Don't you GET it yet? Why should you condemn homosexuals...?

Question

"You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." And Leviticus 20:13 adds, "they shall surely be put to death."

Break out the fossil collection! But, and I add this only as a caution, look out for the snags.

For one, in the very same Bible, in John 8:7, Christ himself says, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone."

What other abominations does the Bible specify? Of course, adultery (Lev 18:20), sex with animals (Lev 18:23), remarrying one's wife after she's had another husband in between (Deut 24:4), or approaching any woman and humming "Strangers in the Night" during the time of her "uncleanness" (Lev 18:19). Cross-dressing is out (Deut 22:5), and that includes Halloween costumes, slacks on women, bib overalls on llittle girls, or a wife wearing her husband's favorite Oxford buttondown. And more on buttondowns in a moment.

Other abominations include tarot readings, glancing at your horoscope, trimming one's beard, and getting a tattoo, even if it says, "Mom" (Lev 19:26-28). Haughty eyes (Prov 6:17) and telling lies (Prov 6:17, 12:22) are big abominations. Being untruthful also includes false weights and measures (Prov 11:1), or any other dishonesty in business. "Everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God" (Prov 11:16).

What do abominators have for dinner? Rare steaks off the grill (Lev 17:10), Lobster Newburg at the Krebs and crab cakes in Baltimore (Lev 11:10), a rack of ribs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (Lev 11:7).

But abominations are not just about bodily functions. Charging or paying interest are abominations. Bankers and anyone with a mortgage, car loan or credit card debt will be unavailable to throw the first stone, regardless of the interest rate (Psalm 15:1-5, Jeremiah 15:10).

Graven images of other gods are an abomination (Deut 7:25).

My personal favorite abomination is wearing blended fabrics. Deuteronomy 22:11 forbids wearing a material made of wool and linen, but Leviticus 19:19 says it's an abomination to wear any blended material, period. Hence a woman in a man's buttondown can be doubly abominable if it's a no-iron, easy care blend of cotton and polyester.

Of course, when confronted with such information, there are people who will tell you that the blended fabrics abomination is really just a symbolic warning that Jews should not mix with other cultures, and that the dietary laws were set aside for Gentiles at the Council of Jerusalem, and that these "other abominations" were about self-preservation, hygiene and just for Orthodox Jews anyway. In short, when something they do is shown to be an abomination, many abominators become instant anthropologists, Biblical scholars and historians as well.

So why do active abominators continue to refer to the Bible when condemning homosexuals? Are such men and women unaware of their own abominations detailed in the same scriptures? Or are they simply counting on their audience being unaware?

For myself, I am sure that people of integrity, once informed of their own abominable behavior, will step into the circle and accept for themselves whatever punishment they were going to hand out to others. "Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) That's the verse I recall whenever someone uses the Bible to justify their own pet bias.

So why do active abominators continue to refer to the Bible when condemning homosexuals? Are such men and women unaware of their own abominations detailed in the same scriptures? Or are they simply counting on their audience being unaware?

For myself, I am sure that people of integrity, once informed of their own abominable behavior, will step into the circle and accept for themselves whatever punishment they were going to hand out to others. "Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) That's the verse I recall whenever someone uses the Bible to justify their own pet bias.

http://home.earthlink.net/~ggghostie/abominations.html

Randy, dear - If Paul is your prophet then you've got serious problems indeed. Almost everything that Paul said went against the teachings of Jesus. Go back and read your Bible and when you can answer a question with some semblance of knowledge in re. your subject, come back here and we can play 'discussion' again. (((Randy J.)))

Oh NO, F*O*X*T*R*O*T, you came back! *Sobs* I thought I'd run you off for good!

Ah, well. Okee dokie. I am falsely comprehending scripture, "mis representing it". Eh, WHAT? No, no, no. I am QUOTING scripture. Your refusal to recognize your own is what is misrepresenting your Bible. Did you actually read my post or are you just stalking my questions?

I don't even believe in your God, dear. You're lucky I even capitalize 'his' name. I do it out of respect (hear that, Foxy, RESPECT!) for your beliefs though you have absolutely none for mine. Why? Because I'm a good person. READ THE POST, FOXINATOR!! Can you not see that you are an abomination in the eyes of your God? Jesus would have abhorred you.

Jack, I love ya, kid.

Answer 1

that's a good question, and one for which I have no good answer except to say I'm sorry so many of us tend to be judgemental. It is a double standard, and reading your eloquent post helped me to see that. I personally don't condemn homosexuals. I'm not crazy about the lifestyle but I think you are correct.....there is way too much stone throwing. I myself was guilty of that very thing last night while argueing with a Catholic. I feel kinda stupid about it now.

Answer 2

My own take on the Christian condemnation of homosexuality is mixed up with a reformed drunk's condemnation of alcohol or a non-smoker's condemnation of cigarette smoking. Too many Christians have denied their own impulses, both heterosexual and homosexual, and suppressed their sensuality to the point where it makes them cranky. So they can't just say "If I controlled it, so can you." They'd have to admit they had impulses to control. So they say it's an abomination.

Problem is, with alcohol it's the alcoholic who knows about addiction, and rarely condemns social drinking. With tobacco smokers, the facts are clear that it is indeed bad for your health. But the reasons for suppressing homosexuality were always religious and not practical or otherwise justified. So in mixing up all these control-freak ways of attacking problems, they forget that for a non-Christian or a liberal Christian, homosexuality is NOT a problem, it's a natural response to natural urges.

If they believe God created everyone the way they are, then they should logically believe He created gays and lesbians and bisexuals the way they are.

Exactly why transsexuals are created the way they are is even harder to discuss: God make a mistake? Or perhaps God realizing that we need some people who have personal knowledge of both sides of what has historically been an impenetrable (sorry for the pun) wall between the sexes.

Anybody read "Time Enough for Love" by Robert Heinlein?

Answer 3

Gosh, there's a swag of notes on the subject, isn't there. Anyway, I don't. I leave chucking rocks to the folk who can't take life as it comes, and have to go to a book for guidance. Poor sods. But I do feel heterosexuality is a lot more fun - though maybe that's just because I'm that way inclined myself. And it's so much more full of surprises, dealing with women. Very educational. Of course, the wowsers forget, or never knew, that being ambidextrous was quite common in Ancient Greece and Rome, and similar societies. It was the only way to go, at sea, and on long military campaigns - and was a practical means of birth control as well.

Answer 4

I agree with shoverland opinion, the God does the punishment, not you.
It is clinically proven that a lot of homosexual people are born with that love interests due to their genetic set up. Also it is clinicaly proven plenty of mammal species can be homosexual in their gene pools, particulary primate species. (Human is in the species family of Primate, Which mean our species family are often homosexual) What does it mean to a Christian or a Catholic like your-self?
Science is the discovery of the laws of unvierse, while the universe is the creation of the God. Change the way how you think and look at homosexual individuals as if their designs are the very will of the God. Do it from this day, as the God highly value your wisdom and wiseness when you go back to him.
Is it possible for bible to be wrong? Why not? Who wrote the bible? Human! Who remodified the bible for times over centeries? Human! Today with how much science we know are we still arrogant and aggnorant in many ways. How possible is it for the bible to be wrong? They thought the earth was flat and was the centre of the universe, now we know that was very wrong. They thought being homosexual was very wrong and a deadly sin, now we know that was wrong as how they thought the earth was flat.

Answer 5

They'll just tell you that a guy who *never* met Jesus in the flesh knew more about what He meant than the people He talked to in life, and that's why *selected* no-nos still apply - even though they NEVER applied to anyone but "the children of Israel". ~snort~

Like the anti-homosexual stuff.

Come on, what we have here is the laws that reflect the personal dislikes of someone who never met Jesus in the flesh, imposed onto people who *never originally had those laws apply to them to begin with*.

As The Confirmed Atheist has mentioned time and again, there were the Noahide Laws for Gentiles, NOT the Mosaic Laws.

THIS kind of thing is why I say again and again that most people who self-identify as "Christians" are really a combination of selectively-observant Pseudo-Jews and Paulists.

Answer 6

WOW, the Cookie dude is GOOD. Glad he's on OUR team. I can't WAIT until he gets around to the abomination of wiping out an ENTIRE planet of people not to mention two entire cites as well.

Raji the Green Witch

Answer 7

I LOVE the "Strangers In The Night" sin! Ah, Cookie Goddess, you are wise and, of course, fair to the eye. These fundies on here are jealous of your intelligence and beauty.

You are a true warrior on the side of justice and reason. I am proud to have a friend who will take a stand for truth. :)

Answer 8

As you pointed out, the dietary laws were set aside for Gentiles at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15).

But the Apostles, especially Paul, said that the sexual morality laws of the Law of Moses still applied under the New Covenant.

Simple.

Are you pretending to be unaware?

===edit===

Paul is not just MY prophet, he is the main prophet for all of Christianity, since he wrote most of the New Testament. There would be no Christianity without him.

And the other Apostles accepted him as a true prophet and Apostle (read Acts 15 again) -- including Peter (2 Peter 3:14-16) -- you know Peter, the guy that Jesus said was the chief apostle.

And I don't really see how Paul contradicted what Jesus taught, unless you have some collection of the teachings of Jesus that is independent of the New Testament -- that was written by the original Apostles.

Answer 9

I'm an abomination. I won't throw any stones at you. How about a cookie though? (Throws double chocolate chip mint cookie towards Thrice).

There there (pats Thrice's lovely fur). Feeling better?

Answer 10

I certainly don't need you to quote the Bible for me. You pick what you want, then twist the words. What makes you so darn intelligent about God's word, that you can come on here, "proclaiming" what you think you know about His Word?
For those who do not truly seek the truth, the truth will not be given. Did you read that in the Bible? You can bash His Holy Word all you want. It is only hurting YOU, not me.
"I will not cast my pearls before swine". Do you know that one???????
How about this one?
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? DO NOT BE DECEIVED, NEITHER FORNICATORS, NOR IDOLATERS, NOR ADULTERERS, NOR H-O-M-O-S-E-X-U-A-L-S, NOR SODOMITES, NOR THIEVIES, NOR COVETEOUS, NOR DRUNkARDS, NOR REVILERS, NOR EXTORTIONERS WILL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD." 1 Cor. 6:9-10
Oh, 1 Corinthians is in the NEW TESTAMENT.