Originally Posted By RoadTrip Jesus appeared to be rather asexual... I doubt He cared much about sexual orientation. Those is opposition to homosexuality always throw out stuff from the Old Testament... the section of the Bible that endorsed MANY ideas modern Christians find horrifying.
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn Matthew 5:17 (Jesus)"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. Leviticus 18:22 (God)“Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable."
Originally Posted By utahjosh I disagree with the bible interpretation mrkthompsn is putting forth. My belief that homosexual behavior is a sin comes from latter-day prophets, not the old testament.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Just a point of theological order for those to whom it matters: The Leviticus code applies to observant Jews, and describes what is allowed or forbidden to Jews, but no one else. Even at the time, this was so. Turn the page from the Leviticus passage mrkthompsn quotes, and it says you mustn't eat shellfish. It uses the same word in Hebrew (translated in KJ as "abomination," now "detestable" in some American versions) to describe them both. And it says both are "TO’EBAH," which means ritually unclean to Jews, but not forbidden to anyone else. (e.g. neither ancient nor modern Jews think it's wrong for non-Jews to eat pork.) So catch that again: that Leviticus passage that is always used against us and that mrkthompsn would like to use against us now describes it as something ritually unclean for Jews, but not forbidden to anyone else. It does NOT use the Hebrew word for mortal sin. Most Christians simply do not know this. Of course, we don't live in a theocracy to begin with, but I'm always amazed how many Bible-quoters have really no idea what they're quoting.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Gay sex, detestable. Dashing babies against rocks to kill them, capturing young girls to keep as concubines after committing genocide on their families, a-okay. Forcing girls to marry the man who rapes them is a good thing as long as they pay some money to the girl's father is preferred. I'm becoming less and less interested in living my life according to pastoral Bronze Age standards.
Originally Posted By utahjosh <Oh brother, it's getting c-c-c-crazy in here.> I believe in God. I believe he speaks to prophets still this day. Call me crazy, I don't care.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I don't put much stock in what "prophets" over the ages have said, and consider Jesus to be MUCH MORE than just another prophet... He is the son of God. If I take anything away from the Old Testament it is the 10 Commandments, and I see nothing there about homosexuality. The closest it comes is talking about adultery, and I believe that applies equally to heterosexual and homosexual unions... if you are in a committed relationship you should remain faithful. That is all.
Originally Posted By ecdc The God some people believe in is a total tool. Why on earth would I want to spend eternity with such an insecure, vindictive, hateful creature?
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Never trust a preacher who wears an expensive watch, or any person who tells you "God told me to tell you.."
Originally Posted By mawnck >>Why on earth would I want to spend eternity with such an insecure, vindictive, hateful creature?<< Colder beer than the alternative?
Originally Posted By TomSawyer In Heaven there is no beer Which is why we drink it here And when we're all gone from here Our friends will be drinking all the beer One of my favorite hymns.
Originally Posted By doombuggy Always love when people quote from their book of fairy tales. A book that says the world was populated by way of incest and inbreeding. "and god so loved the earth he made flipper babies"
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance The bible has special magical powers. Every person can individually pick and choose what they want to believe. And it'll automatically make the things they want to believe true, and those they think are not true, won't be.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Always love when people quote from their book of fairy tales. A book that says the world was populated by way of incest and inbreeding. "and god so loved the earth he made flipper babies">> Being so dismissive of people's belief that the Bible has some value is just as narrow-minded as conservatives dismissing the right of gay people to marry. Just saying... Do I believe in a literal translation of the Bible? Of course not... it contradicts itself in too many places to allow for that. Do I believe that taken in its entirely it has some value? Yes, I do.
Originally Posted By doombuggy I instantly thought of Alice trying to explain to her cat how her world would work. “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”
Originally Posted By doombuggy "Being so dismissive of people's belief that the Bible has some value is just as narrow-minded as conservatives dismissing the right of gay people to marry." Not when they use that believe to dictate to me or any one else what they can and can not do.