On Tuesday, the launch of a new group called Evangelicals for Marriage Equality has attracted much publicity. Evangelicals for Marriage Equality, or EME, promotes the ideal that marriage is a civil right that should be guaranteed for all members of society, no matter their sexual disposition.
The statement of belief posted by EME states, “As Evangelicals for Marriage Equality, we believe you can be a devout, Bible-believing evangelical and support the right of same-sex couples to be recognized by the government as married. Our commitment to following Christ leads us to speak out for equal treatment under the law for others—whether or not they share our religious convictions.”
EME is comprised of young Christians who claim, “Regardless of whether we believe that God views these relationship or sinful or not, our particular Christian definition of marriage shouldn’t dictate the definition of marriage in a pluralistic and religiously diverse society such as ours,” according to an opinion editorial on TIME from EME spokesperson Brandon Robertson.
However, other Christian groups and individuals have met EME’s views with criticism and disagreement.
In a response to the opinion editorial by Robertson, Andrew T. Walker (Director of Policy Studies for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention) wrote an opinion editorial of his own on TIME.
He writes, “Arguments like we see from Evangelicals for Marriage Equality aren’t persuasive. Filled with rhetorical flourishes, they pull at our heartstrings, but they don’t actually make coherent arguments—either theologically or on matters related to public policy. They refuse to answer the lingering questions that plague gay marriage proponents.”
Walker continues, “Why am I a Millennial evangelical who ardently beliefs that Christians should hold fast to the biblical definition of marriage—a definition that countless societies and countless non-religious thinkers have all held to? Because I love my neighbor. I can’t sit idly by as the basic social unit of civilization is redefined before my very eyes. If the Bible teaches anything, it teaches that the family is building block of society. When we distances ourselves from this truth, we change society—and not for the better.”
In addition, Christianity Today, Relevant Magazine, and World Magazine declined requests by EME to use an advertisement promoting its organization. According to EME’s website, Christianity Today told EME, “The reason is that the ad advocates a position that we have editorialized against.”
Another post by EME explains brief reasons for the rejection by the other two Christian publication (as well as the ad itself) and then explains, “It’s not our intention to shame these three magazines: All three serve and exist within an evangelical culture that’s not currently conducive to frank conversations about a hot button topic like marriage equality. It’s our intent to change that.”
