I realize that I have offended many people with my opinions, and that was never my intention. I was just trying to explain what I think. At the time I wrote it.
I reserve the right to change my mind. I’m not trying to change anyone else’s mind. Although I do encourage them to examine their opinions carefully. As in:
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Cherish Your Doubts – Robert T. Weston
Cherish your doubts, for doubt is the handmaiden of truth.
Doubt is the key to the door of knowledge; it is the servant of discovery.
A belief which may not be questioned binds us to error,
for there is incompleteness and imperfection in every belief.
Doubt is the touchstone of truth; it is an acid which eats away the false.
Let no man fear for the truth, that doubt may consume it;
for doubt is a testing of belief.
The truth stands boldly and unafraid; it is not shaken by the testing;
For truth, if it be truth, arises from each testing stronger, more secure.
He that would silence doubt is filled with fear;
the house of his spirit is built on shifting sands.
But he that fears no doubt, and knows its use, is founded on a rock.
He shall walk in the light of growing knowledge;
the work of his hands shall endure.
Therefore let us not fear doubt, but let us rejoice in its help:
It is to the wise as a staff to the blind; doubt is the handmaiden of truth.
Responsive Reading 413 from Hymns for the Celebration of Live – Beacon Press
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If you’re not known for looking at facts and changing your mind, then you can probably save a lot of time if you stop reading right here. Just go do something you enjoy. No need to look around for your thinking cap. So much simpler.
It probably has something to do with being an engineer, but I’ve always hated dogma. Which I’d define as mindless adherence to something they were told.
This causes me to get sideways on a regular basis with some religious people. So I try not to waive it around. Which is absolutely NOT a sign that I am in the very least bit embarrassed about that particular aspect of my mind. It is only because I try not to offend people if I can avoid it. And I’ve discovered that they don’t usually change their mind anyway. So no point in upsetting anybody.
The reason for this Blog page, is that I recently posted the following on FaceBook:
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I do not think that homosexuality is a sin. I do not think that it is a choice. I do think that about 10% of the World has it.
I do think that to financially punish that 10% by not allowing them to marry, is wrong.
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And one of the replies was from a good friend who suggests:
“Read Romans verses 1-26…..homosexuals should be persecuted……”
By far the simplest reaction would be to just agree that we disagree. And I certainly value this person as a friend and do not want to endanger that friendship.
However, many years ago someone spouted a lot of Biblical quotes, and so I looked into it a little bit more. I strongly encourage everyone else to do the same, whichever side they are on.
Whatever your religious persuasion or lack of it, I assume that you will agree that the Bible is a wonderful book for extracting sound bites, to support or condemn pretty much anything you can imagine. Much like, we can now find web pages to tell us anything that we want to hear.
Only because it was the first link that came up, I will use http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Popular-Bible-Verses.php
The assumption would be that all versions of the bible say the same thing, which actually they don’t. But this should be adequate.
Romans
(26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
“homosexuals should be persecuted” seems to be missing. Strangely, when I read the entire text of Romans chapter one and chapter two, it seems clear to me that in line 26, that Paul is saying that God changed them into men that lusted for men, because they had moved away from God. I don’t see anything in Romans about persecuting them for something that God did to them. Homosexuality WAS the punishment, not the crime. Perhaps as a way to reduce their numbers.
I think it is also important to notice that for all the hoopla, homosexuals are only mention six or at the most eight places in the bible, depending on how you count.
And, rather than quote them all myself I will refer you to the following link. Where they mention the many places in the bible that explain that, touching pigskin is just as bad as homosexuality. American football players may be bothered by that. But being a gay basher is probably safer than being a basher of American football players. Those guys tend to be rather large and well muscled. And some of them are taking illegal drugs that make them pretty touchy to be around.
Wearing clothing of mixed fibers is also just as bad as homosexuality. That would be someone that does not wear pure ALL cotton, or pure silk, or pure linen, etc. There are also instructions on how to sell your daughters into slavery.
Personally I think that the group that these were written for, was a small group who needed to increase its population in order to better survive, in a very large world that did not like that small group. Sexual activity that did not create children, would be counterproductive to that goal. But here is the link and some others that follow:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp Please read the whole post there.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-lose/what-does-the-bible-reall_b_990444.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3205727.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT-affirming_Christian_denominations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT-affirming_denominations_in_Judaism
But, this is ONLY to explain MY view. Not to change yours.
BTW, Dave is definitely not a homosexual. And I can prove it. Over the years I’ve seen many photos of extremely healthy men, wearing little or no clothing. I’m a marvel at how did they get that body. I wish my abdomen looked like that. But for me they are about as arousing as a photograph of Mount Fujiyama.
However, similar photographs of very healthy females, have a very different effect on me.
And when we were in French Polynesia, I went to the International Dance Competition, where there were, during the course of the evening, hundreds of healthy young men and healthy young women, in excellent physical condition, and very skilled at that form of dance. As is the custom, they wore clothing but not much of it. Personally I found the men almost comical. I’ve never understood the appeal of the traditional moves that they make. But on the other hand that maybe because I could not take my eyes off the young ladies. They had my full attention.
Strictly because I was appreciating their artistic skills.
Just in case you’re wondering.
PS: to the best of my knowledge about 10% of the population is homosexual. About 11% is Left Handed. Left handed people are mentioned FAR more in the Bible, in a negative way. Christians and many groups used to kill them.
I also disagree with killing left handed people or inconveniencing them in any way. See also:
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