Sermon on the Mount supports gay civil unions, according to Obama
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount backs up same-sex civil unions, believes US presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
"I believe in civil unions that allow a same-sex couple to visit each other in a hospital or transfer property to each other," Obama said, referring to unions that provide all the legal benefits of marriage but the title, according to Christian Broadcasting Network.
"I don't think it should be called marriage, but I think that it is a legal right that they should have that is recognised by the state.
"If people find that controversial, then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans," the Democratic presidential candidate contends. "That's my view. But we can have a respectful disagreement on that."
Media agencies speculate that Obama was referring to Matthew 7:12: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you."
Obama was responding to a question posed by a local pastor during an appearance in Nelsonville, Ohio. Pastor Leon Forte had asked the candidate how he plans to win the support of evangelical voters who disagree with him on moral issues.
Not all Christians are happy with Obama's use of the Bible to defend gay civil unions, however.
Pastor John Barner, manager of pastoral care at Focus on the Family, said: "We are always saddened as evangelical Christians when others who identify themselves as Christians do not have the high view of Scripture that we believe is so important.As a matter of public policy, the best way to honour God's intention for marriage and human sexuality is to keep monogamous, heterosexual marriage privileged in law.
Denny Burk, professor of the New Testament at Criswell College in Dallas
"We believe isolated portions of Scripture should not be used to justify a personal preference or a social position that goes in a different direction than the overall message of Scripture."
The FOTF pastor said that Scripture is "pretty clear" in defining and affirming that marriage is "an exclusive, lifetime relationship between a man and a woman".
Like I have been saying you can make Scripture say anything you want it to say.
