Re: the struggle for gay rights

I can't see an argument to this post. Especially the part about: "When you look at each of the sexual

>prohibitions in turn, notice that engaging in any of these practices dissipates the focus on family >stability, procreation and childrearing and makes sex an end for its own sake." I'm really sorry to those who disagree, but this post is close to perfect in it's logic as far as I can tell  (I can actually hear the muttering).

This is also evidenced in what I have always felt God speaking to me personally also, but I promised never to post anymore personal religious drivel, so I'll refrain, not that any of "them" will be reading this anyway since I'd bet a million dollars I'm on their "block list".

Sondra

>From: RFaussette@aol.com

>To: asa@calvin.edu >Subject: the struggle for gay rights >Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2003 18:16:19 EDT > >In a message dated 7/3/03 4:27:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >jwburgeson@juno.com writes: > > > > I see the struggle for gay rights as a natural continuation of that > > activity, and that is why I write. > > > > > >It is laudable to come to the aid of the oppressed, but then religion is >more than social service. Religion involves absolutes. The purpose of the >Levitical prohibitions is to preserve the continuity of the family from generation to >generation. All behaviors which promote family cohesion and reproduction are >observed, those that do not are condemned. > > > >In the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 18, the Lord tells Moses that the >Israelites are not to conform to the institutions of Canaan or Egypt. The Lord then >introduces a host of sexual taboos, among them a prohibition against a man lying >with another man as with a woman. What is most interesting are not the >prohibitions themselves, but what the Lord says after he lists the prohibitions. He >says: ”You shall not make yourselves unclean in any of these ways, for in these >ways the heathen, whom I am driving out before you, made themselves unclean. >This is how the land became unclean, and I punished it for its iniquity so >that it spewed out its inhabitants. You, unlike them, shall keep my laws and my >rules: none of you, whether natives or aliens settled among you, shall do any >of these abominable things. The people who were there before you did these >abominable things and the land became unclean. So the land will not spew you out >for making it unclean as it spewed them out; for anyone who does any of these >abominable things shall be cut off from his people. Observe my charge >therefore, and follow none of the abominable institutions customary before your time; >do not make yourselves unclean with them. I am the Lord your God.” > > > >We often gloss over words and phrases in the Biblethat upon later examination >take on added significance. Have you ever really thought about what “spewing >out” in these lines from Leviticus means? When you look at each of the sexual >prohibitions in turn, notice that engaging in any of these practices >dissipates the focus on family stability, procreation and childrearing and makes sex an >end for its own sake. A family, tribe, nation or race that lost the >disciplined focus on reproduction might logically expect its population to drop – quite >literally “spewing it out” of the land. Less and less of the group would >occupy the land with each succeeding generation until the group was threatened >and then extinct. > > > >And my point is this: a family that lived a Christian life style and observed >the Levitical prohibitions would be preserving the 'vine.' They are the >custodians of ALL life coming from their loins. If they discipline themselves to >that end religiously, they would observe the levitical prohibitions. > >� “The Lord spoke to Moses and said, speak to the Israelites in these words: I >am the Lord your God. You shall not do as they do in Egypt where you once >dwelt nor shall you do as they do in the land of Canaan to which I am bringing >you; you shall not conform to their institutions. You must keep my laws and >conform to my institutions without fail: I am the Lord your God. You shall observe >my institutions and my laws: the man who keeps them shall have life through >them. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 18:1-5) > >You've got to demonstrate a reverence for all life and achieve mastery over >the body to claim religiosity. A life style that makes the pleasure of the body >sacred is the antithesis of a life style that makes mastery of the body >sacred. > >Why? > >Because someone, somewhere would have to bear the responsibility for the >continuity of mankind and having done that and mastered the body abandoning it for >the sake of future generations wouldn't that someone, somewhere deserve the >distinction of being called truly"religious" if they bore the burden while >others celebrated the individual? Isn't that the argument for the sacredness of >martimony as a bond between a man and a woman? > >Regardless of society's attitude toward homosexuality, heterosexual matrimony >must always enjoy a position head and shoulders above homosexual >relationships, not over the intrinsic worth of practicing homosexuals or to rob them of >dignity (let me be explicit before I am unnecessarily challenged) but for their >life "bearing" rather than life "barren" choice of expression. The truly >religious life must always transcend what is not truly religious. Championing >sexual behaviors that do not produce life is cannot be religious by any stretch. >Nothing is more obvious about all life than that it strives to reproduce and to >continue to live. > > >Our abandonment of the Levitical prohibitions is showing. The birth rate of >indigenous Americans is at an all time low - immigrants are replacing our >shrunken numbers. Homosexual activists are highly organized politically and have >just made a great inroad in their goal to take holy matrimony off its pedestal. > >Have you ever thought about what "spewing out" in those lines from Leviticus >means? > >And who will be left to struggle for holy matrimony? The religious... > >rich faussette > > > > > > > > > > >