Published: Wednesday, October 17, 2007
WATCHMEN
Bible is clear, but we can be tolerant
Regarding the Tuesday letter, "Such hatred is un-Christian.":
The Rev. Dr. Thomas C. Sorenson is right that Jesus never said a word about homosexuality directly. But Christians believe the entire Bible comes from God, including the words of writers like the Apostle Paul. And Paul quite clearly said in Romans 1 that homosexual acts are indecent and unnatural, that it dishonors God. And Christians believe these words of Paul come from God.
To dismiss this as mere "ancient cultural understandings" is unwarranted by the facts of what the text actually says. Just because he has a "Rev." and a "Dr." in front of his name doesn't mean he's right about what the Bible says.
He's not.
That said, let's look at some of the other depraved attributes Paul lists in Romans 1: greed, envy, strike, gossip, deceit, slander, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, disobedience to parents, and, yes, the unmerciful.
Such as one might see from people who want to persecute others.
It is unmistakably true that the Bible says homosexuality is wrong, and those who practice it are sinful and depraved. But which of us isn't?
While I disagree with Sorenson on what the Bible says, I cannot help but agree that our call as Christians is to love and tolerance.
Chris Nandor
Arlington
The Rev. Dr. Thomas C. Sorenson is right that Jesus never said a word about homosexuality directly. But Christians believe the entire Bible comes from God, including the words of writers like the Apostle Paul. And Paul quite clearly said in Romans 1 that homosexual acts are indecent and unnatural, that it dishonors God. And Christians believe these words of Paul come from God.
To dismiss this as mere "ancient cultural understandings" is unwarranted by the facts of what the text actually says. Just because he has a "Rev." and a "Dr." in front of his name doesn't mean he's right about what the Bible says.
He's not.
That said, let's look at some of the other depraved attributes Paul lists in Romans 1: greed, envy, strike, gossip, deceit, slander, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, disobedience to parents, and, yes, the unmerciful.
Such as one might see from people who want to persecute others.
It is unmistakably true that the Bible says homosexuality is wrong, and those who practice it are sinful and depraved. But which of us isn't?
While I disagree with Sorenson on what the Bible says, I cannot help but agree that our call as Christians is to love and tolerance.
Chris Nandor
Arlington
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