On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a narrow 5–4 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, declaring that same-sex couples possess a constitutional right to marry under the 14th Amendment. This watershed moment in American legal and cultural history did not arise from democratic consensus, moral clarity, or faithful jurisprudence. It was the culmination of decades of cultural decline, ideological activism, and the progressive erosion of Judeo-Christian moral norms.
The Court’s decision did not merely extend civil privileges. It redefined a foundational institution established by God, confirmed by natural law, and respected across centuries of Western civilization. The faithful Christian response is not accommodation but rejection—spiritually, theologically, and lawfully, where conscience demands.
This essay outlines the biblical position on marriage, examines the theological and legal errors of Obergefell, and encourages the Church to resist both cultural conformity and judicial overreach. It also addresses broader implications for polyamory, religious liberty, and the trajectory of human rebellion.
What the Bible Says About Marriage and Homosexuality
A. Marriage as God’s Covenant Design
Marriage is not a social contract to be shaped by majority opinion or Supreme Court precedent. It is a divine covenant instituted by God Himself in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
Jesus Christ reaffirmed this in the clearest possible terms.
Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.
Matthew 19:4-6
Christ did not leave room for same-sex arrangements or “gender-neutral” partnerships. The marriage union is male and female by design, not preference. As theologian Andreas Köstenberger has noted, marriage’s essential features—monogamy, complementarity, exclusivity, and permanence—are not cultural constructs, but creation ordinances rooted in God’s moral order.
B. The Six Explicit Bible Verses on Homosexual Behavior
There are six key passages that address homosexual acts directly:
- Genesis 19:5-6 “And they called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.’”. Lot calls this an evil act.
- Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
- Leviticus 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”
- Romans 1:26–27 “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another…”
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality…”
- 1 Timothy 1:9–10 “…understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient… the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine…”
Each verse, across both Testaments, categorically rejects homosexual behavior—not just as a disordered impulse but as a willful sin against God’s design. The Bible does not present homosexuality as one valid lifestyle among many; it presents it as rebellion, a fruit of exchanging the truth of God for a lie.
“Jesus Never Spoke About Homosexuality”: A Hollow Argument
Advocates for same-sex unions often argue, “Jesus never condemned homosexuality.” This claim is misleading and theologically illiterate.
- Jesus Affirmed the Genesis Definition of Marriage — He restricted all sexual expression to a man and his wife (Matthew 19:4–6). He didn’t need to mention every deviation (e.g., bestiality, incest, or pedophilia) to rule them out by affirming what God originally created.
- Silence Does Not Equal Approval — Jesus also never explicitly condemned heroin use, human trafficking, or abortion. Are we to assume He supports them?
- Jesus Is the Author of Scripture — Christ is not only the red-letter words in the Gospels. As the divine Logos (John 1:1), He inspired the whole Bible. Thus, the writings of Paul, Moses, and John are the words of Christ.
Dr. James White rightly observes: “Christ is not divided from the rest of Scripture. To say He never addressed homosexuality is to ignore His divine authorship of all Scripture.”
Progressive Churches and Theological Apostasy
Some denominations and local churches have embraced same-sex marriage, even ordaining openly homosexual pastors and bishops. These include the United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church USA, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Presbyterian Church USA, and segments of the United Methodist Church.
These churches have:
- Twisted Scripture to affirm what God condemns
- Abandoned biblical authority for cultural relevance
- Promoted heresy under the guise of love and tolerance
Dr. Michael Brown, in Can You Be Gay and Christian?, states: “When a church affirms what God calls sin, it ceases to be the Church. It becomes a social club wearing clerical robes.” These churches are not faithful expressions of the Body of Christ. They are theological impostors.
The Obergefell Ruling: Political and Judicial Context
A. The Decision
- Case: Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015)
- Holding: States must license and recognize same-sex marriages
- Vote: 5–4
Majority (liberal bloc + swing vote):
- Anthony Kennedy (Reagan appointee, authored opinion)
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Stephen Breyer
- Sonia Sotomayor
- Elena Kagan
Dissent (conservatives):
- John Roberts (Chief Justice)
- Antonin Scalia
- Clarence Thomas
- Samuel Alito
Justice Kennedy’s opinion elevated “dignity” over constitutional text. He cited no specific provision that establishes a “right to marry” of any configuration, yet discovered one in the “penumbras” of the 14th Amendment.
Justice Scalia’s blistering dissent warned: “This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine… robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence.”
Implications of Obergefell: Pandora’s Box Opened
A. Assault on Religious Liberty
- Christian florists, bakers, and adoption agencies have faced lawsuits and financial ruin for refusing to affirm same-sex marriage.
- Courts have treated biblical conscience as bigotry.
- Future rulings may compel churches or Christian schools to compromise doctrine or lose tax status.
B. Slippery Slope to Polyamory and Beyond
Obergefell did not stop with gay marriage. It established a legal framework that validates any union based on emotional intimacy, regardless of structure.
Already, activists advocate for:
- Polyamory and group marriage
- Open marriages and sexual contracts
- Child-led consent arguments in the radical fringes
Once gender and complementarity are removed, there remains no legal principle to prohibit these. Dr. Owen Strachan warns: “Once you sever marriage from God’s pattern, every perverse idea becomes possible.”
C. Cultural Impact
- Public schools teach LGBT ideology from early grades
- Children are taught that “love is love,” regardless of anatomy or morality
- The psychological cost to children raised without both biological parents is ignored
Christian counselors increasingly report identity confusion, depression, and family fragmentation as the fruit of these false ideologies.
How Christians Must Respond
A. Reject the Legitimacy of the Ruling
Romans 13 commands submission to lawful authority, not moral apostasy. Christians are not obligated to honor court rulings that demand the celebration of sin (Acts 5:29).
B. Uphold Biblical Marriage in Word and Deed
- Teach marriage as male-female, lifelong, covenantal, and exclusive
- Celebrate godly marriages in the Church
- Counsel those struggling with same-sex desires with compassion, clarity, and commitment to truth
C. Engage Politically and Judicially
- Support laws and candidates that defend religious liberty and marriage
- Pray for future justices and legislators to reverse Obergefell
- Promote state-level resolutions declaring Obergefell illegitimate
D. Offer Redemption Through the Gospel
1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “Such were some of you.” The homosexual person is not beyond the grace of God. But affirming sin does not rescue sinners; only repentance and faith do.
Christian counselor Rosaria Butterfield, a former lesbian and feminist professor, powerfully testifies: “God’s truth, not human affirmation, set me free.”
Conclusion: Let God Be True, Though Every Court Be a Liar
The Supreme Court may claim the power to redefine marriage, but it cannot change the truth. God’s design stands immovable, like the sun rising each morning.
Marriage is male and female. Homosexuality is sin. The Church must not apologize for what God has revealed but must preach it with love, authority, and courage.
The Obergefell decision is not merely bad law—it is rebellion dressed in legal robes. It is the duty of every faithful Christian, pastor, counselor, and citizen to oppose it and labor for the day when it is cast down and biblical truth is once again honored.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
christiannewsjunkie@gmail.com
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