NGU professor debates Christian marriage issues
Posted by The Skyliner on February 3rd, 2010Jody Franklin
Staff Writer
Lisa Van Riper, along with other NGU professors, spend their time glorifying God through their ability to debate. (photo by Gabe Franco)
“It’s bigger than just losing a debate,” Lisa Van Riper, director of political science, said. “This debate can determine whether America regards the Bible as the word of God or as just another book.”
Van Riper is a professor as well as the head of the honors program at North Greenville University. She has recently devoted long hours to preparing, researching, debating and praying for a national committee. This national committee’s goal was to find a solution on “issues of civil union and Christian marriage.”
Van Riper was asked to be a part of a committee called the 219th General Assembly (2010) Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) in December 2008. She accepted this challenge to stand up for God’s word, which she believes to be her duty as a firm believer in Jesus Christ.
The General Assembly had five committees. Each committee was assigned a theological topic on marriage and gay rights to debate and discuss. Van Riper’s committee was assigned “The effects of current laws on same-gender partners and their children.” Although this committee was comprised of both liberals and conservatives, Van Riper thought it to be unbalanced. During the debate, she said that logical and simple truths from the word of God were defeated too often.
To prepare for this debate, Van Riper read more than 3,000 pages, wrote a 33-page response and lost much sleep throughout the debate.
Van Riper was not the only professor from NGU preparing for the debate. NGU Christian studies professors Jeff Rankin, Donny Mathis and Curtis Horn provided her with history on Greek words from the Bible’s original text. They also provided Van Riper with scripture that clearly states that marriage is between a man and a woman.
Other people involved in the general assembly, however, believed differently. Van Riper explained that the opposing views contradicted the word of God.
The outcome of this committee will not be known until early March, but Van Riper, along with two evangelical conservatives, used research and belief in the word of God to demonstrate that a child needs a mother and father to develop into a healthy adult. She said that, regardless of the outcome of this committee, she has a clear conscience because she knows she has served God in this debate to the best of her ability.
Tags: Spring 2010, Vol. 110 - Issue 2