Quote From: mommyjenna Where does it say in the Bible you can beat your wife? It says "love your wives as Christ loved the church". It does address sex with children and says that anyone who hurts a child will face hell.
You're right, it doesn't say keeping slaves is a sin. However, I don't think the definition of slave is the same one we have today - of people in chains, barely fed because it also mentions that if a slave wants to continue service, allow him to do so. It also addresses when to allow them freedom. I think it was more of a work for food and shelter kind of thing It also says to treat them fairly. The reason why God was so angry with Egypt is because they'd kept his people as slaves for way
too long.
As far as the shellfish thing goes, these, I think it can be abandoned because Jesus came to fulfill the law and we are no longer bound by some of these old laws, although Jesus said to keep the commandements (as in 10 commandments) However, that being said, homosexuality is also addressed in the New Testament. I think God knew the future and knew that the laws of sex with children, siblings, animals etc would not be an issue, but homosexuality would, therefore it would indeed need mention again in the New Testament.
Well I'm glad we've come into agreement that we're not under the Levitical Law!
As for the New Testament it can be broken down into 4 verses. One of which is rarely used anymore (Jude) as that passage is commonly understood now to being spiritual beings having relations with humans and has nothing to do with homosexuality.
As for Romans the issue is the word "natural" which come from the Greek words phusikos and phusis which literally mean that which is a persons "natural disposition" and something that comes "instinctively" to them. In other words, it is who you are naturaly; without reprogramming, counseling, or any other form of behavioral modification that attempts to change your behavior to something others (e.g. right wing Christians) has deemed acceptable.
The real danger of course is when others impose their idea of what "natural" is for them onto others. In Romans Paul is talking about people turning away from what was natural for them (phusis) that that which was unnatural for them. They did this after FIRST turning away from God. They were after chasing ('whoring') after the next sexual high. Because they turned away from God they reaped the full spiritual fruit of the god they were following (which wasn't God of course).
How does this differ from homosexuals? Especially Christian homosexuals? Well first off we haven't turned away from God. If we had, we could care less what the Bible has to say or what God thinks about this issue. We do care. If we didn't we certainly wouldn't be here discussing this issue with you, going to church and devoting our lives to reaching the lost within the gay community etc. So we have not, are not, and have no future plans in turning away from God. Turning away from incorrect and misguided church doctrines yes - but never from God.
Secondly our situation is different because we have not turned from what is natural (phusis) from us but have finally accepted how God has made us to be. Gay and Christian.
As for 1 Timothy and 1 Corinthians the debate over these scriptures revolve around the Greek word "arsenokoitais" which has been pointed out numerous times is a word that is found nowhere else. It's a word made up by Paul to try and desribe someone or something. It literally means a person with many sexual partners. If Paul HAD meant to say "homosexual" there were words in the Greek dialect which described males who preferred the sexual bed of other males. Paul did not use these words but made up another word instead. If we literally translate what Paul is saying he is saying that sleeping around with different folks is a bad thing to do. This word of advice is applicable to both the hetrosexual as well as the homosexual community.
So what's left to condemn gays with? Opinions? Biases? Sure, but is that God's will? Would God want Christians to attack other Christians based upon such things? No.
Note: If you want to do more study on this matter I suggest two good books:
"The Children are Free" by David Miner and "Calling the Rainbow Nation Home" by E T Sundby. A good web site with excellent info is www.gaychurch.org. Study out there resources and I think it will help.
