Obama Shows How to Defang the Christian Right in a Week

Responding to Whitefield of CT, none of those quotes are by Jesus. The first two are from Paul, the second the Old Testament. Leviticus 18 is part of the Holiness Code (chapters 17-26), which was designed to call Israel to live differently than her neighbors. This code, which also requires all farmers to leave a portion of their fields to the poor (19:9-10), states anyone who plants fruit trees, may not eat of them until the fifth year (19:23-25), anyone who curses mother or father shall be put to death (20:9); anyone who commits adultery (both the man and woman) shall be put to death (20:10). No priest shall go where there is a dead body, even if it is his own mother or father (21:11). (You could argue that you cannot keep leftovers beyond the second day! 19:5-8)

The point of all this is that you cannot take a verse here and there; you take them all, or you take none. And for Christians, the words of Jesus trump the OT texts (at the least, they require restatement and reinterpretation in light of the cross), and Jesus did not say anything about homosexuality.

In the two texts cited, by Paul, the Corinthians texts points out a whole list of those who will be condemned, including the greedy! It behooves all of us to mend our ways, lest we be included in that list! And the Romans text points out that all who turn from God are condemned. The text probably discusses the current perversions of all types which were found in the Greek society of Paul's time. The point of the text is that all who turn from God are destroyed through their own actions; not just those who practice homosexual actions (this text says nothing about homosexuality as an orientation, but only as action)

As a last comment, from one who is not gay, the understanding of what it means to be homosexual is changing. The biblical view, that homosexuality is the willful, sinful actions of heterosexual people, (ie, what went on in Sodom and Gomorrah), which is reflective of its time, is no longer the only understanding of homosexuality, and there is developing homosexuality understood as something at least latent in people, much like left- or right-handedness is. Science (which is also a gift of God!) is beginning to understand the biological involvement of genetics in homosexuality.

Rev Chris Miller of CA 11:18AM January 01, 2009

MBC of IL writes:

"If the Christian Right had any fangs, Obama would not have been elected President. In fact, the Christian Right has never had any real power. It was all the invention of the media."

Gotta disagree here. The Christian Right has real power. Remember the Terri Schiavo congressional intervnetion? The reelection of George W. Bush with the help of 78-percent evangelical support? The recent passage of dozens of same-sex marriage bans across the country, including in liberal California? The passage of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003? The Supeme Court's lurch to the right under Bush, which led to it upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act? The list goes on. This movement had real power, even if its foe is about to occupy the Oval Office.

Dan Gilgoff of NY 11:21AM December 29, 2008

The Left and Right waste tremendous amounts of time and energy screaming at each other,and very little time listening. Last I checked we are a democracy and everyone has the right to their opinions. We will never agree on everything (nor should we), this being true in even the best of marriages. The concept of "acceptance" is something both the left and right might want to consider. We as a country can accomplish so many things just by coming together on common ground issues. Barack Obama, in choosing Rick Warren to participate in his inauguration is doing what he said he was going to do (was the left not listening?), which is to be inclusive. I do not agree with Rick Warren on his views of homosexuality, but we have common ground when it comes to climate change and focus on dealing with AIDS. We should focus the combined energy on those two problems instead of wasting energy throwing rocks at each other regarding issues we do not agree on. "Acceptance" does not require one to give up on one's beliefs. Disagreeing on issues does not mean we cannot work together of common issues, assuming we can manage to take time out from our rock throwing. Barack Obama is displaying what we have been lacking in this country, LEADERSHIP. Rick Warren did the same thing when he invited Obama to speak at his church on the topic of AIDS. Rick Warren understood that it wasn't necessary that he and Barack Obama agree on all issues in order to tackle the world wide problem of AIDS. Just screaming and demanding that the other side change on a particular issue is a bridge to nowhere. Finding common ground and working on common issues is a bridge to somewhere,

Steve Thompson of MI 11:47AM December 26, 2008

If the Christian Right had any fangs, Obama would not have been elected President. In fact, the Christian Right has never had any real power. It was all the invention of the media. Sure, some people thought they had power to turn the government in one direction or another, but it was all smoke and mirrors. If the Christian Right had any meaningful power, the Bush presidency wouldn't have been such a huge failure and a person would have been elected to follow him who shared traditional values. Instead, well, now we know the rest of the story . . .

MBC of IL 7:07AM December 26, 2008