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Could you or someone else explain to me about the new vs the old
covenants in the bible? I thought I understood that the old covenant,
which includes the proscriptions against homosexuality as well as the
dietary laws and such, was replaced by the new covenant. Is it still a
sin to wear a shirt made from two or more fibers, or not to rotate your
crops? Does the new covenant say anything about homosexuality? I've
never really understood this. I've noticed from other debates here and
elsewhere that the homosexual parts of the old covenant seem to be used
commonly, but the other parts aren't. <br>
<br>
I thought the idea was that the laws of the Old Testament were specific
to the peoples of that time, and that Jesus' sacrifice brought into
play a new covenant that replaces the old one.<br>
<br>
I'm not a biblical expert, and not a christian. I'm not bashing here,
just trying to understand it.<br>
<br>
Paul<br>
<br>
Taro Tanaka wrote:
<blockquote cite="midBAY123-F409B1DDC2DF1EDAD59E46C884F0@phx.gbl"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">"Tony Simpson" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:tonytime@clearwire.net"><tonytime@clearwire.net></a> wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">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?
</pre>
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<pre wrap=""><!---->
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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