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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Homosexuality: Not a "Sin" nor a "Free" Choice


The Bible says that homosexuality is not “wrong” or “unclean” for everyone!

The apostle Paul states in Romans 14: 14 that no act is “unclean” in and of itself, but an act is only “unclean” to a person who thinks a particular act is “unclean.”  So, a homosexual act would be “wrong” or “unclean” for me as I am a heterosexual male and do not desire males in that way.  On the contrary, a heterosexual act would be “wrong” or “unclean” for a homosexual male that does not desire women.

Jesus states in Luke 12: 57, “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?”                                        
Jesus clearly states that you should judge for yourself what is right or wrong. However, this does not mean to judge other people on what is right or wrong for them. It simply means you should judge what is right or wrong for yourself. So, being homosexual may be right for one person and wrong for another person as it all depends on how each individual person feels about being homosexual, and not about how other people feel about being homosexual.

Jesus states in Mark 7: 15 that “Nothing outside a man can make him unclean by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man (or how a man treats other people) that makes him unclean.” 


You should only judge another person on how they treat other people!

Verse 13 clearly states for you, as a person, to not condemn other people for their sexual preference, but to only condemn people who act with the intent to only hurt or offend other people.

In Romans 14: 13, the apostle Paul states:
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 


Verse 19 states to strive and live peaceably with one another and to help one another!  Judging people because of a different sexual preference, race, weight, because they are a believer of a different faith, or ANY REASON other than how they treat others is WRONG and SINFUL as it creates division among us, as people in general, and spreads negativity in our world which is the opposite of striving to live PEACEFUL with one another as Verse 19 states! 

Verse 20 states ALL things are PURE!  As previously stated in Verse 13, the ONLY basis we should judge or condemn other people is if a person is acting with the intent to only hurt, harm, or offend someone else!  If everyone understood and lived by this concept, then there literally would be peace on earth!

In Romans 14: (19-20), the apostle Paul states:
19Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another
20All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence

Copyright ©  2011  Shay Dawkins. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this blog or the comments on this blog may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system without the express written permission of the publisher and author unless for the specific use of writing a review or article pertaining to The Good News: How Revealing Delusions In Christianity Will Bring Peace To All.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about when it says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, effeminate, nor HOMOSEXUALS, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor the drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.(New American Standard)

Leviticus 18:22 - "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." (New International Version)

Romans 1:24-25 – “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.” (New International Version)

1 Corinthians 7:2 "But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife,and each woman her own husband."

Shay Dawkins said...

Hello! Thanks for the comment! I will have to split up my responses because it is a little lengthy, but let me know what you think!

Leviticus 20: 13 and Leviticus 18: 22

What does Present-day Christianity believe?

Present-day Christianity believes that Leviticus 20: 13 and Leviticus 18: 22 condemn all homosexual behavior (lesbians, homosexual men, one-night stands, and loving homosexual relationships).

What is the Bible really saying?
The Bible is really condemning ALL ritual sex in temples (heterosexual, homosexual, and sex with animals) in Leviticus 20: 13 and Leviticus 18: 22. Sexual rituals in temples were commonly being performed by the Egyptians and Canaanites during the time period that the book of Leviticus was written and intended for. The author of Leviticus was writing to the Israelites as Leviticus 20: 2 states, “thou shalt say to the children of Israel.” Leviticus was written to show the Israelites that the Lord did not want them to live in the ways of the Egyptians and Canaanites.

Leviticus 18: (2-3) KJV
2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. 3After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

Leviticus 18: 24 KJV
24Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

Leviticus 20: 23 KJV
23And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

The sexual rituals which are condemned in the book of Leviticus are both HETEROSEXUAL and HOMOSEXUAL. Let us see what the verses that precede and come after Leviticus 20: 13 have to say as the author of Leviticus clearly condemns all different types of sexual rituals as 8 heterosexual acts, 2 sexual acts with animals, and 1 homosexual act are all condemned in this passage.

In conclusion, Leviticus 20: 13 and Leviticus 18: 22 are condemning ALL ritual sex in temples. Leviticus 20: 13 and Leviticus 18: 22 are not condemning a loving, homosexual relationship or homosexuality in general.


Leviticus was written for a time period long ago. Here are some other laws that you must honor, if you accept the book of Leviticus as being applicable to our modern day society:

•Tattoos are forbidden. (Leviticus 19: 28)

•Forbidden foods: Pig (pork bacon, pork sausage, pork BBQ, pork hot dogs, etc.), Shrimp, Crab, Lobsters, Oysters, Rabbit, and many others. However, you may eat grasshoppers.(Leviticus Chapter 11)

•A husband is forbidden to have sex with his wife during her menstrual cycle. (Leviticus 18:19)

•After giving birth to a child, a woman must offer a burnt animal sacrifice. A woman must burn a lamb for a burnt offering and the woman must burn a pigeon or a turtle dove for a sin offering. (Leviticus 12: 6)

•You may not cut your hair or shave your beard as you would like. There are rules for haircuts and shaving. (Leviticus 19: 27)

(These are only a few of the laws that you must follow, if you accept the book of Leviticus as being applicable to our modern day society.)

Shay Dawkins, author said...

Romans 1: (26-27)
What does Present-day Christianity believe?

Present-day Christianity believes that Romans 1: (26-27) condemns all homosexual acts (lesbians, homosexual men, one-night stands, and loving homosexual relationships).

What is Paul really saying in the Bible?

Paul is not condemning homosexuality (homosexual men or lesbians) in this instance. In Verses 21-23, Paul is referring to these people as “God haters” as these people KNEW God, but did not give God acknowledgement, honor, or thanks. Once again, it is extremely important to understand that Paul clearly emphasizes that these people KNEW God. Paul goes on to state that these people “exchanged or replaced God with images.” Hence, these people WHO KNEW God turned away from God and turned to Paganism where they worshipped images (idolatry). In Verse 24, these people are involved in HETEROSEXUAL, pagan orgies. Pagan, ritual orgies were rampant during this time.

In Verse 25, these people worship idols made by men as these people were once again involved in Paganism where they practiced idolatry. In Verse 26 and 27, God intervenes and changes these previously, HETEROSEXUAL people’s desires so that they would perform lesbian acts (Verse 26) and gay acts (Verse 27) as some type of punishment, for their forbidden, Pagan practices. Verse 26 clearly states “FOR THIS REASON GOD GAVE THEM UP to evil desires.” Hence, these people did not “freely” choose to perform these gay and lesbian acts. Once again, these gay and lesbian acts were a form of punishment for the forbidden acts of idolatry that are described earlier in the chapter. In Verse 27, this punishment is described as “getting in their bodies the right reward of their evil-doing.” The punishment described was more than likely some type of sexually transmitted disease which makes logical sense as these people had many sexual partners from the Pagan, ritual orgies they were involved in.

The sexual relations in Verses 26 and 27 describe gay and lesbian sex performed by naturally HETEROSEXUAL people. These people were naturally HETEROSEXUAL and that is why these acts are described as being “unnatural” and “unseemly” in this passage as a homosexual act is “unnatural” and “unseemly” for a naturally heterosexual person! On the contrary, a HETEROSEXUAL act is “sinful” or “unnatural” for a naturally, homosexual person! Hence, Paul is not condemning a loving, homosexual relationship or homosexuality, in general.

Romans 1: (21-27) NIV
21Because, having the knowledge of God, they did not give glory to God as God, and did not give praise, but their minds were full of foolish things, and their hearts, being without sense, were made dark. 22Seeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish, 23And by them the glory of the eternal God was changed and made into the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and beasts and things which go on the earth.
24For this reason God gave them up to the evil desires of their hearts, working shame in their bodies with one another:
25Because by them the true word of God was changed into that which is false, and they gave worship and honour to the thing which is made, and not to him who made it, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it.
26For this reason God gave them up to evil passions, and their women were changing the natural use into one which is unnatural: 27And in the same way the men gave up the natural use of the woman and were burning in their desire for one another, men doing shame with men, and getting in their bodies the right reward of their evil-doing.

Shay Dawkins, Author said...

1 Corinthians 7: 2

1 Corinthians 7: 2 NIV
2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication (Greek- Porneia), let every man (Greek- Hekastos) have his own (Greek- Heautou) wife (Greek- Guné), and let every woman (Greek- Hékastos) have her own (Greek-Idios) husband (Greek- Anér)


So, what does 1 Corinthians 7: 2 really state?

1 Corinthians 7: 2 NIV
2Nevertheless, to avoid letting “lusting after sex” control your life, let each individual have himself or herself a woman, and let each individual have himself or herself a man

Definitions
Porneia: the root of the English terms "pornography, pornographic"; cf. 4205 /pórnos) which is derived from pernaō, "to sell off") (http://concordances.org/greek/4202.htm)
Hékastos: (from hekas, "separate") – each (individual) unit viewed distinctly, i.e. as opposed to "severally" (as a group) (http://concordances.org/greek/1538.htm)
Guné: a woman (http://concordances.org/greek/1135.htm)
Anér: a male human being, a man (http://concordances.org/greek/435.htm)
Heautou: of himself, herself, itself; (reflexive pronoun of the 3rd person) – ("himself, herself, itself," etc.) is the 3rd person reflexive (http://concordances.org/greek/1438.htm)
Idios: one's own, private, personal, distinct; ("uniquely one's own") is "stronger than the simple possessive pronoun ('own'). This emphatic adjective means 'private, personal'.” (http://concordances.org/greek/2398.htm)


In Corinthians 7: 2, Paul is warning the people as a community to not let “lusting after sexual relations” control their life. Hence, Paul is warning the people as a community against LOSING SELF-CONTROL. This verse DOES NOT REFER to homosexuality, in particular or by any stretch of the imagination! In Verse 5, Paul states, “Only deprive each other of sex by mutual consent, and only deprive yourselves of sex for a small period of time.” Then Paul states, “After depriving yourselves you should both have sex so that you WILL NOT LOSE SELF- CONTROL!”
In Verse 7, Paul states, “I wish that all men were as I am.” Paul was referring to himself as being each or all of the following: single, unmarried, and celibate (in the sense of him having self-control over his “fleshly” desires.
1 Corinthians 7: (2, 5 NIV
2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication (Greek- porneia), let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Shay Dawkins, Author said...

1 Corinthians 6: 9
What does Present-day Christianity believe?
Present-day Christianity believes that 1 Corinthians 6: 9 states that all sexually active homosexuals will go to “eternal” punishment in Hell. Present-day Christianity believes that a truly “saved” homosexual has the “free” will choice to choose to live a heterosexual lifestyle, and a truly “saved” homosexual will “freely” choose to desire and live a heterosexual lifestyle.

What is the Bible really saying?
This verse really condemns homosexuals who rape or molest children. This verse, in no way, condemns homosexuality or a loving, homosexual relationship!
This is simply a case of Greek words being falsely mistranslated. The English word, fornicators, replaces the Greek word, pornos, in this verse. Pornos is defined as “a male prostitute” by the Greek’s Strong Dictionary. Pornos is also defined as “to sell off.” So, pornos was not referring to a loving homosexual relationship as pornos was referring to male prostitutes who “sold off” themselves off for sex. The second word that is mistranslated is the English word, effeminate, which replaced the Greek word, malakos. Malakos is an adjective that is defined as “soft, weak, or delicate.” Malakos is a word that could very well be used to describe someone who was morally weak or a “soft, feminine person.” The Greek word, malakos, does not specifically refer to homosexuality in general or someone in a loving, homosexual relationship.

The last mistranslated word in this verse is the Greek word, arsenokoítēs. Arsenokoítēs is defined by the Greek’s Strong Dictionary as “a man in bed with another man; from the root word, árrhēn, which is defined as "a male" and from the root word, koítē, "a mat, bed").” Arsenokoítēs is a word that only occurs 2 times in the entire Bible (1 Corinthians 6: 9 and 1 Timothy 1: 10)! The key to understanding this verse is to understand what the Greek word, arsenokoítēs, really means. "Homosexual offenders" replaces the Greek word, arsenokoítēs, in the NIV version of the Bible.

Paul did not condemn “homosexuals” as Paul clearly condemned “homosexual offenders.” The appropriate interpretation of this verse is that it does not condemn homosexuality in general or a loving, homosexual relationship. If Paul was condemning homosexuals, then Paul would have stated, “Neither homosexuals will enter the kingdom of God,” but Paul clearly states, “Neither homosexual OFFENDERS will enter the kingdom of God.” The verse condemns only those homosexuals who engage in sexual offences such as rape or sexually abusing a child.
http://concordances.org/greek/4205.htm
http://concordances.org/greek/3120.htm
http://concordances.org/greek/733.htm

1 Corinthians 6: 9 NIV
9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral (Greek word- pornos), nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes (Greek word- malakos), nor homosexual offenders (Greek word- arsenokoítēs).

1 Corinthians 6: 9 KJV
9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators (Greek word- pornos), nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (Greek word- malakos), nor abusers of themselves with mankind (Greek word- arsenokoítēs)