Some Milk

Responding to Sean Penn’s Oscar speech:

In this worldview, gender is viewed as a social construct that has nothing to do with what it means to be human. Notwithstanding the accidents of biology, male and female are totally interchangeable in marriage and in society. The normalization of homosexual relations flows naturally from this view, as does advocacy of gay “marriage.” When male and female are interchangeable, almost any sexual arrangement can be normalized. Both Black and Penn put this worldview on display in their acceptance speeches.Denny Burk

Denny goes on to point out that gender, in the Christian worldview, is no accident at all. It is intentional. One of the beliefs of the ancient world (both Pagan and Jewish actually) is that man was initially a composite being, being both man and woman. Understand this, this belief has nothing to do with anatomy – this is a statement about the makeup of a human being, the traits and character. I must admit I’ve not studied what conclusions this belief led to in the pagan world. However, in the Jewish world it led to the idea that man and woman were split up (taking Adam’s rib), and brought back together as one in marriage. So, when Jesus says in the resurrection there will be no more marriage because man will be like the angels, this is the idea he is talking about. Understand this, we are neither talking about anatomy, nor the metaphysics of angels or spirit-beings, or that man will become ‘a god’/spirit-being. Jesus is saying that man will once again be made whole in the age to come, in the resurrection. Therefore marriage, the means of making one what was split, will be unnecessary.

In our time now, marriage is the way to make one whole again. And that marriage of wholeness can only be accomplished between a man and a woman in the Christian worldview. That is what settles it for the Christian. We do not deny that any two people can love each other. We do not deny lots of things. What we deny is that it is God’s intention for marriage. That is why Christians are guarding the word – because the referent is their theology.

As far as I’m concerned, I would like to keep the institution of marriage a Christian concept. Though I agree everyone gets to fight over the term today. As it stands, we are in the majority. When I’m in the minority, I won’t whine that you get to control the word. But I won’t give up my worldview. As far as I’m concerned, give whichever couples whichever rights you want to. On civil legislation I have no view.

Christianity has to learn to operate without the power structures that have been so ingrained. Just like throwing money at the problem is never a solution – Power is never God’s solution. If you need to be reminded of that, remember the cross.