Conservative Christians Using the Bible against LGBTQ+ people is an abuse of scripture
Jan 28, 2020 11:31:57 #
Chris Greenough, Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religion, Edge Hill University: https://www.yahoo.com/news/using-bible-against-lgbtq-people-145106662.html
The Church of England issued pastoral guidance from the House of Bishops to its clergy on January 23, following the legal introduction of heterosexual civil partnerships in 2019. While the guidance concerns heterosexual civil partners, the document has, controversially, been used by the church to reiterate its position on sexual relationships outside of heterosexual marriage. It states that “sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purpose for human beings”.
This is squarely in line with the church’s official position on homosexuality, which is that it is “incompatible with scripture”. We have seen recent attempts by liberal members to get the church to take a more inclusive approach towards gender and sexuality, but these have been rebuffed by conservatives. In October 2018, four bishops from the diocese of Oxford published guidance designed “to advise local clergy and congregations in order to support LGBTQ+ people and their families, and to learn from the insights of LGTBQ+ people about being church together”.
Several months later, more than a hundred “concerned Anglicans” signed an open letter criticising the guidance. The letter claimed that the attempt at inclusivity by the Oxford bishops actually served to exclude those who “hold to the traditional reading of scripture”. Their response stated:
We cannot see how it is right to accept as Christian leaders those who advocate lifestyles that are not consistent with New Testament teaching.
The letter writers may be referring to New Testament teaching from Paul’s letters in 1 Corinthians 6:9—10 and Romans 1:26-27 which describe how those who are “sexually immoral” will not enter the kingdom of God.
This example is one of the many cases where conservative Christians deploy biblical verses to bolster arguments against same-sex marriage, transgender identities, adoption and parenting by LGBTQ+ people.
Within the Bible, there are a number of texts which have been used as a weapon against LGBTQ+ people, known as “clobber texts” or “texts of terror”. But using biblical verses in this way is actually an abuse of scripture. It must stop, urgently. Many LGBTQ+ Christians struggle to reconcile their faith with their gender or sexual identities, which can lead to self-harm or suicide.
Not the Word of God
The Bible is often used as a source of authority, but it is misleading to call it “the word of God”. In fact, Christianity teaches that the word of God is not scripture, it is Jesus Christ.
As such, Jesus said nothing explicit about same-sex relationships or transgender people. In the New Testament, it is Paul who teaches about sexual morality, not Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 - 10, he said:
Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practise homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
While statements like these are cited by conservative Christians to support arguments against the sexual activities and relationships of LGBTQ+ people, it is important to note how Paul himself warns that such use of the Bible is dangerous. In 2 Corinthians 3: 6 Paul writes “for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”.
In his provocative book, The Savage Text: The Use and Abuse of the Bible, theologian Adrian Thatcher cautions that Christians who mobilise the Bible to argue against the inclusion of others actually commit “bibliolatry” – worshipping the Bible instead of God.
Pick ‘n’ mix Bible?
Conservative Christians adopt a pick ‘n’ mix approach to scripture, selecting what appeals to suit their prejudices while ignoring other texts. The excerpt from Corinthians, above, lists alongside homosexuals, adulterers, the greedy and drunkards to just name a few. Thankfully, these and other offerings on the biblical buffet, such as divorce, owning slaves, and the role of women in the Church have, to some extent, been sympathetically re-interpreted by the church.
The Bible is complicated when it comes to the issue of homosexuality, as it is on many other issues. However, many other activities inconsistent with New Testament teaching don’t share the same airtime in religious discussions. There is no longer much concern, for example, about dressing modestly and inexpensively or getting drunk on wine. Besides, there are many inclusive LGBTQ+ readings of the Bible and interpretations of Christianity that raise new questions and have particular relevance for readers interested in LGBTQ+ issues.
One of the yardsticks for measuring how in touch the Church of England is with contemporary life lies in ongoing discussions about the acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the Church. However, the current situation shows the diminishing authority of the Church and the Bible in everyday life in the UK.
The Church of England faces a generational crisis, with only 2% of young people identifying with it in the UK. The decline points to how the Church’s current position is seemingly hostile and incompatible with socially liberal views, particularly those towards LGBTQ+ people.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The Church of England issued pastoral guidance from the House of Bishops to its clergy on January 23, following the legal introduction of heterosexual civil partnerships in 2019. While the guidance concerns heterosexual civil partners, the document has, controversially, been used by the church to reiterate its position on sexual relationships outside of heterosexual marriage. It states that “sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purpose for human beings”.
This is squarely in line with the church’s official position on homosexuality, which is that it is “incompatible with scripture”. We have seen recent attempts by liberal members to get the church to take a more inclusive approach towards gender and sexuality, but these have been rebuffed by conservatives. In October 2018, four bishops from the diocese of Oxford published guidance designed “to advise local clergy and congregations in order to support LGBTQ+ people and their families, and to learn from the insights of LGTBQ+ people about being church together”.
Several months later, more than a hundred “concerned Anglicans” signed an open letter criticising the guidance. The letter claimed that the attempt at inclusivity by the Oxford bishops actually served to exclude those who “hold to the traditional reading of scripture”. Their response stated:
We cannot see how it is right to accept as Christian leaders those who advocate lifestyles that are not consistent with New Testament teaching.
The letter writers may be referring to New Testament teaching from Paul’s letters in 1 Corinthians 6:9—10 and Romans 1:26-27 which describe how those who are “sexually immoral” will not enter the kingdom of God.
This example is one of the many cases where conservative Christians deploy biblical verses to bolster arguments against same-sex marriage, transgender identities, adoption and parenting by LGBTQ+ people.
Within the Bible, there are a number of texts which have been used as a weapon against LGBTQ+ people, known as “clobber texts” or “texts of terror”. But using biblical verses in this way is actually an abuse of scripture. It must stop, urgently. Many LGBTQ+ Christians struggle to reconcile their faith with their gender or sexual identities, which can lead to self-harm or suicide.
Not the Word of God
The Bible is often used as a source of authority, but it is misleading to call it “the word of God”. In fact, Christianity teaches that the word of God is not scripture, it is Jesus Christ.
As such, Jesus said nothing explicit about same-sex relationships or transgender people. In the New Testament, it is Paul who teaches about sexual morality, not Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 - 10, he said:
Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practise homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
While statements like these are cited by conservative Christians to support arguments against the sexual activities and relationships of LGBTQ+ people, it is important to note how Paul himself warns that such use of the Bible is dangerous. In 2 Corinthians 3: 6 Paul writes “for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”.
In his provocative book, The Savage Text: The Use and Abuse of the Bible, theologian Adrian Thatcher cautions that Christians who mobilise the Bible to argue against the inclusion of others actually commit “bibliolatry” – worshipping the Bible instead of God.
Pick ‘n’ mix Bible?
Conservative Christians adopt a pick ‘n’ mix approach to scripture, selecting what appeals to suit their prejudices while ignoring other texts. The excerpt from Corinthians, above, lists alongside homosexuals, adulterers, the greedy and drunkards to just name a few. Thankfully, these and other offerings on the biblical buffet, such as divorce, owning slaves, and the role of women in the Church have, to some extent, been sympathetically re-interpreted by the church.
The Bible is complicated when it comes to the issue of homosexuality, as it is on many other issues. However, many other activities inconsistent with New Testament teaching don’t share the same airtime in religious discussions. There is no longer much concern, for example, about dressing modestly and inexpensively or getting drunk on wine. Besides, there are many inclusive LGBTQ+ readings of the Bible and interpretations of Christianity that raise new questions and have particular relevance for readers interested in LGBTQ+ issues.
One of the yardsticks for measuring how in touch the Church of England is with contemporary life lies in ongoing discussions about the acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the Church. However, the current situation shows the diminishing authority of the Church and the Bible in everyday life in the UK.
The Church of England faces a generational crisis, with only 2% of young people identifying with it in the UK. The decline points to how the Church’s current position is seemingly hostile and incompatible with socially liberal views, particularly those towards LGBTQ+ people.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Jan 28, 2020 15:46:22 #
You always use non believers in a vain attempt to justify false teachings you promote.
The bible is crystal clear when it comes to homosexuality. You either believe its the word of God or you don’t.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
The bible is crystal clear when it comes to homosexuality. You either believe its the word of God or you don’t.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
Jan 28, 2020 17:13:49 #
TexaCan
Loc: Homeward Bound!
rumitoid wrote:
Chris Greenough, Senior Lecturer in Theology and R... (show quote)
I’ll just agree with Rose’s comment! Not much more needs to be said!
Jan 28, 2020 23:22:08 #
Rose42 wrote:
You always use non believers in a vain attempt to justify false teachings you promote.
The bible is crystal clear when it comes to homosexuality. You either believe its the word of God or you don’t.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
The bible is crystal clear when it comes to homosexuality. You either believe its the word of God or you don’t.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
Please try to wake up, it will help your heart.
Jan 28, 2020 23:23:35 #
TexaCan wrote:
I’ll just agree with Rose’s comment! Not much more needs to be said!
Of course not, conversations ducked in the sand are difficult at best.
Jan 28, 2020 23:28:15 #
Rose42 wrote:
You always use non believers in a vain attempt to justify false teachings you promote.
The bible is crystal clear when it comes to homosexuality. You either believe its the word of God or you don’t.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
The bible is crystal clear when it comes to homosexuality. You either believe its the word of God or you don’t.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
Sorry, another comment: the author of this piece is not a non-believer but a prominent Christian professor at a well-known and respectable college. Why lie? Why pull this charade? Why so desperate to promote a sick attack on other believers?
Jan 29, 2020 06:53:10 #
rumitoid wrote:
Sorry, another comment: the author of this piece is not a non-believer but a prominent Christian professor at a well-known and respectable college. Why lie? Why pull this charade? Why so desperate to promote a sick attack on other believers?
No lie on my part. You must have ears to hear to see how wrong his article is. Many claim to be Christian but are not.
Do you know what it means to be saved?
Jan 31, 2020 20:55:13 #
Rose42 wrote:
No lie on my part. You must have ears to hear to see how wrong his article is. Many claim to be Christian but are not.
Do you know what it means to be saved?
Do you know what it means to be saved?
Too freaking funny and sad.
Feb 3, 2020 21:28:37 #
Revelations 9:20,21
The Sixth Trumpet
…20Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
21Furthermore, they did not repent of their murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft.
https://biblehub.com/revelation/9-21.htm
15 Bible Verses about the Consequences of Sexual Immorality
Katherine Russell, comments
FacebookTwitterNext Post
# 1. Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her. --Leviticus 18:20
# 2. But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. --Proverbs 6:32
# 3. your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution! I have seen your detestable acts on the hills and in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you be unclean?" --Jeremiah 13:27
# 4. I will not show my love to her children, because they are the children of adultery.--Hosea 2:4
# 5. "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. --Malachi 3:5
# 6. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. --1st Corinthians 6:9-10
# 7. Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." --1st Corinthians 6:16
# 8. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. --1 Corinthians 6:18
# 9. We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. --1 Corinthians 10:8
# 10. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. --Ephesians 5:5
# 11. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. --Hebrews 13:4
# 12. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. --James 4:4
# 13. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexualimmorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.--Jude 1:7
# 14. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. --Revelation 2:22
# 15. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the
second death. --Revelation 21:8
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Sexual-Immorality/
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-What-Is-Sexual-Immorality/
The Sixth Trumpet
…20Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
21Furthermore, they did not repent of their murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft.
https://biblehub.com/revelation/9-21.htm
15 Bible Verses about the Consequences of Sexual Immorality
Katherine Russell, comments
FacebookTwitterNext Post
# 1. Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her. --Leviticus 18:20
# 2. But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. --Proverbs 6:32
# 3. your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution! I have seen your detestable acts on the hills and in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you be unclean?" --Jeremiah 13:27
# 4. I will not show my love to her children, because they are the children of adultery.--Hosea 2:4
# 5. "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. --Malachi 3:5
# 6. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. --1st Corinthians 6:9-10
# 7. Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." --1st Corinthians 6:16
# 8. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. --1 Corinthians 6:18
# 9. We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. --1 Corinthians 10:8
# 10. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. --Ephesians 5:5
# 11. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. --Hebrews 13:4
# 12. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. --James 4:4
# 13. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexualimmorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.--Jude 1:7
# 14. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. --Revelation 2:22
# 15. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the
second death. --Revelation 21:8
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Sexual-Immorality/
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-What-Is-Sexual-Immorality/
Feb 6, 2020 00:41:14 #
Mr. Rogers wrote:
Revelations 9:20,21 br The Sixth Trumpet br …20Now... (show quote)
Yes its better to be born twice and die once then to be born once and die twice.
Feb 8, 2020 11:20:25 #
Rose42 wrote:
You always use non believers in a vain attempt to justify false teachings you promote.
The bible is crystal clear when it comes to homosexuality. You either believe its the word of God or you don’t.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
The bible is crystal clear when it comes to homosexuality. You either believe its the word of God or you don’t.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
Sorry, once again a big yawn. You are clueless to the intricacies of the Bible, drink, it appears, from a shallow through. Surface faith, no deep substance. I mostly have taken it easy on you for pedestrian faith, a puddle of understanding. God accepts that, as he does, in my eyes, everyone from all sects and denominations. You have the one, true faith?: thousands of sects would object. It is the true love of God, not the gibberish of articles of faith, that matter.
Somehow you got lost in a literal faith, the dogma, doctrine, and popular beliefs that are foolish, wrong, but comforting.
Feb 8, 2020 12:20:23 #
rumitoid wrote:
...God accepts that, as he does, in my eyes, everyone from all sects and denominations...
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6
See any similarities rumi?
Feb 8, 2020 13:37:25 #
Rose42 wrote:
No lie on my part. You must have ears to hear to see how wrong his article is. Many claim to be Christian but are not.
Do you know what it means to be saved?
Do you know what it means to be saved?
Do you know what it means to present facts, reasonable arguments, and relevant sites? Disprove what I have said with scripture, don't just insult. You have a great opportunity to testify and present the Gospel to refute me, but you desert that noble cause to insult me: why?
Feb 9, 2020 07:20:26 #
rumitoid wrote:
Do you know what it means to present facts, reasonable arguments, and relevant sites? Disprove what I have said with scripture, don't just insult. You have a great opportunity to testify and present the Gospel to refute me, but you desert that noble cause to insult me: why?
rumitoid wrote:
...God accepts that, as he does, in my eyes, everyone from all sects and denominations...
...God accepts that, as he does, in my eyes, everyone from all sects and denominations...
Parky60 wrote:
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6
See any similarities rumi?
See any similarities rumi?
The chirps are hurting my ears rumi.
Feb 9, 2020 08:05:41 #
TexaCan
Loc: Homeward Bound!
rumitoid wrote:
Sorry, once again a big yawn. You are clueless to ... (show quote)
You’re going to take it easy on Rose? She drinks from a shallow “through”? Delusions of Grandeur!😂😂😂
https://www.ttb.org/resources/articles-news/features/2018/09/24/how-does-god-save-us
This article is written by J Vernon McGee. A young man that wasn’t that familiar with the Bible, thought that all a person had to do was LOVE in order to be saved. When he was asked to quote the scripture that states this, he couldn’t....that’s because there isn’t one!
Does the Bible teach to love God, to love each other? Of course! What better way to show God that you love him, but by believing and obeying what He taught us in His instruction manual! You have been presented with the gospel many times, but you continue to ignore all those scriptures!
There is only one Church and that is the church that all believers in Jesus Christ, who has accepted His free gift of salvation, is a member!
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