Tag Archives: homosexuality

The Kind of Irony I Enjoy: “Owning Canadians” & Homosexuality

You may have read the debates, you may have heard the rationalizations by people on both sides of the issues, whether Gay and Christian, or Christian against, or Jewish or any other religion that teaches tolerance. The funny thing to me is, the ones that teach different kinds of intolerance, without exception all have other kinds of behavior, love, actions and activities that they excuse. No idea how they justify it. It ‘beats the hell out of me’, to coin another concept I do not believe in. It’s a topic I discussed in an earlier post, “Questions & Observations of Gay Christians” and in an article I wrote for Queer Magazine Online, “Homo-Ignorance: Are You Part of the Problem?”

Anyway, a friend sent me as email this morning with the following letter.

* * * *

        In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.
The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, written by a US resident, and posted on the Internet.
It’s funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can.  When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination .. End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God’s Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians.  Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7.  In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness – Lev.15: 19-24.  The problem is how do I tell?  I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9.  The problem is my neighbors.  They claim the odor is not pleasing to them.  Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath.  Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death.  Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality.  I don’t agree.  Can you settle this?  Are there ‘degrees’ of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight.  I have to admit that I wear reading glasses.  Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27.  How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm.  He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend).  He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot.  Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I’m confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan.

        James M. Kauffman,
Ed.D. Professor Emeritus,
Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education
University of Virginia
PS (It would be a damn shame if we couldn’t own a Canadian)

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Observations and Questions of Christianity and Gays

HELLBOY Promo Poster

HELLBOY Promo Poster

 

“Hell will hold no surprises for us.”

It might be a rather chancy way to begin a thought piece, but when watching Hellboy the film the other night, as I typed a quote I thought profound “Hell will have no surprises for us”, I began to describe the characters. Rasputin was the one to which this was said, and I started to define him as evil but stopped myself.

Was he evil defined from a Christian point of view because he believed in the gods of the Abyss and had actively sought to bring them into the sphere of mankind to rule over their earth? It made me consider he was evil from a Christian standpoint, but what he believed in, he had believed in firmly, had given the life he had multiple times to try to bring his gods into power. So in a way he was faithful. He was loyal to his gods. He was loyal to his cause and he gave everything of himself to try to achieve the aims they set forth for him.

Hellboy was a fiction film of course, but everything which has ever been produced in literature, film, any medium through the minds of mankind is based on previous history learned, observed, perceived. Upon legends and fantasys yet again built upon memory and observation. So it was not inconceivable that the story of Hellboy with its conundrums of faith and being versus nature and origin would be based on the struggles mankind had endured but most often brought upon themselves by their choices and the society, culture, governments, rules and religions which are forced upon them and they are expected to comply with, if it is in the majority, or suffer the consequences.

It really made me think of the things people believe in, what they choose to believe in and support, not because they actively know about it or have studied it in depth to make an educated decision, no, not that. It made me think of the things, the actions, the behaviors, the rituals, the religions and holidays which they take part in but they don’t know why, yet others die from it. Others are persecuted, ridiculed, humiliated, tortured and even killed because of a belief which ultimately cannot be substantiated.

I don’t have a problem with belief of any kind because I firmly support anyone is welcome to their views. But when those views call for, support or rationalizes hatred or discrimination against others who do not believe the same way? I draw the line. They do not have the right to treat me or anyone else in a discriminatory manner because I don’t share their beliefs. Any religion or belief, or their followers who support such have lost the meaning of life.

Especially Christians, if that is so. Their book does say dire statements towards certain groups such as “men who lie with men” or “those kept for unnatural purposes” which they interpret to mean homosexuality. But that same book also places into the category of unworthy of anything except death: liars, fornicators, adulterers, greedy people, murderers….and long throughout history have not just followers but heads of state, popes, ministers…from the highest office to the lowliest layman have done such things? Why should they focus only on gays? Well my theory is they wish to redirect the obvious evil of themselves onto those who only seek to love and be loved, to be accepted as they are. Their histories are rife with the rape of others, financially, emotionally, spiritually and yes physically, female or male. I fail to understand how they can have the unmitigated gall to down gays, gay marriage, or anything else for that matter, even outright genocide because they have supported or been the backing for it throughout mankind’s history!

If one wishes to look at it from another angle, I fail to see how any gay person can choose to be Christian when their book clearly condemns homosexuals. No matter if you try to interpret it a different way, no matter if you try to suggest the secret sin Apostle Paul said he had, was related to homosexuality, nor if you try to say the love the Christ Jesus spoke of for his followers was that which included carnal intimacy…I fail to see how a religion and its guiding book which so rejects you…you try to go back to, you try to rationalize and make excuses or explain away words clearly written with no need for interpretation. In some ways it supports to me that people try to personally interpret what they read in the Christian’s bible to suit themselves and blindly push away the very real facts of very many passages indeed that condemn their state of living and loving. I don’t know how they can blind themselves to those facts. It’s basically like believing a part of something, but “bleeping” over the rest.

So if I choose to believe in some Christians idea of hell, it does have no surprises me. I’ve lived the hell Christian followers and others choose to try to judge others and enact on them as universal know-it-alls and executioners what and who their god supposedly only has the power to do. They take it upon themselves to bring as much hatred, division and elitism to the world they can, all in the name of their god. If they bothered actually reading the bible and beliefs they so-called support, that very attitude (and not bleeping over certain parts which condemn their own prejudice), their propensity and determination is condemned by their book’s guidelines, their god. The depth of hypocrisy is astonishing.

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