Newsweek's cover story this
week is the religious case for gay marriage. Politico
reports religious leaders are unhappy about it.
No kidding.
The piece is an timely read in light of California's failed
Proposition 8. After reading it, it's unclear, at least to
me, what exactly the goal of the piece is, despite the
title. Who was the author, Lisa Miller, trying to
convince? Most religious leaders aren't going to buy that
the Bible is in favor of same-sex marriage and even a lot of gay
activists either don't, or don' t want to.
Maybe it was just a nice fluff piece her editors at Newsweek
wanted to see because, hey, gay marriage is still a hotly debated
topic!
In seriousness, overall, Miller's use of actual text to support
her thesis seems lacking. While marriage is praised in the
Bible--both Old and New Testaments--(and no, Miller, the Bible
didn't refer to marriage as 'between one man and one woman,' that
phrase just came about some time after the inspired Word did),
homosexuality (a 'man lying with a man' is what the text usually
says) is never praised, admired, encouraged. Ever. In any
context. In Hebrew. Or Greek. Old or New.
Her textual references and understanding of theology is a bit
curious as you head down the stretch. First she pokes fun
at references to marriage relationships--celibacy, polygamy,
adultery--in Scripture as inadequate or inconsistent or outdated
in this day and age, but then she closes the piece by saying
according to Scripture, Jesus was all love and warmth and
inclusion--therefore her religious case is made. (Nevermind His
reasons for being so. It wasn't for any kind of cultural
acceptance, agenda or goal like she posits. But, I wouldn't
expect your average Newsweek journalist to really have a solid
theological understanding of Jesus Christ.)
Is the Bible, or isn't it outdated! Make up your mind and make
your case with one or the other, not both.
Had she not been so inconsistent within her own piece, it might
have been more persusasive, though, still I guess, would have
ticked those 'religious folks' off.
