Baseline Human Logic

This article isn't to change anyones mind or to argue, its to look at the actual written meaning and original words, with context, and let us think about what really makes sense.... as we make decisions about how we will choose our behaviors that have INCREDIBLE impact on others lives. ?

Its not even about religion, Yahweh, or any other contexts around spirituality. Its about thinking through things that we are responsible for (our impact).

In Yahwehs word there is a clear and ongoing theme supported by many recurring stories around Yahweh and Yeshua standing up for, righting wrongs for, and protecting: women, the poor, children, the ethically moral (in the context of caring for and respecting others), those that are of pure heart and selfless, as well as reducing unhealthy ego, looking at the big picture, calling out people who want to use the word or religious technicalities and/or social status to condemn others (pharisees), and so much more.?

Lets talk about one single area in this overarching theme.

[Genesis 9:20-27, Genesis 19:1-11, Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Timothy 1:10, Romans 1:26-27] : You probably cant quote them by memory but if you dehumanize people who are not heterosexual - "I got 5 on" this list is pretty much the entirety of your logic!

annnnnnd.... odds are you might use similar references to justify mistreatment of humans in other areas as well - consciously or unconsciously. Most likely you aren't REALLY that type of person.....but theres a lot to sort out, and disagreeing with what we were taught or told repeatedly can feel disloyal, abnormal, or just might not occur to us. Most of the time we don't even question it.

BUT There is a difference between holding an internal belief, value, moral or choice for your own life and using any of that to bring harm to another persons life.

LETS EXPLORE

Genesis 9:20-27, Genesis 19:1-11 - Gang Rape or attempted rape, degrading abuse/control, women.?

* the daughters being considered so valueless that their father willingly offered to let them get raped by a village?

(likely lesson: its disgusting that women are treated like this. Dont do this.)

* the villagers wanting to degrade the visitors(angels) with gang rape. These werent homosexual villagers, they were fine with raping the daughters instead as a consolation prize. A man forcing another man to do an act that a woman would do (esp sex) was the ultimate act of control the villagers intended.

(likely lesson: Dont abuse and humiliate other people with forced control. Dont rape people.)?

Leviticus 18:22, 20:13 - incest, unfaithfulness/cheating

* the literal translations for both of these is that it is an abomonation for a man to have sexual relations with a womans husband (married/committed man). This was about protecting women in both verses, and had an added warning about incest in one verse. Even a few english translations chose the word "man-stealer" bc....its about the damage that comes from a broken committed relationship, cheating, and that women werent valued then.

(likely lesson: its wrong to hurt a woman/wife by having sex with her husband. Also, incest is bad mmmmmkay)

1 Corinthians 6:9, Timothy 1:10 - pedophilia, abuse, corruption, unfaithfulness/cheating

* whats translated as homosexual is really a term for men who use corruption, manipulation, money, and force to unethically and disgustingly exploit through coersive control to sexually abuse others. The most common practice of the time was for slave owners to regularly choose a male child, castrate him, and use him as a sex slave, which was totally socially acceptable in that culture.

(likely lesson: Dont sexually abuse people, dont sexually abuse children, dont manipulate and use power and influence to rape people)

* the other word thats often translated as sodomizer (which a metic ton of straight people would be "guilty" of lol, but we dont want to talk about that) is actually "one with soft morals, unethical", and in the added context of someone who has sex with married/committed people.?

(likely lesson: don't break up committed relationships using sex as a temptation just bc you don't have any morals)

Romans 1:26-27 - Idolatry, unfaithfulness/cheating

* this whole entire section is about people in idol worship. Part of the "practice" of Isis worship in Rome was massive orgies. Yahweh was pointing out that their idol worship was so over the top that he just "gave them over" to what they were doing which was sex with everyone with no emotional bonds or commitment and also being greedy, envious, gossips, slanderers, with no love or mercy etc etc.?

(likely lesson: dont be "do"-"da"-ing every breathing object around you and also being a crappy person in general. If you follow Yahweh, don't fall into idolatry)?

Every one of these scriptures falls in line with the clear pattern and themes that are repeated over and over and over in the word:?

* Protect the unprotected.?

* Don't be an <adjective> who is unethical, abusive, and uses their standing in society, power, or resources to hurt/abuse/rape others.?

BUT SOMEHOW... every one of these scriptures throw "homosexual" in the english translation where in some cases same sex sexual relations might have happened in that scenario, but was not the point of the lesson. It was a detail of the scene.

SOOOO.....whether you personally think that anything other than heterosexuality is wrong or not...... is not actually the point of this post.?

The point is:

* stop using these (badly translated english versions) of these scriptures as THE FOUNDATION (and often only supporting arguments) for your opinion on sexuality.?

* Logically, is it more likely that Yahweh was speaking out against horrific abuse of women and children often through rape, using rape as a tool to exert dominance in general, and to point out that what we know as cheating is damaging to everyone (especially the women who were effected the most)? ..... or is it more likely that allllll of that context points to "Yahweh hates non straight people"? Which set of these is more likely an "abomination" (as us christians love to repeat)?

* If you want to hate, abuse, damage, degrade, dehumanize or humiliate someone specifically for who they have committed relationships with, I personally feel thats a "you" deficiency. If that is what you choose, do us all a favor and do not base it on a verse which you prescribe an illogical meaning to, that also doesn't match the original words or context.

* Look at the word for the themes, repeating lessons, and if it matches Yahwehs character. If what you read seems "odd/off", contradictory, or it doesn't make sense with Yahwehs character, dig a little more. Read the context, the original language, and decide for yourself what the real message/lesson is supposed to be.?

* PLEASE take some time to be introspective and really think about ALL your beliefs. Write out your case for them, including WHY you believe it. Its VERY surprising how much of our beliefs are just picked up from whats around us, until we really examine them.?

* Once you decide your beliefs, whatever they are, take accountability for how you use them. Even if you do believe other people are "wrong" for ABCD or E, remember that no matter what, you do not have a right to emotionally, verbally, physically, spiritually, or any other "lly" abuse another human. Period.

* Bonus - one of the bibles biggest themes is that humans are inherently unable to accurately decipher almost anything at all besides the most basic understandings. Thats why .." Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror...All that I know now is partial and incomplete...But right now we do have these three things : faith, hope, love; but?the?greatest of these?is?love." 1 Corinthians 13 : 12-13"