I appreciate your conciliatory tone. I respect your desire to serve God. I also think that you put more faith into dead traditions than you do into a living God.
I'll address the scriptures in question, some of which you've pointed out:
• The story of Sodom and Gomorrah - Ezekiel makes clear that the sin of Sodom was cruelty, specifically how they treated the poor. The word "know" wasn't about homosexuality. It was about the threat of gang rape, an intolerable evil regardless of the genders involved.
• Leviticus 18:21 and 20:13 - These are provisions of the Levitical Law. Christians are not bound by the Levitical Law. It is of no effect. It is an all-or-nothing proposition - we don't get to pick and choose. So if you take these passages seriously, you had better stop eating pork and shellfish. You'd better throw away all your cotton-poly clothing. Better stop shaving. Be sure to ask your wife if she's on her period before you have sex, otherwise you'll be cut off from the people. And don't forget, she'll need to you watch the kids afterward while she purifies herself. I think you get the picture.
That leaves three passages in the New Testament, all found in the Epistles of Paul. Interestingly, in 2 Corinthians, Paul clarifies that every word of God shall be established by two or three witnesses. Yet he's the only NT author that says anything at all about homosexuality. Where are the other witnesses? Where is Jesus weaving that tHe GheYs ArE bAd into the Sermon on the Mount if it matters so much to him? Anyhow, if you're taking Paul seriously then you better make sure your woman doesn't speak up in church.
Anyway, we have:
• Romans 1:21-31 - When read in context, Paul is not condemning homosexuality. He's condemning Paganism and the accompanying debauchery.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10 - These passages originally used the word "arsenokoitais." This is an interesting word because it doesn't really appear in other Greek literature. It appears to have been period slang. So the translators didn't have an exact translation and were free to make it say whatever they wanted. They went with a condemnation of homosexuality. But if you actually break the word into its etymology, it translates literally to "man of many beds." This is not an injunction against homosexuality; it is a condemnation of promiscuity. And if Paul wanted to say what it's claimed he said, he was a Roman citizen writing in Greek. He had plenty of more precise words available if he wanted to be clear about his views on homosexuality.
So, yeah, the Bible in context does not condemn homosexuality. Adultery, fornication, promiscuity? Sure. But there is no applicable passage regarding homosexuality. It's nothing but Christian dogma based off the presumed opinion of a guy named Paul.
To some of your points:
"God is incapable of being wrong; it it is the word of God; it is correct." Agreed, God is not wrong. But the Bible has been adulterated. We've also taken the opinions of individuals, Paul being the prime example, and turned that into God's word because it's included in an arbitrary compilation that didn't exist until hundreds of years after Christ's ministry. Paul's opinion is not binding as God's word. The Sermon on the Mount? The rest of Jesus' teachings? Sure, absolutely, but not one time in all of that does he mention homosexuality, and neither do any of the disciples who were with him during his ministry.
God does not stand against himself. But you're assuming that God's view is the one that agrees with you and calling it discernment. That is a very perilous practice. I had to learn the hard way to stop doing that.
"Why then would God bother writing it?" I'm not sure he did. I think the Old Testament is very much not what the Christian world thinks it is. Take a look at "The Eden Conspiracy" by Paul Wallis if you're curious about that rabbit hole.
"1 in 5 of Gen Z refer to themselves as LGBTQIA+" Yeah, I'm not quite sure what to make of that yet. My guess is that 75% of them are feeling societal pressure not to be the "bad guy" and think that turning themselves into a member of the politically correct group can absolve them of their guilt and make them the "good guys." They can't make themselves black - but they can make themselves gay! Problem is, while you can behave however you want, you don't just get to choose to be gay. It takes brain wiring in utero. (Here's a brief overview of that neuroscience: https://youtu.be/QCX2PJJ-2BA)
So I'm convinced that they'll revert to identifying with their natural sexuality by early adulthood. But we'll see. Honestly, my gut tells me that we're on the cusp of the pendulum swinging back to a full-on revival among Gen Z. Loving Jesus is counter-culture these days, and that always attracts youth. I'm seeing so many teens sporting crosses, especially young men. It's an encouraging sight.
"Lord Jesus said that abstaining was better than than taking a wife." No, Lord Jesus did not say that. Paul said that, and he expressly stated that it was merely his opinion. In any case, where would the widespread adoption of that philosophy leave your concern about crashing birth rates?
"I wish you all the best. Take care." Likewise.
I appreciate your conciliatory tone. I respect your desire to serve God. I also think that you put more faith into dead traditions than you do into a living God.
I'll address the scriptures in question, some of which you've pointed out:
• The story of Sodom and Gomorrah - Ezekiel makes clear that the sin of Sodom was cruelty, specifically how they treated the poor. The word "know" wasn't about homosexuality. It was about the threat of gang rape, an intolerable evil regardless of the genders involved.
• Leviticus 18:21 and 20:13 - These are provisions of the Levitical Law. Christians are not bound by the Levitical Law. It is of no effect. It is an all-or-nothing proposition - we don't get to pick and choose. So if you take these passages seriously, you had better stop eating pork and shellfish. You'd better throw away all your cotton-poly clothing. Better stop shaving. Be sure to ask your wife if she's on her period before you have sex, otherwise you'll be cut off from the people. And don't forget, she'll need to you watch the kids afterward while she purifies herself. I think you get the picture.
That leaves three passages in the New Testament, all found in the Epistles of Paul. Interestingly, in 2 Corinthians, Paul clarifies that every word of God shall be established by two or three witnesses. Yet he's the only NT author that says anything at all about homosexuality. Where are the other witnesses? Where is Jesus weaving that tHe GheYs ArE bAd into the Sermon on the Mount if it matters so much to him? Anyhow, if you're taking Paul seriously then you better make sure your woman doesn't speak up in church.
Anyway, we have:
• Romans 1:21-31 - When read in context, Paul is not condemning homosexuality. He's condemning Paganism and the accompanying debauchery.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10 - These passages originally used the word "arsenokoitais." This is an interesting word because it doesn't really appear in other Greek literature. It appears to have been period slang. So the translators didn't have an exact translation and were free to make it say whatever they wanted. They went with a condemnation of homosexuality. But if you actually break the word into its etymology, it translates literally to "man of many beds." This is not an injunction against homosexuality; it is a condemnation of promiscuity. And if Paul wanted to say what it's claimed he said, he was a Roman citizen writing in Greek. He had plenty of more precise words available if he wanted to be clear about his views on homosexuality.
So, yeah, the Bible in context does not condemn homosexuality. Adultery, fornication, promiscuity? Sure. But there is no applicable passage regarding homosexuality. It's nothing but Christian dogma based off the presumed opinion of a guy named Paul.
To some of your points: "God is incapable of being wrong; it it is the word of God; it is correct." Agreed, God is not wrong. But the Bible has been adulterated. We've also taken the opinions of individuals, Paul being the prime example, and turned that into God's word because it's included in an arbitrary compilation that didn't exist until hundreds of years after Christ's ministry. Paul's opinion is not binding as God's word. The Sermon on the Mount? The rest of Jesus' teachings? Sure, absolutely, but not one time in all of that does he mention homosexuality, and neither do any of the disciples who were with him during his ministry.
God does not stand against himself. But you're assuming that God's view is the one that agrees with you and calling it discernment. That is a very perilous practice. I had to learn the hard way to stop doing that.
"Why then would God bother writing it?" I'm not sure he did. I think the Old Testament is very much not what the Christian world thinks it is. Take a look at "The Eden Conspiracy" by Paul Wallis if you're curious about that rabbit hole.
"1 in 5 of Gen Z refer to themselves as LGBTQIA+" Yeah, I'm not quite sure what to make of that yet. My guess is that 75% of them are feeling societal pressure not to be the "bad guy" and think that turning themselves into a member of the politically correct group can absolve them of their guilt and make them the "good guys." They can't make themselves black - but they can make themselves gay! Problem is, while you can behave however you want, you don't just get to choose to be gay. It takes brain wiring in utero. (Here's a brief overview of that neuroscience: https://youtu.be/QCX2PJJ-2BA)
So I'm convinced that they'll revert to identifying with their natural sexuality by early adulthood. But we'll see. Honestly, my gut tells me that we're on the cusp of the pendulum swinging back to a full-on revival among Gen Z. Loving Jesus is counter-culture these days, and that always attracts youth. I'm seeing so many teens sporting crosses, especially young men. It's an encouraging sight.
"Lord Jesus said that abstaining was better than than taking a wife." No, Lord Jesus did not say that. Paul said that, and he expressly stated that it was merely his opinion. In any case, where would the widespread adoption of that philosophy leave your concern about crashing birth rates?
"I wish you all the best. Take care." Likewise.
I appreciate your conciliatory tone. I respect your desire to serve God. I also think that you put more faith into dead traditions than you do into a living God.
I'll address the scriptures in question, some of which you've pointed out:
• The story of Sodom and Gomorrah - Ezekiel makes clear that the sin of Sodom was cruelty, specifically how they treated the poor. The word "know" wasn't about homosexuality. It was about the threat of gang rape, an intolerable evil regardless of the genders involved.
• Leviticus 18:21 and 20:13 - These are provisions of the Levitical Law. Christians are not bound by the Levitical Law. It is of no effect. It is an all-or-nothing proposition - we don't get to pick and choose. So if you take these passages seriously, you had better stop eating pork and shellfish. You'd better throw away all your cotton-poly clothing. Better stop shaving. Be sure to ask your wife if she's on her period before you have sex, otherwise you'll be cut off from the people. I think you get the picture.
That leaves three passages in the New Testament, all found in the Epistles of Paul. Interestingly, in 2 Corinthians, Paul clarifies that every word of God shall be established by two or three witnesses. Yet he's the only NT author that says anything at all about homosexuality. Where are the other witnesses? Where is Jesus weaving that tHe GheYs ArE bAd into the Sermon on the Mount if it matters so much to him? Anyhow, if you're taking Paul seriously then you better make sure your woman doesn't speak up in church.
Anyway, we have:
• Romans 1:21-31 - When read in context, Paul is not condemning homosexuality. He's condemning Paganism and the accompanying debauchery.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10 - These passages originally used the word "arsenokoitais." This is an interesting word because it doesn't really appear in other Greek literature. It appears to have been period slang. So the translators didn't have an exact translation and were free to make it say whatever they wanted. They went with a condemnation of homosexuality. But if you actually break the word into its etymology, it translates literally to "man of many beds." This is not an injunction against homosexuality; it is a condemnation of promiscuity. And if Paul wanted to say what it's claimed he said, he was a Roman citizen writing in Greek. He had plenty of more precise words available if he wanted to be clear about his views on homosexuality.
So, yeah, the Bible in context does not condemn homosexuality. Adultery, fornication, promiscuity? Sure. But there is no applicable passage regarding homosexuality. It's nothing but Christian dogma based off the presumed opinion of a guy named Paul.
To some of your points: "God is incapable of being wrong; it it is the word of God; it is correct." Agreed, God is not wrong. But the Bible has been adulterated. We've also taken the opinions of individuals, Paul being the prime example, and turned that into God's word because it's included in an arbitrary compilation that didn't exist until hundreds of years after Christ's ministry. Paul's opinion is not binding as God's word. The Sermon on the Mount? The rest of Jesus' teachings? Sure, absolutely, but not one time in all of that does he mention homosexuality, and neither do any of the disciples who were with him during his ministry.
God does not stand against himself. But you're assuming that God's view is the one that agrees with you and calling it discernment. That is a very perilous practice. I had to learn the hard way to stop doing that.
"Why then would God bother writing it?" I'm not sure he did. I think the Old Testament is very much not what the Christian world thinks it is. Take a look at "The Eden Conspiracy" by Paul Wallis if you're curious about that rabbit hole.
"1 in 5 of Gen Z refer to themselves as LGBTQIA+" Yeah, I'm not quite sure what to make of that yet. My guess is that 75% of them are feeling societal pressure not to be the "bad guy" and think that turning themselves into a member of the politically correct group can absolve them of their guilt and make them the "good guys." They can't make themselves black - but they can make themselves gay! Problem is, while you can behave however you want, you don't just get to choose to be gay. It takes brain wiring in utero. (Here's a brief overview of that neuroscience: https://youtu.be/QCX2PJJ-2BA)
So I'm convinced that they'll revert to identifying with their natural sexuality by early adulthood. But we'll see. Honestly, my gut tells me that we're on the cusp of the pendulum swinging back to a full-on revival among Gen Z. Loving Jesus is counter-culture these days, and that always attracts youth. I'm seeing so many teens sporting crosses, especially young men. It's an encouraging sight.
"Lord Jesus said that abstaining was better than than taking a wife." No, Lord Jesus did not say that. Paul said that, and he expressly stated that it was merely his opinion. In any case, where would the widespread adoption of that philosophy leave your concern about crashing birth rates?
"I wish you all the best. Take care." Likewise.