Home Uncategorized Readers respond to marriage columns

Readers respond to marriage columns

1751
0

letter

Dear Editor,
There are 31,103 verses in the Bible. There are 8 main verses people use to condemn homosexuality: Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Genesis 19:5, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 1:31, 2 Timothy 3:3, 1 Timothy 1:9-10 and Galatians 5:19. And most of these verses don’t condemn homosexuality in the original languages of the Bible; rather the condemnations occur in newer translations. To do a little math that means 0.0257 percent of the Bible speaks about homosexuality.
Love is mentioned in 751 verses for a total of 2.41 percent of the Bible. The fact that “love” is mentioned 100 more times in the Bible than acts of homosexuality says a lot to me about the nature of God, and how we are to be towards one another. During Christ’s time on this Earth, he did not speak about homosexuality, he spoke on love. In Matthew 22:39 He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He didn’t place exclusions or exemptions on that, he didn’t say “…unless they’re gay.” Christ loved all, welcomed all, died for all. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, we are called to be imitators of Christ. And it’s time we, as Christians, started acting like it.
Same-sex marriage doesn’t “redefine” marriage. Monogamy wasn’t adopted by the Jewish and Christian communities until the 7th to the 10th century. The “one man one woman” belief didn’t appear until the 19th and 20th centuries. Marriage in the Bible had many definitions, not one. It’s time we begin to move forward and accept that marriage is a bond between two people who truly love each other. There’s no longer “gay marriage” or “straight marriage,” there is only “marriage.” It saddens me that people use our Christian faith as a weapon instead of as a tool to edify, love, encourage and support one another. It is my hope and prayer that God will open the hearts and minds of my fellow Christian brothers and sisters.
Sincerely,
Rev. Chad Jones
Little Rock

Previous articlePluto in a dark age
Next articleReaders respond to marriage columns