Today is August 1st. If you do not receive my Tuesday morning Keeping In Touch through my email contacts, here is some of what I wrote yesterday:
Make no
mistake about it. As pastor, I can promise you that Garris Chapel UMC is open
to “people of all ages, nations, and races,” as our UMC baptismal covenant states.
But also know that I support traditional family values, and like Mr. Cathy of
Chic-Filet fame, I believe in the Biblical definition of marriage. That means
that I believe what God said in Genesis when he said that “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24).
Some folks have misquoted God when it comes to the Bible. While it is true that if
you read the Old Testament, which certainly is part of the Bible, you may note that the Jewish people did not
always obey that mandate. They had rules for multiple wives, as well as rules
for brothers taking their brother’s wife as theirs under circumstances. In
fact, even Solomon, the wisest man in the world had more wives and women than
he could count. (Okay, so he wasn’t wise about women) But what folks may not
realize is that God did not condone this part of the Jewish culture.
God's definition of marriage was and always will be one man and one woman. As Mr. Cathy has said, we have no business trying to redefine what God has already defined.
I am not homophobic. I am not afraid of civil unions. I
am not afraid of any group of people. I don’t hate anyone. I want everyone to
come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Everyone.
And I will see you at Chic-filet on Wednesday, August 1st.
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