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I understand that sodomy is something that can be relate to acts performed by anyone, not just homosexuals, so please do continue ( as long as it is relative to my very specific question)
It should relate.
As far as your specific question concerning if it can be read any other way, the perspective of a homosexual would indeed see a point of what is natural.
Quote:
...........and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men commiting indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. Leviticus 18:22 'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination
If I am a man who naturally is a heterosexual and something happens to me where my outlook of women is skewed then I can abandon that natural inclination rather than dealing with the hurt.
This happens with women to, they can abandon their natural orientation and escape into an unnatural relationship. This does not prevent two women from being naturally attracted to one another.
Not everyone who has turned to a same sex relationship is naturally supposed to be that way. However, If as a male I have never had an attraction to a female, then how have I abandoned anything?
Where do hermaphrodites fit into any of those passages. What biblical criteria can you use for them? You can't when the physical body and physical acts are the only way someone reads those passages with their preconcieved notions already in place.
The whole passage has to do with using others out of self gratification which can be many things beside sexuality. Loveless interaction between one another , promiscuity, using others for your own monetary or emotional gain, taking advantage of anothers poor spirits, none of those things are exclusive to any sexual orientation.
We can observe life and see that promiscuity and using others breaks hearts, spreads disease, causes depression, suicide, fills up orphanages, breaks up marriages and the list goes on. No one can make the same kind of case for a loving monogamous homosexual relationship to be harmful.
The biblical wording doesn't support the idea that homosexuality is wrong, it supports certain behaviours and mindsets as being something to avoid.
To answer the title question, yes. Fundamentalism is based off a very selective reading of the Bible.
For example, talking about how the fact that the first two humans were male and female, and that means they were "meant" to only be male/female couplings. "It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!" Ummm, so the nonexistence of others of their own sex invalidates all pairings other than that couple? So what about interracial? Because obviously Adam and Eve were both white, according to all films on the subject. I could go on, and maybe talk about how according to that same logic, clothing is sinful and we should all be naked.
Later Bible version do talk about the abomination of homosexuality. But in terms of abomination, many such things were classified as such because they were "shaming" under the law. It says "A man may not lay with another man as a woman" as in, by being homosexual, the actual hangup is that you are acting like a woman for a man. Hebrew law had a number of customs that basically meant that women were under the support of men. In other words, it was a crude patriarchal society.
But, God is not a part of that, and neither is Jesus.
Naomi and Ruth were included in the Bible, and nothing was made of it. In fact, it's part of many weddings.
But that's not really the issue. The issue is Jesus herself.
Yea, herself.
Jesus was born by immaculate conception, as in Mary had no man when she became pregnant. Now, we can say "miracles aren't supposed to be explained," but that's tripe. Miracles can and should be explained because it helps us make sense of reality.
In science they have something called parthenogenesis. Basically, the body has the necessary ingredients to produce life without outside help. She became pregnant naturally. God is Nature.
In all likelihood, Jesus was intersex. Due to the bizarreness of birth circumstances, God made someone who was in God's image "male and female." The fundamentalist effectively is trying to hide this truth from themselves. I think you can guess why.
Last edited by bulmabriefs144; 12-18-2014 at 07:32 PM..
I do not believe that God would create people in order to make them miserable forever. I do not believe that God would have created people for whom love would not be allowed. I do not believe that God would have created people whose only option was to have a "sinful" nature. I believe, that if God exists, that we were all created exactly the way we were supposed to be. I believe he would want us all to be happy. I believe that he would want us all to experience love.
I believe it is fellow human beings who condemn their fellow man that believe homosexuality is a sin - not God.
Once again - love is the answer. Love.
The god you just described is a god of your imagination. The God of the Bible is not that god. God has many attributes and certainly Love is one of them. God is foremost Holy. He's also a God of judgment and wrath and Mercy. Unfortunately, we just cannot ignore his other attributes because we don't like them.
The god you just described is a god of your imagination. The God of the Bible is not that god. God has many attributes and certainly Love is one of them. God is foremost Holy. He's also a God of judgment and wrath and Mercy. Unfortunately, we just cannot ignore his other attributes because we don't like them.
Actually, I, and most of the world can, without any problem.
The OT god is a cartoon. Except he's less believable.
The god you just described is a god of your imagination. The God of the Bible is not that god. God has many attributes and certainly Love is one of them. God is foremost Holy. He's also a God of judgment and wrath and Mercy. Unfortunately, we just cannot ignore his other attributes because we don't like them.
Agape love is NOT a mere attribute of God . . . God IS agape love . . . a huge difference that few people seem to understand. It invalidates the majority of barbaric and savege beliefs about God and His motives in the OT. The OT descriptions of God are human-derived based on human weaknesses that God does NOT have. Jesus demonstrated the purity of agape love . . . but retaining the OT beliefs about God has corrupted His unambiguous example of true agape love. It is a travesty of ancient ignorance that still corrupts Christ's Gospel to this day.
Actually, I, and most of the world can, without any problem.
The OT god is a cartoon. Except he's less believable.
God's purpose is for all of us to be reconciled to him. He gave us free will, so it's up to us to choose or reject him. Just know that your choice has eternal consequences.
2 Peter 3:9 King James Version (KJV)
[SIZE=2]9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.[/SIZE]
Psalm 14:1
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good
Agape love is NOT a mere attribute of God . . . God IS agape love . . . a huge difference that few people seem to understand. It invalidates the majority of barbaric and savege beliefs about God and His motives in the OT. The OT descriptions of God are human-derived based on human weaknesses that God does NOT have. Jesus demonstrated the purity of agape love . . . but retaining the OT beliefs about God has corrupted His unambiguous example of true agape love. It is a travesty of ancient ignorance that still corrupts Christ's Gospel to this day.
Yes, God loves us and he is love and the source of love. But as I posted previously we also cannot ignore his other attributes, otherwise the God we're talking about won't be the God of the Bible.
Here's a commentary I found online about God is Love
[LEFT]What does it mean that God is love?
The Bible teaches that God loves us, yet also teaches that God is love. First John 4:7-9 reveals, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him."
In the original Greek used to write the New Testament, there is more than one word for love. The Greek word agapos, often referred to as agape love, is the word used in 1 John 4. It is used when speaking of an unconditional love. This love of God is boundless.
God does not only give love; He is the source of love. As the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1), He is the One who created love. It is because of His love that we are able to love. As 1 John 4:19 notes, "We love because he first loved us."
The fullest expression of God as love was through the Son, Jesus Christ. God created us, sustains us, and has revealed Himself to us through Jesus. John 1:14 declares, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Among the most famous of Bible passages on love is 1 Corinthians 13. In these verses we find a picture of God's love expressed in poetic terms that displays many of the aspects of God's love toward us. We are told, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
Further, John 3:16 teaches, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." God has made clear that His love through the Son of God, Jesus, provides an opportunity for those who believe to spend eternity with Him. It is God's desire for us to enjoy His love both in this life and for all eternity.
The Bible is also clear we have done nothing to deserve God's perfect love. Romans 5:8 shares, "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Even when Jesus knew we would fail and even before we were born, He gave His life as the ultimate expression of His love.
God is love. He created love, created us to love Him, and has extended His love to each of us. Our challenge is to accept His great love (Ephesians 2:8-9) that we may experience His love in our lives today (John 10:10) and for eternity (John 3:16).
Yes, God loves us and he is love and the source of love. But as I posted previously we also cannot ignore his other attributes, otherwise the God we're talking about won't be the God of the Bible.
There is no singular perception of "the God of the Bible." Perceptions expressed range from very primitive anthropomorphism through vicious bronze age tribal diety to "God is spirit" expressed by Jesus. Jesus presents one picture of God the Father as being concerned about the well being of everyone, but unwilling to enforce conditions on anyone. Claiming that OT perceptions apply is only a way to try to make conditions that the claimant wants to enforce incumbent on others. Jesus was not about that and the New Testament is a different Way.
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you're sly...
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