For those of you who say God is not against gays, can you explain this verse?

Question

Leviticus 20:13 (New International Version)

13 " 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=3&chapter=20&verse=13&version=31&context=verse

Laptop Jesus, An American Hero. yes, i know about the health laws :
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=3&chapter=11&version=31&context=chapter
found there :)
but, why would you want to eat some thing that is not good for you? some thing that is ment to clean up the planet, you speak as if you would eat a vulture, or maggets...take your pick, its the same as eating a pig :)

Answer 1

with most of the answers i have read so far, sounds like to me that most of you are throwing out the old testament. Lets live a full sin full life, homosexuality, along with every thing unhealthy, lets see how short lives can be and how happy we can be with out God our Heavenly Father.

we are suppose to love the sinner and hate the sin, not indulge in sin to comfort the sinner.

Answer 2

To the Jewish people of the time the word TO'EBAH (abomination, detestable) meant behaviors that, in that place and time, were considered tasteless or offensive. To the Jews an abomination was not a law, not something evil like rape or murder forbidden by the Ten Commandments. It was a common behavior by non-Jews that Jews thought was offensive.

Jesus and Paul both said the holiness code in Leviticus does not pertain to Christian believers.

To go further: for the Jewish writers of scripture, a man sleeping with another man was an abomination. But it was also an abomination to masturbate or even to interrupt coitus. Why?

Because the Hebrew pre-scientific understanding was that the male semen contained the whole of life. With no knowledge of eggs and ovulation, it was assumed that the man's sperm contained the whole child. Therefore, the spilling of semen without the possibility of having a child was tatamount to murder.

This passage of scripture basically says nothing about homosexuality as we know it today.

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Answer 3

To answer those saying it is only part of the Old Covenant thus not applicable anymore, here are some verses from Romans Chapter 1:26 "That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites, for both their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary to nature; 27 and likewise even the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full recompense, which was due for their error."
And moving down to verse 32, "Although these know full well the righteous decree of God, that those practicing such things are deserving of death, they not only keep on doing them but also consent with those practicing them."

Seems pretty clear to me...

Answer 4

That is in there with food health issues and not wearing wool that has linen woven into it. It is a health issue. If a man lies with another man he can get an infection that will kill him and anyone else he lies with. 4 or 5000 years ago it made sense. We have modern medicines and things called condoms. It is a whole different world.

Answer 5

Primitive savagery. Do you REALLY want to go over Leviticus with a fine-toothed comb, and take note of all the ways you fall short? Sacrificed any oxen to Jehovah lately?

The original injunctions against homosexuality were probably due to the fact that the Hebrews were a tribe of nomads wandering in the desert. Non-procreative sex WAS a "social crime," an unforgivable waste of energy and resources. (But note that it's only necessary to forbid something if a significant number of people want to do it!)

LOL...I love pixie pagan's answer. It's true! When I have sex with my boyfriend, it's almost never vaginal.

Answer 6

Dear Friend,

Thank you for quoting the Bible, instead of paraphrasing things in your own words.

Approximately 100% of the people who are following the Bible as Christians don't adhere to the laws of the Jewish Scriptures in their Old Testament -- although they do, of course, seek wisdom and inspiration from them. Therefore they should not, of course, take this one verse and decide to "put to death" a man who "lies with a man as one lies with a woman".

A person reading the Bible and trying to decide whether to undertake a lifesyle including same sex sexual activity will find that the Bible tells them, "No". Mysteriously to me God has created many people with sexual desires and preferences they should not indulge -- actually maybe even every married heterosexual person experiences a desire for sex outside of their marriage.

The way you happened to word this question, e.g. is God against gays, therefore invites a "No" answer. He gave everyone sexual desires to disobey His laws -- not just same sex oriented people.

Another very important point -- Jesus definitely taught us not to identify ourselves or each other by our sins. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." We are all sinners. There isn't a separate category for gays. He loves us. He is not against us. He is our True Friend. And knows what is best for us, even if we do not.

Let's all support and befriend each other, practice true brotherhood, and eliminate all prejudices!

Answer 7

I've actually seen gay Jews and Christians trying to explain away passages like this, with some awfully tortured logic. I don't know why they just don't admit it to themselves -- God doesn't like gays. He made that kinda clear. I know I wouldn't stick around where I'm not wanted.

BTW, to be clear, I'm not defending the Bible's stance. I think it's rubbish. I'm just saying it's pretty obvious. Another example of God's petty hatreds.

Answer 8

Sounds like somebody hates gay people...!

But I don't think it's God. That verse isn't in God's handwriting.

BTW, if you kill a gay guy, the blood's gonna be on your hands. I somehow doubt that this verse would be considered a valid defense for a not-guilty plea.

Answer 9

Wait, I thought that was the "old law" and you didn't have to follow it anymore. That's what you say when we point out the shellfish, fiber, and not sleeping with your menstruating wife that also appear in Leviticus. Oh I see, Leviticus only applies to the gays. Nice selective application of the rules.

Answer 10

I see you're avatar is of a flannel shirt wearing fellow. You know from the same book (Leviticus) that's a sin too.

Lev. 19:19

'You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle;you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together.