Fifty Years of Bad Decisions


Fifty years ago the Supreme Court forbad Bible reading and prayer in schools, paving the way for the near-total secularization of our American worldview. Like dominoes falling, that led to subsequent Supreme Court decisions legalizing the destruction of pre-born children and, this week, of the legalization of same-sex marriages.

This week’s ruling wasn’t a surprise; we’ve had fifty years to anticipate it. It may eventually cause serious problems, both financially and legally, for churches like mine and for ordained ministers like me, as there is now a basis for federal pressure to be exerted on those who don’t adhere to the law of the land.

We love our gay and lesbian neighbors, and our opposition to same-sex marriage isn’t grounded in hatred or fear. But we stand on the authority of the Word of God, which defines marriage and limits sexuality to a covenant relationship between one man and one woman; and we’re committed to obeying God rather than man. As for me as a minister, I will never conduct, condone, or officiate same-sex marriage. But I will do all in my power to help give the world healthy examples of biblical homes with fathers, mothers, and children who love God and are devoted to each other.