[Vision2020] Missing the point

[Joe Campbell]

Tony,

After reading this I understand why the Princess won't use his real name.

--
Joe Campbell

---- Taro Tanaka <taro_tanaka at hotmail.com> wrote: 

=============
"Tony Simpson" <tonytime at clearwire.net> wrote:

>You have me concerned, Royal One.  In your last post you suggested that 
>homosexual behavior should be criminalized.  Now, while I agree that such 
>behavior is inappropriate and against the obvious design of the human body, 
>I certainly don't think those who persist in acting thus should be jailed.
>Could you please clarify?

Sure, Tony. I think we should obey the Bible in this area as in all other 
areas. Two witnesses are required for prosecution every crime, although I 
suppose the testimony of DNA evidence could be accepted as one of the 
witnesses in cases of rape, etc. If there are no witnesses, there is no 
criminal prosecution. Witnesses must participate in the execution of the 
penalty if it is a capital crime, and perjurers are in all cases liable to 
receive the penalty that would have been meted out to the victim of their 
false witness.

As we see from Jesus' confrontation with the adulterous woman and the 
Pharisees, in such cases both offending parties must be dealt with equally. 
Contrary to biblical law, the Pharisees brought only the woman and not the 
man, even though they "caught her in the very act." She was obviously set 
up, and by calling the accusers to cast the first stone, Jesus was telling 
them in effect, "You want to play rough? -- I can play rough. I know the 
rulebook better than you guys. Which of you is willing to put his own life 
on the line in perpetuating this farce?"

What we *don't* see in that confrontation is an abrogation of the death 
penalty for adultery.

It should be added, as Doug Wilson has made clear repeatedly, the death 
penalty is not automatically required for adultery, homosexual acts, and 
other forms of "porneia." When guilt is established, such crimes are to be 
dealt with severely, but the meting out of the death penalty is just one 
option available to the judge.

We also need to remember that in the case of consensual homosexual acts, it 
would be very easy for the consenting parties to keep their acts a secret. 
The existence of laws criminalizing such behavior is not a mandate to set up 
sting operations or to spy on people. What homosexuals do in the privacy of 
their own bedrooms is in the nature of the case very difficult to prosecute. 
And that is just fine and dandy. God does not call the civil magistrate to 
root out and destroy every last homosexual, or even every first homosexual. 
All God demands, in essence, is a situation where homosexuals must remain in 
the closet. Official disapproval of homosexual behavior, on religiious 
principles, sends a message to God that we take His word seriously. Even if 
homosexuals continue to operate in the shadows, that is a much different 
situation in God's eyes than a situation where homosexuals are welcomed with 
open arms and officially protected, again on religious principles -- the 
wrong religious principles.

There is not a single recorded case of an individual being put to death in 
the Bible for homosexual acts. The notable exception to that is Sodom and 
Gomorrah, but even they were not executed for homosexual acts per se, so 
much as for a general wickedness, of which attempted homosexual rape was 
just one manifestation. Homosexuals who stay in the closet have little 
reason to fear for their physical safety in a Bible-believing society . . . 
although they may have good reason to fear for the eternal safety of their 
souls.

-- Princess Sushitushi

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