What took evangelicals so long to define marriage?

HTacianas said:

Seems some group or another got together in 2017 and spelled out some rules for marriage. They stated, to the effect:

"The Statement expresses support for an opposite-sex definition of marriage, for faithfulness within marriage, for chastity outside marriage, and for a link between biological sex and "self-conception as male and female""

Nashville Statement - Wikipedia

That's pretty much been the teaching of Christianity since the beginning.

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Note that not all conservative evangelicals supported the Nashville Statement. The stimulus mostly came from the large Southen Baptist convention. Prominent conservative evangelicals such as Tim Kellor or Philip Yancey declined to support it, perhaps because of condemnations in the document of those who supported gay rights.

Yes, but the challenge that prompted the meeting that drafted the statement is not age-old. The statement may be significant mainly because of the signers, many of whom are very well known and respected and also represent a variety of different families of faith.

HTacianas said:

Seems some group or another got together in 2017 and spelled out some rules for marriage. They stated, to the effect:

"The Statement expresses support for an opposite-sex definition of marriage, for faithfulness within marriage, for chastity outside marriage, and for a link between biological sex and "self-conception as male and female""

Nashville Statement - Wikipedia

That's pretty much been the teaching of Christianity since the beginning.

Click to expand...

Which they felt the need to affirm, given that people are beginning to reject it. Until recently, it was just accepted.

It is always good to agree with our Father. He established marriage between male and female. Really imho,government, or state should have no jurisdiction when there is God ordained marriage. But that is just my opinion.

HTacianas said:

Seems some group or another got together in 2017 and spelled out some rules for marriage. They stated, to the effect:

"The Statement expresses support for an opposite-sex definition of marriage, for faithfulness within marriage, for chastity outside marriage, and for a link between biological sex and "self-conception as male and female""

Nashville Statement - Wikipedia

That's pretty much been the teaching of Christianity since the beginning.

Click to expand...

The mainline protestant churches (ELCA, TEC, PCUSA, and others) are leading the charge in support of the LGBT movement, and are facing a backlash for this, and other popular liberal policies enacted in recent decades.

However, the evangelical denominations have also seen declining membership for supporting traditional and conservative policies.

So, the Protestants continue to fracture, split, change there names, introduce Speedo friendly services, happy flappy praise and worship bands, and every other absurd thing they can think of in order to attempt to fill the pews.

Only God knows where it will end.

It has also been the position that marriage is between two members of the same species, both alive, both adult and both consenting. That, also, has always been the position of not only the church but all civilized people. As our civilization continues to erode, our stated definition will continue to grow. Ask not what took us so long. Only be glad it took this long, and hope that the next statement takes even longer.

HTacianas said:

That's pretty much been the teaching of Christianity since the beginning.

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Not really. Christianity was at first a sect of Judaism, and marriage was always something arranged between families. The "church" in the early 4th century took authority for marriage decreeing that no marriage outside of it's approval would be recognized. When the early settlers of what would become the U.S. came, they took the authority for marriage away from the Catholic church (at least as Protestants were concerned) and essentially handed it to the state, which at the time was a very Christian entity. As time progressed... and the state became less religious (so to speak), marriage became something that must be approved by a purely SECULAR institution and today we cannot be legally married unless we pay for and get written approval from the state, with whom we are (the husband and wife) in contract together with. We are so far away from what marriage looked like in the first century that it is virtually unrecognizable. And, because WE sent marriage on the path that turned it into a secular contract, we lost the right to have a say when it comes to who can and can't be married. We can speak up... but it won't change the secular laws.

Not surprised by this below, bible says in the end days people will turn to ear ticklers and false teachings....etc. More and more its happening with churches around us that before never supported topics like abortion, LGBT...etc. They would rather change their views because they worry more about people staying.

Silverback said:

However, the evangelical denominations have also seen declining membership for supporting traditional and conservative policies.

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Silverback said:

The mainline protestant churches (ELCA, TEC, PCUSA, and others) are leading the charge in support of the LGBT movement, and are facing a backlash for this, and other popular liberal policies enacted in recent decades.

Click to expand...

A backlash alone does not automatically mean a group is wrong.

But there is "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" > in Ephesians 2:2. Satan's spirit is effecting people inside themselves while they go against what God desires. This is a spiritual and emotional consequence which other people do not bring upon ones who go against God. It is not worth it. Jesus gives us "rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-30) while we do what God knows He really wants to share with us in His love.

Even if you only agree with what is wrong, the wrong spirit of this can bring you down, more and more > 2 Timothy 3:13.

Silverback said:

So, the Protestants continue to fracture, split, change there names, introduce Speedo friendly services, happy flappy praise and worship bands, and every other absurd thing they can think of in order to attempt to fill the pews.

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What the show people do does not represent what obedient ones are doing. Also, the ones doing the show stuff can be maturing so they outgrow it. But in case ones do settle for entertainment and social clubbing in church, inside themselves they can be getting worse and worse. So, we do need to evaluate why we are in church.

Handmaid for Jesus said:

It is always good to agree with our Father. He established marriage between male and female. Really imho, government, or state should have no jurisdiction when there is God ordained marriage. But that is just my opinion.

Click to expand...

And which biblical God-ordained marriage between a male and female would that be? Would that be a monogamous marriage or a polygamous marriage or a marriage where the brother-in-law marries his dead brother's widow? There are eight God-ordained marriages recorded in the Bible. I personally think there would be much less sexism, male chauvinism and misogyny toward women if patriarchal religious beliefs were kept out of marriages, particularly within many conservative Christian circles.

com7fy8 said:

What the show people do does not represent what obedient ones are doing. Also, the ones doing the show stuff can be maturing so they outgrow it. But in case ones do settle for entertainment and social clubbing in church, inside themselves they can be getting worse and worse. So, we do need to evaluate why we are in church.

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Our church (ELCA) is not about secular entertainment or socialization. We believe we are our brothers and sisters in Christ and we care for one another. The joy we express is simply what happens when God's grace has restored our human nature, for that we have nothing to be apologetic about.

I visited someone from our congregation in the hospital yesterday, someone who is likely going to die. He's also a gay man married to another man. I will never apologize for calling him my brother in Christ, and statements such as the Nashville Statement will never cower me into changing that. That's why I think it was right for people like Tim Kellor or Philip Yancey to simply stay away from this sort of divisive rhetoric. They know insinuating other people are non-Christians, simply for disagreeing with them, is not the way to advance their own convictions.

Silverback said:

Only God knows where it will end.

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THE BIBLE TELLS US WHERE IT WILL END WHEN IT IS AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD.

HTacianas said:

Seems some group or another got together in 2017 and spelled out some rules for marriage. They stated, to the effect:

"The Statement expresses support for an opposite-sex definition of marriage, for faithfulness within marriage, for chastity outside marriage, and for a link between biological sex and "self-conception as male and female""

Nashville Statement - Wikipedia

That's pretty much been the teaching of Christianity since the beginning.

Click to expand...

Good question. Evangelical churches up to a few years ago found no need to 'define' marriage as it is Biblically crystal clear. It was not until so-called Evangelical churches denied the Scriptures as the Infallible Word of God that the churches had to define (1) the inerrancy of Scriptures and (2) marriage.

Silverback said:

However, the evangelical denominations have also seen declining membership for supporting traditional and conservative policies.

Click to expand...

Actually Biblically sound churches are seeing a rise.

Sketcher said:

Which they felt the need to affirm, given that people are beginning to reject it. Until recently, it was just accepted.

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It was accepted because it was Biblical Christ and Apostolic New Testament teaching.

I think that some of these posts miss the point of the Nashville Statement. It is not an apology for what the signers' churches have done wrong, but rather a statement that responds to a recent challenge to their views.

"Only God knows where it will end."

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This thread shows the great falling away from the Scriptural truths concerning how God defined marriage from the beginning. We are in the midst of a worldwide falling away. The tares have become ripe and are now distinguishable from the wheat.

Christianity down through their history have defined Scriptural terms WHEN false teaching grows. It becomes necessary to combat Satan's lies with the defined truth of Scripture & its terms. This is no exception but the norm.

The next event coming is the revealing of the man of sin, who unites the world against the Father & His Anointed Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The final antichrist will be revealed before Christ returns. (2 Thess 2)

I have never seen such a wholesale turning away from the Lord & the Scriptures & the vast increase in violence around the world, especially in the wholesale slaughter of Christians once again. The loss of Christian lives murdered in Sri Lanka is yet another of the many occurring in the world today. And this dramatic change is within the short 66 years of my life.

May the Lord have mercy. Pray for the families & friends of the multitude of saints being murdered/martyred for their faith today.

Rev 13:10 "If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed." Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

Rev 14:12 This requires the steadfast endurance of the saints--those who obey God's commandments and hold to their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, “Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them.”

The Nashville Statement isn't perfect. If I had written it, I probably would have made it longer. But it's meant to be a re-affirmation, not an apology or a clarification or any other thing. I know that a lot of Christians, even ones that don't necessarily support homosexuality, disagreed with the statement because they felt like it wasn't compassionate to those with same-sex attractions. But, quite frankly, if it had been of a more reconciliatory and apologetic tone to all same-sex attracted people it had harmed in the past but STILL affirmed orthodox Christian teaching on sexuality and marriage, people still would have been offended and said something along the lines of "This changes nothing because their views have not changed to match ours." What's sad is that I found out when something similar was said in the Netherlands--complete with an addition about pastoral care for homosexuals--rainbow flags appeared everywhere and there was talk of prosecuting the Dutch pastors who reproduced it. I didn't realize words and beliefs were so dangerous as to set a whole secular country ablaze with panic.

HTacianas said:

Seems some group or another got together in 2017 and spelled out some rules for marriage. They stated, to the effect:

"The Statement expresses support for an opposite-sex definition of marriage, for faithfulness within marriage, for chastity outside marriage, and for a link between biological sex and "self-conception as male and female""

Nashville Statement - Wikipedia

That's pretty much been the teaching of Christianity since the beginning.

Click to expand...

I believe The Nashville Statement spelled out the theological position of The Southern Baptist Convention and does not speak for all evangelicals though probably a lot if not most evangelicals would not have a problem with it.

Denominations that try to maintain doctrinal disciplines from time to time will add clarification to what the official position of the church is so that there is no question about it among the clergy, deacons, other church leaders.

The definition of marriage as anything other than the union of a man and woman forming a nucleus of a permanent family with the expectation that children would likely result from their union is a relatively new thing. Oh sure, there have been marriages for political and/or economic purposes throughout history, but ultimately for most practical purposes, it came down to mom, dad, and the kids as the way nature intended. At least until the late 20th Century.