Well I hope anyone that rapes a horse or dog would go to hell. Anyway you keep asking questions that you already know the answers to. It’s not my business what others do or to judge but those are the mainstream Christian beliefs. You don’t have to believe it. It doesn’t actually say Gay exactly , but probably means more likely means anal and for the hygiene standards of the time probably a good piece of advice.
I doubt many are raping horses and thinking that it’s perfectly fine.
I mean in the context of LGBTQ (or whatever else letters they are adding), I struggle to believe that God will just send people to hell for that. That god sounds like a very controlling god.
Considering that many mainstream Christian denominations have accepted LGBT ministers (like anglicans), even the Catholic church have softened their stance dramatically (and even before the pope’s decree, Catholic finds the idea of a ministry to fix someone’s gayness to be horrifying).
If you are not married or committed to anyone, sleeping around isn’t evil. It may be a bit immoral at times (depending on the circumstance), but to label it evil is just plain wrong.
If your version of God will put me in hell for this, then I hope I go there, because your heaven sounds like a very boring and judgmental place to be.
Ex-satanist warlock turned Christian explains the purpose of sexual purity. If you won’t listen to the Bible, maybe you will listen to someone who was once a warlock explain the reason for sexual purity.
The warlock is not the guy reading. The guy is reading from a book written by the ex-satanist.
Evangelicals can also come out with Warlock or witches who says Rock n Roll is from the devil or how Dungeons and Dragon is from the devil. Let’s not forget “ex Catholics” who says the Catholic church secretly worships Satan or that the free masons worship Satan as well.
So no thanks.
I’ll continue worshiping God but I refuse to accept Christian’s standard of sexual purity. I think it’s complete BS to condemn people over their choice of partners.
Aren’t you christian? If so, why? Seems better to take their good aspects and reject their craziness. Seems that’s how you are leaning now?
““Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV
Living the way Jesus commanded isn’t easy. But Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light. The Holy Spirit is given to help overcome sinful desires.
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
Romans 8:5-13 NIV
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
Galatians 5:16-26 NIV
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I can see how a religious person believing in the value of their scripture would find this kind of cherrypicking annoying, but you have to cherrypick to some degree. The Jews made an art/science of it in the Talmud, and @crusher refers to a Christian tradition of accepting moral commands in Leviticus while rejecting others. From an atheist standpoint, whatever floats your boat 
One more bible quote though
Matthew 5:17-18: “Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished”.
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They cherry pick whatever that suits them. They’re hung up on sexual purity because it’s how they can control people.
And it’s impossible not to cherry pick, since the laws are numerous and following all of them is quite hard.
Would they ever treat foreigners well? Leviticus requires it, but would they do that? Hell no.
That’s what you are doing.
Ironic that you should be pointing this out. It is exactly true and if you understand the Bible, you would know that the Old Testament is there to show us how humans are completely incapable of living up to God’s standards of holiness. That only through Jesus Christ could we ever hope to enter Heaven. However, believing in Jesus’ sacrifice is not a license to continue sinning. A true believer who has the Holy Spirit would not desire to sin. For the Holy Spirit would never condone actions that go against the Word of God.
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So that means you still have to treat foreigners like your own, can’t wear mixed fiber clothing, etc.
We’re all going to cherry pick somehow.
And traditional gender roles and sexual purity is outdated. They made sense in the bronze age when treating women like properties is fine. I refuse to follow those traditional standard of sexual purity, unless the holy spirit shows me why I must. So far all you have given is a bunch of bible verses, no real world justification.
I mean if you are going to let your life run by some religious book, fine, but don’t force that on everyone else.
Or “love God, and love everyone else as yourself”.
You lack the context in which it was given.
Leviticus 19:33-34 (NIV):
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
This passage emphasizes compassion and equitable treatment towards foreigners, reminding the Israelites of their own experience as foreigners in Egypt.
About the clothes one, that one would require a Bible scholar with knowledge of ancient middle eastern culture to explain it better.
The Bible is not “some religious book”. It is the Word of God. As someone who professes to be a Christian, if you don’t believe that basic truth, then what do you base your Christianity on? If you say you are a Christian, then other Christians have the obligation to help you understand the Bible. But do not become stumbling block to non-believers by telling them that the Bible is irrelevant and that it is ok to live however you want.
As for non-believers, I never force my beliefs on them. I share my beliefs and experiences and let them choose if they want to believe.
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Evangelicals do not treat foreigners well. They detest them.
Sexual purity or lack thereof does not make or not make you Christian. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that having an impure sex life makes you unforgivable.
Just because I disagree with a part of the Bible you’re so hung up on, doesn’t mean I am less of a Christian.
According to some Christians, the Pope is supposed to be headed to hell.
Or do you not think that treating people with compassion is more important, the weightier part of the law? Or that if I decide that I like other men, that I’m going to hell as opposed to treating others with compassion?
The views evangelicals have is certainly messed up, because many of them lack compassion yet is so quick to say someone will go to hell because they don’t believe as they do. Actually they seem to think that Catholic church is from the devil… it really does sound like the Pharisees accusing Jesus of casting out the devil with a devil does it (and what he says in response to that is actually quite damning).
Your heaven does not sound like heaven at all.
I don’t know about that. He has his beliefs (which seem to include believing in Jesus as God who provides salvation); why wouldn’t he share them with others? Of course you have the right to not agree with him, contest him, and advance your own viewpoint, but I don’t see why he would adopt the attitude that he’s being a “stumbling block” to anyone.
I didn’t mean that he was intentionally trying to be a stumbling block.
Rather, that saying the Bible is irrelevant and that willfully choosing to live a life in contradiction to the Bible while calling himself a Christian, is ok.
The word Christian literally means Christ follower. The word “Christian” originates from the Greek word “Χριστιανός” (Christianos), which means “follower of Christ.”
Jesus said after forgiving the adulterous woman to stop sinning.
John 8:10-11 (NIV):
“Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’”
This passage reflects Jesus’ mercy and forgiveness, while also calling for repentance and a change in behavior.
God is merciful, but He also expects change.
Same arguments could be said of anyone who is in a different denomination that you disagree with, that they are a stumbling block for others.
Christ’s message is to love your fellow human beings, even if they are persecuting you.
How is being gay contravening that?
“Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.””
Matthew 22:37-40 NIV
That part means that if you truly obey these 2 commandments, then you would naturally be trying to obey God’s other commands. And the Holy Spirit is given to help. You will struggle, but the struggle is the proof that you are trying.
What do you think it means to “love God”? Have feelings for Him? Perhaps the meaning of love has been diluted to the point where people struggle to understand what love really means.
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So if I lived like 16th century colonial people, that’s “love God”?
Basically married to one woman, have a big family, and have absolutely nothing that deviates from that?
So if you’re LGBT, you can’t love God, because God hates that?
God hates the sin, but God loves the sinner.
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”
1 John 1:5-10 NIV
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:12-17 NIV
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It’s a lot of indignation over something that’s only mentioned SIX times in the entire Bible.
Not a whole lot about other, worse sins like treating others poorly, or conspiring to cut your spouse off and divorce her (which absolutely would be adultery).
44 “‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.
-Leviticus 25: 44-46
You must have forgotten that part.