Christian Personality David Barton Thinks USA Needs Missionaries To Proselytize Marriage
Please do not get hung up on whether or not Barton is lying about visiting Russia, speaking Russian, or smuggling Bibles, as the story below focuses on, because that is not why I am blogging about this story.
I am blogging about this because Barton apparently thinks being single is a sin, which is in direct contradiction to what the Bible teaches; the Bible nowhere states that being married is preferable or better than being single, or that being single is a sin, or that it is sinful or wrong to not get married until thus- and- so an age.
Check out the excerpts.
(Link): Experts Dispute David Barton’s Claims About Translating for the Russian National Gymnastics Team
Excerpts:
- April 10, 2015
- by
- Earlier this week, (Link): David Barton told his Wallbuilders Live co-host Rick Green that he once was fluent in Russian, was asked to translate for the Russian National Gymnastics Team in 1976 and smuggled Bibles into the Soviet Union “back in the day.” Here is the audio followed by the transcript:
- Transcript:
Barton: That’s right, and South Korea. South Korea, Nigeria, they’re sending missionaries to America like crazy. And of course, if I looked at the stats on America, yeah we’re number one in the world on violent crimes, yeah and promiscuity, sexuality yeah and out of wedlock births yeah and and lack of marriage yeah we need some missionaries here. We need somebody who can point us to the Bible…
Perhaps I am misunderstanding Barton’s comments, but it sounds to me as though he is equating adult singleness (“lack of marriage”) to being sinful, like violent crime is sinful, or promiscuity is sinful.
Please, David Barton, provide me with a Bible verse or teaching of Christ’s that says adult singleness, whether lifetime or not, is a sin.
You cannot find a single verse or teaching in the Bible where God frowns upon a person staying single, whether due to deliberate choice, or due to circumstance.
As a matter of fact, God moved the apostle Paul to write these words (link to Bible site) -that is, that Bible Barton thinks people need “pointing to” explains that singleness is actually superior to marriage:
- Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.
- …28 But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
Apostle Paul was apparently single. Are you saying that Paul is just as bad as a violent criminal or a promiscuous fornicator?
Jesus Christ never married, never had sex, and never had children. Were Jesus and Paul in sin for staying single?
No? Then why do you apply another set of standards to other Christians, and insist or imply other Christians are in sin if they stay single? Why are you equating adult singleness to promiscuity and violent crime?
And, by the way, there is no such thing as a “gift of singleness” or a “calling to singleness.”
Such teachings imply that God chooses and foreordains who will marry and who will not, when the New Testament explains marriage or singleness are personal decisions that God leaves up to each person, and God is fine with whatever choice a person goes with in this area.
I am insulted that this Christian writer and speaker dares to equate adult singleness to sexual promiscuity and other sins – God says in the Bible that he respects singleness and is fine with it. Who is Barton to teach otherwise?
Being married does not keep a person immune from sexual sin, nor will higher rates of marriage cut down on sexual sin.
I have many examples on my blog (link to my page of examples) of married people who commit adultery, married people who are into “wife swapping,” married men who are porn addicts, married men who have sex with horses, and married people who rape children – and many of these examples are of church-going, self-professing CHRISTIANS.
There is nothing inherent in being married that keeps a person safe from sexual sin.
The Bible does not say that people need to have missionaries speak to them to encourage them to get married, as though singles are in error for being single and need to be persuaded to “see the light” and convert to “marriage-ism”.
This Barton guy needs to apologize to adult singles everywhere for implying -and perhaps it was unintentional on his part, a poor choice of words – for equating celibate single adults to fornicators and violent criminals.
The Bible does not condemn singleness or celibacy; it celebrates both.
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Related Posts:
(Link): Family as “The” Backbone of Society? – It’s Not In The Bible
(Link): The Myth of the Gift – Regarding Christian Teachings on Gift of Singleness and Gift of Celibacy
(Link): Lies The Church Tells Single Women (by Sue Bohlin)
(Link): Statistics Show Single Adults Now Outnumber Married Adults in the United States (as of 2014)
(Link): The Christian and Non Christian Phenomenon of Virgin Shaming and Celibate Shaming
(Link): The Gift of Singleness – A Mistranslation and a Poorly Used Cliche’
(Link): The Nauseating Push by Evangelicals for Early Marriage
(Link): A Response by Colon to Regnerus Re: Misguided Early Marriage Propaganda
(Link): There is No Such Thing as a Gift of Singleness or Gift of Celibacy or A Calling To Either One
(Link): Singleness Is Not A Gift
(Link): Is Singleness A Sin? by Camerin Courtney
(Link): If the Family Is Central, Christ Isn’t
(Link): Singles Shaming at The Vintage church in Raleigh – Singlehood Shaming / Celibate and Virgin Shaming
(Link): P.T.S.D. is Not Biblical Says K. Copeland and Barton
(Link): Famous Evangelical (David Barton) Says Drinking Coffee is Destroying Marriage
(Link): Study: Couples Without Children Have Happier Marriages / Study: Having Kids Ruins Your Life
(Link): New ‘Christian Swingers’ Dating Site Offers Faithful Couples Chance to ‘Hookup’
(Link): Sex and Alzheimer’s – Selfish, Perverted Husband Rapes His Alzheimer’s Wife
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