Someone in this thread quoted from the Bible (I am not an expert of the Bible):
Lev. 20:13:
"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
Rom. 1:26-27
"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise alsothe men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. "
So when I read it, "Lev", it didn't strike me as saying GOD will "surely" put (them) to death, but that elements in SOCIETY might do that. Like what we see ISIS doing. It was a prediction of how horrible society can be at times. "their blood" to me, means members of their own society (blood) will do such murders, not God. I wonder what word in Jewish/Aramatic/whatever was actually used instead of "abomination".
As for the "Rom" quote, to me it is saying that "working which is UNSEEMLY" ... so it could be true even for heteros, yes? I am not so sure the emphasis is on WHO but rather WHAT. Yes? For example, if I eat toads, unless I really know what I am doing, I might poison myself, and eating toads is unseemly. But not eating generally.
Please allow me to share my radical viewpoint re: The Bible and "the law". Sorry if it sounds like "preaching" and I am sorry for the length. I know no other way of saying these things. I have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours studying scripture while
forgetting what man has told me to believe or what they are "supposed to mean". I try to only believe what God tells me in my quiet time of contemplation. As a result, I have concluded some very radical and very
good things about God and the Bible.
This will be very "radical" for those trained in the formal teachings and "traditions" of the Christian
religion of moral "do's and don'ts". Again, these are my own conclusions and of course, I believe them very strongly. Also, please know that I am also a very scientific person and spend a lot of time asking and writing the answers to "how?" in a constant effort to try to reconcile them with the natural world and laws. Who can you reach if you aren't relevant?
God's written "Word" called the "Bible" in it's
original words (not translations by man) is first and foremost a
spiritual book written
in and
FOR the
spiritual realms of man and Earth. It is
not a book for the "outside" natural realms or
natural man. If you have a physical body, then you are a at a minimum a natural man (or woman). This body is
itself "death". Everyone who is in it will experience death. 100% of the time. It's a "prison of disobedience" as it creates a total separation from God. God himself put us all in one for a very
good purpose. See Romans 11:32. Everything a person does "in" and "through" a natural body is what the Bible calls "sin" (either as immoral behavior under Old covenant or unbelief under the new) because he or she is separated from God
due to the body itself.
Now, when a natural "man" reads the written Words of the bible, he thinks they are about the natural things he (or she) experienced while in a natural body. NOT TRUE! This is how God keeps the promise by
faith only as a 100% gift and out of view totally from the natural man. 1 Cor 2:14, Eph 2:8-9, Rom 9:16 But, the natural man is also a
very religous, works-oriented man (or woman) who will always try to earn his or her way to "heaven" and "earn God's favor" because of his
fear of death. Thus, the truth to him (that it is a 100% gift) is very offensive. The truth to the natural man is a stumbling block to him. 1 Cor 1:23
The Bible (in it's original words and languages) is a specific set of "words" that
point to the
LIVING WORD in the HIDDEN, spiritual realms of Heaven, Earth and
man himself. So, all the things we read about are not referring to natural earth and physical man. He ALREADY is DEAD 100% (spiritually speaking). The truth (as I see it so strongly within) is there are
hidden realms and of
spiritual Earth where
all the Bible occurred,
is occurring and
will occur. The Bible calls them "the Heavens". But, we know them as our "body", "soul" and "spirit". Each are in a
different spiritual realm of Earth. The physical body is in the lowest and darkest realm furthest "away" from God and the truth. This is true "death"... being separated moment by moment from God. Once we die in the lowest realm, we pass "up" to a higher realm with a higher, more grace-based true (reality). One of these is called "paradise" which is "Eden" (God's garden). Luke 23:43, Ez 28:13, Gen 2:8, 10, 15.
"Man" as God defines him (who's very words are truth) is first and foremost a spiritual man in Gen 1:27. He was placed inside a "soul" in a lower realm in Gen 2:7 and finally a body or "coat of skin" in Genesis 3:21. Each of these "lower realms" are under higher law which creates more division of the spiritual man. If you notice in Genesis 1:2, that darkness ALREADY existed. It did NOT occur when "Adam plunged us all into darkness". God was the one who caused us all to experience death in a natural soul and body under law. His VERY COMMAND of "do not eat from that tree" is DEATH to man. Man can NOT fulfill the law. Only God can.
Allow me to speak even more crazy and insane. I know some get offended that I believe this as pure truth. That's ok. That's by design. However, if a person really is seeking pure truth (outside of "religion") they will consider all things. I am convinced that a real "truth-seeker" has
nothing to do with (outer) religion or attending church or any kind of outer religious works of the body (no matter how "good" they appear). It's an every-day, walking around, living experience in
all situations. It isn't "putting on your church self" on Sunday - pretending you have no problems. It's being real to who you are and what you are going through day in an day out.
I am not afraid to listen to a "Buddhist", a "Hindu", a "Muslim", an "atheist", or even a "Christian" (whom I called myself for 8 years) or whatever classification they have. I believe NONE of us has a corner on the ONE SINGLE, TRUTH and we can all learn from each other. I am convinced
real truth is universal but
still hidden and transcends all these "divisions" that were created in the lower realms under law. For those of you who believe the Bible, ponder John 21:25. Sorry, I don't know the other religious texts. None of these "separations" that we currently have while in the body will exist in "heaven" with God (which will be a new "Heaven's"/mind & soul and new "Earth"/body). We will all be "one". We are now, we just can't see it. The body blocks us from doing so.
I am absolutely convinced as a person who believes God's word is 100% true that Jesus NEVER died in the physical realm that we now know and experience. He died in the spiritual realm (called "Egypt") and the soul realm originally called "Sodom"). See Revelation 11:8.
So, please know that all the "laws" of the OLD covenant/testament were given to spiritual man which killed him. He must fully die and "live" a short, natural existence in a "prison of disobedience" called a natural, human body (of sin being fully separated from God). God has great and wonderful purposes in all this.
So he can have mercy upon ALL people. Sorry if this sounds like "preaching". It's all just very good. We are all fighting over things that to God mean nothing. This entire current realm of the physical he says "lacks its TRUE form" (Gen 1:2) and is "reserved for fire". 2 Peter 3:7. But, don't worry, his fire is a PURE, HOLY and TRUE fire that purifies all that it touches and makes it like himself. He will recreate all things and all people into their true essence which, for now, is hidden inside in "seed" form.
Ok, I am done now, I think.