Expert: Edward Bode - 4/16/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have a question, to be clear, not from a legal perspective but strictly your opinion and thoughts both pragmatic, or secular if you prefer, and scriptural, regarding same sex marriage.

Personally I disagree with same sex marriage (civil unions, religious unions, etc) because, pragmatically, we are formed in the womb with a preponderance of X or Y chromosomes which makes us male or female and imbues us with male or female tendencies.

I have also noted certain psychological dynamics in the backgrounds of homosexuals such as the absence or insufficient interaction with a father role model. Not that this is the sole causation of homosexual tendencies but I have noted that it seems to be a prevalent theme in those who are homosexual, not name but one.

Also, to be clear, I am not talking about ostracizing or discriminating against any group of people but merely looking at what is natural and what is not, what is scriptural and what is not.

I am interested in hearing your opinions both scriptural and secular on this.

Thank you!



ANSWER: Scripture from the beginning [Genesis] to the later books of the New Testament [especially Pauline epistles]clearly teaches that marriage is the special union between a man and a woman.  A concordance will supply many references.
The word, marriage, in common usage for thousands of years in the secular world denotes the same union of a man and a woman.  
To speak of homosexual marriage is a new meaning that cannot be imposed on a word whose denotation has been the same for time immemorial.  So, the phrase same-sex marriage is an error both scripturally and grammatically.
We do not discriminate against homosexuals by refusing to assign them a radically changed meaning of the word, marriage.
If you would like further comments, please feel free to write again.
Best wishes, R.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank yiou very much, I truly appreciate your answer!  I have found some people shying away from this question when they should be more vocal about it.  Yes, I definitely would love to hear more of your comments and thoughts on this and I would very much love to learn more about the history of the word "marriage" and it's origins and meanings as you had eluded to.  I think that is a wonderful bit of information that should be expounded on.  I agree, it is as if this segment of people want words and ideas entirely redefined and if you don't agree they want a gag order put on you and laws passed saying that expressing your opinion in the matter is "hate speech".  I look forward to hearing more from you on it.

Answer
I do not have any scientific research information.  
However, in Genesis, when Adam wanted a helpmate, he got a woman and they became parents.  
Paul talks against homosexuality and often refers to marriage, which was then in Jewish thought also, a union between a man and a woman.  Paul also refers to virgins in regard to a husband and the implications of divorce and remarriage in terms of a man and a woman.
As far as I know, all civil references to marriage are always to a man and woman.  When one does genealogy, marriages are always recorded between a man and a woman.  The definition and the description of marriage in dictionaries and encyclopedias are man and woman entries.  Note that sometimes common usage refers to a husband as "man."
I'm afraid these thoughts are not much more than before.
The research would be worth at least a master's paper.
I appreciate your interest and evaluation of my attempts.
If you have further thoughts or querries, feel free to continue.
Again, best wishes, R.