restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

                

The Federal Marriage Amendment

Dean May

There is before Congress a proposed Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment seeks to define at the Federal level a marriage as between a man and a woman. It says: “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman.” The problem with laws is that they contain words that are later redefined by activist judges. For example, this amendment doesn’t define what it means by a union; maybe copulation is all that is required. Do the terms man and woman mean those with XY and XX chromosomes only? And is this definition for marriage only valid in the United States?

Many Christian organizations see this amendment as our last hope of “saving” what it means to be married. I sincerely hope not. Perhaps if Christians want to save the meaning of marriage, they should look elsewhere besides the federal government for salvation. It actually has a rather poor track record of saving anything.

God Himself defined for us what marriage is. No court decision or Federal amendment can do anything to change that. And it is up to the people who call themselves by God’s name to uphold what it means to be married. Perhaps if Christians would do a better job of that, there would not be such widespread confusion.

God established marriage as the exclusive joining of one man and one woman for life, not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally and every other way possible. They were to become one with each other and no other. Most of us, who call ourselves Christians, fall short of this standard, some worse than others.

If you have ever had sex with more than one person, you are part of the problem.

If you have ever “divorced” one spouse and “married” another, you are part of the problem.

If you have ever viewed pornographic images, read steamy literature, or looked anywhere besides a spouse to feed sensual desire, you are part of the problem.

If you have not trained your children to avoid engaging in multiple romantic relationships outside of marriage, you are part of the problem.

If you ever find yourself dissatisfied with your spouse, wishing you weren’t “stuck” in this relationship, you are part of the problem.

This is not an exhaustive list. When I look at what I believe to be God’s standards for marriage I discover that I am part of the problem. Are you part of the problem, too? Then why look to Washington DC to solve the problem? Why not start with our own hearts and actions?

And then let’s work diligently to train our children to do a better job of upholding God’s standards for marriage. When pagans see the blessings of true peace and happiness that will result, they will surely seek to pattern their own lives after it. In the meantime, let’s not use the coercive power of the state in an attempt to force pagans to uphold Christian virtue.

October 21, 2003

Dean May resides with his wife, Tammy, in west central Indiana. Together they have served as leaders in Indiana’s home education community for 20 years. Dean holds a BSME from RHIT, works as a piano technician  and serves as an elder in the community church he attends. Tammy and Dean are expecting their eleventh child and already have two grandchildren.

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