Level 4
Statement Against Heterosexual Marriage Only
The Grand Rapids East Report
Statement: Science Offers Insights Into Same-Sex Marriages
The Grand Rapids East Report brings out a very good point with respect to the Reformed faith and science. This matter is not entirely the same as the question concerning exchanging desires, did it occur earlier at the Fall or does it take place in the present. However, this matter of science as it deals with genetics etc. is closely related to that and does take up a fair amount of the 2016 report’s attention. One of the report’s statements is as follows, “Our tradition, historically, has attended to the natural and social sciences and to other means the Holy Spirit sometimes uses to prompt and to guide reinterpretations of Scripture.”
.
Response
It is worthwhile at this point to ask the question what kinds of results from the sciences could cause us to question the historic understanding of the Bible’s definition of marriage?
It might be helpful at this point to review a valid example from history of when science caused the church to change its understanding of something. In the 1600s Galileo challenged the church’s position that the sun rotated around the earth. The church adamantly maintained the Bible teaches that the sun rotates around the earth. In this regard they cited passages such as Joshua 10:13, “The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.”
Galileo, however, using telescopes was able to observe the movement of the heavenly bodies relative to each other. With these scientific tools he was able to observe the fact that the earth orbits the sun, not vice versa.
What kinds of things might science reveal that would bring the historic understanding of marriage into question? I suppose one such possibility would be if genetics could somehow show that some peoples’ make-up, which predisposes them to same-sex attraction, was in existence before the Fall. I’m not sure how that could be realized, but science has accomplished the unthinkable on more than one occasion in the past.
In order for science to benefit current discussions of same-sex marriage it would have to bring some such realities, truths to the table. Has science done that?
It might be helpful to note here as well that the example involving Galileo involves truths about the physical universe. The matter of same-sex marriage is a matter of morals. At the least, it would probably be more difficult for science to provide insights into moral matters than it is for science to enlighten us about physical objects around us.
You are invited to post your comments below – thank you!