Oh really, and how do you know this? How do you know that back then the implications of the words were, that were different from how they were actually used in writings (which is in large part how we learn what to translate them to). And how did you get this knowledge without it being let slipped out to scholars?
I suspect that your answer will either be “straight from the mouth of God, speaking to me in a literal audible voice in clear plain English”, or “straight from my ass”. Guess which one I think is more likely.
Maybe, I’m not a biblical scholar. I just don’t care about whether it’s a sin, since “sin” to be is just a word meaning “some (but not nearly all) of the most obviously bad stuff you can do, plus all this other stuff I don’t personally like”.
Can you please answer Homebrew’s question, since IMO it’s the most relevant of the replies? If the answer is somewhere along the lines of “I don’t propose any action whatsoever against homosexuals, I just think that sinning is bad”, then why do you care about sins at all?
The word rendered as “effeminate” by the NIV is μαλακοὶ (malakoi), which just means “soft ones”. The Greeks had an abundance of words to describe homosexual activity, as various forms of male-male sex were practiced relatively widely. μαλακοὶ is not one of those words. It’s actually an early condemnation of the Pillsbury doughboy.
We can interprete the Bible in many ways. For instance unless you are a Young Earth Creationist, Christians interpert the Genesis Creation account in different ways and contexts. Similiarly in Classical times homosexuals were stereotyped as effeminate thus interperting through a semi-literal manner we come up with homosexual as nowhere else in the Bible is being a sissy condemned (indeed to many people Jesus Himself would be “effeminate”)
I have no idea what you’re trying to say now. Nor how this is supposed to jive with your absolute declaration two post back of what the absolute single correct interpretation of the word is.
You interpret the passage in question, seemingly, as referring to homosexuals. That homosexuals are condemned. That actually seems somewhat at odds with what i’ve generally seen as the position of Christians who consider homosexuality a problem, which is that homosexual acts are or may be sinful, but simply being a homosexual, in and of itself, is not.
To clarify your own particular position; do you believe that in Christianity is is homosexual acts that sins, or being a homosexual that is a sin?
Yes, I know, and my question is why? I mean, that if the only reason you can come up with is because it’s a sin in you particular interpretation of your religion, that’s not a very convincing argument. I can come up with a bunch of reasons why killing people is generally a bad idea. Honoring your parents isn’t nearly as clear cut. Forbidding my slaves to work on the Sabbath seems perverse, and I’m damn sure not slaughtering every first born animal to the lord. I’m assuming you’re not following all the commandments either.
Wait, in Classical times homosexuals were stereotyped as effeminate? That seems surprising to me. I think i’m going to have to join the list of people after a cite.
To be fair, he didn’t clearly state that he was among the set of people he wished to turn away from sinning. In fact, when you take into account that bit about casting the first stone…
Under the Law, yes, and there are penalties that will be paid as stated.
But under grace of Jesus:
As long as Jesus remains your Lord and master then you can do anything (though as stated in scripture it may not be beneficial).
My way of looking at it is don’t let the law get in the way of doing the will of God. The written code is replaced with God living in your heart.
IMHO God can use a person who has homosexual tendencies to reach people in that lifestyle with the Love of God and without condemnation - if that person is willing to surrender his life to Jesus.
Bottom line: According to the Bible, God does indeed hate fags. Yep, God hates fags just like Yahweh hated fags before him and Allah hated fags after him, and the Mormons and the weird mind-head pyramid people who worship L. Ron Hubbard hate them today. In fact, I can’t think of a single religious text which doesn’t say something about how being gay sucks. Yeah, I phrased it that way deliberately. You’re not funny.