Local pastors disagree on gay marriage issue

By Rob Golub

Monday, December 27, 2004 11:04 AM CST

RACINE - When you talk with two local pastors about a proposed state constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage, one opposed and one against, you start to see the dividing line.

For these men, it comes down to how you view scripture, and it creates a gulf as wide as the Grand Canyon.

The Rev. Patrick Faulk, family ministries pastor at Calvary Memorial Church, 4001 Washington Ave., said he probably takes scripture more literally than pastors who favor gay marriage.

He favors an amendment to ban gay marriage and he actually contacted state Sen. Cathy Stepp to urge her to support it. She is a co-sponsor, so he's getting what he wants.

The Rev. Tony Larsen, pastor at the Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, 625 College Ave., does not take scripture literally. He opposes the amendment.

First consider Faulk, who rejects any legal framework that would allow something like gay marriage. Faulk says passages in the Bible refer many times to marriage, indicating its

importance.

He points out that marriage between Adam and Eve is the first act after creation. It says in the Bible, in Genesis chapter two, "And they were both naked, the man and wife, and were not ashamed."

"We feel like the Bible as God's word is the inspired text that guides our lives," Faulk said. But he added, "I certainly don't want this to come across as that we hate or condemn anyone because we're all sinners and we have a loving God who wants to reach out and bring us to Himself."

While Faulk turns to the Bible to make his point, so does Larsen. For Larsen, difficult passages in the Bible are an indication that it must not be taken too literally.

"When people say we need Biblical marriage between one man and one woman that's not Biblical marriage," Larsen said. "Biblical marriage was between one man and as many women as he could afford."

Larsen points to the fourth chapter of Genesis, where "Lamech took two wives," and chapter 26, where Esau took two wives. Larsen says the Bible instructs a man to marry a woman he rapes in Deuteronomy chapter 22: "... and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her."

"I just wonder when people say (the Bible should be taken liberally) if they've read it very carefully. I think people who say that, I wish they would read it very carefully," Larsen said.

"Look at it as a testament of people's attempt to understand God," he suggested. "Some of it is inspiring. I don't think God created us with minds and then wanted us to ignore them."

Faulk said figures in the Bible in multiple marriages often live difficult lives and that's a sign. "You see the devastating impact of polygamy. When you don't follow God's plan, all kinds of problems ensue," he said.

It's a counter-argument, however, that people in multiple marriages in the Bible often live difficult lives because all people in the Bible often live difficult lives.

These arguments can go on and on and they will not be resolved in a newspaper article.

But we can say two intelligent men can read the same book and come to very different

conclusions.

"God's plan was for there to be one man and one woman," Faulk said. "There are a lot of people who feel that there's nothing wrong with homosexuals marrying. Their pastors feel that way as well. I don't personally agree with them but they have the right to believe that way."

"I want to see the day eventually where gay people have the same rights as everyone else," said Larsen, adding he knows there are many who disagree.

"That's what makes America great. We argue it out."

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