The Reformation and Our Cultural Shift

There is no denying that fact that values have shifted.  I was reminded of that again last week when I read the results of a new survey done by the Barna Group.  For decades, they have been tracking our national stance on traditional marriage.  This report compared current public opinion with that of ten years ago in 2003.  The most recent research was done during the last two weeks in June.  For the first time, less than half of Americans (48%) view marriage as limited to the relationship between one man and one woman.  That is 4% less than the 52% in 2003.  There was a slight decline in the number of practicing Protestants who support traditional marriage, 70% as opposed to 75% in 2003.  The most shocking statistic for me was the number of practicing Catholics who support same-sex marriage.  It almost mirrors that of the general population, 50% compared to 64% in 2003.

I had a theory but I was reluctant to share it because, to be quite honest, it might offend some folks. Then over lunch after church yesterday I was shared the information with our son, Mark.  I purposely just told him about the report, not my theory.  His response mirrored my mine.  It's a result of the Reformation.  Protestants not only spend more time reading their Bibles, but they also tend to take God's Word literally.  This isn't saying that Catholic are less spiritual, only that Protestants tend to hold to more traditional views when it comes to moral and ethical issues.  Let there be no doubt that the Vatican supports traditional marriage.  It's just that the message doesn't always trickle down.  The whole point of the Reformation was to reform the church.  It began with putting the Bible into the hands of people, allowing them to read it and grow from it.  When that happens, lives are changed not because someone says they should but because "Thus says the Lord." 

I believe in traditional marriage.  I also maintain that our laws should reflect that. Granting more freedom to gays and lesbians runs counter to God's desire.  That does not mean I want them to be excluded from God's family.  Jesus died for all people, that includes me and all the baggage that I carry.  There are no degrees of sin, "for all fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  I think that we, as descendants of the reformers, have done an OK job when it comes to preserving traditional values.  We, however, have a long way to go when it comes to practicing Grace-filled living.