Darth Wong wrote:Nathan F wrote:Wicked Pilot wrote:If we don't count the tramautic impact this will have on Sheppard's family and friends, this may be a good thing. If and when the city council tells Phelps to fuck off, they will also have to remove the Ten Commandments. If for some disgusting reason they let this thing go up, then it will be next to the Ten Commandments, showing the true face of Christianity for all to see.
You know good and well that this bastard isn't the 'true face of Christianity.'
I find a stereotype like that as bigoted as Phelps himself.
How is it bigoted to point out that all Christians regard the Bible to be a holy thing, yet the Bible contains the homophobic hatred of Exodus, Leviticus, and Corinthians?
Because that "homophobic hatred" relies on a series of mistranslations (well, Leviticus doesn't, but nobody follows the Levitical code AFAIK). The Corinthians verse roughly translates to "men lying with youths," using a Greek word that was used for pre-adolescent boys in common usage.
For the umpteenth time, if you want to impress me, then find me a church which completely rejects the Old Testament, as well as Paul's bigoted writings. That would leave a handful of gospels regarding Jesus himself, which is supposedly the bedrock of your belief system. I have attended services in many, many churches: Baptist, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall. To date, I have not found one yet which does not teach us to obey God's laws as laid down in the Book of Exodus, or which does not quote Paul's hate-filled epistles as moral guidance.
I don't know of any that go that far, but following Karl Barth's theology would be the closest Christianity has come so far. It requires all scripture to be understood through the persona of Jesus, meaning anything incompatible with how he lived is considered to be superseded by his life. This would include such idiocy as Phelps' fundamentalism (as Jesus only spoke out against those who twisted the Law to their own benefit, such as Phelps himself). Of course, I'm a moderate to slightly liberal Christian who doesn't view all of the epistles as being written by Paul (half to perhaps two-thirds are genuine). I would think the Levitical Code would be more objectionable than the Exodus tradition, but as I said before, I don't know anyone who follows it (some may claim they do, but they're in violation somewhere).
Baptist, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall.
Fundamentalist, Highly Conservative, Fundamentalist, Mildly to Moderately Conservative, Fundamentalist. Not exactly a great cross-section of Christianity. That'd be like going to the Republican National Convention and claiming all of America's against Affirmative Action. Not a single Liberal or even Moderate denomination in the list (such as Episcopelian, United Methodist, Unitarian Universalist [which I do include as being in the Christian tradition], United Church of Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, etc).
Or at least so I understand...
