You are right Fran, we will probably never agree about this. Where you are wrong is the "cherry picking" thing. Or the drivel about "i'm not a racist", etc...
Tell me, where do you think I ignore what the Bible says "because it's convienient"? You might actually have a good thing to point out to me. I ask because I also know I need to be held to account, unbelievers show me things about myself I need to change everyday.
For the sake of the argument, and I do believe it was Spark that said it, all things banned in the old testament don't count to some people
Which is most of these,
So, ok, some people believe that due to Jesus's sacrifice, only those commandments in the new testament count.
(edit: found some text that helps me better explain this whole issue)
Now, I have done quite some research on this issue.. all those years in catholic school did kind of teach me to know my way around a bible lol and Strictly speaking, the New Testament says nothing at all about homosexuality SPECIFICALLY, I'll explain more of that later.
In the FEW times it is mentioned, it would seem that it is said to be bad because it is tagged along with adultery, prostitution and adultery. Not really bad in itself.
At most, there are only three passages in the entire New Testament that refer to what we today would call homosexual activity. None of the four gospels mentions the subject. This means that, so far as we know, Jesus never spoke about homosexuality, and we simply have no way of determining what his attitude toward it might have been.
1 Corinthians 6:9–10 says that certain types of people “will not inherit the kingdom of God.†The list of such people begins with fornicators, idolaters, and adulterers, and it ends with thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, and robbers. Near the middle—between adulterers and thieves—are the two Greek words translated in the New Revised Standard Version as “male prostitutes†(that is, homosexual male prostitutes) and “sodomites.†But no special emphasis is placed on these people; they are simply listed along with the others.
Ok, so... why the focus on homosexuals? I mean, Corinthians does put them in the same bucket as fornicators, adulterers etc..
and speaking of adulterers, in both old and new testament it would seem the bible is pretty clear about one BIG issue.
Divorce. The Bible is very clear on this one: No divorcing. You can't do it. Because when you marry someone, according to Mark 10:8, you "are no longer two, but one flesh." And, Mark 10:9 reads, "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
Mark gets even more hardcore about it a few verses later, in Mark 10:11-12, "And He said to them,
'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.'"
ok, so, now committing adultery, wouldn't that NOW put the newly divorced woman in the SAME bucket as the homosexuals?
..why do people cherry pick that homosexuals don't deserve to marry and are a sin.
..but that divorced women can remarry and aren't adulterous?
HOW COME ANYONE WHO HAS SEX WITH SOMEONE THEY AREN'T MARRIED TO GETTING THE SAME KIND OF TREATMENT?
..that isn't the bible IMO or it's teachings. That's personal. It's cherry picking. It's a lot more difficult to say all adultery is wrong because hey, sex is fun.. and not waiting til marriage is normal these days.
then it is to point at gay people and condemn.
The New Testament really does not provide any direct guidance for understanding and making judgments about homosexuality in the modern world.
To the extent that it does talk about homosexuality, the New Testament appears to be talking about only certain types of homosexuality, and it speaks on the basis of assumptions about homosexuality that are now regarded as highly dubious. Perhaps, then, we could paraphrase what the New Testament says about homosexuality as follows: If homosexuality is exploitive, then it is wrong; if homosexuality is rooted in idolatry, then it is wrong; if homosexuality represents a denial of one’s own true nature, then it is wrong; if homosexuality is an expression of insatiable lust, then it is wrong. But we could say exactly the same thing about heterosexuality, couldn’t we?
In my eyes, none of these things really say that god things homosexuality in itself is a bad thing.
now, the bible in itself is really about how you read it
and yes, I have read much of it. Not just in school but because I figure if I'm going to be talking about this issue, I should at least read the text and frankly, I think any book is a lesson, regardless of if you don't believe the lessons taught.
Again, I have no qualms with how people PERSONALLY feel about homosexuality.
but in this country, religion and laws are supposed to be separate.
so why are these personal feelings even a part of it? Marriage was around long before the church and is not owned by churches.