Defenders of Faith and Family: People You Need to Know

It has been four days since the Supreme Court struck down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This landmark decision will have implications for decades to come, and consequently, there has been no end to the legal analysis, cultural commentary, and prophetic predictions since Wednesday's decision. This dialogue is exhausting, but also necessary. Christians (pastors and parishioners) need to be informed and equipped to handle this judicial decision and the implication it will have on state laws and America's public perception of those defending traditional marriage. One of the most alarming aspects of the court's decision was Justice Kennedy's language that essentially described opponents of same sex marriage as "enemies of the human race" (language used by Justice Scalia in his dissenting remarks). Due to the centrality of marriage for gospel witness, not to mention societal stability, this fight for marriage is going to continue for sometime. It should. In this heated conversation, its worth asking, "Who is a helpful voice? A voice advocating biblical wisdom, not just partisan politics?"  Since, not every voice is equally helpful, it might be helpful to know the names of a few defenders of traditional marriage that you can continue to listen to.  Maybe you already have your luminaries, but if not, let me commend a few to you. Russell Moore. For the last few days, Russell Moore, the newly appointed President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee has provided some of the most helpful commentary and usable resources. Some of these resources include the following:

The ERLC's Bulletin Insert on the Supreme Court Decision The Gospel Coalition's audio interview with Russell Moore. How should same sex marriage change the church's witness? How Should you explain the same sex marriage debate to your children? Ryan Anderson. Ryan is the William E. Simon Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, editor of Public Discourse, and co-author of What is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense. Here is a selection of his responses (HT: First Things) “Marriage, the Court, and Where We Go From Here,” Daily Caller “Supreme Court’s Mixed Decision on Marriage,” Heritage Foundation (also available at NRO) “Four Questions for Ryan T. Anderson,” New York Times “Supreme Court Got It Wrong on Gay Marriage,” CNN “The Supreme Court, You, Me, and the Future of Marriage,” Public Discourse (with Sherif Girgis and Robert P. George) See also, “Ryan Anderson’s Uphill Fight to Change Young Minds on Marriage”. R. Albert Mohler. President of Southern Seminary is seasoned voice on this matter, and his written publications and daily news programs, The Briefing, on hiatus for July, is one of the best places to keep up with all the latest legal activity on this subject.  Here are his last two episodes of The Briefing. "Waiting for the Other Shoe--The Supreme Court Rules on Same Sex Marriage" The Briefing (June 27, 2013) The Briefing (June 28, 2013) Owen Strachan and The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. CBMW is a ministry committed to defending and declaring all that Scripture says about gender, sexuality, and the goodness of what it means to be made in the image of God. In recent days, CBMW has ramped up its web presence and continues to provide helpful articles on manhood, womanhood, and the debate raging in the public square.  Let me encourage you to tune in to their 'channels,' and to engage with Owen on these matters.  Here is a portion of his statement:

The decisions of the Supreme Court on this momentous day are not encouraging in light of the clear teaching of Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:3-6, Romans 1:26-27, and Ephesians 5:22-33. With many thousands of evangelical churches across denominational and geographic lines, we at CBMW understand marriage to be a picture of the gospel, a display of cosmic complementarity and union between Christ and his bride, the church. Every marriage– the loving union of a man and a woman per Genesis 2–is, whether consciously or unconsciously, a living embodiment of this relationship.

To define marriage in any other way is to do great damage to this institution and to disobey Almighty God. Per Romans 13, no government possesses the authority to contravene or redefine God’s law. . .

From a posture of courage, and out of love for our neighbor in fulfillment of the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39; Luke 10:27), CBMW will continue to champion biblical and traditional marriage. We encourage every Christian and church to do the same.

Denny Burk. Denny is a professor of biblical studies at Boyce College and a prolific blogger who offers a regular stream of updates on legal and moral challenges that face the church. More importantly, his forthcoming book, What is the Meaning the Sex? is going to be a definitive biblical statement on what God's word says about sex, marriage, homosexuality, and all other areas of sexual ethics. Here are two helpful posts that sum up the significance of this decision and how it relates to religious liberty. Enemies of the State (commentary on Justice Anthony Scalia's dissenting comments) Gay Marriage and the Eclipse of Religious Liberty Admittedly, this list is  narrow. Each man (save Anderson) is a Southern Baptist and a friend. But they are some of the leading voices on this subject. Let me encourage to tune into If there are others that you would recommend, please let me know. Soli Deo Gloria, dss