Finally, our state gets brave.

I know that something like this is probably a long way off from making it to the ballot boxes in a lot of states, but in Kansas, I was expecting this a long time ago. It finally looks like it will happen.

You're wondering right now what I'm talking about, right? I'll give the quote from the Associated Press:

"Jan. 27-- A proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in Kansas now goes to the full House for debate.

A House committee endorsed the measure on a voice vote today following two days of hearings. The Senate has already voted to put the measure on a future statewide ballot. House Speaker Doug Mays says his chamber will debate the measure early next week. Approval by two-thirds of the House would clear the way for Kansas voters to decide on the proposed amendment.

The measure bars the state from recognizing marriages or civil unions between two people of the same sex."

Now, if this measure is put to the citizens to vote on, I'm fairly certain it would pass. I don't know how you feel about this issue, but this is what I believe: Gay marriages and relationships go against what God has taught us in His Word. Being homosexual is a result of the condition we are born into called sin. Simply being attracted to members of the same sex is not the problem; it's acting upon the urges to be physically involved with someone of the same sex that's the problem.

I don't know whether it's something that people just realize over time that they are, like being good at sports or something. Nature versus nurture? I'm not sure. I really don't think that people who are already in the gay community would want to try to convince "straight" people to be gay because they know the kind of reactions they get, the kind of discrimination that occurs. But none of that really matters.

Marriage is something that was instituted by God as being for one man and one woman to behold, not two men or two women. If God had wanted homosexuality to be acted upon, don't you think he would have said so? Instead, he speaks against it.

Right now, the Evangelical *Lutheran* (cough) Church in America is struggling with the decision to ordain actively open homosexual ministers. That's something that our Synod would never do (unless it keeps getting more and more liberal, ignoring what Scripture tells us).

We're taught to "repent" of our sins. True repentance includes not only recognizing that we're sinners in need of God's help, but also the willingness to make a change so that we don't continue doing what we're doing in sin. Just like alcoholics who want to recover must acknowledge that they have a problem and ask for help, it does them no good if they keep drinking. If they do, they'll never be true penitants. Repentance reqires action. Just as alcoholics must commit to giving up alcohol, homosexuals, if they are truely repentant of their condition, must commit to giving up acts which God does not condone, i.e. relations with those of the same sex.

If you're truly sorry for your sin, you do what you can to avoid doing it in the future. You commit yourself to God, ask for his forgiveness and his guideance, and you stop doing what displeases him and makes your life the devil's playground.

I'm glad that Kansas will get to vote on a same-sex marriage ban. And I'm positive (based on surveys shown on the local news) that it will pass. I'm thinking that only those who wish to continue in their sin and those who don't know any better will be the ones voting against the ban. Hey, this isn't called the "Bible Belt" for nothing!