Thoughts on recent events

In the last few weeks both my birth country and my adopted country have taken a major step in societal change. Back in May Ireland adopted gay marriage by national referendum and yesterday the Supreme Court of the United States decided that gay couples have the right to marry in all fifty states.

This ought to be an easy issue for me.I am a Christian and the Bible is clear that marriage was designed by my God as between one man and one women and it is designed to last for one lifetime.

But as a matter of civil rights I am not so clear. Apart from what the Bible says it is hard to come up with a solid reason why any two people should not be permitted to make a legal commitment to each other. There are plenty of non-conjugal and conjugal situations where two parties could afford themselves of legal protection of property, possessions, and even the right to make decisions on the other's behalf in case of incapacity. I think those civil rights should be preserved and protected.

My issue is with marriage and the fact that we have allowed government bodies to get involved in it. To me there is a simple solution. The state should issue a civil contract and then the parties involved could decide how to proceed with their concept of marriage.

I voted no in May - but only because I could not endorse a legal redefining of the word marriage. That is God's domain and as a believer I must hold to His definition.

I was frustrated yesterday when I read posts coming out of America that implied that this was the final straw for God and now He must act. This redefining of marriage pales in comparison to other national sins like the legalisation of the killing of unborn children. I could go on with other heinous national sins, but don't want to get started.

The church needs to cease its efforts to moralise the world around us. This world is not our home, we have a better heavenly kingdom. Our focus must be to go into all the world and preach the gospel creature. The legalisation of gay marriage is not our death knell - it may be our rallying cry to love and share the word of God more and more.

And then there is the whole concept of love - 'above all else' we are told 'put on love.' 'Faith, hope, and love remain, but the greatest of these is love.' 'Let your love be without corruption.' When Jesus summarised the Law he said simple 'love God and love others.'

Our attitudes and responses must always be motivated by, based on, and covered in love.

And then we leave the rest to God and keep our eyes open for our better heavenly country.