Homosexuality and The Bible

[ConfusedTim]

The following post is doing the rounds in relation to homosexuality and the bible. Can someone explain to me how to refute this argument which sets out to make a mockery of the bible?

"In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant
Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus
18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following
response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which
was posted on the Internet. It’s funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I
have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that
knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend
the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that
Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination … End of
debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other
elements of God’s Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may 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?
2. 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?
3. 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.
4. 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?
5. 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, or should I ask the police to do it?
6. 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? Are there ‘degrees’
   of abomination?
7. 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?
8. 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?
9. 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?
10. 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)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy
considerable expertise in such matters, so I’m confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal
and unchanging.

Your adoring fan,"

 

[NotWorthy]

The “Adoring Fan” of Dr. Laura’s is forgetting one thing. Dr. Laura is Jewish and the “Fan” is relying on the ridiculous to prove that we are not bound by the Old Testament.

However, the New Testament, which every Christian attests to also condemns homosexuality. St. Paul condemns it in Corinthians and Romans.

 

[pigtown]

I wonder how Christian churches that claim to follow the Bible can permit homosexuals to be members and even ordain them. Do they make up their own Bible or simply delete the parts they don’t agree with?

 

[Redratfish]

I wonder how Christian churches that claim to follow the Bible can permit homosexuals to be members and even ordain them. Do they make up their own Bible or simply delete the parts they don’t agree with?

…the Catholic Church allows homosexuals to be members. They are to be celibate, and until recently they could be priests if I understand it correctly. From what I’ve heard and seen on this forum, not all homosexuals are militant against the Church. Many want to follow the Churches teachings.

But to answer your question, if you are refering to ordained, practicing homosexuals, I assume it is like the “Catholic” woman priest movement, or the Westboro Baptist Church. They make up what to believe, and aren’t truly what they say they are (Catholic women priests aren’t Catholic, and the Westboro Baptists aren’t really Baptists).

 

[ConfusedTim]

we are not bound by the Old Testament.

Is there not a pssage about jesus not coming to abolish the law but fulfil it?

 

[Redratfish]

we are not bound by the Old Testament.

Is there not a pssage about jesus not coming to abolish the law but fulfil it?

While this is true, he did change much of the old law. Thats why the Jews wanted to kill him!

Remember that at the end of John’s gospel, it says that Christ did many more things, but it is too much to fill in a single book.

 

[ConfusedTim]

so how do we decide what is in and what is not?

 

[nickybr38]

A lot of the Laws were established because the people were corrupt and God made concessions with them. A lot of those ‘terrible’ things they did they WANTED to do. For example, divorce, which was allowed in the Old Covenant but no longer in the New Covenant.

Unfortunately the Torah was born out of Israel’s hard heart. :\

But when Jesus came He demanded and expected more of us then our brethren of the past. So He modified the law to reflect these new higher standards.

 

[fermat]

so how do we decide what is in and what is not?

We know because Jesus left us a church to guide us to what is truth and what is error. This is exactly the kind of situation that the church is to help clarify.

 

[buffalo]

Modern society has bought into the clever homosexual propoganda that this is a rights issue and have failed to take into account the homosexual act.

 

[nickybr38]

We know because Jesus left us a church to guide us to what is truth and what is error. This is exactly the kind of situation that the church is to help clarify.

Amen. It’s not for us to figure out on our own.

 

[bingbang]

Modern society has bought into the clever homosexual propoganda that this is a rights issue and have failed to take into account the homosexual act.

What hasn’t modern society taken into account about the homosexual act?

 

[bingbang]

We know because Jesus left us a church to guide us to what is truth and what is error. This is exactly the kind of situation that the church is to help clarify.

Why not follow the orthodox church? Which church is right, because both churches have the exact same lineage. So can I just pick one? Are both truth and free of error despite having differing views on things?

 

[Corki]

The following post is doing the rounds in relation to homosexuality and the bible. Can someone explain to me how to refute this argument which sets out to make a mockery of the bible?

Seriously!?!?!

This “letter” has been making the rounds since 2000. That’s over a decade now. It probably was never a letter to Dr. Laura anyway, just, as you stated a mockery of not only the Bible but of religious and moral objections to homosexual unions.

There have been several well researched refutations of the “letter” since 2000. One that seems well researched is here:

tektonics.org/lp/lauraletter.html

NOTE: this is not a Catholic site but has a good treatment of the Dr. Laura “letter”.

A search of old threads here at CAF will turn up probably dozens of discussions of the Dr. Laura letter. Beware, some of those threads turned quite uncharitable.

 

[buffalo]

What hasn’t modern society taken into account about the homosexual act?

Many refuse the knowledge that the act is intrinsically evil and against natural law. They have bought into the homosexual agenda.

“The greatest single victory of the gay movement over the past decade has been to shift the debate from behavior to identity, thus forcing opponents into a position where they can be seen as attacking the civil rights of homosexual citizens.”
From *The Homosexualization of America*, by homosexual activist Dennis Altman.