All you're doing is offending people who needn't be offended. Saying hurtful things. Judging where you should not judge. I PROMISE you, and your KIND....that you aren't perfect and that you've sinned. ALL sin is equal in God's eyes. I GUARANTEE you that you aren't sin-free. Stop acting 'holier than thou'. You aren't. You are no different than them.
AMEN!!!!!! Just another way to try to justify being wrong.
Do you actually believe this crap your spewing? If GOD hated gays then maybe he shouldnt have "designed" it as such that at minimium 10% of the world population is. What a load of garbage and loathing your beliefs hold.
@ Kerry
Jesus said He came to convict the world of SIN, RIGHTEOUSSNES AND JUDGMENT. You want ot silence His Word and His people which He commissioned to proclaim it.
You are advocating wrong "Jesus"!
Your belief – not applicable to all christians and certainly not to others. WHile you are of course welcome to believe what you may, your beliefs do not apply the nation and do not apply to gays. No laws should exaist just because the bible has words to say on the matter.
@JWT
You foolish person! Who gave you life? Whose air you breathe, and who made the food grow out of the earth that you feed your body to sustain you? Do you think then that His Word does not apply to you? How can you delude yourself into believing that His laws and His standards o righteousness don't apply to you?
Just keep on believing the enemy of your soul the lies he's feeding you, and see whether it will lead you!
I've got to go now, but I'll tell you this thing friend, you're in web of satan and he's tightening his grip on you... Only Christ Jesus can set you free ..... When your day of appointment comes you'll face the harsh reality unless you humble yourself NOW and acknowledge Him as Lord !
PRISM: You are a pompous fool purporting to speak for god.
Wow this is the 2nd attempt this week by CNN to convince us that Christians should believe in gay marriage. Very subtle CNN!
Actually, my civil marriage has nothing to do with your mythical gods. Shouldn't you be out lighting candles or cleansing yourself in a river?
Nor really subtle, Lisa... We know what and who they are! They can't put enough disguise to camouflage themselves!
Were is the balance at CNN. All you do is push a progressive agenda with your posts.
Good point.
CNN is an entertainment medium, not a news medium.
Civil rights is now a "progressive agenda"? I'm just glad I'm not trying to sell some idiotic mythical god dreamed up thousands of years ago. . . .
This is the kind of tripe you get when you let a liberal professor write an article for a radically liberal "news" organization.
He's a LAW professor. He knows that the day is coming when gay "everything" will be the law of the land. On that day he will have to reconcile his christian religion and his profession. He's just getting the jump on the situation by twisting his religion to match the coming political (and legal) reality.
Nope you cannot because you cannot identify a gay in the womb.
Gays are not born that way they choose a sinful lifestyle!
You can't identify schizophrenia in the womb either, does that make schizophrenia a choice?
using your analogy you can't leave schizophrenia untreated can you? just as you can't live a sinful lifestyle choice
Did you wake up one day and say he i Choose to be Straight because it is less sinful? what crap..
Your can and often should leave schizophrenia untreated. Not everyone needs the treatment.
A lifetime committment is beautiful and scared. Marriage as we know it, as is sought by much of the gay movement, represents the government's involvement in personal relationships, which is antiquated and intrusive and not scared to any reilgioius tradition. All weddings should be private religious or secular ceremonies. All that's needed is a change in the tax code.
For 2000 years we called a four legged animal that barks a dog. I can call my dog a cat, and I can say he now has all the rights in my household that my cats now have. But he is not. He is a dog. I can call any combination of partners a marriage, but it is not. Simply changing words does not make something it is not.
Agreed, no tinkering in a mans poo poo shute
Call it what ever the hell you like; just make sure that it has the same legal standing as marriage and everything is fine.
Don't forget. At the rate of rebirth you took. You are once a dog, a cat or gay. So don't attach to what is not you. Cause nothing is permanent in this world. The moment of birth, each day you are nearing to your coffin. So take the reality and contemplate with it.
LOL. Actually civil marriage has nothing to do with your myths. or your mythical "gods". Don't you have some worshiping to do?
No .marriage was a contract between two families that their blood would be joined together to produce the next generation of life together.two men can not do that .the end
2000 years ago marriage was used as a way to establish women as property so that a man could trade a goat with her father to have absolute ownership of her and she had no say in the matter. Love was actually an irrelevant factor in marriage until around the 1600's. So do any of you want to sell your daughter to a stranger for a goat? Because that's the traditional marriage you believe so strongly in.