Comments on: Pro-Gay Billboards Cite Bible

By: tkdcoach

tkdcoach — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:49:23 +0000

Hate to break up the overall dismissive attitude about these billboards here, but as a gay Christian I’d like to say that those here attacking the supposed revisionist biblical interpretation here should back off a wee bit. For example, in Matthew 19, after hearing his disciples lament that they cannot divorce their wives “for any cause” (an abhorrent type of divorce permitted under Mosaic law that was nothing more than abandonment) Jesus says let those who can accept the teaching, accept it (e.g. heterosexuals). Verse 19:12 then lays out three exceptions…all of which are for types of “eunuchs” to which the marriage paradigm doesn’t apply: those who are born that way (e.g. under Roman law, men who have a sexual revulsion to women), those who are made that way by others (e.g. the castrated whom we moderns think of as the only kind of ‘eunuchs’), and those who seek to be ‘eunuchs’ to ‘enter the Kingdom…” (e.g. voluntarily abstinent types). It’s not ridiculous to assume that the first type of eunuch is a gay man and many scholars on both sides have asserted so outside the confines of the narrower argument. It seems that a lack of belief would result in different attitudes than the ones I see here, but perhaps I have a higher opinion of doubt (whether confirmedly atheist or ambivalently agnostic) and perplexity than I should.

By: hoverFrog

hoverFrog — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:47:32 +0000

Hannah, I’ve heard tales of homophobic parents who have lost or reduced their bigoted ways when a child has come out to them. When it is made personal for them they are faced with a choice to lose their child or to change their views. I’m not suggesting that coming out to your dad is going to have a positive impact on his or your life because I don’t know you. Maybe one day when you are safe it might be worth it.

By: Hannah Happiness

Hannah Happiness — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:08:27 +0000

hey.
I am a lesbian, and I love it. My dad is a huge homophobe and it totally ruins our relationship, even though he dosen’t know I’m gay! He’s also a religous zelot and it kills me because when I can stand to be around him he’s ussually talking about how he hates Jews, Gays/lesbian’s, and anyone that dosn’t go to his curch.
Sometimes I get down because he says these hurtful things and I can’t tell him what I feel, because he gets violent when contradicted. These quotes from the bible were funny. When I found the cite I got out the bible that I never use, that my dad bought me and I highlighted all the passages that I found relevant from the site.
Thanks!!

By: Call of the wild

Call of the wild — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:39:15 +0000

I’m of the opinion that this whole thing is being WAY over-thought. If a guy doesn’t want to be gay, he shouldn’t suck dicks. If a woman doesn’t want to be gay, she shouldn’t use a strap on with another woman or eat pussy. I’m a Christian raised southern Baptist and I think what two consenting adults do with one another physically should be their business alone. Would Jesus Discriminate? No, I don’t believe he would. That’s why I’ve removed myself from organized religion. I can’t stand the church, but I’ll never turn my back on my personal beliefs. Y’all have a nice day.

By: Pbear

Pbear — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:39:44 +0000

Ummm… Guys? Gals?

None of this is actually in the Bible, remember? It wasn’t written in English. Therefore – at BEST – you’re reading a person’s translation of GOD’S WORD. When you can quote the aramaic, give me a call… Then we can determine whether this or that is what the Bible says.

By: Political Irony › Would Jesus Discriminate?

Political Irony › Would Jesus Discriminate? — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:18:33 +0000

[...] You can see more of them here. [...]

By: Scott Turner

Scott Turner — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:54:13 +0000

Well, uhm, ok.

Jesus also said that people who do not accept him will spend eternity in agonizing hellfire, according to the Gospel. That means most of humanity will smolder in hell due to the geographical accident of their birthplace. So, is Jesus really a source for moral recourse?

By: The Big Blue Frog

The Big Blue Frog — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:04:28 +0000

I have to agree with Mike the Infidel; the first one has nothing to do with homosexuality. Having said that, I love the concept.

By: Neon Genesis

Neon Genesis — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:03:05 +0000

This is a terrible idea. None of those verses say anything close to what the WJD folks want to pretend they do. They’re not fostering thought or promoting tolerance by misinterpreting scripture. What they are doing is reinforcing the widespread belief among evangelicals that Satan has, can, and will use this very tactic to draw them away from God. This whole campaign is unbelievably naive.

And even some liberal Christians like the biblical scholar Marcus Borg admit that the bible does condemn homosexuality, they just choose to ignore it, so I don’t get why they feel the need to pretend that the bible says something it doesn’t. If they still have a need to have faith in Jesus, then they can just ignore them like all Christians do to some extent.

By: mikespeir

mikespeir — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:49:16 +0000

Quite a stretch, Connor. Here's what the NASB says: 1Sa 20:41 When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the more. BTW, don't interpret the kissing according to what it would mean in our culture. Judas is said to have betrayed Jesus with a kiss. There's nothing to suggest anything sexual there. It was a greeting. In Romans 16:16 Paul tells the Christians at Rome to greet each other with a kiss. Then, of course, if the meaning of the word (ga?dal) is uncertain, what would cause us to make it something sexual, other than a desire to have it so? When I interpret, I get what the text likely means. When I embellish, I get what I'd like the text to mean.