AlterNet has an editorial called Gay and Christian: Not a Contradiction. It’s discussing the creation of a youth gay Christian camp. The comments after this post are quite interesting with the debate of “is homosexuality a sin in the Bible” mixed in there.
I’m an anti-theist, and I have read the Bible a number of times. I do believe the Bible is against homosexuality. I also believe the Bible speaks much more prolifically against divorce, but most Christians seem to not argue against that one. I guess my question is this – why is it so important to maintain a Christian faith when you know you are born and irrefutably gay? Why not have a new faith, in humanity, in yourself?
Now having said all that, I’m glad that there are Christian churches who accept gays as members, who preach acceptance of gays, etc. Just as I stated above, most Christians are ignorant of, or ignore many parts of their Bible because it seems harsh, unloving, fill in the blank. So perhaps more of them can ignore the passages against homosexuality down the road. Like I said, I’m anti-theist, and anything that makes people move away from religious doctrine followed with thoughtless zeal makes me happier and hopeful for the future of humanity.
9 comments:
If Jesus was alive today,he'd turn over in his grave.
I've read the Bible all my life,and these things I know to be true:
..For all have sinned,and come short of the glory of God.
..Let those among you who is without sin,cast the first stone...and
..Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Take away any kind of religiuos implications,and they still make for some damn fine parameters for being a human being.
I’m going to be a rich bastard. I have just had a remarkable idea.
Imagine it with me, if you will… a machine in every major retailer across the country – something lit up, festooned with decoration – something along the lines of a fancy shmancy Coke machine… You go up, put in a few bucks… punch a few buttons indicating exactly which “parts” of the Bible you wish to include – and whether or not you want the mild, medium or extra spicy version of said “parts” – and away go the chipmunks inside, all whirling dervish like… and within 3 minutes – out slides a leather bound edition of THE BIBLE – heck, you could even special order 10,000 copies and have THE BIBLE special delivered if you wanted… pft.
I'm in the heathen camp.If there is a 'god' I doubt if one single solitary human has ever or ever will understand it/her/him whatever...when they pretend to, wars get started.
I would venture that every religion is wrong in it's details if nothing else, that there is just as much evidence for the existence of Zeus as there is the X-tian god or Allah or the Tooth Fairy-etc etc etc...
I still carry a grudge from the Dark Ages, and I am very uncomfortable with the new brand of American Evangelism and it's embrace of willful ignorance- a mirror image of Islamic Fundamentalism...no science, no progress, no fun sex, hide the women, send the boys to Holy War...blind faith in Invisible Cloud Being is enough to live ,die and kill for.
That being said, I gotta give props to my Grannie's Lutherans- they make some awesome pie.
Her local church does nice things and they haven't started any wars that I'm aware off. They are gay-friendly too.
Amy, that is a good idea. Nothing says 'Praise' like a limited-edition Bible with custom scripture and polished delivery.
Good to hear from you.
The new testiment never even mentions gays.
there had to be a bunch of gay guys at the council of nicea. i wonder what they were thinking while the negotiations were going on.
maybe they had a don't ask policy in place.
Sling - I believe there are many 'ethical' concepts in the Bible that are good for society. I do often wonder though when I have been asked over the years "why do you do have any ethics or try to do good things when you aren't Christian?" I do not believe morality and religion are inexplicably tied. I can "do good" because it is good for society and therefore good for the individual (not always the case, but mostly). Also, the passage from John 8 about casting the stone, it finishes with Jesus saying "sin no more". He is willing to not condemn her, but he does consider her fornication a sin.
Amy - lol love the idea. But the problem is then it would force Christians to acknowledge they pick and choose. My pickle has always been that if I believed in the godhead and that the Bible and certain other accepted writings are the literature given to me to live by, I would be scared shitless to pick and choose. 80 years on earth is nothing compared to eternity, and if i really truly believed in that afterlife, I would make sure I worked damn hard to get there heh.
CM - There are 3 passages in the NT normally referenced by anti-homosexuals: Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corin 6:9 and 1 Tim 1:10. I personally don't think the Corin and Tim ones allude to homosexuality. However, I do believe that Romans does. There is lots of debate about it though.
Christianity is a contractual language that people abide by in order to create a existential "reality" frame by way of consensus. Whether or not the "abiding by" the terms of the contract is static or fluid depends on who has the authority to interpret the contract. Evangelic gays are in the process of claiming authority over the contractual language and terms.
That appears as a threat to those who already assume to have the authority.
The probability is that the gay issue will in time be absorbed into the body of the contract and will become part of its ever evolving language.
Contracts that cannot or will not evolve, dissolve.
None of that is to say that the contract to begin with is even remotely rational, necessary or even useful.
Dissolve sounds good to me. =) If it does evolve, it will be centuries from now at the pace it seems to move along. At least Christianity, given many of the world's religions, seems to be moving in a better direction from times past.
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