One of the primary Christian arguments against same sex marriage is the Genesis creation account. You may have heard phrases along the lines of "It was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!"
But while I'm a Christian, and a fairly conservative one at that, I find a number of problems with this bit of scripture as a defense of traditional marriage.
Adam and Eve were not "married" as far as Biblical accounts are concerned. Their bond was something that is not really comparable, or comprehensible, to what we have now. For one thing, it reads like the first instance of successful human cloning, which appears to go completely against a properly ordered procreative union. Plus they were the only humans available, which meant there wasn't any aspect of choice. So it seems to me that we can't really use them as the model for marriage.
As a procreation model yes, but not as a marriage model.
In contrast, the Bible as a whole is
the model. It concentrates on fidelity. Trust. Love. Covenant. Forgiveness. Generosity.
But back to marriage. Given that Adam and Eve can't really be the model we have to look at later scriptures. And unfortunately, marriages are rarely healthy and whole in the Bible. Most of the accounts show a lot of brokenness. The exceptions are few; the Song of Songs being one of them, and a beaut at that. Mary and Joseph being another one, but that relationship was chaste and therefore also not really comparable.
I think that God uses the broken accounts to contrast His own marriage with us, as described in the Song and in Revelation. The fullness of relationship. The true wedding supper fulfilled. True fidelity, in all ways.
Adam and Eve? Not so much. The first couple is immediately dysfunctional. They don't communicate, they blame each other for joint mistakes, they are homeless, and just look at what happens to their kids.
Not exactly a great model for marriage.
As Christian's we'll have too look harder.
