Originally posted by Rev. Joshua:
I think that here we have the key differnce between the moderate/liberal interpretation of Scripture and the fundamentalist/conservative one. I don't think the paraenetic texts in Scripture represent "God's eternal will" as a moral code. They represent specific applications of general principles - and it is the task of the interpreters to determine what those general principles are and how to apply them now.
For me, following the example of Jesus, the two underlying general principles of all right behavior are loving God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus clearly placed these principles over the letter of the law, and I think it behooves us to do the same.
So, how does this (saying a homosexuality is not a sin) please God? Do you think God thinks that it(homosexuality) is ok? You must. But why? What reasons can you give that would make one think that God thinks homosexuality is not a sin? That has yet to be explained.
It's not a lifestyle, it's a sexual orientation.
Yeah yeah yeah...it's an orientation...just so long as you redefine orientation to include premarital sex, extramarital affiars, pedophilia and necrophilia. Do you wish to redefine those in that way?
Christianity can do this by recognizing that the big whopping three passages that perhaps deal with homosexuality are not addressing committed, monogamous relationships.
This is absurd, and I think you know it. What about the committed, monogamous premarital couple? The committed, monogamous one living person one dead person? The committed, monogamous 34 year old and the 12 year old? The point is, as it has always been, that there can be no system of morals which says that homosexuality is not a sin that also excludes the above. If you say homosexuality is ok, you allow these others. It is just that simple. Post-it claimed conviction of the heart (via Holy Spirit) and not harming someone. He failed to prove this or give it valid justfication. Now you are doing something simliar and you can also offer no valid justfication.
OK, how about this one: Sexual acts which have the potential to create children should not take place outside of a marriage contract. Sexual acts which either party views as reflecting close intimacy should not take place outside of committed relationships.
So let me get this straight....you now say:
1. if an act can produce kids...wait till marriage
2. if a person (subjective) feels it is wrong...wait till marriage
3. otherwise, game on.
Does 1 take into consideration infertile couples? They have no possibility for children so are they allowed to have sex before marriage?
2 is a putrid explanation for something which really demands a much more thoroughly though out idea. 2 allows any single person/couple to engage in whatever sex act they choose if they feel likek it (ie, not wrong)...as long as it can't produce children. Where did you get the idea that 'produce children' is the delimiter between right and wrong for 1 BTW? Seem arbitrary, like most of the moral code you present.
The concepts of monogamy and sex exclusively in marriage are not universally affirmed in the Old Testament. Look specifically at Tamar and Ruth, both of whom made it into the genealogy of Jesus. I think they are healthy concepts and endorse them, but I'm not juvenile enough in my reading of the Bible to believe that the Bible endorses them exclusively.
God clearly allowed and blessed polygamy and extramarital sex in the line of Jesus, so I don't see this as much of a challenge. As for homosexuality, it's not addressed by the authors of Scripture in the context of healthy, committed relationships.
Simple concept. Not everything in the bible is encouraged by God. This a common mistake atheists make when debasing the bible. I am suprised you made this one. Think of the NT divorce principle. Why did Moses endorse divorce? Hardness of what? That's right, heart.
The authors of Scripture seem to have held hrhema's opinion that those relationships don't exist (just as they couldn't conceive of a world without slavery) and so they wrote from that perspective. That doesn't mean we should do the same in either case.
You have now reduced moral principles to the society in which one lives. So, because our socieyt endorses the following we (Christians) should be allowed to do them:
Premarital sex
Pornography
Divorce
Lying
Drug use
......
The list goes on...
You need a better position otherwise you are no better than the world. Actually, it would appear your moral code is of the world.
In Christ,
jason