brunumb wrote:
The trouble with that, for me, is that the Bible doesn't explain why.
WHAT REASONS ARE PRESENTED FOR THE BIBLES PROHIBITION ON HOMOSEXUAL ACTS?
Firstly it should be pointed out that obedience to a mandate is not subject to explanation. For example, a law against driving over 50mph in an urban area does not have to include reasons. Indeed it is unlikely that someone stopped for speeding would say use lack of explanation as a defence for his actions...
"The thing is Officer, since the sign simply stated the speed limit but didn't explain WHY.... I ignored it. You do understand don't you?" The offender would still get his due, in this case a ticket or in a more serious case where he hurt or injured someone, possibly jail time
Discussions and reasons are for the legislators and the law is not obliged to include their debate. Since The Almighty is biblically, the divine "legislator"
He is not obliged to give a reason for his decisions. In the absence of (or even in concurrence with) such deliberations being publically available for scrutiny, most laws contain an "internal logic", an evident reason d'etre, which would permit anyone with a minimal amount of critical thinking skills to figure out (If I speed I might hurt myself and others).
That said, the God of the bible, out of kindness more often than not does indeed explain why he has prohibited a particular action.
THE MOSAIC LAW
LEVITICUS 20:13
“If a man has sexual relations with another man as with a woman, they have committed a terrible sin. They must be put to death. They are responsible for their own death.
The prohibition on certain sexual behaviours were often preceded or followed in the Hebrew scriptures by the following justification.
LEVITICUS 20:22-26 -NWT
You must keep all my statutes and all my judicial decisions and carry them out, so [1] that the land where I am bringing you to dwell will not vomit you out. You must not walk in the statutes of the nations that I am driving out from before you; for [2] they have done all these things and I abhor them [...] [3] You must be holy to me, because I, Jehovah, am holy, and I am setting you apart from the peoples to become mine"
So the reasons presented are as follows
# 1 So they are permitted to keep their territorial possession
# 2 To stand different and apart from the pagan nations that God hated
# 3 To be fully consecrated to Him (Jehovah) as his people
# 1 So they are permitted to keep their territorial possession The ancient nation of Israel, many of whom were the natural born descendants of Abraham where given their land by God
on the condition that they obeyed his (Gods laws). Failure to do so would result in Him removing his protection of them, and, small as they were as a people, this would inevitable result in tneir military defeat and loss of heritage. Their respect for Gods law on sexual behaviour literally meant their survival as a people.
# 2 To stand different and apart from the pagan nations that God hated The nation's that originally inhabited said territories were characterised by the base moral conditions, sex worship, prostitution, bestiality, incest, child sacrifice, to name a just a few of the practices that were common amongst these people. God had marked these people off for destruction not least because of such behaviours and His own people were not to adopt them for fear of being viewed by God in the same way. Which would lead to point #1 (see above)
# 3 To be fully consecrated to Him (Jehovah) as His people. The Israelites had agreed as a nation to keep Gods laws and were expected to keep to their word. This was important not only because it would ensure the preservation of their nations from external forces (see point #1 and #2) but would prevent social and moral breakdown from within.
NOTE The nation's of were set apart for the special honor of producing the Messiah, who would lead all mankind to salvation. It would be impossible to identfy this one through his bloodline in a nation overtaken by immoral sexual behaviour. Further in a limited period there would be a need to teach that nation a higher mode of thinking that would be beyond the grasp of a people not yet separated from degrades sexual behaviours. It was for this reason, the Prophet John the Baptise was sent as a forerunner to the Christ, since while not being totally degraded, the nation had strayed from strict adherence to the law.
WHY DOES GOD PROHIBIT DEVIANT* SEXUAL BEHAVIOURS?
*deviant from the norm/ majority
The Mosaic law is no longer in force but God still abhors sexually deviant behaviours (including but not limited to homosexual acts) . The Apostle Paul explained why saying:
1 CORINTHIANS 6:18
every other sin that a man may commit is outside his body, but he that practices fornication is sinning against his own body
This is not to say sexual immorality (including homosexual acts such as oral or anal sex) are worse than other sins, but that they carry particular physical, emotional and spiritual consequences that are harmful to the one practising such things as well as others. Things such as veneral diseases, family breakdown, unwanted pregnancies, abortions and/or feelings of shame and degradation... represent repercussions for the person himself can be serious. God's word warns us against these things for our own good.
CONCLUSION God is not obliged to explain why he prohibits certain sexual behaviours. He made the human body including its sexual organs and has the right to say what we do or do not do with it. That said the bible does contain reasons why homosexual acts were and are prohibited namely (for the Israelites) for the preservation of their nations and for Christians to avoid the negative consequences of such actions.
JEHOVAHS WITNESS
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NOTE All posts I write represent my personal faith based beliefs as one of Jehovah's Witnesses
