Not dead, just Holy Week

[tibicina]

Ok, actually many of the things keeping me busy this week haven't had anything to do with Holy Week. In fact, it means that Bell Choir was cancelled tonight, so I can be here now making this post. Yay.

Random recommendations:

Jesus, The Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church, by Jack Rogers - I'm about 20 pages from the

Comments

[folkmew]

Books sounds interesting. Ed read (and I want to read) "Misquoting Jesus" and he really liked that one.

You're right - that is a COOL site! Thanks!

[patoadam]

I found an interesting discussion of homosexuality and the Bible at www.religioustolerance.org.

As you know, many of the Biblical statements condeming homosexuality are found in the first five books of the Old Testament. I have never understood by what rationale Christians decide which of the Old Testament laws (for example, the 10 Commandments) are still valid today, and which ones (for example, the Jewish dietary laws) are no longer necessary. Wikipedia has an interesting discussion of this question. What is your opinion on this, especially as it apples to homosexuality?

[tibicina]

I've spent a lot of time asking the same question. The only vaguely valid reasoning that I've heard (and in case you hadn't picked up on it, wow do I not buy it) is that they make a distinction between 'moral laws' and 'purity laws'... so, for example, they still condemn adultery (also no sacrificing your children to Moloch), and they still hold to the ten commandments. But food, clothes, proper temple sacrifices, all that sort of thing, they don't worry about

[patoadam]

Thank you!

[mdlbear]

Very cool site! Thank you!

[gmcdavid]

You might also be interested in Bill Countryman's Dirt, Greed, and Sex: Sexual Ethics in the New Testament and Their Implications for Today.