Why do anti-gay marriage proponents ignore the Old Testament, aside from the homosexuality references?

Question

It's true that the Old Testament has several references against homosexuality. There are long lists of laws that were expected to be obeyed.

The Old Testament also says that if a girl is raped, she should be married to her rapist. It says that if you marry a divorced woman, you are committing adultery in the eyes of God. It says that if you look at a woman with lust, you should take out your eyes. It says that you shouldn't blend natural and artificial fabrics.

I honestly want to know - why would any Christian take a few lines out of the Old Testament, but ignore the bulk of its laws?

Okay, I've read quite a few responses.

One person said that the New Testament refers to gays also. Could someone tell me which ones?

I know that Jesus released us from the old laws - that's my point. Didn't he release us from any laws about homosexuality, too?

Answer 1

Following the death and resurrection of Christ, we are no longer bound by OT law, unless a standard of behavior is specifically reinforced in the NT. Standards of sexual behavior, including the standard that one should refrain from sexual intimacy with members of the same gender, are in fact reinforced in the NT.

In response to your inquiry in additional comments:
NT verses specifically naming the practice of homosexual acts:
1 corinthians 6:9
Romans 1 26-27
Other related:
In Acts 15, the Apostles discuss whether or not Gentile Christians are bound by Jewish Law. The conclusion is that they are only bound by a handful of practices, among them to abstain from sexual immorality. As you have already pointed out, sexual immorality as defined by Jewish Law includes homosexual practices. The NT commitment to continued observation of OT sexual law is reiterated in the following NT verses about sexual immorality:
1 Corinthians 6:13
1 Corinthians 6:18
1 Thessalonians 4:3

some people will look at this and note that these are all the writings of Paul, and blame Paul for bastardizing the teachings of Jesus and forming his own church. But note in Acts 15 that Paul was actually the most liberal one of the bunch - other early Christian leaders were pushing to make the church obey the entire OT Law - as Jesus himself was a Torah observant Jew who kept the Law.

Answer 2

I'm by no means a theologian, but in the Christian religion, there's a big difference between the old testament and the new testament. Most of the old laws in the old testament come form Moses, and is sometimes referred to as the law of Moses in the new testament. When Jesus came to earth he brought with him a new period, and tells the pharisees several times that he comes with a new word. many of the old customs in the time of Moses are no longer used when Jesus came to serve as the bridge between man and God, so the same may apply to old laws.

I'm do understand what you're saying, I'm just trying to provide how the anti-gay proponents may present it.

EDIT: In response to your edit, Romans 1:26-27 I Timothy 1:9-10 and I Corinthians 6:9 might be a good starting point. Those are probably the better known verses that they may be referring to.

Answer 3

I believe you are being intellectually dishonest here, if not just allowing foolishly your unbridled bitterness to rear its ugly head and state your ignorance in the process. Why? First, you cite the OT about some alleged law regarding rape, that doesn't even exist, presuming that your readers will just let that one pass and not challenge you to what the truth is? No, at least I will not. Indeed, if a woman is raped, death is the penalty according to Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, not that she is obligated to marry her rapist!

Then, the other three statements are just as ignorant. Both adultery laws you stated are indeed mentioned by Jesus in NT gospels of Matthew and Mark. And, the importance of mixing materials in the ceremonial law of the OT has nothing to do with whether they are natural, or artificial. In fact, your description of material possibly being "artificial" then is an anachronism of the worst kind, for all materials were natural in some fashion back then!

Then, you foolishly and quite hypocritically build up a straw man and knock him down by categorizing certain Christians as misusing the intended meaning of any OT texts that discuss same sex sexual behavior, when you yourself have done much worse?

While writing this response I got the impression that your question reveals that you don't even see Christians as folks just like you and me. They are not of a different race, as the Nazis believed others were who didn't come from the same national background, and/or share in the same elitist beliefs. This is a clear indication that the latter of the two proposals I had at the beginning of my response is more the truth. You are quite bitter, and do need some serious help in order to learn to forgive (for your own sake, not theirs), and be open to understand others who you now think are not like you. You'd be really surprised to find that we all are genetically alike, that our hearts beat in the same fashion, and that we have the same needs and desires as anyone else!

Answer 4

No New Testament devoted Christian ignore any passage of the Bible. The Old and New Testament is clear that God does no accept same sex relationship. Notice what Jesus said; “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,” (Matthew 19:4). This was a discussion of marriage.. Even the Bible referrers to the church and Christ as a marriage -- “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).

Answer 5

They are resorting to BS and they know it. Because they don't know (or don't want others to know) what marriage is really about. It isn't sanctioned by god and doesn't serve a religious purpose. The state benefits from marriage every time they sell a marriage license and make a whole lot more for every divorce. Plus it is easier to keep track of fathers to be held (financially) responsible for children - single mothers w/ no fathers can be a strain in areas like wellfare and tax breaks. Married couples get tax breaks because of all these ways the government benefits financially. Parents get tax breaks because they are producing the workforce who will power the country in the future. (supporting a retiring generation requires an exponentially larger number of working taxpayers than the number of those on wellfare and SS.

Answer 6

Of course, when something THEY do is shown to be an abomination, many fundamentalists (who quote the Bible to condemn others) will claim that that’s not what the Bible MEANT. (So now the Bible is suddenly open for re-interpretation--and of course, it'll always be in THEIR favor.) Fundamentalists change their entire method of interpreting scripture when it suits their purpose, even when dealing with verses that are a just couple of sentences away from each other!
This isn't about FAITH whatsoever. It's about people who have pre-existing anti-gay prejudice in their hearts. They selectively quote the Christian Bible to attempt to affirm and legitimize that pre-existing prejudice. You don't see the same people condemning those who eat shrimp cocktail, do you? And that's named as an abomination THREE times—in the SAME book of the Bible!

As George Bernard Shaw very accurately put it: "No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says; he is always convinced that it says what he means."

Answer 7

that's what you think. you are speaking out of anger. I can understand that. I know many who are against divorce. but many Christians follow the laws Christ ordained. Christ gave explanation why some laws need no longer be followed and why some should.

why was a girl to marry her rapist? so she wouldn't be stoned to death or a pariah. it was a disgrace not to be a virgin and then claim that you are one with someone whom you basically had disrepected by 'bonding' with another. all unmarried non-virgins were seen this way, as not everyone believed she'd been raped.

ex: why not observe the Sabbath? it was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Worship God every day. why don't we have so many eating restrictions? mark 7 and the corresponding "what defileth a man" Scriptures in the gospels.. the Old Law has passed away. we are in the New Covenant in His Blood

Answer 8

Anglican leaders from around the world reiterated their opposition to the "victimisation or diminishment" of gays and lesbians, saying demonising and persecuting them was "totally against Christian charity and basic principles of pastoral care". "We say that no one should have to live in fear because of the bigotry of others." The mormons poured millions into forcing through prop 8 in CA: to ban gay marriage. In August 2010 the court held that to be unconstitutional. On 15 June 2011 the San Francisco court upheld that decision because it violates the constitutional rights of citizens. It is now awaiting the Supreme Court verdict which is expected to uphold the early court decision. If that happens then gay marriage will become legal everywhere and that will be marriage and not civil partnership! The loving god works in mysterious ways.

Answer 9

Verses against homosexuality are not only in the Old Testament, but the New as well. What is your point? And who says we ignore the bulk of God's laws?
Oh Yeah, that's the only thing we picked out of the Old Testament because it so happens to be about gays. We don't read anything else in the Old Testament. Please!

Answer 10

You miss the main point of how the Bible is used my most Christians. (And possibly other religions, I don't have much experience with people of non-Christians faiths.)

It is not, for these people, a place to find the rules you should live by, it's a place to find justification for what you want to believe, be it someone to hate (Do a search on the Sons of Ham, and the Mormons. Interesting stuff.) or a loop hole that lets them commit an immoral act ot two, without feeling bad.