Readers react to column about biblical marriage

Professor Warren Carter’s Sunday commentary (“The Bible does not prescribe only one model for marriage”) proves that you can get a professor to accept anything.

Because all sorts of marriages are mentioned in the Bible, he inferred that same-sex marriage is acceptable to Christ.

In doing so, he denies God’s Word in Genesis and ignores 1 Corinthians verses that discuss marriage in the context of a man and a woman.

The professor is out of line and not to be believed.

— Michael D. Dirmeier, Keller

Carter, in his misleading, deceptive and inaccurate commentary, sought to defend sodomite unions (“marriages”) in light of the Supreme Court’s unjust decision.

This misguided professor at Brite Divinity School wants us to believe that there are many different forms of “marriage” in the Bible.

Distorting Scripture to support an ungodly and perverse lifestyle is a terrible sin. May Carter repent and begin teaching rightly.

— Richard Hollerman, Fort Worth

My first thought led me to Romans 1:22, which states, “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.”

Anyone can take multiple Scriptures out of context and try to promote an agenda. This is a dangerous endeavor.

I choose to do as the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and study the Scriptures for myself. I do not need Carter’s misguided essay.

— Scott Royal, Fort Worth

Carter makes a semi-convincing argument against a strict definition of biblical marriage, citing various passages, mostly from the Old Testament.

He left out some authoritative statements in Matthew 19, where Jesus repeats God’s word: “A man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife” and “Whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

I don’t see much wiggle room there.

— Gene Gray, Fort Worth

As Carter correctly pointed out, marriages in the Bible do often differ significantly from contemporary understandings of marriage.

Unfortunately, he confuses provisions that exist to mitigate bad situations with fundamental principles, and so draws dubious conclusions.

Carter did not mention “God’s plan” in Genesis, where a man “leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife.” Jesus cited this in Matthew and Mark.

We should expect better from those who teach.

— Andrew Parker, North Richland Hills

Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the figurative account of creation, had God creating Adam and Eve.

For centuries, marriage was universally considered a special relationship between one man and one woman.

While there were indeed polygamist relationships reported in the Bible, these were ancient relationships of fact rather than models to be followed.

Our understanding of God’s will was made manifest in the firm Judeo-Christian 2,000-year-old belief in the marital relationship of one man and one woman.

To believe that Holy Scripture also approved of a hidden marital model stretches credulity.

— William Brown, Arlington

Warren Carter ignores basic principles of biblical interpretation.

He ignores that the Bible describes many things, including types of marriage, which may have been culturally sanctioned but still violated God’s original purpose. It appears Carter assumes “biblical” means anything described in the Bible.

In the marriage debate (and in theological discussions), “biblical” refers to what God intended, not what sinful people practiced. This is the same mistake made by those who argued that slavery was biblical or that interracial marriage is unbiblical.

It’s described, but not prescribed. Context, please!

— Terry Coy, Benbrook

I have failed to find the biblical reference to the prescription of same-sex marriages which Carter endorses. Did he do his exegesis on this matter? Where in the Bible are such marriages endorsed, prescribed, recommended, spoke lovingly of, or approved?

— Robert R. Kurz, Fort Worth

This story was originally published July 15, 2015 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Readers react to column about biblical marriage."