-Jimmy Carter Says Jesus Would Approve Of Gay Marriage
by Dr. D ~ July 9th, 2015
Former President Jimmy Carter said this week that he believes Jesus would approve of gay marriage. From the Blaze:
“I believe he would. I believe Jesus would. I don’t have any verse in scripture…” Carter responded when asked by HuffPo Live host Mark Lamont Hill whether Christ would embrace same-sex nuptials. “I believe that Jesus would approve of gay marriage, but I’m not – that’s just my own personal belief.”
The one-term Democratic president also said that he believes Jesus “would encourage … any love affair that was honest and sincere.”
And since Carter believes that gay marriage doesn’t “damage anyone else,” he said that he has no qualms about it.
Response: I posted this because I believe that every Christian and church in America will eventually have to declare their position and opinion on same-sex marriage.
I found this instructive since Jimmy Carter is a declared evangelical Baptist Sunday school teacher who supposedly supports the authority of the Bible. Yet he admits that he doesn’t “have any verse in scripture” to support what he says other than his “own personal belief.”
On the issue of same-sex marriage this story clearly demonstrates the choice that has to be made. You either continue to support Biblical teaching or you turn away and go with the culture and your own personal belief. In essence and by definition you cease to be an ‘evangelical’ when you choose personal belief and culture over Biblical teaching.
Here’s the dilemma for Christians. The Bible and the New testament in particular is the foundation of our faith and religion. Once you deny the authority of one scripture it becomes a question of which ones still do apply. Then it becomes a matter of personal preference with no clear objective standards.
In the case of same-sex marriage, some liberal Christians are calling themselves ‘Red-Letter Christians’ fully accepting only the words and teaching of Jesus. Since Jesus only talked about traditional marriage and divorce and never about homosexuality they feel that it is safe to proclaim that Jesus would probably accept same-sex marriage like Pres. Carter does here.
However that approach is rather disingenuous since silence is never a proof of anything and Jesus ministered in a nation and culture where homosexuality was not an issue since it was clearly condemned and outlawed. The New Testament condemnations of homosexuality came about when the church was growing among ‘gentiles’ in the context of a Roman and Greek culture where it was acceptable and openly practiced. Then it became an issue that had to be addressed by the church leaders.
For Christians there is a choice to be made- either the Bible or the culture. Regardless, Christians are instructed by Jesus to love everyone and treat others like we would want to be treated, even those who oppose us. *Top
