Does Your Religious Belief Affect Your View Of Interracial Marriage? (priests, ghost)

[bigthirsty]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

Enlighten me.

Jimmy Creech, former senior pastor of the First United Methodist Church, in Omaha, Nebraska has concluded that: "...there was no understanding of sexual orientation in the culture and time when scripture was written. There was not even a word for 'homosexuality' or 'homosexual' in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, the original languages of scripture. There are biblical references that condemn same-sex sexual behavior, but they are all within contexts related to violence, idolatry, promiscuity and exploitation. Careful reading within the historical setting reveals that it is the violence, idolatry, promiscuity and exploitation that is condemned, not the same-sex sexual behavior. The same condemnation is given to opposite-sex sexual behavior that is violent, idolatrous, promiscuous and exploitative."

How Christians interpret biblical passages on homosexuality

Do you have a different interpretation? If so, then I guess its not so clear what the scripture says about homosexuality.

[Bellinghamite]

Originally Posted by bigthirsty

Jimmy Creech, former senior pastor of the First United Methodist Church, in Omaha, Nebraska has concluded that: "...there was no understanding of sexual orientation in the culture and time when scripture was written. There was not even a word for 'homosexuality' or 'homosexual' in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, the original languages of scripture. There are biblical references that condemn same-sex sexual behavior, but they are all within contexts related to violence, idolatry, promiscuity and exploitation. Careful reading within the historical setting reveals that it is the violence, idolatry, promiscuity and exploitation that is condemned, not the same-sex sexual behavior. The same condemnation is given to opposite-sex sexual behavior that is violent, idolatrous, promiscuous and exploitative."

How Christians interpret biblical passages on homosexuality

Do you have a different interpretation? If so, then I guess its not so clear what the scripture says about homosexuality.

No one could simply read what the Scriptures say about homosexual behavior and conclude that its authors condoned it. The arguments to the contrary that agenda-driven people like Creech make are the most shameless sophistry I've ever encountered.

As the admirably honest atheist Robin Lane Fox wrote in his 800-page history of the early church Pagans and Christians, "All Christians knew that homosexuals went to hell until a modern minority tried to make them forget it."

[gizmo980]

As much as I love a "gay debate," LOL... could you please get back to the original topic, interracial dating/marriage? Thanks!

[bigthirsty]

Originally Posted by Bellinghamite

No one could simply read what the Scriptures say about homosexual behavior and conclude that its authors condoned it. The arguments to the contrary that agenda-driven people like Creech make are the most shameless sophistry I've ever encountered.

As the admirably honest atheist Robin Lane Fox wrote in his 800-page history of the early church Pagans and Christians, "All Christians knew that homosexuals went to hell until a modern minority tried to make them forget it."

See.. another interpretation from an Atheist no less. Thanks for proving my point.

Back to the OT. In the words of Stephen Colbert.."I don't see color"

[MrSykes]

Pastor Creech's "interpretation" is grossly self-serving at best. The "laws of sexual morality" outlined in Leviticus 18 and 20 contain unequivocal prohibitions against a laundry list of "perverse" sexual behaviors, including incest, same sex sexual behavior, bestiality, et al. There are plenty other passages in the Bible that reflect a categorical prohibition against same-sex sexual activity AS sexual immorality. I have yet to come across anything that qualifies such prohibition.

The Bible's still clear about it to me. Multiple interpretations only stem from multiple agendas.

Moreover, in keeping with the topic at hand (nod to the mod), I find no such prohibitions against interracial marriage. But I can't really say that my religious belief affects how I view it. My mind was "made up" about it long before I was even introduced to Christianity, i.e. I never had an issue with it.

It is fortunate that my personal and religious convictions lined up the way they have.

[bigthirsty]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

Pastor Creech's "interpretation" is grossly self-serving at best. The "laws of sexual morality" outlined in Leviticus 18 and 20 contain unequivocal prohibitions against a laundry list of "perverse" sexual behaviors, including incest, same sex sexual behavior, bestiality, et al. There are plenty other passages in the Bible that reflect a categorical prohibition against same-sex sexual activity AS sexual immorality. I have yet to come across anything that qualifies such prohibition.

The Bible's still clear about it to me. Multiple interpretations only stem from multiple agendas.

Moreover, in keeping with the topic at hand (nod to the mod), I find no such prohibitions against interracial marriage. But I can't really say that my religious belief affects how I view it. My mind was "made up" about it long before I was even introduced to Christianity, i.e. I never had an issue with it.

It is fortunate that my personal and religious convictions lined up the way they have.

Well I'm not gay. Don't have gay friends (that I know of). I in no way have a reason to benefit from interpreting that the bible is not against homosexuality.. thus I have zero agenda. I don't have a "dog in that hunt" so to speak. I just "interpret" things differently than others.

By the way.. do you follow all the laws of Leviticus or just the ones that suit your agenda?

Back to the OT. In the words of Stephen Colbert.."I don't see color"

[MrSykes]

Originally Posted by bigthirsty

Well I'm not gay. Don't have gay friends (that I know of). I in no way have a reason to benefit from interpreting that the bible is not against homosexuality.. thus I have zero agenda. I don't have a "dog in that hunt" so to speak. I just "interpret" things differently than others.

By the way.. do you follow all the laws of Leviticus or just the ones that suit your agenda?

Back to the OT. In the words of Stephen Colbert.."I don't see color"

Okay you're not gay.

Never asked.

It is clear that your interpretation differs.

And yes, I practice what I preach.

[Travelling fella]

Well absolutely not, because we are all children of God and were made in his image as souls, we are just incarnated souls temporarily inhabitating human bodies so the important is the soul of your partner and the affinity you have with him/her.
imho is not just my religion who states that but most world religions if followed properly

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

Okay you're not gay.

Never asked.

It is clear that your interpretation differs.

And yes, I practice what I preach.

So you follow ALL of these laws???

" * Laws regarding the regulations for different types of sacrifice (Leviticus 1-7):
o Burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and thank-offerings (Leviticus 1-3)
o Sin-offerings, and trespass-offerings (Leviticus 4-5)
o Priestly duties and rights concerning the offering of sacrifices (Leviticus 6-7)
* The practical application of the sacrificial laws, within a narrative of the consecration of Aaron and his sons (Leviticus 8-10)
o Aaron's first offering for himself and the people (Leviticus 8)
o The incident in which "strange fire" is brought to the Tabernacle by Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu, leading to their death directly at the hands of God for doing so (Leviticus 9-10)
* Laws concerning purity and impurity (Leviticus 11-16)
o Laws about clean and unclean animals (Leviticus 11)
o Laws concerning ritual cleanliness after childbirth (Leviticus 12)
o Laws concerning tzaraath of people, and of clothes and houses, often translated as leprosy, and mildew, respectively (Leviticus 13-14)
o Laws concerning bodily discharges (such as blood, pus, etc.) and purification (Leviticus 15)
o Laws regarding a day of national atonement, Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16)
* Laws concerning the commutation of vows (Leviticus 27)

The second part, Leviticus 17-26, is known as the Holiness Code, and places particular, and noticeable, emphasis on holiness, and the holy. It is notably more of a miscellany of laws. Within this section are:

* Laws concerning idolatry, the slaughter of animals, dead animals, and the consumption of blood (Leviticus 17)
* Laws concerning sexual conduct (including some that are referring to male homosexuality), sorcery, and moloch (Leviticus 18, and also Leviticus 20, in which penalties are given)
* Laws concerning molten gods, peace-offerings, scraps of the harvest, fraud, the deaf, blind, elderly, and poor, poisoning the well, hate, sex with slaves, self harm, shaving, prostitution, sabbaths, sorcery, familiars, strangers, and just weights and measure (Leviticus 19)
* Laws concerning priestly conduct, and prohibitions against the disabled, ill, and superfluously blemished, from becoming priests, or becoming sacrifices, for descendants of Aaron, and animals, respectively (Leviticus 21-22)
* Laws concerning the observation of the annual feasts, and the sabbath, (Leviticus 23)
* Laws concerning the altar of incense (Leviticus 24:1-9)
* The case law lesson of a blasphemer being stoned to death, and other applications of the death penalty (Leviticus 24:10-23), including anyone having "a familiar ghost or spirit", a child insulting its parents (Leviticus 20), and a special case for prostitution (burning them alive) (Leviticus 21)
* Laws concerning the Sabbath and Jubilee years (Leviticus 25)
* A hortatory conclusion to the section, giving promises regarding obedience to these commandments, and warnings and threats for those that might disobey them, including sending wild animals to devour their children. (Leviticus 26:22)"

And yes, I know that Christians choose not to follow all of these... but you said "I practice what I preach" when BigThirsty asked if you followed all laws of Leviticus - so just calling you out on that! Would you stone me to death for blasphemy, kill a child for disrespecting their parents, or condemn burning a prostitute alive? And how did you commemorate Yom Kippur this year? I went to Temple and fasted for most of the 24 hours... did you??

[gizmo980]

P.S. Hey, if Christians can pick and choose what to follow & interpret, why can't Jews?