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Dear Editor, Bakersfield Californian Newspaper – Community Voices

From the evening news to a judge’s courtroom, a battle continues to rage regarding marriage. Indeed, the implications for society are profound. So, how is it that many people of faith are confused asking, “Is it really that big a deal?” If you believe in the traditional view of marriage and are convinced it’s worth defending, then yes, it’s a big deal.

Frankly, all of the flurry with regard to same-sex marriage, and more specifically, the attack on marriage that we continue to witness on every front of society, strikes at the heart of the character, the authority and the redemptive plan of God. Ultimately, the crisis we currently face and the crisis we have been facing for quite some time, has not been about nor is it presently about same-sex marriage.

In this current climate I believe the faithful Christian church is called by God to assert its Biblical position that sexuality is God’s good gift and that sexually chaste relationships are both possible and desirable, and that sexual passion is designed to be expressed only between a man and a woman in the context of a lifetime marriage. Ultimately, search the totality of Scripture and you will not find one positive statement about homosexuality – in any form – to any degree.

Herein lies the true crisis. For anyone to identify as a true faithful follower of Jesus Christ, Do I accept the Bible as the Word of God, as the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, or do I not? Do I accept Scripture as a revelation from God, or do I trust in human knowledge, human learning, human understanding and human reasons? Or, putting it more simply, do I, as faithful follower of Christ Jesus, pin all my faith to, and subject all my thinking to, what I read in the Bible?

In terms of The Church, the Church’s integrity is compromised when those professing to be Christians misrepresent Christianity. When people claiming to follow Christ misrepresent Him through immorality, Christians need to speak up and present the truth. If homosexuals are comfortable with their behavior, that is one matter. However, when they say it is done with the blessings of Christianity – now we have a problem.

Therefore, our present and ultimate crisis is not about same-sex marriage. The true crisis is about the Authority of Scripture. As a Christian, what I think, what I feel must always take a back seat to who God is and what He has clearly said.

Pastor Phillip Lee
Executive Director
His Way Out Ministries

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