Comparing different translations of Isaiah 7:14
So, we're going to discuss some issues that have become very sensitive in the last few decades, and some may ask "why do you care"? I care, because God's law is above men's laws.
In the 1800s, politicians spoke of the twin relics of barbarism, slavery and polygamy. Some politicians were very clear that these should be outlawed, as they were thought (correctly) to hurt the social order.
Now, we have our own pillars of barbarism. Gay "marriage" and transgenderism. I've always been a bit baffled how the same people who think can you change your gender on a daily basis (that's not hyperbole: see: "gender fluid"), can support gay marriage. What even is gay marriage if gender is a manmade concept? (It isn't).
I suppose we should start with the transgender issue first, as it's the one that I think is more pressing. If you have students in high school or college (and, honestly, even younger than that), they've unfortunately been exposed to this barbarism.
The first thing to note, is that barring a few very rare exceptions, you're either male or female. (The rare exceptions, intersex people, are NOT the same as transgender. They have no control over it). This is how the Bible puts it, "So God created man is his own image; in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them".
Okay, so, where does that say you can choose your gender on a daily basis? It doesn't. And before someone says, "You support transgender baptism", yes, and I even explained where I stand on that. (It's like y'all don't trust God)
My point is this, transgenderism is anti-science, anti-nature, and most importantly, anti-biblical.
You can throw verses at me all day long, but, you aren't going to find a single verse that supports transgenderism.
Now, with regards to gay "marriage", I have heard more times than I care to count, that "Jesus never said marriage was between one man and one woman". Actually, he did.
"And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, 'Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?' tempting him. And he answered, and said unto them, 'What did Moses command you? And they said, 'Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder".
And, in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he saith unto them, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery." (Mark 10:2-12)
Sometimes I'll hear people say that "you Christians oppose gay marriage, but you don't oppose divorce. Umm, yes, I do. I believe marriage should be (and is) for life. It's (generally, as natural marriages are a thing) a lifelong sacramental monogamous relationship between one man and one woman.
So, why do I care?
Because God's laws are above man's laws. I care because we must both evangelize and be evangelized. (How not to evangelize (unhelpful evangelization) (How should we evangelize?) The Bible has already shown me the answer to these things. I can not in good conscience support them. These are children of God, loved by God. The best thing for us to do as Christians, is to love them. It's not a sin to tell someone they're sinning. (Sometimes, we're supposed to judge)
*All verses are from the King James Version.