Celivia

you actually ask some very good questions

'But what I'm getting at is how Christians view same-sex marriage differently. It clearly says in the bible that homosexuals should be put to death. So where is the contradiction that tells Christians to accept and love homosexuals?
If you can't answer this, then perhaps another Christian can explain?'

It is true that the old testament teaches homosexuality is punishable by death along with rebellion, adultery, murder and a host of other sin.

Christians who believe the Scriptures know God as holy, righteous and our Creator. This gives Him the right to determine right and wrong. He is the author of the law of which the nation of Israel was required to obey. The ultimate purpose of the law was for it to become a tutor to lead people to Christ. Without acknowledging what our Creator calls right and wrong we will make up our own rules (like the vast majority do). We will also be full of self righteousness and fail to acknowledge our desperate need of a Saviour. We in actual fact mock the holy One who died a horrible death because we are lawbreakers.

When we acknowledge that we are lawbreakers we are able to receive the mercy and grace of Christ. The problem is that many if not most fail to acknowledge that they are lawbreakers because they have made up their own rules. The law albeit harsh in our eyes is the very thing that shows how every human is a lawbreaker. Christ was the only one who was not.

The reason that many who claim to believe sanction homosexuality or living together in sin or abortion is because they know nothing or very little about the nature of God's holiness. They claim forgiveness but won't even acknowledge their wrong (according to God's laws). Basically these people have failed to see God;s law because of their own self righteousness and have determined they will decide what is right and wrong.

Foxy,
Gosh, jee.

For a while there I thought you sounded like Jullia Gillard (I don’t want to talk about it and I’m not going to give out any details. I just want everyone to move on and vote for meeee).

Celivia
"The opinion of this author is not the general opinion of universities."

The opinion is, if universities accept lecturers who make statements with no supporting evidence.

A question is “How did the author get so far in the university system, without someone telling her that she needs to give supporting evidence for her statements?”

Dear Vanna,

Now you sound like Tony Abbott -
capable of only condemnation and
criticism.

I've responded to every one of your
posts giving you plenty of detail.
However when a discussion ceases
to be a dialogue and we're merely
talking across each other, I don't
see the point in continuing.

As I've stated in the past - you are
entitled to your opinion (but not your
facts).

@ runner

"But what I'm getting at is how Christians view same-sex marriage differently. It clearly says in the bible that homosexuals should be put to death. So where is the contradiction that tells Christians to accept and love homosexuals?"

OK perhapes I can explain. Look religion is bigger than the bible. The bible in my opinion is a rough guide that some people choose to live their life by. Those people who do choose to live their life by the bible cherry pick the verses they like and don't like, and the ones they don't like they tend to just ignore. The bible is full of contradictions. Its important to remember that homosexuality and sodomy is two different things, the term sodomy does not just belong to male on male sex. Also the term homosexual did not actually appear in the bible until 1946, so the term sodomy in the bible orginally may not have intended to mean homosexual sex. So there is no evidence that the sin of Sodom brought on the destruction of the city was linked to homosexuality.

@ Richie 10

There is no evidence that homosexuality was intended to be a "sin". You see the term homosexual was not actually in the bible until 1946, the people who added the term homosexual in the bible back in the 1940's did so because it seemed that they believed that sodomy only refered to male on male anal sex, because the criminal law back then refered to sodomy as male on male sex. And the name of the city in the bible is called Sodom which god destroyed. So people have wrongly concluded that only male on male sex happened in sodom when there is no evidence of this actually happening. Sodomy does not mean homosexual anal sex, many many years ago the government banned homosexual anal sex and they called the law sodomy which is why all the confusion has happened. Do you see what I mean ? People have linked the name of the town Sodom and the old criminal law called sodomy and with homosexuality added to the bible in the late 1940's and wrongly assumed that god destroyed Sodom because of homosexual sodomy happening. I hope this makes sense to you?

Hi Celevia,

<"Is God's word negotiable, or do Christians just pick their favourite bits from the Bible and ignore other bits?">

Yes, I think Christians often do pick favourite bits.

Same sex love or marriage mentioned throughout the Bible 12 times, while the sin of hatred is mentioned 21 times, lying and false testimony 30, greed, avarice and covetousness 40, theft 42, adultery 52, murder 57, self-righteousness 79, and idolatry 169 times. I don't think even rape gets much of a look in.

http://www.twopaths.com/faq_homosexuality.htm

We can read the Bible literally and take it as lawful for all times (which means that a lot of people are in some big trouble; and a lot more trouble than anyone of same sex orientation - look at the list of sins up there); or one can read it spiritually, where the message that is repeated is that all people are valuable; we are to attend to our own shortcomings and not judge others and we only have to believe in Jesus to be forgiven for our sins.

Socio-cultural laws and customs have always been dynamic (like circumcision and marriage laws, for example) - hence we have distinct differences between the Old and New Testaments and what seem to be conflicts throughout the whole book (of books). I believe that we need to read it spiritually for the consistent messages, which are: love each other; believe in Jesus and salvation, work on our self improvement; care for the oppressed and protect children.

I am pretty sure that there are many Christians who disagree. Well, we are all doing the best that we can to conduct ourselves in ways that are acceptable to God, but we all make mistakes.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (NIV, Matthew 7:1-2)

I think I am going to need all the mercy that can be mustered :)