Whoops! My mistake! The title of the news item that ran on page A4 of the Orlando Sentinel for May 22, 2016 read, “Church of Scotland will let gay ministers wed,” but when I saw it, I thought it said Church of Sodom. Okay, well, it could be either one. The brief blurb stated that the Church of Scotland voted to allow its ministers to “enter same-sex marriages.” First of all, the fact that they have homosexual ministers in the first place shows that they cannot read Hebrew, Greek, or English, for that matter, since the major translations correctly condemn homosexuality as a sin (Gen. 18:20; 19:4-5; Rom 1:21-27; Jude 7).
But that Biblical fact aside, they are also apparently ignorant of the fact that “in the beginning” God created marriage between a man and a woman (Gen. 2:18-25). One would think that this passage would not be hard to find since anyone could stumble across it who can read the first three pages of the Old Testament. Jesus also referred to it as a precedent for marriages in His day and for all time. God designed marriage for one man and one woman—for life.
Speaking of that, the Church of Scotland insists that it is maintaining “its traditional view of marriage between a man and a woman.” Wait a minute! First, what they say they are maintaining is not their view of marriage. It is God’s; they got it from Him. They have just been upholding His view—until now. Pardon me, but how can anyone say they are maintaining something when they are allowing it to change? Isn’t this like an outfielder saying, “I caught the fly ball,” even though it is lying on the ground? This is strangely reminiscent of Saul coming back from the war against Amalek and saying, “I have kept the commandment of the Lord.” Samuel wanted to know why he heard animal sounds (since they were supposed to have been destroyed). If the Church of Scotland is maintaining God’s definition of marriage, why are two males saying, “I do”? Why are two females exchanging vows?
However, despite allowing homosexual ministers to become married, they will not allow their “clergy” to perform homosexual weddings. What? By whom, pray tell, will their homosexual ministers be married? Heathens? Even more liberal ministers in other denominations? Rogue Church of Scotland ministers? Horrors! Essentially, then, homosexual ministers in the Church of Scotland are being told, “You can be married, but not by us.” Apparently they have never heard the British expression, “In for a penny, in for a pound.” Oh, the problems unauthorized denominations get into!
Would it not be simpler to be the New Testament church and abide in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles?