Pray Gay Away!

[JJ50]

https://www.gayly.com/blackwell-oklahom ... ay-away�

If this story is true the church members are a bunch of evil psychos who should be prosecuted and the church closed.

[bluegreenearth]

[Replying to post 3 by benchwarmer]

Homosexual activity is condemned in the bible and while someone may always have to struggle with such urges they can break free from a homosexual lifestyle and become Christians and still lead happy and productive lives. It happened in bible times and it happens today.


FURTHER READING Is Homosexuality Wrong?
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/t ... ity-wrong/

Interpreting scriptures from the Christian Bible to determine God’s will regarding our modern concept of human sexuality appears to be a contentious business plagued by competing theological assertions, confirmation bias, unsupported assumptions, and indeterminable contexts. Scholars cannot even agree as to the number of times same-sex activity is referenced in the Bible or if issues pertaining to gender identity can be found at all. The irreconcilable confusion revealed by textual criticism alone should have been enough to discourage most reasonable people from asserting the reliability of any Biblical claim much less those specific to homosexuality or transgenderism.

Nevertheless, bookshelves and internet blogs are ripe with apologetic arguments claiming absolute knowledge of God’s intentions for those people who experience same-sex attraction or gender identity issues. Given the obvious limitations of the Bible’s content on homosexuality, how can you be so confident in your interpretation of the scriptures? Would you agree to engaging in a thorough and critical evaluation of every Biblical reference to homosexuality in order to determine if you have the only valid interpretation of them?

[Zzyzx]

.
Quote mining is not acceptable in honorable debate. Reading what was actually said indicates it is clearly not telling anyone what to do – but saying ‘If concerned . . . we should.�

...and, above all, stop claiming knowledge of proposed supernatural entities

Who are you to tell me or anyone else what I may claim and what I may not claim. Your not the boss of me and the last time I looked freedom of speech was a basic human right.

You are free to decide how you react to any claims you hear but if someone wants to claim to be the estranged son of Xerkraz the souvereign King of the planet Vlog, they are free to do so. As long as they don't incite to violence that's just part of this crazy world we live in.

What was actually said:

If concerned about happiness and productivity we should refrain from minding the personal business of others -- and avoid imposing religious beliefs on others -- and, above all, stop claiming knowledge of proposed supernatural entities

BTW, those who claim knowledge in honorable debate are expected and required to provide substation if challenged.

[JehovahsWitness]

Would you agree to engaging in a thorough and critical evaluation of every Biblical reference to homosexuality in order to determine if you have the only valid interpretation of them?

Are you implying that you don't think I have already done this?

[bluegreenearth]

Would you agree to engaging in a thorough and critical evaluation of every Biblical reference to homosexuality in order to determine if you have the only valid interpretation of them?

Are you implying that you don't think I have already done this?

That implication was not intended. If you have already done this, then it should be no problem for you to demonstrate where you have the only valid interpretation.

Let's begin with Genesis 19:5:
Original Hebrew - "וַיִּקְרְ�֤וּ �ֶל־ לֹוט֙ וַיֹּ֣�מְרוּ לֹ֔ו �ַיֵּ֧ה הָ�ֲנָשִ�֛י� �ֲשֶ�ר־ בָּ֥�וּ �ֵלֶ֖יךָ הַלָּ֑יְלָה הֹוצִי�ֵ֣� �ֵלֵ֔ינוּ וְנֵדְעָ֖ה �ֹתָֽ�׃ "

Literal Translation - “…,and they call unto Lot and say to him, ‘Where [are] the men who have come in unto thee to-night? Bring them out unto us, and we know them.’"

Why is your interpretation of that scripture the only one that can be correct? Feel free to include all the context that is required to support your interpretation.

[JehovahsWitness]

If you have already done this, then it should be no problem for you to demonstrate where you have the only valid interpretation.

I hold to the interpretation I believe to be accurate; "valid" is subject to ones values, ie what one person sees as "valid" what another might see otherwise. I would not speak in terms of "the only valid" interpretation, rather the reading/understanding that accurately reflects God's view as outlined in scripture.


JW



RELATED POSTS (below)
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 274#979274

[JehovahsWitness]

Continued from post #25 by JehovahsWitness


HOMOSEXUALITY

Were Paul's references to "homosexual practices" alluding to temple prostitution?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 197#756197

Does the bible condemn homosexuality?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 130#979130

Does the God of the bible treat judge homosexuals unfairly?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 621#926621

Did David and Jonathan have a homosexual relationship?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 603#710603

Was Jesus secretly gay?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 477#768477

[bluegreenearth]

If you have already done this, then it should be no problem for you to demonstrate where you have the only valid interpretation.

I hold to the interpretation I believe to be accurate; "valid" is subject to ones values, ie what one person sees as "valid" what another might see otherwise. I would not speak in terms of "the only valid" interpretation, rather the reading/understanding that accurately reflects God's view as outlined in scripture.

The arbiter of validity cannot be subjective or there would be no practical way to demonstrate a true proposition from a false proposition to other people. If the validity of a proposition is determined by your subjective opinion, then you could claim any proposition is true. We couldn't even use God's view because that would also be a subjective opinion. In any case, claiming to base validity on God's view renders the entire argument circular because it is God's view that we are attempting to determine. How can we determine if your interpretation of scripture accurately reflects God's view as outlined in scripture without presupposing knowledge of God's view?

[otseng]

It is anti-gay bigots who the ones who are sick in the head.

Moderator Comment

Please avoid using inflammatory words such as bigot.

Please review the Rules.


______________

Moderator comments do not count as a strike against any posters. They only serve as an acknowledgment that a post report has been received, but has not been judged to warrant a moderator warning against a particular poster. Any challenges or replies to moderator postings should be made via Private Message to avoid derailing topics.

[otseng]

Moderator Action

Moved to Random Ramblings. Please review the Rules and Tips on starting a debate topic.

[otseng]

[Replying to post 15 by JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 26 by JehovahsWitness]

Moderator Comment

In addition to posting links, please advance the debate by presenting arguments in your post. At a minimum, quote some relevant parts of your posts that you referred to.

Please review the Rules.


______________

Moderator comments do not count as a strike against any posters. They only serve as an acknowledgment that a post report has been received, but has not been judged to warrant a moderator warning against a particular poster. Any challenges or replies to moderator postings should be made via Private Message to avoid derailing topics.