On Larry King Live last night San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom participated in a panel discussion on gay marriage, which included my former pastor in Los Angeles, John MacArthur. This exchange went to the core of the debate:

NEWSOM: The point is some of these arguments, they’re reminiscent. With respect to the pastor, I just, you know, I’m a practicing Catholic. I got married in the church two plus years. I don’t see what we’re doing in terms of advancing the bond of love and monogamy and extending that to family, families of same-sex in any way, shape or form takes away anything from the church or the sanctity of the union that my wife and I have.

MACARTHUR: I would just like to ask the mayor as a practicing Catholic, do you believe the Bible is the word of God?

NEWSOM: Pastor, I’m not going to get into a theological debate with you.

MACARTHUR: That’s not a theological debate. That’s just a straight question, do you believe the Bible is the authoritative word of God?

NEWSOM: With respect, I guess I do. Now the response.

MACARTHUR: Then the Bible says when God created man, he said one man, one woman, cleave together, for life. That’s a family. Jesus in the New Testament reaffirms that, all of the writers of the Old and New Testament affirm it. Adultery, bestiality, homosexuality was punishable by death according to the Old Testament law because it was so serious in those early years because it literally shattered the hope of civilization. The New Testament us, of course, grace, those sins, our sins, they are forgivable. Jesus died to redeem us from those sins. We’re all sinners.

KING: What does the state have to do with it?

MACARTHUR: But the point at this juncture is he’s representing the state, he’s coming back and saying I’m a Catholic, and I’m a Catholic and somehow this fits into my Catholicism and I’m saying what’s your authority then?

NEWSOM: I guess the bottom line is we’re living and advancing together across all kinds of differences, pastor. It is an extraordinary, miraculous thing to come out here in San Francisco and I think the world looks to us to see that it’s possible to live together and advance together across our differences, and I’m proud to represent a city that has diverse points of view, open points of view, that doesn’t believe in discrimination and has evolved from the old constructs that I think have frankly held back society and many that are inconsistent, yes, with your faith and I respect the difference of opinion.

What the mayor ignores is that, despite the wonderfulness of San Francisco’s diversity and differences, it is a notoriously non-monogamous homosexual-friendly kinda town, with the highest rates of HIV infection. Introducing same-sex marriage will not eliminate the non-monogamous nature of the culture, much as the gay movement would like you to believe. After all, wouldn’t married homosexuals be even more consenting to alternative sexual behavior?

John MacArthur noted earlier in the discussion that it is the state’s responsibility to protect the public good, especially healthwise. Same-sex marriage puts a stamp of approval on immoral behavior that harms the public good.

Newsom’s “(evolution) from the old constructs” have not “held back society,” but have unleashed society on a destructive course.