And it’s not only the keeping of slaves that’s endorsed by the Bible. Here are some other teachings of the Bible that you may not have been aware of:
* Children who swear at their parents should be put to death. (Leviticus 20:9)
* If a couple have sex while the woman is having her period, they should be deported. (Leviticus 20:18)
* It’s OK to keep slaves and make them your property. (Leviticus 25:44-45)
* Men are forbidden to have haircuts and trim their beards. (Leviticus 19:27)
* It is forbidden to eat pork. (Leviticus 11:7)
* You’re not allowed to plant two crops in one field and cannot wear combined fabric blends. (Leviticus 19:19)
* It is an abomination to eat prawns (shrimp), lobsters, oysters and other shellfish (Leviticus 11:10-12)
* It is an abomination (same as eating prawns) for two men to have sex together (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13)
And we haven't even touched on the circumcision thing. I trust you’ve all been circumcised.
Why have we selectively discarded most of this and only retained the homophobic references?
Certainly, all of the above quotations are from the Old Testament. But Saint Paul also condemns homosexuality in the New Testament in his writings at 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Romans 1:26-27. It must be remembered that Paul was not one of the original twelve disciples chosen by Jesus. He never knew Jesus. Paul converted to Christianity after Jesus had been crucified. Up until then, he'd been actively engaged in the persecution of Christians. It would appear that his default personality type was discriminatory and persecutory. If he had known Jesus personally, perhaps he may not have been quite so quick to judge and condemn.
The four Gospels are the true jewel in the crown of Christianity. It’s in the Gospels that we read the authentic message and very words of Jesus Himself. And let us not forget that Jesus NEVER once mentioned homosexuality. If it is such an abomination, as claimed in Leviticus and by Saint Paul, why did Jesus never mention it?
