Christian Leaders: The Chamberlains and the Churchills
June 25, 2015
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Posted By NBRR
on June 25, 2015 03:11pm CST
In a few days the Supreme Court of the United States will issue its long-anticipated ruling on the definition of marriage. Few seem to believe that the court will affirm traditional, historical, natural, biblical, authentic one-man-one-woman marriage. Many seem to believe that the court will, in fact, attempt to destroy the definition of marriage, from a biblical perspective.
There’s a “third way” that is advocated by such persons as Rob Schenck. He expects the court to attempt to do a “Solomonic split of the baby.”
Like Solomon’s “split,” which would have killed the baby, this attempt does the same. This odd ruling – should it occur – allegedly attempts to preserve some level of First Amendment rights (for pastors, but assumedly not for bakers and florists) while at the same time thoroughly devastating traditional one-man-one-woman marriage in America.
But my concern is less with prognosticating on what the court might do, but rather on the reaction of the Christian community to the presumed attempted destruction of marriage, specifically from its leaders. What should we expect?
It appears to me that there are some who suffer from “Tony Campolo Syndrome.” That is, they are on the verge of “stepping over” – coming out of the “one-man-one-woman marriage closet” – and a bit eager to embrace so-called same-sex “marriage.”
Why will several prominent Christian “leaders” do this? It will not be because they can biblically defend it. They cannot.
It will because – now how do I say this nicely? – they are cowardly. You see, it is now culturally chic – oh, so very cool – to affirm so called same-sex “marriage.” By doing so, one appears so “with it,” so “relevant.” And it make you appear – notice, only appear – to be so kind and grace giving.
I fully expect several high-profile pastors and Christian leaders – based on the “rumblings” – to use the Supreme Court decision as an excuse –a casuistry – to violate Scripture. The phrasing that will be used will be very similar and even more boring. Even more tragic, it will be deceptive.
One phrase that will be used repeatedly is “that ship has sailed.” It seems to ease their conscience that they can now fit in culturally with the radical homosexual agenda and not have to suffer from any of the barbs, jabs and bullying hurled at those who stand with Scripture.
If you read between the lines, you will quickly discern that these so-called “leaders” – I left off the adjective “Christian” at this point – are hiding behind the robes (skirts?) of the Supreme Court justices. They were looking for an “out” all along, and “the ship has sailed” gives them the cover they need.
While it is true that that “the ship may have sailed,” that ship will sink! It is the proverbial Titanic. (The problem is it will try to take so many of us down with it – even though we’ve been warning of the “iceberg” for some time!)
And those who stand for truth – those with titanium scriptural backbones – will face entirely new challenges in defending biblical marriage.
Christian leaders will be divided into two categories: Neville Chamberlains, that is, the compromisers, and Winston Churchills, the courageous champions.
For those whose World War II history is slipping, Neville Chamberlain compromised and set up Hitler to kill tens of millions of people. Winston Churchill knew what had to be done against Hitler, and did it.
The Chamberlain cowardly “Christian leaders” will assert that “it’s all over. There’s nothing we can do. It has been decided.”
The Churchillian ABC (Authentically Biblically Christian) leaders will rise up and say, “never give up!”
Why will they do this? Because they are dinosauric and cannot get with the times? No!
Because they have figured out that there are some things worth continuing to fight for and, if necessary, die for. Yes, it will take a long time. But one-man-one-woman marriage is such a no-brainer, it will eventually win out.
At a recent conference I attended at the Vatican last November, leaders from 14 different religions affirmed one thing: that marriage is one-man-one-woman. In other words, this definition of marriage was not merely given in special revelation (the Bible) but in general revelation as well.
And that does not even take into account natural law, that a man and a woman “fit together,” or that through man-woman union, the human race is preserved.
Nor does it take into account the sociological reality that the marriage of a man and a women – before having children – is the No. 1 predictor of financial health, as opposed to poverty.
Nor does it deal with the massive Center for Disease Control reports that show that homosexual activity is high-risk in every measurable category.
If the “that ship has sailed” crowd had predominated during the slavery battle, the nation would still have blacks in chains. It took more than 70 years after Washington’s inauguration to end the horrors of slavery.
If the “that ship has sailed” crowd had won during the civil rights era of the 1960s, blacks would still be drinking from different water fountains.
“The ship has sailed” crowd told us that in 1973 the abortion issue is, well, over! But 42 years later, we are seeing the most pro-life generation, the abortuary killing centers – the present-day moral equivalents of 1940s German concentration camps and crematoriums – reduced from several thousand down to approximately 500 and the number of pregnancy care centers go from zero to 3,000. We are, to put it bluntly, winning! But “the ship has sailed” so called “leaders” cannot take credit because they were telling us “it’s all over” with the Supreme Court decision.
And what is their view of the horrors of human trafficking. After all, it’s everywhere. It’s in every city. And almost every nation. “That ship has sailed,” correct? Of course not. Real leaders don’t capitulate and accommodate to the culture. They change it.
The Supreme Court is not, well, the supreme court. It is made up of humans quite capable of errors. They are not God.
Take the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford ruling for example. In a 7-2 decision, Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote that a slave could not be free!
Or consider the 1927 case of Buck v. Bell in which Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes sided with compulsory sterilization of persons the court said were unfit to procreate, stating that,”three generations of imbeciles are enough.”
Both of those Supreme Court rulings are repulsive. And morally wrong! And those are only two of the decisions the Supreme Court got wrong – really wrong!
And it is quite possible that five or six arrogant judges will attempt to devastate the most fundamental social institution for the past 5,000 years. How ignorant and repugnant!
With the presumed “destroy marriage” Supreme Court decision, expect Christian leaders to be divided into two categories: authentic leaders and capitulators.
True leaders don’t capitulate. Capitulators fold. True leaders will rise up and direct our nation toward true righteousness, continuing the struggle in ever creative ways. The capitulators will promptly qualify for the “cowards column” of history.
We are about to find out who the real leaders are and who are the capitulators.
Dr. Jim Garlow is the senior pastor at Skyline Church in San Diego, California, and is heard daily on over 800 radio outlets in his one-minute commentary, “The Garlow Perspective.” Garlow came to national attention in 2008 for his leadership role in organizing religious groups to support California Proposition 8, which codified marriage as the union of one man and one woman. He has done more than 1,100 radio, TV and print interviews, national and local, covering a wide-range of historical, theological and political topics.
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