Newsweek ran a controversial cover story last week on The Religious Case for Gay Marriage. In the article author Lisa Miller attempted to make the case that the Bible actually argues for gay marriage rather than against it. Here is a roundup of reasoned Christian responses from around the web.
Al Mohler – Turning the Bible on its Head
Newsweek could have offered its readers a careful and balanced review of the crucial issues related to this question. It chose another path — and published this cover story. The magazine’s readers and this controversial issue deserved better.
Christianity Today – Looking for a ‘Serious’ Conversation
While we do not expect Newsweek to excel in theological or biblical argument, we do expect that respected magazine to practice good journalism—like presenting the actual arguments of one’s opponents, and being fair to the context of quoted sources. Neither of these things happened in Lisa Miller’s piece.
Darrel Bock – Journalistic Integrity, the Bible, and Marriage
It is disappointing when a cover article in a news magazine becomes an advocacy piece that really does not engage its opposition fairly. That is certainly the case with the Newsweek opening on gay marriage. Lisa Miller begins her “report” with … selective use of the Bible … What is missing here is precisely what reporters are taught to provide, context.
Robert Gagnon – More than “Mutual Joy” (23 page response!)
Religious proponents of gay marriage routinely ignore or twist the major arguments in Scripture and philosophy against homosexual practice. The cover story by Religion Editor Lisa Miller in the Dec. 15, 2008 issue of Newsweek, wholeheartedly endorsed by Managing Editor Jon Meacham, is a perfect case in point.
John Mark Reynolds – Obvious Truth: The Bible Supports Traditional Marriage
It is stunningly implausible that modern readers at places like Newsweek have discovered that the Bible teaches exactly the opposite of what almost all readers at all times have found in it. Those who have read the Bible seriously over long periods of time come to amazingly similar conclusions about what God wants in marriage. We have had centuries to try out many different ideas and test them against the text of the Bible and experience. Only traditional marriage has stood the test of time and reality.
On Faith (Bottum, Reynolds, Porter) – No Case for Homosexuality in Bible
In the latest issue of Newsweek, editor Jon Meacham explains: “To argue that something is so because it is in the Bible is more than intellectually bankrupt–it is unserious, and unworthy of the great Judeo-Christian tradition.” Indeed, he continues, “this conservative resort to biblical authority is the worst kind of fundamentalism.” Curiously, he intends this as a defense of Lisa Miller’s cover story, which announces that we should approve homosexual marriage because the Bible tells that Jesus would want us to. On any plane of argument, the contradiction would appear stunning.
Carl Trueman – Newsweek on Gay Marriage
Behold the future. The piece is prophetic because … challenges such as this are clearly going to be coming thick and fast. I grew up in some ways as the hidebound, unthinking traditionalist on sexual morality at which Ms Miller takes aim: everyone knew homosexuality was wrong (even if only from a basic anti-gay bigotry), and so there was no need to mount arguments against it either in the church or the wider society. That is not the world of my children. They need to be given reasons as to why their gay friends are following a lifestyle that is sinful. And those reasons need to be well-thought out, calm, and articulated with a Christian grace and love.
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