boatsnguitars wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 3:32 am
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate ... ole-uganda
Evangelical Americans help Uganda create, and pass, the "Kill the gays" law.
Where did they get the idea to kill gay people? Why would this seem right to a Christian?
Is this a good example of how dangerous religion is?
What Christians would dare argue against a command from God?
I'm glad that you didn't stay focused on what a certain Christian or Christian group has done, and have also asked about the basis for their view. The latter aspect should be the focus when deciding if some view is a valid Christian view.
So we have a group of Christians that help support laws that involve "killing the gays". I presume that those Christians would say the Bible justifies that, but in reality it doesn't. What did Jesus say or do when confronted with sinful people? Fortunately, there is a case where Jesus was asked about killing someone caught in a sinful act. This relates to the OP when it comes to killing gays:
John 8:3-5, 7-11
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
I hope you noticed there that Jesus did not advocate for killing those in sin. Most importantly, the reason for that is that EVERYONE has sinned and we'd all would be killed eventually. Therefore, killing someone for being in sinful lifestyle is not Christianity-based, even if some Christians decide to do so. Now if a civil government decides to do it, then that's government but it wouldn't be valid to say that you're doing it for God.
Purple Knight wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 6:21 pm
But for those of us who
don't think the Bible is divine, we have to admit that people hated homosexuality before the Bible was written, for reasons other than the Bible saying so, because they had those reasons to write it into the Bible in the first place.
If you want to assume that it's hatred at play, I don't think that's a terrible leap; it's just a nonzero leap. The lesser assumption is just the Ugandan government are trying to fight AIDS, they're not omniscient, and they don't care whose rights they trample in the process.
The fact that there's a rational reason doesn't make it right. Imagine if the Nazis didn't sterilise Jews and just did it to the disabled. It wouldn't be right but that doesn't mean there can't be a rational reason. Bad guys who are motivated by entirely blind hate are rare.
Minus any specific example about Hiv, I tried to make a point similar to yours in another thread regarding Christianity and homophobia. I'm not sure that
boatsnguitars got the point so maybe I can do better to reiterate it here.
Does the Bible say homosexuality is wrong? Yes.
Does that mean God hates gays? No.
Of course, one reason why someone would be against homosexuality is because of hate, BUT there can be reasons other than hate for someone to be against homosexuality as well. Eventhough homosexuality causes no harm as shown by science, but God or some followers may be against it because it goes against his design or plans.