Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Gay Sex and The Old Testament



American Jonathan Bannon Maher, writes an interesting essay on gay equality. Here's another excerpt from his work:

"Some oppose homosexuality based on religion. "For a man to lie with another man as he would a woman is 'toevah'" (Leviticus 20:13), where toevah is commonly translated as "abomination" or "sin". In that same passage it is also declared toevah to eat shrimp. Toevah literally translates as "against ritual". At the time the Bible was written, people needed to reproduce for the strength of the community – today we have the opposite problem globally, a Malthusian state, where population growth outpaces natural resource replenishment. (Disclosure: the following segment is Jed Bartlet inspired) We are also told that to touch pig skin makes one unclean, that a father may sell his daughter into slavery, and that a person should be put to death for working on the Sabbath (Sabbath is literally translated as "Saturday"). Next time you're watching football on a Sunday, ask yourself if on moral grounds, you should be supporting people who touch pig skin (Leviticus 11:8). If you're someone's daughter, next time you think to oppose homosexuals based on religion, please, ask yourself, "what would a fair price for me be?" (Exodus 21:7). If you answer a work related email on your Blackberry on the Sabbath, ask yourself if law enforcement officials should be legally obligated to stone you to death (Leviticus 23:3)."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

verse 18 of the same chapter says: If a man lies with a woman during her monthly period and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them must be cut off from their people.

makes one think!

Anonymous said...

let us not use the bible of Christianity to justify our being homosexual. First, even the religious leaders nowadays contend to one another on the interpretation of the bible passages. Next, we cannot truly understand the bible for it was written thousands of years ago where the writers were surrounded and influenced by their unique culture and traditions. These cultural beliefs and traditions are of course absolutely different at the present time. As well, if we truly believe on the bible, we must know then that most of the commandments in the old testament were changed by the Lord in the new testament. Hence, we must be guided primarily by what has been preached by the Lord and his Apostles in the new testament. Nevertheless, we must admit in our selves that the present society still abhor us, the gays, due to what they commonly observed to whore gays.
Just like other people with male and female genders or orientation, we, as gays, must also give dignity to our selves. How could we gain the respect of the society if most of us continuously show malevolence and concupiscence ways of living? We must prove to them that we are not only after sex and pleasure; rather, we seek love, happiness, comradeship, equality, acceptance, and respect as well. Let us change the societal perception on us by leading other gays into the decent path of life. Finally, let us continue our battle for equality and social justice.
There is no first sex or second sex; thus, let us not allow anyone to tag us under the third sexual category.