Cop/Preacher wants to "execute" all Gays.

[Falcon]

I got around all of this a long time ago by be coming an atheist. Saves me from thinking about gods.

Simply: Don't believe in them Huge waste of my valuable time. I think of more constructive things.

 

[fmdog44]

I've noticed that in the Deep South Bible Belt, homosexuality and abortion are hot topics for sermons in some of the more hell-fire-and-brimstone type denominations. But you don't hear much about gluttony (check the area obesity stats), greed or adultery ...though divorce and remarriage stats aren't too much different within most churches than those of the general population. It's like the Texas preacher who advocated homicide charges for women who have abortions being arrested last week (based on his confession) for raping a teen relative repeatedly over a number of years.

Those types of sermons play well for a certain crowd because they don't step on the listeners' toes.

Excellent post!

 

[Keesha]

I must admit that I don’t know the Bible all that well, but I do remember some of the stories from when I used to attend Sunday School.

I believe the story in IIKings was when the people were starving and the woman who offered up her son for food was starved so badly that she had become insane.

I think if Warrigal would help us here, she could straighten this out. She always seemed to know the Bible very well.

Thanks 911 but the reason why I added them wasn’t to try and figure out what they meant. My reason for adding them is for the same point Marie made with the video.

If people are are going to be so religiously righteous by sticking to only certain bible scriptures that support their warped perception, then support ALL the scriptures. You either believe ALL the bible or you don’t and if you do that would mean you believe in mass murder, cannabalism, incestuous rape, perversity and human trafficking, sex slavery and severe punishment.

If our creator makes us all equal then who are we as mere mortals to pass judgment on such creations?
We are ALL uniquely different in our diversity. No religious or cultural group is any better than another. Just like every snowflake is different, and every frost pattern. There’s a reason for diversity that we might not be aware of but I’m not questioning our creators intentions. Nobody is insignificant. We ALL belong to the one group called humanity. For one person to inflict their own prejudices of hate and intolerance in the name of the Lord sickens me.

Whenever this or similar comes up, I go back to this scene from West Wing. Just three minutes, but he pretty much takes down an anti gay bible thumper very well.

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Im not a huge fan of this actor either but he says it so well.
People can’t take scriptures from the bible and use them for their own hatefulness.
They can own that one themselves and keep God out if it.

 

[911]

Kesha: But, the people that you are referring to are in the very vast minority. Now and until the end of time there will be this vast minority of people who have very different beliefs than the vast majority.

I am sure that you are well aware that an enormous number of murderers that have gone to prison for the rest of their life or been sentenced to death have found God. Even those that have committed crimes against gays, including killing gays have found God. They will and have openly admitted to finding God and also how wrong they were to commit the crimes against these people that they have.

What we read in the Bible is open to interpretation that Theologians have been debating for ages and will probably continue to do until eternity ends. These chapters and verses that we read in the Bible have been taken from scrolls found before B.C. and then interpreted. Almost every time a new edition of one of the versions of the Bible is released, at least some of the verses have been edited, or reinterpreted.

I told my Pastor several years ago that I considered the Bible as a work in progress. He told me that I may be right. No one expects everyone to believe every passage written. But, some of the books, like Proverbs or Psalms, is a good book to read when we are feeling alone or needing strength.

As for those that want to be an Atheist, more power to them. But, what if, what if there really is a God who was the creator. Would you want to be the one to tell Him that you weren’t a believer and that man was created from a spore or however you believe creation began? What’s the harm to being a believer?

 

[Pepper]

I would trust God more than the imaginings of humans about God. The harm in being a believer? Two answers: 1. Only if your belief infringes on the rights of others, i.e. the Law; and 2. Having imaginary friends while lying to yourself, which of course is one's own business except in the case of -- and here I refer to #1.

 

[Sunny]

I loved that show and like Martin Sheen a lot also. I still miss the show. And I remember that scene. It knocked my socks off. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Keesha]

Kesha: But, the people that you are referring to are in the very vast minority. Now and until the end of time there will be this vast minority of people who have very different beliefs than the vast majority.

I am sure that you are well aware that an enormous number of murderers that have gone to prison for the rest of their life or been sentenced to death have found God. Even those that have committed crimes against gays, including killing gays have found God. They will and have openly admitted to finding God and also how wrong they were to commit the crimes against these people that they have.

What we read in the Bible is open to interpretation that Theologians have been debating for ages and will probably continue to do until eternity ends. These chapters and verses that we read in the Bible have been taken from scrolls found before B.C. and then interpreted. Almost every time a new edition of one of the versions of the Bible is released, at least some of the verses have been edited, or reinterpreted.

I told my Pastor several years ago that I considered the Bible as a work in progress. He told me that I may be right. No one expects everyone to believe every passage written. But, some of the books, like Proverbs or Psalms, is a good book to read when we are feeling alone or needing strength.

As for those that want to be an Atheist, more power to them. But, what if, what if there really is a God who was the creator. Would you want to be the one to tell Him that you weren’t a believer and that man was created from a spore or however you believe creation began? What’s the harm to being a believer?

Thank you for explaining that how you did. That made plenty of sense and no I did not know that many murders are committed by those who believe in God 911 , however , I guessed it to be true. Here in Canada most serial killers are ,( have been) , ‘intensely’ religious.

There is no harm whatsoever in believing in a higher power than ourselves but like Pepper states as have you, as long as your beliefs don’t infringe on the rights of others.

 

[Shalimar]

Fanatics of any stripe scare me, often they lack the inhibitors which constrain the majority of us.

 

[Sunny]

As for those that want to be an Atheist, more power to them. But, what if, what if there really is a God who was the creator. Would you want to be the one to tell Him that you weren’t a believer and that man was created from a spore or however you believe creation began? What’s the harm to being a believer?

911, you are making the mistake frequently made by "believers," which is describing God as if he were another human being, and a pretty narrow-minded, judgmental one at that. Would the creator (and boss) of the entire universe really need any sort of explanation from us at all? Would we really need to worry about hurting his feelings, or offending him, as if he were a demanding tyrant? If he didn't want us to believe the findings of science, would he have allowed us to develop scientific inquiry in the first place?

This is how religion keeps its hold over us, by instilling fear about God's "judgement." But if the universe was really governed by an all-knowing, all-powerful being, wouldn't our thought process (including our doubts) be exactly the way He wants it to be? We don't need to apologize to the universe for our marvelously human, inquiring minds.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I understand why believers think about God, religion, the afterlife, the Bible, etc... but why do atheists feel the need to think about these things. layful:nthego:

 

[toffee]

goodness me didnt know that could still be going on --like from the early 50s=== makes me wonder if he belongs to KKK..
HE NEED TO MOVE INTO THE 20TH CENTURY ' caught in a time warp poor soul -- and putting his own life in danger I would say …….why do the people from the town put up
with such shite...…………..

 

[Buckeye]

goodness me didnt know that could still be going on --like from the early 50s=== makes me wonder if he belongs to KKK..
HE NEED TO MOVE INTO THE 20TH CENTURY ' caught in a time warp poor soul -- and putting his own life in danger I would say …….why do the people from the town put up
with such shite...…………..

lol - the 50s were in the 20th century - we are now in the 21st century. I know, I know - it's hard to keep up with all this stuff

 

[Trade]

People like Fritts can't feel good about themselves unless they've got someone else to put down. And the person, or persons that they choose to put down are those that they perceive to be weaker and more vulnerable than themselves. They will never attack those in power. They are cowards who suck up to the powerful and kick down on the weak and vulnerable.


They are bullies. Like Johnny Ringo in the movie Tombstone:

Wyatt Earp:
What makes a man like Ringo, Doc? What makes him do the things he does?
Doc Holliday:
A man like Ringo has got a great big hole, right in the middle of himself. And he can never kill enough, or steal enough, or inflict enough pain to ever fill it.
Wyatt Earp:
What does he want?
Doc Holliday:
Revenge.
Wyatt Earp:
For what?
Doc Holliday:
Bein' born.

 

[Keesha]

goodness me didnt know that could still be going on --like from the early 50s=== makes me wonder if he belongs to KKK..
HE NEED TO MOVE INTO THE 20TH CENTURY ' caught in a time warp poor soul -- and putting his own life in danger I would say …….why do the people from the town put up
with such shite...…………..

lol - the 50s were in the 20th century - we are now in the 21st century. I know, I know - it's hard to keep up with all this stuff

Hahaha. That was too funny. Oh my ribs. Priceless :lofl:

 

[KingsX]

.

When I read this topic I think of the "days of Noah" and "days of Lot."

In Luke 17, Jesus compared the end of the age to those two specific time periods of Bible history and made the analogy of His return being like the fire from heaven that destroyed Sodom.

 

[Sunny]

Kind of hard to avoid the subject, Aunt Bea, at least in this country.

 

[Keesha]

.

When I read this topic I think of the "days of Noah" and "days of Lot."

Oh yes. LOT. The guy who had intercourse with his two children? Seems like a nice enough guy :shrug:
Genesis 19: 31-36

 

[C'est Moi]

goodness me didnt know that could still be going on --like from the early 50s=== makes me wonder if he belongs to KKK..
HE NEED TO MOVE INTO THE 20TH CENTURY ' caught in a time warp poor soul -- and putting his own life in danger I would say …….why do the people from the town put up
with such shite...…………..

I'd venture to say that the "people from the town" probably are like-minded.

 

[KingsX]

Oh yes. LOT. The guy who had intercourse with his two children? Seems like a nice enough guy :shrug:
Genesis 19: 31-36

If you read the story in context... you would know that before the two angels arrived at Sodom, they had visited Abraham who asked the angels if Sodom would be spared if they found a certain number of righteous. The Bible contains a lot of irony. The irony of this story is... obviously Lot wasn't anyone's ideal definition of "righteous". Lot willingly lived among the sodomites, offered his daughters to the sodomites and hesitated leaving Sodom even after being told it was going to be destroyed. The angels had to literally take Lot and his family by the hand and lead [force ?] them to leave Sodom. They were warned not to look back at Sodom [a sign they regretted leaving Sodom] but Lot's wife did and died. In other words, the Bible gives us all these sordid details so we would know that Lot and family [who obviously didn't measure up to God's standard of righteousness] was the very BEST that Sodom had to offer.

 

[Lethe200]

As an atheist, I'm not really up on my Biblical studies.
So, as Kings X indicates, sodomites are mandated by God to be executed.
So I guess by strict interpretation of Biblical Law, the Law supposedly handed down from GOD; those who DO NOT execute sodomites are sinners, and thus condemned to hell for their sins?

That's why there's a difference - a BIG one - between Church law and Divine law. Evangelicals would be wise to learn the difference; it might change their bigotry to compassion.

 

[Keesha]

If you read the story in context... you would know that before the two angels arrived at Sodom, they had visited Abraham who asked the angels if Sodom would be spared if they found a certain number of righteous. The Bible contains a lot of irony. The irony of this story is... obviously Lot wasn't anyone's ideal definition of "righteous". Lot willingly lived among the sodomites, offered his daughters to the sodomites and hesitated leaving Sodom even after being told it was going to be destroyed. The angels had to literally take Lot and his family by the hand and lead [force ?] them to leave Sodom. They were warned not to look back at Sodom [a sign they regretted leaving Sodom] but Lot's wife did and died. In other words, the Bible gives us all these sordid details so we would know that Lot and family [who obviously didn't measure up to God's standard of righteousness] was the very BEST that Sodom had to offer.

Well clearly our understanding is differ. What I see is that Lot offered his daughters as a last ditch attempt to preserve the dignity of the travellers who were being threatened with homosexual rape. ( sodomy)


If these were so called angels of God, why did they need protecting in the first place?


Yet the entire town was filled with homosexuals!!!! So what were you complaining about again?


The bible is full of ‘irony?’
Irony wouldn’t quite be the word I’d be going for here.

 

[Falcon]

Just don't kill the one that I use !

 

[Trade]

Thank God I'm an Atheist.

 

[KingsX]

.

Another irony...

This topic serves as a witness that the "days of Lot" are indeed being repeated...
just as Jesus said would be happening at the end of the age when He returns.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

You do have a strange situation. If some of the Bible readers are correct that the Bible does direct others to "execute" HOMOSEXUALS, and the civil Law of the Land makes that a crime, what is a "good" Christian to do? Bear in mind there are other so called "sins", whose sentence is death. Does one ignore Biblical Law?