Re: Sin?

From: John W Burgeson (jwburgeson@juno.com)
Date: Tue Aug 12 2003 - 18:44:49 EDT

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    >>What is the difference between my opinion and the Word of God? >>

    If you are CERTAIN that your opinion is identical with God's will, then
    preach it!

    You cited five scriptures. All are, of course, a translation from the
    originals. And good committed Christian scholars debate exactly how to
    translate all of them. All these people wish to be true to the original,
    but they cannot agree.

    If you pick one as "right," you ought to be able to understand your
    grounds for rejection of all others.

    >>1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit
    the
    kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor
    idolaters
    nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves
    nor
    the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the
    kingdom
    of God.>>

    On my website is an essay by John Shannonhouse which addresses this part
    of the scriptures. In part, John writes: "these verses refers to boys or
    young men who were kept as prostitutes and the men who engaged in sex
    with them. *NOT* homosexuals in general. Someone has rewritten these
    verses to try and turn them into a condemnation of homosexual acts.
    Fortunately there was a scholar with sufficient integrity to point out
    the original meaning of the words. That meaning is right there in the
    Bible.

    In other words, Corinthians mentions prostitution. Just as elsewhere the
    Bible refers to heterosexual prostitution. However, this is no more a
    blanket condemnation of homosexuality than the other verses are a blanket
    condemnation of heterosexuality. The fact that they specify only a small
    part of homosexuality implies that homosexuality in general is *NOT*
    sinful. ... Adultery is a sin Adultery is a heterosexual act.
    Prostitution is a sin. Prostitution is a heterosexual act. Rape is a sin.
    Rape is a heterosexual act. But heterosexuality and heterosexual acts in
    general are not a sin. If God had meant to say that all heterosexual acts
    are sins he would not have wasted all the bandwidth specifying specific
    *types* of heterosexual acts that are sins. He is setting limits to an
    acceptable action, not banning it completely. The same reasoning applies
    to homosexual acts."

    The full text is at www.burgy.50megs.com\corinth.htm

    Leviticus 18:22 Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is
    detestable.

    Leviticus 20:13 If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both
    of them
    have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will
    be on
    their own heads.

    The word "detestable" means "taboo." The injunction was apparently put in
    place to encourage the ancient Hebrews to multiply as fast as possible
    and to distinguish them from the pagans around them.

    Now if you decide, as some have, that these verses necessarily are
    operative today, to be consistent you must do two things. (1) You must
    lobby for the death penalty to be applied in every known case of
    homosexual behavior and (2) you must, yourself, be prepared to obey the
    many other Leviticus laws. This includes, among other things, a husband
    must not touch his wife, even to give her a kiss or a hug, for two weeks
    after childbirth. Public stoning of one's rebellious teenager is also one
    of the Levitical injunctions. There are a bunch of these. Most
    Christians, however, see them as superceded long ago. See Acts 15:20 and
    29.

    >>1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man
    commits
    are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own
    body.>>

    This verse is operative, but does not, of course, define what "sexual
    immorality" is.

    >>Galatians 5:19-20 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual
    immorality,
    impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord,
    jealousy,
    fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions . . .>>

    Likewise.

    John Burgeson (Burgy)

    www.burgy.50megs.com

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