Well, I know this kind of argument is old, but it's still funny, so I'm still going to go right ahead and post it. It seems obvious that those who think that homosexuality is wrong use the Old Testament of The Bible as their source. At least, that's what they'll tell you, though I think Freud would have a field day with most modern hateful "Christians."
Anyway, it's always seemed funny to me (and apparently to lots of other folks) that The Bible and other religious texts can be called on to prove just about any sort of point that a close-minded person wants to make, while the rest of the text is simply ignored.
Take shrimp, for example. The folks over at God Hates Shrimp have taken this point and have run with it.
Leviticus 11:9-12 says:
- These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
- And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
- They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.
- Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
Deuteronomy 14:9-11 says:
- These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:
- And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.
- Of all clean birds ye shall eat.And Bohemian Mama also makes some really good points, all points that have been made before, but they're always right on point.
A case in point: One of the major arguments I hear conservative pundits keep bringing up is that if we allow gay marriage, then this opens the door for polygamy and all sorts of things like marrying your kitchen appliances and such. But why are these folks against polygamy? It's very clearly in the Bible, and God's favorite son, King David, was a very popular polygamist, as was his son Solomon. There are many "laws" or edicts in the old testament that are very different from what we consider social norms now. This is just one argument against gay marriage that I don't understand.
If people are so adamant about "protecting marriage," and I think I've said this a thousand times so far, then why are there no laws against divorce? Why are not people required to go to marital counseling before getting a license? Why are there not fully-provided child care benefits, ensured jobs, and healthcare for families so they can stay married against financial odds? If this is purely a moral issue, then I don't understand how the morality of one edict in the Bible is more important than the foundational edict of our society: that all people are created equal and due equal treatment under the law.Indeed, all good points, and it's always fun to poke at Leviticus.