By Shirley Demus Tarpley, NDG Religion Editor
As a God-fearing Christian, I believe that Same-Sex Marriages are wrong, period! There is no justification for them. They are against God’s Law. He destroyed the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of this “abominable sin.”
I know the debate is often framed as a civil rights issue. Supporters claim, “It’s like the Black race, it’s a Civil Rights” issue.” However, per an article by Alveda King released on May 29, 2012 entitled “My Uncle Martin Luther King, Jr. and my Daddy, A.D. King Did Not March For Same Sex Marriage.”
She continued saying,”Dr. MLK, Jr. was fair and compassionate with Bayard Rustin, his openly homosexual staffer who left the movement at the height of the campaign when he attempted to convince Uncle M. L. that homosexual rights were equal with civil rights. Uncle M. L. did not agree, and would not attach the homosexual agenda to the 20th century civil rights struggles. People can be compassionate without endorsing sin.” God Himself instructs us to ‘love the sinner but hate the sin.’
Homosexuality is a choice and also an abomination to God but being Black is not a choice. I am extremely glad that God made me to serve Him and He made me Black.
Abomination has a different meaning to God than sin. The definition of an abomination according to the dictionary is, “Something abominable; extreme disgust and hatred; loathing.” I have read that it’s a stench in God’s nostrils.
The definition of Civil Rights: The nonpolitical rights of a citizen; especially: the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to United States citizens by the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress.
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was the Abolition of Slavery, not homosexuality. “Either slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution’s Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v. Sandford ruling by the Supreme Court (1857) which indicated Blacks could not be citizens of the United States. The Due Process Clause prohibits state and local governments from depriving persons of life, liberty, or property without certain steps being taken to ensure fairness.
In summarizing the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-19:29): Three angels visited Abraham, God’s handpicked founder of his chosen nation, Israel. They came disguised as men, travelers along the road. Two of them went down to Sodom and Gomorrah, to observe firsthand the wickedness in those cities.
The Lord revealed to Abraham that He was going to destroy the cities because of the evil ways of their people. Abraham, bargain with God to spare the cities if there were fifty righteous people in them, then ten.
Lot and his family lived in Sodom and when the two angels arrived at Sodom that evening, He took the two men to his home and fed them. Then all the men of the city surrounded Lot’s house and said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” (Genesis 19:5, NIV) Lot was so infected by the wickedness of Sodom that he offered the homosexuals his two virgin daughters instead. Furious, the mob rushed up to break down the door.
The angels struck the rioters blind! Leading Lot, his wife, and two daughters by the hand, the angels hurried them out of the city. The girls’ fiancés would not listen and stayed behind. Lot and his family fled to a tiny village called Zoar. The Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying the buildings, the people, and all the vegetation in the plain.
The Word of God in KJV is very clear on what it says about same sex marriages.
Genesis 19:5 “And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”
Leviticus 18:22-23 “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.”
Leviticus 20:13 “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
Deuteronomy 23:17 “There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.”
Judges 19:22-24 “Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. 23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. 24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.”
1 Samuel 18:1-4 “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”
1 Samuel 20:17-41 “And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. 19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. 20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.”
21 And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the Lord liveth. 22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the Lord hath sent thee away. 23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.”
24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day? 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem: 29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table.
30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?
33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. 35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. 36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? 38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. 41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.”
2 Samuel 1:26 “I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.“
2 Samuel 19:1-6 “And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. 2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. 3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. 4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
5 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; 6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.”
1 Kings 15:12 “And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.”
1 Kings 14:24 “And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.”
Job 36:14 “They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.”
Joel 3:3 “And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.”
Romans 1:24-27 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”
It does not matter what President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, General Colin Powell, or the NAACP says. It does not matter how many of the various entertainers of our society, or many individuals “come out of the closet.” It simply does not matter what anyone else says about “same sex marriages being right and/or good for America and the world. God’s Word has stood the test of time for over 2,000 years (America is only 236 years old). When we are all dead, God’s Word will yet stand, and His Word will judge us all.
Remember God has the last word.
I can certainly agree with most if not all of your position about gay marriage.
However, I cannot understand how so many folk choose this issue as the only worthwhile reason to launch an attack on the Obama administration. If people will not criticize Obama for dropping bombs on innocent children, or assasinating American citizens who exercise their right to free speech, or effectively turning his back on black issues or selling out to the bankers, etc., they have no basis to criticize him for his position on gay marriage. It is as if the only issue that matters to some people is the gay issue. Many folk say they will not vote for the Obama ticket because of this one matter. This overlooks all the other issues where the Obama administration has done good or bad things for the people of this country. Why are we so upset over this one issue and seemingly ignorant of so many other important issues?
…and by the way, I am going to vote for Obama. Inspite of all his weaknesses as a candidate, he is still much better than the Republican candidate.
I do believe that when Jesus was faced with “sexual sin” he simply began to draw in the sand….God does not see sin in degree. He did not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for one sin; but for all the sexual immorality that ran rampant. As a matter of biblical reference God was angry more often with Christian marrying others who were not believers than He was for homosexuality. But back to Jesus when the “church folks” dragged out a woman that was caught in the act…..Can you see him just drawing in the sand as others are screaming to stone this “unclean woman” to death? Can you picture the scene…Now, close your eyes and hear Jesus say “Those without sin cast the first stone”. Sister Tarpley…let me know if you have a stone to throw!