Topic: Bible Verses... (examining the time period)

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steely111

:: steely111
:: QA3 Getting cosy

As a Christian, it's annoying to see people automatically be against gay marriage. It's like a knee-jerk reaction to interpret the Bible as if it was 100% good for the modern world, and should also be taken literally.

There are very few verses about homosexuality in the first place, and Jesus doesn't even mention it.

But, perhaps we should go into the reason the verses were there in the first place. You see, in the time the bible was being written, in the old Testament, homosexual relationships were nothing like the contemporary relationships we see today.

Back in those days, most of those relationships were between slaves and aristocrats, or otherwise someone taking advantage of another. Most of all, pederasty was practiced a lot, which was an older man with a boy. Naturally, Paul, who had written on it, had only seen these kinds of relationships. Why? Because the ancient world was messed up.

Also, when they say "Lie with a man as with a woman,' it is more of a statement to say 'you can't treat men like they are property, like you can with a woman'. As most homosexual relationships, at the time, were like that.

Also, rape (especially man-on-man) was considered a way to humiliate a losing enemy in war. Sodom and Gammorah was more about cities that refused to let travelers stay, about a lack of hospitality and welcome (told in a very extreme way though, to fit extreme times).

However, these relationships are in no way comparable to modern, contemporary homosexual relationships, which involve consenting adults, and no slavery.

Lesbians were barely mentioned, except for a verse where Paul talks about how 'even the women exchanged natural desires for unnatural ones'. Other than that, no mention, and barely any mention of even homosexuality at all in the Bible. Jesus didn't say anything about it. Of course, the society was pretty misogynist, so it makes sense that they wouldn't write much about women's sexuality.

I make sure to approach the bible remembering that some of this actually accounted history, and with that, you need historical context. Remember that the Jewish people, at the time, were struggling to grow their population as well.

On Adam and Eve, I think the story was more about not being alone, never walking the Earth without someone who cared for you. Definitely not about man plus woman equals babies.

So with the healthy relationships we have nowadays within the gay community, it just doesn't make sense to use ancient cultures as a guide on how to deal with modern gay people. But I hope this explains why those verses may have been put in the Bible.

Please correct me if anyone has new information, or I got something about the Bible wrong.

Yes, ancient times were very messed up, and we are VERY different now, from our beginnings. It would be better if more Christians really studied the time period the Bible came from, and then tried to incorporate it into their lives in a way that makes sense for the modern world.

Post: #675213

, Thu 16 Aug 12, 4:31AM

Alyssa

:: happypurple
:: QA6 Livin' it up!

To be quite honest, I've heard more convincing and accurate arguments elsewhere. Specifically that the "thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman" is specifically in the context of idol worship orgy practices that non-Israelite societies partook in.

It's a nice try, but being someone who's been around the christian community for quite some time, I think most of your arguments wouldn't be close to "winning" against many christians who are against homosexuality.

Even still, the bible, as far as I'm aware, clearly acknowledges and supports homosexuality. One website that has taken extensive amounts of research about this subject is www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.org , because it goes right into the root words, contexts, and everything that should satisfy someone who believes homosexuality is a sin.

Post: #675439

, Fri 17 Aug 12, 2:03AM

Shawn

:: winnersmw
:: QA9 Grand Elder

I'm not sure about the rest of these interpretations, but I have heard the one about Sodom and Gomorrah. Supposedly the leader of the cities had proclaimed it illegal to allow peasants passing through to stay in the townspeoples' homes in an effort to prevent poverty from invading the city, which totally goes against the teachings of Jesus, so god sort of fixed the problem

I have no idea if that's really the way it was meant to be interpreted, and personally I think it's all just a nice fairy tale (although perhaps not so nice). But it is interesting.

I've also heard the interpretation regarding pederasty and ritual orgies or something equally insane. This all sounds like bullshit to me, I must say

Harry Potter seems to teach better values than any of this does.

"I am reminded of a colleague who reiterated 'all my homosexual patients are quite sick'—to which I finally replied 'so are all my heterosexual patients'." -Ernest van den Haag, psychotherapist

Post: #675658

, Sat 18 Aug 12, 6:30AM

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