Even Progressive Interpretations of Homosexuality in the Bible Are a Problem

[NeoGreen]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/12/21/even-progressive-interpretations-of-homosexuality-in-the-bible-are-a-problem/

Even Progressive Interpretations of Homosexuality in the Bible Are a Problem
December 21, 2017 by Hemant Mehta

What does the Bible say about homosexuality? And is there a way to rationalize the “clobber verses” so that they aren’t as anti-gay as they seem?

Drew McCoy (a.k.a. Genetically Modified Skeptic), a former fundamentalist Christian himself, takes a look at the relevant verses, how some progressives explain them away, and why their interpretations don’t make any sense.

The gist of it boils down to this, no matter what Christians believe: “They are either at odds with reality and morality in condemning it… or at odds with a logically consistent view of biblical doctrine in accepting it.”

The fact that this is even being debated continues to be a stain on Christianity. When it’s this difficult to justify civil rights and compassion — when it this hard to make such an easy moral decision — it’s clear we shouldn’t be looking at the Bible as a guidebook for life.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. This guy is good.

[NeoGreen]

3. It is not the progressivism...

...it is the bible that is the problem.

[NeoGreen]

6. I apologize if my intolerance for the bad ideas contained in the bible...

...doesn't meet with your approval.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

I am perfectly comfortable being a "bigot" toward bad ideas.

[NeoGreen]

8. It is my understanding that IDEAS...

...don't have fee fees.

Your

bigotry towards others

strawman is weak.

I only claim "bigotry" towards bad ideas.

[NeoGreen]

10. Why ask that?

Do you think I should keep quiet?

Do you think I don't have a right to bring a point of view, an IDEA, to the forum for discussion?

[NeoGreen]

13. I disagree with your premise...

...

are in effect bashing gay Christians

[Mariana]

16. Bigotry against a book?

How does that work, exactly? The dictionary says bigotry is intolerance against people, not objects and not ideas.

[MineralMan]

19. Name Removed has apparently been busy in the Religion Group

[pandr32]

5. That last section of the last sentence is true...

..."it's clear we shouldn't be looking at the Bible as a guidebook for life."
There it is! Done.

[helmedon1974]

11. The Bible in general is a problem...

Or more to the point, the problem is that so many believe it to be the word of some omnipotent wizard who controls our destiny, except when he doesn't and leaves it to us. Even though he would arguably already know what we're going to do, which makes the whole free will discussion moot.
The fact that we as a society refuse to listen to our hearts over the cobbled collections of bronze age second hand witnesses to events that logically didn't happen.

[TlalocW]

14. The only problem with the idea of the New Testament replacing the Old is

Jesus said that not one jot or tittle will pass from the old law until all are fulfilled.

If a Christian still insists that we're under a new covenant and can thus ignore the Old Testament, then what is the point of reading it? I also guess we can forget about the 10 Commandments (and the other 200 or so directives from God). Original sin? Doesn't matter. It's in the OT.

But the fact of the matter is Progressive Churches who want to argue against the obvious anti-gay aspects of Christianity are Biblically wrong. But so what? The Bible is a horrible place to get your morals from so why cling to it? If your morality is based on what God supposedly says in the Bible, you're just a dog who's been trained to not get on the couch because understanding why God wants something doesn't matter - just that's the way He wants it.

TlalocW

[safeinOhio]

18. I think he is correct in that you can't change

them, but you can plant a seed of doubt. I'm good with that.
30,000 some Christian sects in the world and everyone of them has a different view on the meaning and what is important. So, it is clearly not a clear cut book. I would also would question the OT along with anything Paul says. He mention unforgivable sins and includes adultery, which Christ mentions a bunch and that includes divorce and remarry. So, it is the same as homosexuality. Yet not much judgement on those that divorce or remarry. That has not always been true. Up until 1980 divorce was the big deal fundamentalist, not homosexuality. Then along came Reagan, divorced and the first governor to legalize no-fault divorce in CA. So, they so loved him enough to drop that.