What the Bible says and doesn’t say about homosexuality

I waited to enter the debate again until my heart was In the right place and free of anger towards those who disagree with my viewpoint. Now I ask you prayerfully consider these words, not Just rejecting them in favor of your personal prejudices. Search the Scriptures, casting aside all previous viewpoints and open your heart to what the Spirit of God is speaking to you. Many well meaning people build their case against homosexuality almost entirely on the Bible. They, Just as l, value the ancient text, and seek its guidance In their lives. Unfortunately, many of them have never really studied what the Bible does and isn't say about homosexuality. I was unaware until about 2 years ago that a lot of what I'd been taught about the Bible by people who love God and want to teach others the words, was derived from an improper understanding of context, history, and also literalism, which was seen as heresy even going back to Origin and Popularly, early church fathers who were students of A postle John. When I searched further, I came to see the Bible as more.I saw Its many cultures, religions and spiritualistic, but more importantly, I saw people who were trying with their limited understanding of the universe, nature, biology, and overall knowledge, to make sense of a world, and a God, they didn't understand. The Bible has a powerful message for all regardless of gender, sexual orientation, personal philosophy or spiritual practice. But it's a message of love and acceptance, not condemnation and, hate, and fear. Don't take my word for It, though.I ask only that you'd consider what careful research. Prayer, and meditation has taught me about the passages used by some people to condemn God's children simply because of a biological factor like attraction. Premise 1: The rampant epidemic of biblical illiteracy in this country A recent study quoted by DRP. Peter Gomes in The Good Book found that 38 percent of Americans polled were certain the Old Testament was written a f ew years after Jesus' death. Ten percent believed Joan of Arc was Nosh's wife.Many even thought the epistles were the wives of the apostles. A few key points Jesus says nothing about same-sex behavior. The Jewish prophets are silent about homosexuality. Only six or seven of the Bible's one million verses refer to same-sex behavior in any way ? and none of these verses refer to homosexual orientation as It's understood today. Premise 2: Historically, people's misinterpretation of the Bible has left a trail of suffering, bloodshed, and death.Over the centuries, people, well meaning or otherwise, who misunderstood or misinterpreted the Bible have done terrible things. The Bible has been twisted to defend bloody crusades and tragic inquisitions; to support slavery, apartheid, and segregation; to persecute Jews and other non- Christian people of faith; to support Hitter's Third Reich and the Holocaust; to oppose medical science; to condemn Interracial marriage; to execute women as witche s; and Scripture for his purpose. Looking at recent history, within the past 60 years, countless LIGHT people, all of them children of God, were murdered, assaulted, abused, arrested, rejected, ostracizes, fired from Jobs, had their children taken away, and denied basic civil rights because of six or seven verses, most of them taken grossly out of context. Most of the people I know who say â€Å"the Bible condemns homosexuality' would never condone these acts. Most Christians have no idea that the people killing gay and lesbian persons go around quoting those few verses of Scripture as Justification.But it's important to hear these stories, because I'm not writing this little pamphlet as a scholarly exercise. It's a matter of life and death. I'm pleading on the side of love. Premise 3: We must be open to new truth from Scripture God is constantly speaking. What was once adamantly declared as truth in one age is now regarded with ignorance in another. SST. Peter was commanded to kil l and eat animals he once regarded as unclean to show that the old covenant dietary laws had been lifted. SST.Paul, who once killed those who claimed the name of Jesus, in a matter of hours loved the God-Man whom he once despised as a false prophet. Even Jerry Falafel, a bastion of evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity, believed the Bible supported segregation in the church until a black shoeshine man asked him, â€Å"When will someone like me be allowed to become a member of your congregation? † I ask you to look again, with careful prayer, study, and meditation, this issue of sexual orientation. Don't Just accept mindlessly the words of a pastor or priest, but as SST.Paul said in 1st Thessalonians, â€Å"†Test all things and hold fast to that which is good. † We must look at all verses within two frameworks Galatians 5:22-23 â€Å"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. There is no law against such things. † Philippians 4:8 â€Å"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is Just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think upon these things.Even if we believe the Bible is â€Å"infallible† or â€Å"without error,† it's dangerous to think that our understanding of every biblical text is also without error. We are human. We are fallible. And we can misunderstand and misinterpret these ancient words often with devastating results. Premise 4: The Bible is a book about God, not human sexuality The Bible is about God's love for his children and all of his creation. It's a story of God who is healing, renewing, empowering, and loving us, his sons and daughters, so we can follow God's example with others.