The Bible reference on gays

True Quantumphysics the bible has changed wording, but as i have learned to translate the original languages, as we have them, i have learned that what they say is vastly different from the english translation take my favorite book, Ecleseasties, the traditional translation of the hebrew word,"heval" is vanity, and for most english speaking people we would see it as something that is a vane or self interested as one who is paying more interest in them selves of selfish. While the hebrew definition would expand the word to mean wind, spirit, vain. so the test would read, "vanity, vanity all is vanity." something that is unattainable or impossible. But depending upon who you are and what motive you put behind your translation you can shape the text to mean what you want it to mean, that is why as a pastor I am taught to translate the original languages so that i can understand and see how the variances shape the text, and understand more of what the writers intent might have been.

As for your Romans quote, Hummm, i would suggest that while you atempted to pull several verses out and make a case for what you would call speaking agents gay marriage, you have to read on, and read before. Paul was speaking tot he church in Rome, and his primary thrust of his letter, is what Luther pulled out namely that we are saved by grace, not by works of the law. However, to deal with you selected section, you site one of Paul's rhetorical high points a point that is really a ramp up to say not what you quoted but to simply convict the person who agrees with the statement that they are no better then the ones who God gave up to their own devises. In the very next chapter Romans 2:1 "Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, becaus you, the judge, are doing the very same things." AKA sinning, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and turn from God to a life of sin and idolatry. Now some many not believe that and that is ok, but as a Lutheran all sin is turning from God and trusting in created things, AKA idolatry. To my eyes that is what Paul is talking about not male sex, but the reality that we are all caught in a life of sin and we need God's grace. So God may have made Adam and Eav, But god also made love that passes all understanding, so you should really take the log out of your own eye before you start condemning people for the speck you think is agents God in someone else's eye.

I Do NOT Agree with you on saying that the Bible has been twisted and is for personal interpretation. The Bible has not changed scripture. It has changed wording only because it would not be understandable if it was still in the original manuscripts. Monks made it their duty and considered it their honor to write down the scripture letter by letter....

Now as for gay marriage....
I have seen that many people have quoted exodous and leviticus. But the best one that spits out and says it like it is is Romans 1:26-32:

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Basically...God created Adam and Eve NOT Adam and STEVE!

Thank you for reading

what seminary did you go to Pastor? I am curious to know so I can learn more about it.

As an atheist, I don't believe in the bible and don't think anything it has to say matters at all.

Thankyou, I've been trying to say the very same thing to people for many years.

Well i just have to say that i am totally in love with the idea ant the fact that this movie is coming out as it were. The deep frustration i have with this country and the bible is tremendous, and just really makes me frustrated. First off the bible is a contextual document, written from a specific context, to a specific context, for a specific context. Now does that mean that it is a invalid and completely pointless document, no, but that does mean that we as people with in our own context have to take seriously the role of scripture in our lives, and in the lives of the rest of the world. I find that if people actually took seriously the idea that we have to follow the bible literally then we would still have slavery, and women would be viewed as property. However, like most things, i twist the scripture to fit my needs, but hay like taking a single verse out of context and using it to meet the need of a fundamentalist, isn't doing the very same thing. The reality of scripture is that with in this book their are inherent contradictions that force the readers to have to deal with multiple writers and multiple time and horror of horror a actual evaluation of thought. Within the cover of the bible the very idea and understanding of God changed from Genesis to Revelation. Which means that the gospel of Jesus Christ calls into question some of the very covenantal laws put forth in Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, like slavery, and the ability to help your neighbor, and the ideas about devoirs, which by the way jesus talked more about then Homosexuality. My final thought on this is that a pastor with in the Lutheran church it is my duties to read and study scripture, and it is also my duty to critique scripture when it speaks agents the gospel of Jesus Christ, and my understanding of Homosexuality is that God makes people in the image of God, and to be gay is not a sin, to live out their identity is not a sin, to love and be in relationship with some one of the same sex is not a sin, to demonizes and to call for another persons destruction based upon their dislike of the very substance of who they are very much is a sin, and one that turns them away from God and to the very idolatry of a God that is not in the Text. Peace,JPS78Luther

Every time the gay topic comes up someone always brings up how the bible is against it. I look at the bible as being a revamped script that we are suppose to follow as a guide line for our own lives and not be able to make our own judgements with out having the guilt of doing something that the bible said we are not suppose to do. That book has been re written sooooo many times, and has so many interpretations,what is the truth, no wonder all the right wing christians are so lost.
I think we need to follow what we fell inside and quit relying on an out dated book that has not evolved with the world.