There has been no shortage of controversy as gay people assume increased roles as parents and married couples in our society, but almost nowhere has this conflict been more intense than in the church. Many religious leaders have condemned homosexuality, calling it a sin or even an abomination, but for millions of gay people around the world, there is nothing inherently sinful about their sexual preferences.
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Who was God talking to all these years?
The Law of Moses and the dignity of man
Tomcat2200,
The 10 commandments you reference are actually a part of the Hebrew Torah, meaning Law that was give to Moses from God. The 10 commandments are as significant part of the Mosaic Law. Two clear prohibitions against homosexuality are made by God through Moses in the Law.
" 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." (Leviticus 18:22, NIV)
" 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." (Leviticus 20:13)
You compare the act of animals to the acts of humans. Animals indulges in all kinds of beastly behavior but to compare this to human homosexuality is actually out of place. For one humans are created above animals and we know right from wrong in a general sense which animals cannot. Furthermore animals have know self identity and are entirely incapable of rational thought, a bull cannot think itself homosexual anymore then it can think itself a bull, it just is a bull. Animals have instincts that they act on and when taken out of nature, eg. a farm, they are more inclined to all kinds of more unnatural behaviors including apparently homosexual acts.
Peace,
Spencer
- Periannath December 29, 2008 12:07PM
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not really.
Animals are indeed capable of rational thought, and tons of animals have self idenity complexes... where are you getting your info ?
Leviticus is Old Testement, ntm Lev is a set of rules for Hebrew Males... Are you Hebrew?
- zman676
April 16, 2009 12:12AM
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Beg to differ.
Lets first start with a working and shared definintion of "rational."
Rational: "Having or exercising the ability to reason. Consistent with or based on reason; logical: rational behavior." (American Heritage Dictionary)
You ask where I am getting my info; where are you getting yours? There is some controversy as to whether animals are capable of rational throught, however, the vast majority of people including scientists do accept an animal as a rational creature. For example, recently there was a women in CA who had a pet chimp. Without warning and without rational basis the chimp went "ape" on her girl friend and almost killed her. Professionals in the field, including zoologists, vets, other biologits etc. often reference that these types of things happen because they are "wild animals." To expect rational behavior from an animal is absurd.
Furthermore, from a Biblical point of view, regardless of how literaly one interpreates the creation accounts there is a clear distinction between man and the animals. Namely they alone were made in the image and likeness of God, recieved from a him a rational that is in likeness to him (which animals do not) and were given dominion over the earth (including the animal kingdomm).
Philosophically we can know that animals are not capable of considering sylogistic reasoning, understand logic. A dog does not think about where it would go to college or what it wants to do with its life. The earliest philosophers and through the present age have noticed a distinction from animals and humankind.
To argue that because an animal does something means it is ok for humans is ludicrist. Animals eat there own kind, commit acts of aggression including murder and many other atrocious behavior if we tried to understand this rationaly. However, we know that they are animals and they do that kind of thing based on instict and conditioning.
Yes Leviticus is Old Testements. Leviticus is not just a rule book for Hebrew males it was given to the whole people of Israel as with the rest of the Torah. No I am not ethnically Hebrew alhtough I do consider myself a "child of Abraham" through the promise, i.e. by faith .
Shalom,
Spencer
- Periannath April 16, 2009 5:37PM
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Faith doesn't make you a Jew
To be a Jew, you have to either go through a conversion process, or have a Jewish mother. You can consider yourself all you want, but in the eyes of Judaism, you don't count.
- quantummechanik
June 8, 2009 1:55AM
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sorry for the misunderstanding
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I never said I was Jewish or was a Jew but that I am by faith a child of Abraham.
- Periannath June 8, 2009 3:00PM
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There are a bunch of Children of Abraham
I mean, most monotheists have Abraham figure into their religion . Jews, Christians, Muslims. Whatever Charles Manson is. But mosaic law only applies to Jews. There is a very clear distinction between Jews and Gentiles that often gets confused. I know a lot of people BELIEVE their religion is the next step in Judaism, but according to the old testament and MOST ancient and modern Jewish thought, Christians and Muslims are a separate thing.
- quantummechanik
June 8, 2009 3:07PM
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Yes and no
I would agree that certain elements of the the Mosaic law apply only to Jews, however, other elements are universal. Certaintly the Mosaic law was given through Moses to the Isralites from whom the Jews descend and in that sense was for them. But in revealing his law to the Jews Go- revelaed ceratain aspects of his charachter, what holiness is opposed to what is sinful and naturally from that what is wrong in his eyes and good in his eyes. What God sees as good and evil should inform man on what is morally good and evil. There are specific elements of the Mosaic law that pertain to Israel as a kingdom and thus are civil (not moral) and others that pertain to the seperetness God has called Israel to have in relation to gentile peoples (these are ceremonial). Beyond these civil and ceremonial laws he still gave moral laws that hold within them a universal application since they reveal the moral charachter of Go- who is Go- over all and from whom all things came to be. Amen.
Shalom,
Spencer
- Periannath June 8, 2009 3:41PM
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