Baptists and Gays

Should churches welcome unrepentant adulterers? Unrepentant thieves? Like it or not, the Bible is very clear about homosexuality. Just because Hollywood and certain states have become comfortable with it doesn't change the fact that the Bible is explicitly against it. You can't just pick and choose what parts of your religion you want to accept, so either churches need to actually start living by what's in the Bible or they need to start being different religions.

 

It's also clear about stealing, adultery, coveting, (American) Idol worship, working on Sunday, shellfish, pork, sex during menstruation and selling your daughter into slavery. So what's your favorite Bar-B-Q joint and how much did you get for your daughter? Point is, take it all or take none. You can't pick and choose. We agree on that.

 

I don't think gays can help liking gay sex any more than I can help liking hetero sex. Actually...I'm sure of it. "God" made us like this. Why would you ask someone to deny who they are? It doesn't hurt you. I don't get it.

This is why religion is such a turn off to me. Just a bunch of rules and myths that don't make sense. Yet seemingly educated people just "do what the book says." Of course that book is open to interpretation.

 

But you can choose to look at the bible for what it is. A book of myths...written by people with VERY limited knowledge about the world they lived in. Full of good thought provoking subject matter....but NOT a history book or a book of fact.

 

It's odd, but I don't remember Jesus turning folks away based on their particular sins. Perhaps I'm just picking and choosing the wrong parts of the Bible though.

 

:congrats:

 

Nope, he also said something about little children suffering under him. I may have that a little wrong. Like Freak said, the bible is a book with lots of good ideas and it really does teach a good lesson. Do unto others and all that jazz. But it does seem odd that highly intelligent people would believe in a spirit in the sky that wants nothing more from you than your everlasting praise even if he kills your 3 year old innocent child.

 

cockstrap:
The abominations of Leviticus (the shellfish stuff, etc) and the slavery/stoning things are all part of the old covenant. Unlike those things, Jesus made it clear that the prohibition against homosexuality is also part of the new covenant (along with the prohibitions against stealing, adultery, murder, etc). But yeah, the point is, would a church be fine with an unrepentant adulterer? No, nor should they, but churches are under enormous cultural pressure to change their stance on homosexuality despite the Bible being exceedingly clear on the subject.


Freakshow:
If you think that the Bible is just a collection of myths then you aren't a Christian. Obviously Christians don't have to take all the allegory literally, but they do have to accept every part of Jesus Christ's word or they aren't Christians. And while it's perfectly fine by me that you're not religious (I'm not either), it's pretty insulting to come in a religious forum and say that the Bible is just a book of myths instead of saying that you view it as such.

And you're at least partially wrong about homosexuality. It sure seems like a lot of people are born that way, but it's just as obvious that many people aren't. There are undoubtedly thousands of Anne Heches out there, while studies have also shown that victims of sexual abuse as children are much more likely to become gay adults than the general population. It's clearly not just a genetic thing, but even if you look at that component, a lot of the guidelines in the Bible are designed to constrain or deny our biological impulses, so your argument makes no sense there.



kshead:
Not if they wanted to redeem themselves, no. He did shun and even rebuke sinners who didn't want to change their behavior.

 

I must have missed the part of the NT that says that sin A is worse than sin B. Can I get a priority list? We can start with all the stuff listed after gay sex, cause I'm not gonna be going down that road.

 

You are right about the Bible part of my post. I shouldn't have stated it was a book of myths. I should have said IN MY VIEW or IN MY OPINION. I do believe it is more than that...but I don't believe it is "the word of GOD." I'm not going to get into what I do or don't believe. Too long and involved. With my father having a Doctorate in Philosophy and Religion...I've developed some rather hard to explain beliefs.