The Bible claims that all children are disciplined by their fathers. But according to the Bible, that’s not true.
Continue reading Do all fathers discipline their children?Monthly Archives: June 2020
Homosexuality in the Bible
What does the Bible say about gay men?
The Bible describes sex between two men as a wicked, detestable, vile, outrageous, shameful sin.1 It says any men who do this have to be killed, and will not be allowed into the kingdom of God.
Does it really say that?
I’m pretty sure it does. Some people say the Bible isn’t as anti-gay as it seems, but I’m not convinced.
Some say the law against gay male sex can’t be about gay sex in general because that’s too private for the law to be enforceable, since there aren’t likely to be multiple witnesses. So they say that law must really only be about public acts of temple prostitution. But by that logic, you would have to conclude that none of the Bible’s rules about sex apply to acts done in private. Not even the laws that specifically say nobody else is around. I doubt that’s what was intended.
Some say Paul was only specifically condemning the practice of pederasty, but that’s not what he said. The word he used translates literally to “man-bed”. Why wouldn’t he use a word that specified boys or teenagers, if that was what he meant? And nobody thought it was wrong for adults to have sex with teenagers back then, so even if Paul was talking about pederasty, the age issue is probably not the part he would have objected to.
Some say the Bible implies that if you’re a man who sleeps with men or a woman who grinds with women, you have a 50% chance of being raptured into heaven, while for the rest of us who try to enter through the straight gate, the chance of being saved is much lower. But does the Bible actually say those people who are being taken are going to heaven? According to one of Jesus’s parables, the first people who will be taken away at the end of the age will be sinners being taken to hell.
There are more passages in the Bible that could be seen as vaguely pro-gay,2 but interpreting them that way is a bit of a stretch, especially considering how much more straightforward and clear the other passages are that say gays must be killed, etc.
But why?
What’s so bad about homosexuality, that it would deserve that kind of punishment? Nothing at all, as far as I can tell. I haven’t heard any good reasons to think gay sex is immoral. I’ve heard some bad ones though…
Continue reading Homosexuality in the BibleShould people get married?
Yes.
The Bible says people should get married, have kids, and get their kids married, so they can have kids too. If you’re engaged, don’t break up; go ahead and enjoy your married life. The Bible encourages widows to marry again. Marriage isn’t a sin; it’s a way to avoid being tempted to have immoral sex. Only a hypocritical, demonic, conscience-impaired, lying heretic would say people shouldn’t get married.
God clearly wants people to get married. He established the practice of marriage because it was not good for a man to be alone. God helps people find people to marry. He commands people to get married. When people are hesitant to get married, God tells them to go ahead. He rewards people for getting married, and for letting other people get married.
God is fine with people marrying anyone they want, as long as they don’t marry someone he doesn’t want them to marry, like a divorced person or a contemptible woman. He’ll let you marry a prisoner of war if you want to.
There are situations where God says people must get married. If a man has a brother and a wife but no son when he dies, his brother is required to marry the widow. Refusing this duty would be shameful. And if a man rapes a virgin who isn’t engaged, they have to be married for life.
Noah, Job, Abraham, Lot, and David were all known for their righteousness, and they all had wives. Quite a lot of wives in the case of David, who never did anything wrong in his life. God described Jerusalem and Israel as his own wives. If God is married (or wants us to think of him that way), that must be a good example to follow, since everything God does is right.
No.
The Bible says if you’re not married or engaged, it’s good to stay that way. And if you are engaged, the best thing to do is to break up. Marriage is a distraction that makes it harder to please God. Those who marry will face many troubles, while those who remain unmarried will be happier. So the best thing to do is to follow Paul’s example and stay unmarried and celibate. You should treat other people as brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers, and you wouldn’t marry your brother, sister, mother, or father, would you?
When the disciples of Jesus found out that he didn’t approve of divorce, they said in that case, it was best not to get married in the first place. Jesus agreed that it’s best for people to be celibate if they can manage it. Jesus thinks celibate people are superior, and he will give them special treatment and honor in the end times. In his kingdom, there will be no marriage. So if you’re a Christian, you’d better not get married, or you will break your dedication to Christ and bring judgment on yourself.
Continue reading Should people get married?
The Story of Abraham’s Sacrifice—
Isaac and his Murderous Psycho Father
Ten generations after Noah, God promised a man named Abraham that he would have countless descendants through Isaac, the son of Abraham and his sister Sarah. But before Isaac could grow up and have children, the all-good God ordered Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. So Abraham lied to his servants and his son about what he was planning to do, so they wouldn’t interfere. Then he tied up his son, put him on an altar, and picked up a knife…
Continue reading The Story of Abraham’s Sacrifice—Isaac and his Murderous Psycho Father