On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, the United States Senate passed what they call the “Respect
for Marriage Act.” The title sounds noble, doesn’t it? After all, who could be against showing
respect for marriage? But upon closer examination, a different story emerges—a story which
betrays the confusion in current American culture.
Notice how this Act defines marriage itself: “For the purposes of any Federal law, rule, or
regulation in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that
individual’s marriage is between 2 individuals and is valid in the State where the marriage was
entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any State, if the marriage is between
2 individuals and is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been
entered into in a State.”
That definition is quite different from the historical, Bible definition of marriage. The Bible
defines marriage as the union of one man with one woman in a sacred relationship approved by
God, (cf. Gen. 2:18-24). In other words, marriage in God’s sight is not merely the union “between
2 individuals,” it is the union of one man with one woman.
Since God invented marriage, it would seem that he alone has the right to define it. In fact, it
would seem the height of arrogance for man to redefine or apply definitions to marriage which
are in complete contradiction to God’s original plan. Such redefinitions are done in defiance of
God, and are fecklessly supported by naïve constituents—for a while.
The bill passed by the Senate will now move to the House, where it is expected to pass in the
final days of a Democratic-controlled chamber before making its way to the White House for
President Joe Biden’s signature. Once enacted, the law will require the federal government to
recognize all marriages, including same-sex marriages, that are legal in the state where they took
place. Coupled with the 2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which requires
the States to recognize “same-sex marriages,” the “Respect for Marriage Act” will essentially
make “gay marriage” mainstream in American culture.
Why are these changes happening in our land? Simply because Americans have put their
Bibles away, stopped reading and relying upon God’s word, and are no longer in sympathy with
the biblical, moral standards of prior generations. We have become confused, and have lost our
moral compass. What was previously so clear and decided, now seems questionable and difficult
to justify. It is now fashionable to be tolerant, open-minded, and morally unsure. The one thing
we condemn is condemning. The one attitude we will not tolerate is intolerance. You can say
anything you want, just don’t say anything is wrong.
Have you considered what comes next for a nation which loses its way on marriage? Once we
begin to redefine marriage, where will it stop? Although this current bill specifically does not
authorize polygamy, one might legitimately raise the question: why not? If gay marriage is to be
accepted, why not marriage between more than two people? What’s wrong with a man having
two wives as long as he and they agree? And, if marriage can be re-defined in terms of the “sexual
orientation” of the parties, why not redefine it in terms of the number of parties, or even their
biological status? Can a person marry a dog or a cat? If marriage is subject to re-definition at the
will of the majority, why not allow whatever the parties desire?
Have you considered the harmful effects of the raising of children by persons who have
redefined marriage? Despite the fact that the Bible consistently models the raising of children by
a married mother and father, such out-dated models could be outlawed, and our people then reeducated
to advance single-parent homes, bisexual parents, gay and lesbian parents, or
community parenting. Children who find themselves confused by the new reality could be treated
with a relentless barrage of gender-equality indoctrination, until they are cured.
If she is interested in resolving the confusion, America is going to have to get back to the
standard of God’s word. She is going to have to acknowledge that God knows what he is talking
about, and his word is final on the matter. But I fear that we may have to see more of the ugly
consequences of this departure before we realize that God’s way was best after all.
– by Robert C. Veil, Jr.
