Comments on: Is sincere faith what matters most? http://www.corbystephens.com/2008/08/27/is-sincere-faith-what-matters-most/ Where Introvert Meets Internet Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:18:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Corby http://www.corbystephens.com/2008/08/27/is-sincere-faith-what-matters-most/comment-page-1/#comment-149 Corby Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:25:07 +0000 http://www.corbystephens.com/?p=178#comment-149 JohnD - I'm not sure what you are getting at, but it doesn't really have anything to do with what I was getting at. My point about marriage being created by God had to do with the consistency of the worldview of someone who says they are a Christian, not whether or not it was a religious or secular institution. If one claims to be a Christian, that means they believe the Bible to be the word of God and that it is the authority for everything in their lives. If the Bible says something on a topic, that viewpoint should be the viewpoint of the one who claims to follow Bible. BTW, "God created marriage" really isn't a disputable point, at least not for one who claims to believe the Bible. I don't know you or if you believe the Bible so I won't pursue that further except to say that in addition to Genesis 2:24, Jesus Himself refers to it as a God-ordained thing when dealing with the Pharisees about marriage. "I live in a country where religious precepts aren’t supposed to become part of the civil law." If that's the case, then perhaps we should take the laws concerning murder, theft, and bearing false witness out of our civil codes. After all, they are religious precepts from Exodus 20 (and other religious texts). Perhaps the fact that the founding fathers used the Bible as a source text for the first laws passed in this country. Religious precepts, specifically Biblical ones, are the foundation for our civil law. Again, this point is completely off topic from my original point, but I thought I'd address it anyway. JohnD – I’m not sure what you are getting at, but it doesn’t really have anything to do with what I was getting at. My point about marriage being created by God had to do with the consistency of the worldview of someone who says they are a Christian, not whether or not it was a religious or secular institution. If one claims to be a Christian, that means they believe the Bible to be the word of God and that it is the authority for everything in their lives. If the Bible says something on a topic, that viewpoint should be the viewpoint of the one who claims to follow Bible.

BTW, “God created marriage” really isn’t a disputable point, at least not for one who claims to believe the Bible. I don’t know you or if you believe the Bible so I won’t pursue that further except to say that in addition to Genesis 2:24, Jesus Himself refers to it as a God-ordained thing when dealing with the Pharisees about marriage.

“I live in a country where religious precepts aren’t supposed to become part of the civil law.” If that’s the case, then perhaps we should take the laws concerning murder, theft, and bearing false witness out of our civil codes. After all, they are religious precepts from Exodus 20 (and other religious texts). Perhaps the fact that the founding fathers used the Bible as a source text for the first laws passed in this country. Religious precepts, specifically Biblical ones, are the foundation for our civil law. Again, this point is completely off topic from my original point, but I thought I’d address it anyway.

]]> By: John D http://www.corbystephens.com/2008/08/27/is-sincere-faith-what-matters-most/comment-page-1/#comment-148 John D Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:03:05 +0000 http://www.corbystephens.com/?p=178#comment-148 If "God created marriage," a point that can be disputed, then perhaps we should invoke the separation of church and state and hand marriage wholly over to the church. Make it a religious action like baptism or bar mitzvah. Of course, all those government benefits to marriage would go away. Shared property ownership? You got a receipt for that? Of course, divorce would be handled in whatever way each denomination saw fit. Reminds me of the story of the Arab christian who attempted to temporarily convert to Islam. In his country, christians can't divorce, but Moslem men may initiate divorce. Then he wanted to convert back. In the Moslem countries, they say it's God's will that people who leave Islam die. Stories like that one make me happy for marriage as a secular institution and that I live in a country where religious precepts aren't supposed to become part of the civil law. But then, suit yourself. If “God created marriage,” a point that can be disputed, then perhaps we should invoke the separation of church and state and hand marriage wholly over to the church. Make it a religious action like baptism or bar mitzvah.

Of course, all those government benefits to marriage would go away. Shared property ownership? You got a receipt for that?

Of course, divorce would be handled in whatever way each denomination saw fit.

Reminds me of the story of the Arab christian who attempted to temporarily convert to Islam. In his country, christians can’t divorce, but Moslem men may initiate divorce. Then he wanted to convert back. In the Moslem countries, they say it’s God’s will that people who leave Islam die.

Stories like that one make me happy for marriage as a secular institution and that I live in a country where religious precepts aren’t supposed to become part of the civil law.

But then, suit yourself.

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