Marriage

This is one of the most important messages I have ever sent out. It is going to our normal Revive America audience as well as to many churches and leaders in the state of Washington. Please read it carefully and prayerfully.  We are standing at a huge cultural crossroads.

I want to ask all of you, whether you live in the state of Washington or not, to get involved to help save marriage in in Washington State through Referendum 71. This is the recently launched petition drive that will allow the citizens of Washington to vote in November to preserve the institution of marriage.

Protecting marriage from re-definition and destruction is the paramount moral issue of the early 21st century. Slavery was the great moral issue of the 19th century–we got it wrong from 1607 to 1865–costing us millions of lives and wasted centuries. Abortion was the pivotal moral issue of the 20th century, and we’ve turned our backs on the truth about life for thirty-seven years by killing 49 million children.

The assault on marriage is the moral battle of the 21st century. If you are silent, millions more will be lost and possibly, an entire civilization fall to ruin. I’m asking you to rise up and act for the sake of God, our children and grandchildren, and the future of the United States.

My thoughts center on three unchangeable biblical texts. They are the only “perfect words” that you’ll find on this page (though I’ll do my best to be faithful to interpret them).  Ponder them deeply:

“Marriage should be honored by everyone. Husband and wife should keep their marriage pure. God will judge guilty those who take part in sexual sins” (Hebrews 13:4 – Everyday Bible).

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9,10 – NIV).

“You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22 – NASB).

Our civilization, and nation, were founded upon these behavioral truths. The moral code of America is thoroughly Judeo-Christian, and it is the secret of our freedom and greatness. We have believed for centuries that:

• Marriage, the joining together of a man and woman, is critical to societal health and stability, discouraging promiscuity among the sexes, and creating, protecting and nurturing children.
• All sex outside the bounds of marriage is personally and socially destructive, and active participation in these sins disqualifies a person from being in right relationship with God (a part of His Kingdom).
• Homosexuality is a crooked or perverted form of God’s sexual design and is an abomination (detestable) to Him.

Yet, in 2009 the God-given and human-government sanctioned institution of marriage is under perilous assault. A powerful homosexual lobby and its media accomplices want to change 5,000 years of world history, 2000 years of Western history, and 233 of American history by re-defining marriage to include homosexual liaisons. They say it’s about freedom, civil rights, love, and equality. That’s not true because these things do not apply. Click here to read an enlightening discussion of these falsehoods from Family Policy Institute of Washington.

So what’s it all about?

It’s about changing the moral foundations of our culture into accepting and sanctioning homosexual sin. It’s about forever altering the moral code upon which our civilization rests. If our fundamental understanding of morality changes, there will be many dire consequences for our nation in the coming years:

1. There will be a massive flight from the public schools, possibly causing their collapse. All Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and God-fearing parents will need to remove their children from classrooms that teach a different view of morality than their own. The textbooks will change, the sex-ed classes will change, and parents will not be able to complain or abstain because homosexuality will be legitimatized by law. To use their own terminology, homosexuality is a preference. For people of faith, rejection of homosexual behavior is a conviction. There’s a huge difference. That conviction of conscience will force them to abandon the government schools.

2. There will be increasing persecution of Christians and pastors will be sent to jail for speaking against the “civil rights” of homosexuals. Christian leaders who teach the above Scriptures (and many more) will be found guilty of “hate speech” and told to desist. If they don’t, they will go to jail (it’s already happening in Canada and Europe).

3. Fewer people will marry (as in Scandinavia), many more children will be drawn into immorality and sexual confusion, and marriage “equality” will inevitably lead to polygamy, group marriage, adults marrying children (pedophilia), people marrying their pets (bestiality), and so on. Once you break the marriage mold, it can be bent into many almost unthinkable distortions.

4. There will be an explosion of venereal diseases, greater than the 20th century scourge of AIDS and over fifty other STDs which were negative consequences of the sexual revolution. Though some homosexuals are monogamous, studies show that most homosexuals are four times more likely to have multiple partners that those who are moral or married.

5. Millions more people will be lost to the delusions of the devil and separated from the Kingdom of God. Homosexuality is a blinding type of sin from which it is difficult to escape. When God has to “give a person over” to immoral sexual passions (Romans 1:24-27), most never return to Him.

It is for these reasons and many others that I ask you to get involved in the fight to save marriage and protect children through Referendum 71 in the state of Washington. SB 5688, passed in the recent legislative session, does nothing less than elevating domestic partnerships to equality with marriage.

And if you think that Domestic Partnerships are okay and that we should fight for the term “marriage” alone, then think again. This cultural battle is not about words—it’s about changing the moral foundations of society. It doesn’t matter what you call it: Homosexuality is immoral and should not be encouraged and celebrated. Americans don’t care what people do behind closed doors. You can live with whoever you want. God will be the judge. But we can’t allow our marriage laws to condone and promote personally and socially destructive behavior. That’s why marriage—and morality—are worth saving.

If you still hesitant about joining this battle, please Click here to read “Ten Reasons to Sign Referendum 71.” I believe you will find it helpful and inspiring.

If you’re ready to help save marriage and protect the children of Washington State, then Click here to get petitions that can be signed by your friends and congregation. We need to collect over 120,000 signatures by July 26 to give the people of Washington State a chance to vote on this vital measure in November. Like the voters in thirty other states, we believe they will vote to honor and preserve the institution of marriage upon which our moral foundations rest.

If you live outside the state of Washington, maybe you have friends in our state that you can call or e-mail to help them get involved. If you’re in a state or nation that is also battling with this crucial issue of marriage and children, we pray that you join the cause of righteousness and press on to victory.

Get involved! For our families, our children, for many generations of future Americans–and for the glory of God.