Why Is the President being so Bold?

[Gene Scarborough]

[Gene Scarborough]

[Gene Scarborough]

[Tim Bonney]

[Gene Scarborough]

I do not based on 2 things:

(1) He based them on pictures in the Church in that time
(2) Romans (and Greeks) allowed for homosexuality in their society while Jews did not

I would be most interested, Timothy, as to why you reached your conclusions besides thinking "suspicious."

[Ed Pettibone]

[Tim Bonney]

[Stephen Fox]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/opini ... ml?_r=1&hp

How you morph the realpolitik above with the thoughtful commentary of John Pierce recent blog on Baptists in the pew will stretch the wisdom of Solomon and Abraham Lincoln among the best of us for some time to come.

I don't want to look back to Egypt, but I am not in favor of leaving Stewart Newman and Marney and his generation behind because of a fad movement.
Still I have a sense of my Christian Brothers and Sisters35 years and younger.

Hardy Clemmons was prophetic ten years ago when he said orientation matters will put the church in a bigger fog and struggle that Civil Rights of Race in the 60's. Yet Hardy was on the front Row at Furman circa 2003 after the Alliance moved from FBC Greenville.

I hope many of you will take a considered look at John Pierce blog on this matter before the rhetoric and political posturing--Romney at Falwell's Liberty Today--consumes us all

[Tim Bonney]

Here is the url of the article about Boswell's research that I read earlier today. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pwh/bosrev-reynolds.asp

[Haruo]

I am certainly not competent to judge the materials in question, but from my superficial reading of Boswell and his critics, neither satisfies me. I think he's onto something real, but on the other hand I doubt if it was as general as he wants (us and himself) to believe.

[Stephen Fox]

And less academically obfuscating in her strong wisdom in accenting this essay

https://stillsearching.wordpress.com/ta ... -robinson/

[Tim Bonney]

[Gene Scarborough]

I appreciate getting a fuller perspective and will check it out.

Just always remember: History is written by the winners!

For sure, Greek / Roman / Egyptian cultures of the day were far more open to gays than the Hebrews. They controlled our OT and influenced greatly the NT. They, without a doubt, tried to eliminate Jesus!

Jesus said NOTHING so I will use that as my basis of analysis asking, "What would Jesus do with gay people?"

[Sandy]

[Gene Scarborough]

Pre-Jesus, the Jews and others were all into sacrifice and never finding complete Salvation and its accompanying joy. After Jesus the Catholic Church still wanted their Priests to control people through penance / baptism / eucharist / chastity vows and other articificial and man-controlled aspects of faith and trust.

Once Jesus gave his life a sacrifice for our sins, things completely changed. We now live in a New Testament era!

Sandy, you are trying too hard to keep the new wine in old wineskins---to a fault, in my view.

Why can't you just admit, Jesus said NOTHING about homosexuality one way of the other? He loved and forgave all those he met with physical or mental issues. He healed those who came asking for it and believing.

On top of that, God made mankind as the crowing part of Creation and declared "It is good." The Hebrew words used in creation have more "humanity" associated with them than "male / female." Mankind better expresses it in a general term and is used first in the verse in Genesis.

My research and personal observation of all sexual creatures (most have some sex at higher levels), the picture of creation and sexuality is a continuum rather than a clear break. All humans have both male and female hormones flowing in their bodies during all their life. When my wife was pregmant with a male child, she was more sexually aggressive and had a different demeanor than when it was a first female baby. It is also different when not pregnant at all. It has been different at different stages of her maturity and now into menopause. The same is true for my male being.

Things change and it is not a simple pattern nor status from birth to death. Science confirms it as well. Why is is so hard for you to see a different view and, at least, entertain the possiblity of complexity even in the male/female sphere of life

[Ed Pettibone]

Gene S. Once Jesus gave his life a sacrifice for our sins, things completely changed. We now live in a New Testament era!

Ed: Gene Please note Jesus said in you preferred New International Version (©1984)
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Gene S. He loved and forgave all those he met with physical or mental issues.

Ed: Where does your bible say that he forgave all those he met with physical or mental issues ? Indeed he loved them he also loved the rich young ruler but he did not forgive him, at least on the single encounter that has been recorded for us.

And Gene Jesus said nothing about male or female hormones of which I have little doubt he being God knew all about.

ED: We are to be in control of our bodies hormones and all.

Edited to ad an e, changing not in my first reply to note.

[Tim Bonney]

[Gene Scarborough]

Ed---

I think you are projecting 2012 knowledge in the First part of the First Century. Jesus said nothing about the earth being round and floating in space either. Until we discovered modern astronomy, nowhere in the Bible do we find a treatise on celestial mechanics. Other cultures more into scargazing had theories in the process at the time.

People were another matter for Jesus. He was here with us and had a level of empathy only available to God's Son, our Saviour.

I am convinced that homosexuality was present in Jesus' time and he chose not to make it an issue. For me, the Holy Spirit compells us to love and understand them as best we can.

Do you have any insights from the continuum nature of male/female vs. it being an either/or

It is greatly proven by studies that psychomatic factors exist in every known physical illness or outlook. Certainly, some of the illnesses Jesus healed were mental, in part---like the crazy man whose evil spirit entered the herd of pigs that ran over the cliff. If homosexuality was part of Jesus' healing ministry, we would have heard about it in the same fashion, I am sure.

[Ed Pettibone]

[Gene Scarborough]

[Tim Bonney]

[Ed Pettibone]

[Gene Scarborough]

[Gene Scarborough]

[Ed Pettibone]