Article Response: Jesus, the church, and homosexuality

One of my facebook friends posted an article to his profile. He usually posts interesting stuff, so I checked it out. I found that the article he'd posted was wrong about a few things.

And see, this is why the Bible talks about those who are willingly ignorant, and those whose eyes are not open so they can't understand. When I read the Bible, I understand it. When they read it, they take the letter of the law and try to explain it—and they generally get it wrong.

{my notes will be italicized in brackets}

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10 Things I Wish The Church Knew About Homosexuality

1. If Jesus did not mention a subject, it cannot be essential to his teachings. {Yes, He did, actually. Consider again that first, Jesus is part of the trinity, and God strictly prohibits homosexuality.}

2. You are not being persecuted when prevented from persecuting others. {Not sure what this sentence means, actually… I think there's a typo. But here's the thing about persecution: If a true and honest Christian meets a homosexual, they aren't going to try and convert them or condemn them. They're going to befriend them. That's what Jesus would have done. The fact that many Christians are not only homophobes but also just avoid homosexuals shows how sin still effects Christians. We aren't perfect: we just know the standard. That doesn't mean we always meet it.}

3. Truth isn’t like wine that gets better with age. It’s more like manna you must recognize wherever you are and whoever you are with. {I'm not sure what this has to do with anything… But I think it's saying that truth is relative, or maybe that sometimes it isn't clear. This is true. This doesn't mean homosexuality is right. This isn't even an argument. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but seriously? If you're going to write an article about why Christians should accept homosexuals, at least make your points points!}

4. You cannot call it “special rights” when someone asks for the same rights you have. {of course not. But we have the right of marriage and of accepted love because we're doing it the way it was supposed to be done.}

5. It is no longer your personal religious view if you’re bothering someone else. {this is just outright incorrect. My views bother people—that's the way Christianity works. We're the salt of the earth. Ever pour salt on an open wound? Notice how it hurts like hell but it disinfects? That, right there, is Christianity and an example of Christ cleaning our nasty hearts. Our culture has gone beyond tolerance, and has re-defined the term to mean "acceptance." We have the freedom of religion, NOT the "freedom not to be offended or bothered."}

6. Marriage is a civil ceremony, which means it’s a civil right. {Wrong again: Marriage is a Holy covenant with God—even if the couple isn't saved. God created the covenant, and He says "A man shall leave his father and become united with his spouse." "One man and one woman." Those are God's rules for HIS covenant. We'd better respect that. I can't stop you from sleeping together or living together. That's fine. But it isn't marriage. Even if the government says it is: In God's book (and He's the one in charge) all you're doing is fornication.}

7. If how someone stimulates the pubic nerve has become the needle to your moral compass, you are the one who is lost. {I'm sorry, what? how does this relate to anything? did you run out of ideas to make it to ten?}

8. To condemn homosexuality, you must use parts of the Bible you don’t yourself obey. Anyone who obeyed every part of Leviticus would rightly be put in prison. {M'kay. First of all, we aren't under the old law anymore. Old testament, old covenant, old and fulfilled requirements. It's still a sin, but we don't have to do anything about it except love people like Jesus loved them. Second: It's not our job to condemn people. That's not what we do. That's God's job. Third: God doesn't just talk about homosexuality in Leviticus. He talks about it everywhere.}

9. If we do not do the right thing in our day, our grandchildren will look at us with same embarrassment we look at racist grandparents. {This is true! This has nothing to do with your argument, but this is true. "The right thing" is a bit vague, don't you think? My "right thing" would be making homosexual marriage illegal in all states. They can get a "civil union" or a "domestic partnership" or whatever, but it's not marriage. Your "right thing" would probably make it legal. Now I'm not talking about relative truth, just differing opinions.}

10. When Jesus forbade judging, that included you. {Also true. Again, nothing to do with your argument, since God judges homosexuals, and Christians simply love and serve them like they do everyone else.}

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This article annoys the crap out of me, mostly because they try to sound educated and experienced about the Bible, when really they have no idea what they're talking about. If you're going to bash the Bible, at least do your research.

Then again, like I said before. Non-Christians can read the Bible all they want, but unless God opens their eyes, they won't understand it. So I can't blame the writer.

But I still hold to my opinion that it's annoying.