I find it an abomination of scholarship when Rev. York and Pastor Johnson (Jan. 10 letters) try to defend regressive views on marriage with a text, the Bible, which not everyone subject to laws of marriage holds with integrity(polygamy). But for the sake of everyone looking to the Bible for answers, I find Johnson's characterization, that "The Biblical view of marriage is unanimously one man and one woman," to be false analysis.

In reference to polygamy, York says that "we must distinguish between what the Bible records and what it approves," citing Deuteronomy, the code by which the Israelites were to live. But Deuteronomy 21:15-17 says: "If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other" suggesting multiple wives are admissible, with the rest of the passage detailing firstborn rights between multiple wives. In Numbers 12:1-15, in light of Moses' polygamy, the Lord considered him a servant and "faithful in all my house."

In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." This requires advocating law which does not establish one man/one woman precedent (i.e. supporting polygamy). Either we must reject one man/one woman because Jesus supported Old Testament Law, or the Bible is an outdated moral code and we must all flock to York and Johnson, who esoterically know how God defines marriage. Because atheism makes too much sense.

Rev. Ryan Brady
Billings, Montana