Quote of the Week: '49 Percent Says Homosexual Behavior Is Morally Wrong'

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Thanks so much for all of your Bible versus. What about:

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?

i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

Kevin of CA 7:07AM October 24, 2009

In my rant to auradawn, I failed to mention my stance on the issue of homosexuality. I believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God. It is both literal and figurative. The books that are figurative are written using figurative literary devices, such as similes, metaphors, and personification. Such books include the books of poetry and the books of prophecy. However, the books that are literal are the books that do not use literary devices - otherwise, they would be figurative. Lack of literary devices prevents these books from being interpreted figuratively; doing so would be a misuse of the language, something not even permissible in Standard American English or any other languages. That being said, at least four of the books that address homosexuality do not use figurative literary devices; therefore, they are not figurative. These books are literal books. They are meant to be taken as such. Leviticus 18 is explicit in God's stance on homosexuality. "Thou shall not lie with mankind as with womankind; this is an abomination." There are NO figurative devices in this language. Lev. 23 goes on to give the punishment for such behavior. "...they shall be put to death; their blood shall be on their own heads." Again, there is NO figurative device in this language. Romans 1 repeats this, as does 1 Corinthians and Jude. Similarly, the same way these books do NOT use figurative language, neither do the gospels (outside of Jesus' parables). Yet, many of us still profess that His death, burial, and resurrection were literal acts, which is expected since those passages do NOT use figurative language. If we accept those passages as truth based on their use of literal language, we must do the same with the mandates regarding homosexuality. Otherwise, we are being partial, unfair and hypocritical. The Bible condemns homosexuality, going as far as to say that those who practice it WILL die and are worthy of their punishment. Instead of denying this and rejecting this (for those of us who claim to believe the Bible) we must pray for homosexuals, love them as we are called to love our neighbors, and give them God's truth in love. We must also be thankful for God's grace over our lives and share the Good News with people who are seeking the love of a Savior but don't know how to get it. We must not lie to homosexuals because when we know the truth and deny it, it is better that we never knew it at all. We are lukewarm, and Jesus will spew us out of His mouth. Bottom line: we were created to love, honor, and glorify a holy righteous God Who hates sin. Homosexuality is a sin (amongst others) and God finds it abominable. We are not here for ourselves. When we want to make the rules, we can go and create our own planet. Until then, God, the Creator of this planet said it is a sin and people who practice it will die. He makes the rules. He is right, and honestly, that's all that matters.

sweetie21783 of DC 9:00PM October 18, 2009

auradawn is interesting. You say that atheists have self-respect, yet you believe that you are here by some cataclysmic accident! You don't believe that you actually have a purpose, because something that's an accident has no intention. You actually have NO need for self-respect, self-value, self-worth, self-love, others-respect, others-value, others-worth, or others-love because you, my friend, are an accident (according to you). If you believe this, you also believe that you are a pointless waste of space and are undeserving of life. You MUST believe this to prevent yourself from being a hypocrite. So how does it feel to know that, according to you, because you are the result of an accident, you serve NO purpose in life whatsoever and might as well die today, because of your purposeless self? Another option would be to believe that an Almighty Creator, Who loves you more than you an even begin to fathom, imagine, or articulate, left His throne in heaven to die for your sins - that this awesome, majestic, sovereign, just God, created you with a purpose in mind? That you are worthy of love because of His grace? That you are special to Him? That you can be His child and rest in His peace for the rest of your life? That you are capable of loving others and yourself because you know the mighty love of the Almighty God? That you are not the product of some happenstance cataclysmic accident? I don't know about you, but I'll receive truth - truth that sets free. My God loves me!

sweetie21783 of DC 8:32PM October 18, 2009

I do not think it is right, but it is not for me to put my beliefs on others. I just do not think it is natural. It does not take a scientist to see that a man and women and a man and a man are the same. That is the bottom line. I think it is human nature for us to do our best to twist things that are in place to make them fit what we want them to be whether they are right or wrong. I think that sexual orientation is a personal thing and it is not for others to intervine in the personal lives of others. If homosexuality is right, then why are they all the time trying to force people to accept their life style. I they are thinking that their lifestyles are right then they do not need the approval of others.

Joe of CO 6:48PM October 14, 2009

"It is only to deceive and destroy the soul that the agents of hell, the followers of the prince of darkness, will try to convince you with honeyed words and the power of their rank, that there is no hell. O My children, how sad that you are following this road. Blindness, blindness of the spirit! How soon many will find the fires of hell engulfing them

DC 2:40AM October 14, 2009

DC does want everyone to be the same, but he can't acknowledge that's the way fascism works. He says my relationship to James Wilson isn't relevant. It means I know how hard the Founders tried to find words that would prevent church leaders from owning everything, the way Catholics did until Henry 8th confiscated Catholic property & broke with the pope. The Establishment Clause is there to prevent churches from getting special favors, but atheists have no chance of becoming lawmakers. Believers in Congress made many laws respecting churches. As Founders expected, most of them let churches keep money by failing to pay their fair share of taxes. They invest money in stocks & real estate & most of them are richer every year. No matter what I say, DC is there with his wadded-up Bible, lobbing back insults. The more he attacks secular civil government, the more he endangers the Republic. The more I defend the rights of homosexuals, of atheists and people who want abortions, the more I honor and preserve the work of Wilson and the others. He wants theocracy. I do all I can to stop it.

auradawn veirs of CA 1:36AM October 14, 2009

Topic is poll on count of people who think homosexuals are immoral. DC goes a long, long way off topic & delivers a jeremiad. What's that? It's "A bitter lament or righteous prophecy of doom." It can be about a government or whatever. DC seems to be quoting Jeremia I? He was one of 4 major Jewish prophets, probably alive around 580 BC. The vision was about seeing a world plunging fast to its death. That was a long time ago, but if Prolifers continue to murder women with botched illegal abortions & kill gays according to Leviticus, the world will end for all those victims of religious compulsion to intrude into lives of strangers. The comment seems to be one of the sources that say the United Nations must be abolished. What is a prophecy? It's a guess, a hunch, tealeaf reading, etc. It's what quacks do when they read palms, always for MONEY. Churches still make money from prophecy. The End of the World prophecy says God's Plan is nothing less than blowing up the world, re-assembling it & GIVING it to good church-growers who frittered away their money in the form of tithes and gifts to churches. In the end, good little tithers will get their money back, with interest. Religion always involves MONEY.

auradawn veirs of CA 1:17AM October 14, 2009

You say there are many sources about this, but you keep pointing back to Wikipedia. So give another source. The claims you are making are not biblical, meaning that Scripture does not support what you are saying. If an argument is base on a source that lacks credibility, so does the argument. Therefore, try another source.

I'm not fascist, and ad hominems are not going to scare me. Your related to a Framer, so what? I'm related to the Pilgrims and French Huguenots, but family history means very little to this debate.

Dr. Shade of NC 6:50PM October 13, 2009

D says Wikipedia is not dependable but that's because it's one of many screens I reached that substantiated Scripture about David & Jonathan being gay lovers. HE doesn't want them to have been, because Leviticus gives the impression they were both abominable and deserved to be killed. He says "Christianity says humans are not animals"--but of course we are. What's his source when he says some atheists care more about saving insects than helping dying kids in Africa. I've done more good for poor kids anywhere, by giving poor women the power to abort & not expose more children to starvation. Both DS and DC comment as if the world population must be Christians. Fascism demands that everyone under its dictatorship must be the same. The "fasces" is the name of the bundle of handles of war-clubs. They're tied together to show none must be removed. Mine is the right and duty to protect the republic from being destroyed by domestic fascism in the form of these DS-DC comments. I'm related to Founder James Wilson, so I have a particular interest in protecting the Constitution. DC can take his Satan and poke himself with that cute little pronged hayfork he uses to baste sinners.

auradawn veirs of CA 6:19PM October 13, 2009

aura, last time I checked questionable sources undermines any truth claims made by a debater. Also, a person who lies about someone else's views or beliefs obviously has very little reason as to why he/she opposes the other person. Also, in an earlier post you said insulting and untruths did not advance a debate. Yet here you are insulting Christianity and spouting untruths about what Christians believe and teach. Isn't that a little double standard on your part?

Atheists have a higher self-respect? Some athiests believe it is better to save an endangered insect species than dying children in Africa. Others, like you, put humanity on the same level as animals. Then there is Christianity which says humans are not animals and are better than the animals.

"sins they worked hard to commit"? So you would rather people just go and do what they want no matter how heinous or horrorific? So it is okay for a man to arrange an affair with another woman even when he is still married? It's okay for a serial killer to devise the best way to kill his victims? You make sin sound fun, pleasurable, and innocent. Woe to you (Isaiah 5:20).

You have problem with those who misuse tithes, the purpose for tithing. Tithes are used to support missionaries. Only a select few pastors use tithes for their own benefit.

You think the crucifixion of Christ is just art? It happened, read Josephus.

As for distinguished atheists, why don't we connect these people with atheism: Stalin, Mal Pot, Mao Zedong, etc.

Dr. Shade of NC 8:10AM October 13, 2009

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Dan Gilgoff covers religion for U.S. News & World Report. He is the author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War, and is a former politics editor at beliefnet. E-mail Dan at godandcountry@usnews.com.

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