If there is one thing Christians should do in light of the Supreme Court ruling on Friday legalising same-sex marriage throughout the US, that should be having an earnest talk with their children about the controversial ruling, according to American evangelist Russell Moore.
"Make no mistake: you should talk to your children about this," Moore wrote on his blog. "No matter how you shelter your family, keeping your children from knowing about the Supreme Court's redefinition of marriage would take a 'Truman Show'-level choreography of their lives. That's not realistic, nor is it particularly Christian."
He said the Bible is not really as "antiseptic" as most Christians pretend it to be. More importantly, he said, the Bible does not shy away from addressing the complex issues of human life.
"If we are disciplining our children, let's apply the Scriptures to all of life. If we refuse to talk to our children about the reality of the world they live in, our children will assume we are unequipped to speak to it, and they'll eventually search out a world view that will," he said.
However, Moore said this does not mean children should be bombarded with information that they are not developmentally ready to process yet. Parents should talk about marriage itself, then give age-appropriate answers.
"There is no need to inform small children about all the sexual possibilities in graphic detail in order to get across that Jesus calls us to live as husbands and wives with fidelity and permanence and complementarity," he said.
And while there are some parents who fear that teaching their children about the issues surrounding same-sex marriage might promote homosexuality, Moore said sexual orientation does not work that way. In fact, if parents choose to remain mum about the matter, today's culture will still find a way to fill a child's questions about gay marriage.
He also reminded Christians to still show love to people who have opposing views about gay marriage. "You agree that they ought to be free from mistreatment or harassment," he said. "Don't ridicule or express hostility toward those who disagree. Don't give into panic or rage."
If children witness their parents showing outrage with regards to same-sex marriage as opposed to "Christ-like biblical conviction," then they might get the wrong idea and learn from wrong.
"When your children ask about the Supreme Court, be loving and winsome and honest and convictional and kind," he urged.
