Mr, Harper, are you kissing another man's wife?

Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party say that they represent the party that supports traditional marriage. Stephen Harper is a self-identified Christian and many of his MP's speak eloquently about their faith. They brought their own family Bibles when they were sworn into office and on an ongoing basis speak about what their faith means to them. Many of them have publicly shared that they see same sex marriage as an attack on marriage and something that will cause the disintegration of marriage.

We should all be concerned about the disintegration of marriage and we need not look any further than our church family. We will see people who are known only to the world by the fruits of their faith who are engaging in premarital sex, have had one or more divorces, who have re-married when biblical teaching forbades that in the vast majority of circumstances, and who are living a life that doesn't reflect biblical teachings. The Bible is so clear that God hates divorce and that the civil act of divorce does not nullify a union joined by God.

Statistics regularly show that the impact of divorce on children is dramatic, as stressful as the death of a parent. Statistics also show that in addition to the emotional trauma of their parents separating as parents reunite with new lovers their children are put at higher risk of abuse. Step-parents and/or more casual boyfriend/girlfriends of their parents pose a greater likelihood of abusing them sexually, physically, or emotional than their biological parent did. It is unexplainable to me given the condition of marriage in the Christian church that we feel that we are in a position to so vigorously criticize same sex marriage. Our own church family is not representing the image of God-intended marriage to the world. I'm not sure why secular people unattached to the church should have to do a better job than we are!

How richly ironic that the very leader of the party which professes to have such a strong commitment to traditional Christian marriage is legally married to someone who was already married. According to orthodox Christian teachings remarriage constitutes adultery. A remarriage is not a model to the world of a Covenant marriage that reflects the teachings of the Harper's own Ottawa church. http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/religions/engraph/religions07_e.asp
Those teachings say that except under extraordinary circumstances remarriage is not permitted. People are considered married to their first spouse as a divorce is a civil act which does not negate a covenant.

Mr. Harper may be a better alternative than the NDP or the Liberals. He may be the best Prime Minister in world history but he can honestly and credibly profess to be an advocate for traditional marriage. He doesn't have one himself. He no more represents covenant marriage to the world than two gay men do.

The Conservative Party of Canada needs to be duly cautious when they start to evaluate who is and who is not living up to the biblical standards of traditional marriage in the community and who is and who is not entitled to a legal marriage. While, clearly, there is a sound biblical argument against gay marriage and the church would be well within their rights not to marry a same sex couple asking to be wed in the church and to share with their congregation the views of the bible on matters of faith and family there is also a very sound biblical reason to say, "Mr. Harper, are you kissing another man's wife?"