Responding to Supreme Court Ruling of Same-Sex Marriage

I have listened to many radio shows, seen talk shows, read books about, talked with others about, and pondered what it must be like to be a homosexual in modern society. I know it must be tough. I know it must be somewhat lonely. And I know it must feel like, to this group of marginalized people and those who empathize with them, that the Supreme Court decision is a triumph.

Well, I am not trying to take the wind out of anyone’s sails, but I must admit, as a fellow human being and as a Christian, I am concerned about people’s responses across the board (not critiquing, just concerned).

Therefore, I want to raise a few questions we should all think about in light of the Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage. I think it oversimplifies the matter to evaluate whether this action is “good” or “bad.”

My first question is this: how will this change our society as a whole? I am curious whether society will become increasingly more accepting of homosexual couples or more prejudiced. Passing a law does not actually change the way that people think. It may, in fact, stir up more animosity between groups with differing views on the matter.

The second is this: as evangelical Christians are portrayed as the “bad guys” who “hate gays” (and my sincere apologies, as I know there are groups of people claiming to be evangelical Christians who do express hatred towards homosexual persons), will this group be targeted based on this stereotype and forced to “be more accepting” in increasingly severe legal measures? Or will they merely continue to have a declining reputation in the public eye?

The third is this: how will the evangelical church react to homosexual couples who might come through its doors? Can a homosexual become a Christian? If a homosexual says he or she is a Christian and they are not in a homosexual relationship due to religious convictions, can he or she become a member of the church or hold a position of spiritual authority? Or instead, will denominations either a) alienate homosexuals or b) endorse same-sex marriage?

Instead of voicing all my opinions and thoughts on the matter, I am interested in raising questions which I think are crucial at this juncture. The main point I am going for here is: how will we (being both Christians and non-Christians, being homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual persons) respond? We all share responsibility and have decisions to make at this point in time.