Leviticus and homosexuality?

Question

Leviticus says homosexuality is wrong. My question is this... Doesn't Leviticus also say a child who swears at his or her own parent shall be put to death? Why is one taken literally, and not the other?

To Will (who apparently doesn't understand the definition of homosexuality)...

Leviticus 20:13 states:

"If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."

Answer 1

Good question...of course the answer is christians use only the parts of the bible they like. Everything else is "not meant to be taken literally".

Answer 2

I'm not gay, but I don't discriminate.

Just as a man and woman can **** eachother and leave eachother the next morning, so can two males or two females.

It is the act of "making love" a desicration of that which is a primal virtue of god that Leviticus speaks against.

So rough bum sex, through natural or unnatural methods is allowed. If it is any way sensual, or in a loving fashion... than guess what?

By law, and practice of religion we are allowed to set-up a mass of people in the middle of New york city and chop their heads off. Letting their blood be upon their own heads.

..or he means blood on the head of their penises, and I don't even want to talk about that.. Perhaps it is why god created AIDS. I am a AIDSophobic, I'll beat up a kid with a ten foot stick before I have to care for it. Yeah you heard me, I call the child IT.

Now give me the damned best answer award for 10 points.

Answer 3

"No - Leviticus does not say that the child should be put to death. That is a misunderstanding of the text."

Does anyone else get tired of statements like this in which people say, "That's out of context" or "That's not what it means" and then fail to back it up by then explaining what the context or meaning "really" is?

That's really all I have to say... I agree with you, and the example of children being put to death is only one of dozens of OT laws ranging from dumb to dangerous... most of which are NEVER followed today, unless the consensus of Christianity just doesn't like it. After all, you have to admit that "I don't like it" is a perfect reason to say something is wrong or even illegal... right?

Answer 4

Yeah, the Lev also says if you have sex with your lady during "that time of the month," you must be banished. And you ABSOLUTELY MUST drain all the blood out of an animal before you butcher and eat it.

I'm a lifelong resident of the Bible belt, and I can testify to the fact that you TOTALLY get to pick and choose which verses of the Rule Book you want to take literally and which ones you can kind of blur your eyes over. Basically, the ones you insist on being literal are the ones that confirm your own prejudices. It's a pretty cool system, when you think about it. The Bible's more customizable than a Dell. But not as flammable!

Answer 5

I've asked this question. The answer is:
1. Homosexuals are not put to death in christian countries (these days). Children are not put to death for cursing their parents.

2. There are other verses in the New Testament that claim homosexuality is wrong but do not call for a punishment. Bear in mind these are quotes from Paul, who also told women to stay silent in the church and if they would learn anything, learn it from their husbands at home.

Aside: Gotta love those who claim the NT re-writes the rules of the OT. Ask any fundamentalist about how the Earth came into being and they quote OT. Ask any of these people who made the world and they quote OT. Essentially what they are saying is they cherry-pick the Bible for their religion. Their religion 'conveniently' reflects their own prejudices.

Answer 6

In the old testament is like this: Sin and consequence. Jesus came to change that. A child swearing by his mother or father is still sinning but the punishment is not the same anymore. Same as a person being homosexual, he/she is still sinning but doesn't have to be discriminated or killed. When someone decides to follow Jesus, as a result he will want to get away from sin more and more: the homosexuals from homosexuality and the children from swearing.

Answer 7

It says in the New Testament that homosexuality is wrong, however it doesn't say that a child who curses his parents shall be put to death. With the age of grace and the writing of the N.T. the rules of the O.T. were thrown off, I wish you would do more studing before making these acusations.

Answer 8

Most people don't use the Leviticus Scriptures referring to sexual immorality as the major factor when saying homosexuality is wrong. There are places in the New Testament where it is talked about, and that is where people start saying it is wrong.

Answer 9

You are comparing a sin with a punishment for a sin. Cant do that. According to the bible dishonoring your parents and homosexuality are sins. Putting someone to death for something like (dishonoring parents) was more so used as a deterrent, not an actual punishment.

Answer 10

OK, I feel I have to put my two cents in. This is true that the Old Testament talked about stoning children for certain things. It also tells us to stone people for many other things and talked about stoning prostitutes.

In hebrew, the translation for the original word for homosexuality meant a perversion, not litterally homosexuality as talked about these days. Even if it did mean that, here is one thing to consider.

Jesus came to die and rise again so that ANYONE who believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus came and told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. He said to love one another. His entire life, Jesus talked about LOVE. He never spoke of hatred towards homosexuals or children who swear at their parents. He told us that His blood would cover our sins, if only we let Him in.

So please, enough with the hate. Love each other through Christ. Don't hate each other through Satan!

Answer 11

Because there are child abuse laws, but no laws about killing gays...at least in Texas. Well, Texas isn't really a state of the US, it is a state of mind...called insanity. Where else could George Bush have come from...really! And anyway, this stuff is getting old...older than senile Leviticus...who in the hell was this lunatic anyway? Does anyone really know, or is it just convenient to quote him and his one line as a claim to fame?