An Evangelical for Gay marriage

Not me, this time. I've linked to this article before (and I think I had the same post title), but after a discussion I had today with some friends they wanted me to link it again so they could have a read.

It's a good article, and she argues that the political strategy of the US Christian right in the 70's and 80's had worked against what we actually want to be achieving, primarily the freedom of religion in society under the banner of civil liberties. If we don't do this, she argues, when we lose the debate over gay marriage and abortion Christians will end up being forced by governments to acquiesce into their way of thinking and marry homosexuals. She argues that we need to sit at the table with Gay lobbyists and say "You can have gay marriage, but you need to respect our right to exclude it from our churches".

I don't agree with her final conclusions, and when she deals with the biblical texts does not address that we live in a democracy. The New Testament writers were not dealing with this, and so our application of these verses might need a little more thinking through rather than simply remaining passive and prayerful citizens.

But nevertheless, it's well worth the read and I think we need to recognise we can't campaign politically with "The Bible says" anymore. We need to focus on what is in the best interests of all of society. The question now becomes, I think, whether or not a government instituting gay marriage is in the best interests of all of society. If it isn't, then we need to work out how to convince society of this, leaving Leviticus out of it.

Anyway, check it out for yourself. She raises some really good points.