From: matt@cray.com (Matthew Marchese)
Subject: Re: God is intolerant of sin!
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: 21 Jan 93 02:57:01 CST

In article <1993Jan19.153114.1746@tc.cornell.edu> shore@dinah.tc.cornell.edu (Melinda Shore) writes:
>In article <1jfuh1INNonn@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> symanzik@egr.msu.edu (Edward Symanzik) writes:
>>In article <1993Jan18.172828.1966@tc.cornell.edu> shore@dinah.tc.cornell.edu (Melinda Shore) writes:
>>> homosexuality is a crime roughly
>>>on a par with wearing blended fabrics and eating
>>>shellfish, I expect that you're spending equal amounts
>>>of time over in rec.food.restaurants complaining about
>>>Long John Silver's shrimp platter.
>
>>Running out of real arguments?
>
>That is a real argument.  Since Leviticus presents a list
>of transgressions, among which homosexuality is included
>but not singled out for special attention, why aren't you
>objecting to those who break other Levitical injuctions?
>Why aren't you at the mall picketing stores that carry
>clothing made out of synthetics, or throwing
>mixed-fabric-wearing people out of your church?  Either
>*really* stick to *all* Biblical precepts or stop arguing
>that the Bible contains the literal, invariant word of
>God.
>
>If you're going to choose which parts of the Bible you
>believe and obey, and which ones you don't, what are your
>criteria?
>--
>       Melinda Shore - Cornell Theory Center - shore@tc.cornell.edu


As much as I hate to break up this love-fest I feel compelled to point
out that you're proceeding from a false assumption here; namely, that
Christians need to keep all of the Law or none of it.

The issue of how much (if any) of the Law of Moses should be 
followed by Christians is as old as the Church itself. During the
first few years after Jesus bodily left the scene many converted
Jewish believers wanted to compel Gentile converts to be 
circumcised and conform to the Law. Paul strenuously opposed these
efforts and called for the issue to be decided in Jerusalem by
the original remaining Apostles and elders of the Church. This
culminated in a conference in Jerusalem. At the conference it was
decided that only a few injunctions of the law needed to be adhered
to; Refraining from contact with objects which had been in the presence
of idols, refrain from blood (This referred to the consumption of
animal blood), no consumption of strangled animals, and no fornication.
Fornication had the general meaning of all sex acts which occurred
outside of the marriage of a man and woman. This can all be found
in the fifteenth chapter of Acts.

To be fair I should point out that a few early copies of this
book do *not* include the prohibitions against fornication and
strangulation. In addition some copies add a line stating that
believers should also follow the Golden Rule (do unto others..etc..). 
In the context of Paul and Peter's later writings I think it's
correct to assume that the injunction against fornication was
included in the original decision. You may argue that these were
merely the opinions of the Apostles and not Jesus, but bear in
mind that the Apostles had been given earthly authority over the
Church by Christ himself.

At the very least this excuses Christians from the observances  
relating to sacrifices, festivals, clothing, and most dietary
restrictions.

Therefore, your assertion that Christians are inconsistent for not
following the entire Law is not supportable given the events in
the New Testament.

Now, would you kindly move this argument to a more appropriate
group?


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Cray Research  	    my wife, my church, or myself...But they are the opinions *
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