Why the Church of England’s Same-Sex Marriage Vote Breaks My Heart
By Rebecca McLaughlin, TGC.
Last week, the Church of England voted in favor of a trial of special services asking God’s blessing on same-sex couples. I was raised in the Church of England and trained at an Anglican theological college. I’ve also experienced same-sex attraction for as long as I can remember. But this vote breaks my heart.
Let me explain why.
The Bible’s ‘No’ Is Clear
Trust me, I didn’t come to the Bible hoping it would rule out same-sex marriage. At one time in my life, I would’ve been delighted to discover it didn’t. But the closer I’ve looked, the more sure I’ve become.
People sometimes argue that Christians pick and choose from the Old Testament law. Leviticus 18:22 declares, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman,” but Christians merrily eat shellfish, which the law also forbids. So why keep this command? The answer is that we’re following the New Testament, which releases Christians from some aspects of the Old Testament law—including the food laws—but reaffirms others, including the Old Testament commands against adultery and against same-sex sex (e.g., 1 Cor. 6:9–12; 1 Tim. 1:8–11).
People sometimes argue that Jesus never mentioned same-sex sex, so it can’t be that important. But Jesus was addressing Jews, who knew the Old Testament command about same-sex sex, just like they knew the Old Testament commands against idol worship. When writing to the Gentiles, Paul explicitly addressed both—because Gentile Christians lived in communities where male-male sex and idol worship were common.
People sometimes argue that Scripture intends only to outlaw abusive and unequal same-sex sex—which was common in the ancient world—not loving, faithful same-sex sexual relationships. But there is no mention, in any of the verses that speak clearly to this issue, of unequal status or age. So while same-sex sex involving exploitation or child abuse is clearly covered by the ban, it can’t be limited to those scenarios.
I could go on. I’ve written a short book explaining where each of the 10 most common arguments in favor of same-sex marriage falls short. The fact is, the Bible is emphatic in its no to same-sex sexual relationships.
But that’s not all the Bible has to say about same-sex relationships. The clear no pairs with an even more emphatic yes.
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