Your Turn Letters to the Editor

God’s laws over man’s laws

I am writing in response to the article “A moral imperative: A Christian perspective on same-sex marriage rights” (Oct. 23). I believe that there is a much deeper understanding of the scriptures that can be shed on this matter. If I have read the article as the author has intended, then one would conclude that as a Christian because “I am to love my neighbor as I love myself” or because “I do unto others as I would have them do unto me,” that I in some way should allow for a public policy to be put into place that condones sinful acts. As a Christian, I believe that God’s laws should always take precedence over any of man’s laws.

Jesus says in Mark 7:9, “You have a fine way of setting aside the command of God in order to observe your own tradition.” In verse 10, Jesus gives an example of one of the things they were doing to set aside God’s law, and then in verse 13 says, “Thus, you nullify the word of God by your traditions that you have handed down.” This clearly shows that Jesus wants us to keep the laws of God over any tradition that we may establish. In accordance with this, I believe that if a public policy is put forth that in any way is contrary to what God has said is right, then that is not a public policy that I should support as it will establish a tradition that will nullify the commands of God.

As Christians, we are no longer to live in sin. We are called to be free through Christ, but that freedom does not give us the right to live in a sinful manner (Galatians 5:13). Any public policy that would seek to push the line for the public acceptability of any sinful act further and further back is not something that we should support. God has made it clear that we must take a stand. In Revelations 3:14-21, the Church of Laodicea was trying to skate into the gates of Heaven by riding down the middle of the road. God says to them that they must take a stand.

You must be either hot or cold. Being lukewarm is unacceptable. Taking a stand about a public policy that would establish a tradition that would nullify the word of God is not being judgmental. It means that you are following the command of God. Loving your neighbor as yourself does require compassion and a cooperative sprit, but it also means that you care enough to establish guidelines and set moral boundaries. So, we as Christians must take a stand, and that stand should always be in line with what God expects of us.

– Dwight A. Williams