In Government We Trust
by Robert Bliss, Tabernacle, NJ
(Printed by Permission)

It would appear from many different indicators that "gay" marriage is on the horizon. There are two situations that have fueled the hope of the media and entertainment world that it might actually become a reality. The goal of the media and entertainment world is not tolerance of homosexual lifestyles but acceptance and acknowledgment of these lifestyles. They want to legitimize the practice. Making it legal for them to marry would be the ultimate step in making their aspirations of legitimacy a reality. I don't think we are too far off from that happening. My guess is that one of the lower courts will "legislate" gay marriage into reality via a judicial ruling. Then the Supreme Court will either have to rule on it or refuse to touch it. Even though the "gay" community is probably only 1% of our country, their political power is multiplied by the media's acceptance of their lifestyle and a certain political party's acceptance (although the other political party isn't far off).

Three events have happened recently that makes me suspicious that we will soon legitimize gay marriages. One is that Canada has legalized gay marriage. The media hasn't reported that there is opposition to this action taken by their legislators, but I'm not sure the opposition will be able to stop the move. A second event is our own Supreme Court striking down Texas' sodomy laws. This was hailed by the media as a step in the right direction. The third event is the Episcopal Church ordaining a gay bishop. This man left his wife and children for this relationship several years ago. Apparently the leaders of the Episcopalians consider a gay lifestyle more moral than living up to one's commitment to a spouse and children. I'm sure other mainline Protestant denominations are not far behind in doing the same thing.

President Bush told reporters the other day that he had a legal staff looking into ways to "codify" marriage as being a strictly heterosexual institution. I'm sure you breathed a sigh of relief when he said that. However, let me get you to consider that if a conservative president can get legislation passed to specify the participants in marriage, so can a liberal president. Our country was founded on the premise that certain things the government has no right to control. The more we trust our government to control the things that bother us about life the more our government exerts control. That also means that our government officials will exert control based on their ideological world view. So with one administration we have what we want and with the next administration the other side has what they want. So if we trust in this administration to fix marriage, what is to prevent the next administration from undoing what this one has done?

In the end we ought to take Paul's advice to Timothy and pray for our officials in power and that they will allow us an opportunity to share the gospel unhindered (2 Timothy 2:1-7). We should also listen to Jesus who tells us to let our light shine so that others will come to glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16). Rather than try to legislate our society into acting in a Christian manner, why not try to convert enough of our society to actually live in a Christian manner? I don't believe that the vast majority of our society actually thinks about living in a righteous manner. Forcing legislation on them may not get them to live the way we want them to live. However, if we share the gospel with them perhaps then they might live for the one who gave himself for them. Trust the gospel (Romans 1:16-17) that God gave us not the government that the voters gave us.

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