Skip to main content

Of Milk ...

Watch this movie and you'll know what it's called acting. A very good acting by Sean Penn. Yes, he deserved the best actor award in numerous film awards. This is a movie about Milk who tried to get elected for city supervisor in order to get the rights of gay community sanctioned.

You may disapprove gay behavior at some point or another. Again, all men are made in the image of God. So what went wrong here? Let's not be judgmental.

At this period, there could be at least 2% of the population involved in same-sex relationship. Are same-sex partnerships a biblical option? There are three considerations to view: the distinction between sins and crimes, the distinction between preference and practice and the distinction between casual and committed.


What seems as sins might not be illegal in law (in certain countries). What seems to be "being" might not be same as "doing". What seems to be casual act might not be a personal commitment.


Key stories from the Scriptures that related to same-sex relationship:

(1) The story of Sodom (Genesis 19:1-13); also similar story of Gibeah (Judges 19)

Homosexual behavior was one of the sins which brought God judgment to the people.

(2) The Levitical texts (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13)

These two verses stated the prohibition of homosexual practice of any kind; with focus to death penalty which saw the seriousness of the issue.

(3) Apostle Paul's teaching (Romans 1:18-32)

The passage clearly condemns the homosexual behavior.

(4) Two Pauline lists of sinners (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11)

Here are the two lists of behavior which do not fit to be with the kingdom of God and the gospel.


Having said that, one ought to view the wholesome teaching of the Bible on sex and marriage. This brings us to the origin: Genesis 1 and 2. The account of heterosexual marriage gives three truths:
(1) Heterosexual gender as a divine creation
(2) Heterosexual marriage as a divine institution
(3) Heterosexual fidelity - the divine intention

There is no justification (from the Scriptures) for sexual activity outside marriage. It is therefore, not to specifically condemn homosexual relationship. Any sexual relationship which deviates from God's revealed intention is displeasing to him. Homosexual partnership is just part of the list.

Note: Reference from "Issues Facing Christians Today" by John Stott.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kumano Kodo - Day 2

After a good rest, I departed for Hosshimon-oji. The hotel provided free transit to the Hongu area, so I saved some time waiting for the bus. The plan for the day was a 7 km walk from Hosshimon-oji to Oyunohara. Since my next lodging was in the Yunomine Onsen area, I decided to add an extra walk from Oyunohara to Yunomine Onsen, which was about 2.2 km. At Hosshimon-oji, the trail is essentially a connecting route to the Takijiri trail. The previous stamping station was about 800 meters from Hosshimon-oji, so I made a detour to Inohana-oji. That detour added approximately 1.6 km to my journey, taking about 30 minutes or more. From Hosshimon-oji (after detouring via Inohana-oji), I started walking toward Hongu Taisha, which was about a 2.5-hour walk. Along the way, I stopped to rest and take photos. It was quite a leisurely walk. Part of the trail is paved, while the rest consists of forest paths lined with cypress trees (I guess). By the time I reached the town around Hongu Taisha, it w...

Last day in Sendai

After spending five days in Sendai, my visit here has finally come to an end. On my last day, I took a tour of the Kirin Beer Factory. I must say that the tour was quite informative—slightly better than the one I had at a beer factory in Malaysia. Visitors were able to touch, smell, and taste during the tour. We were served at least three different types of Kirin beer for tasting. Although the tour was short, it was uplifting. I had lunch at their restaurant, which was probably my most expensive meal during this trip to Sendai. In the afternoon, I took an Uber to Arahama Elementary School, which has now been turned into a museum. It is located on the eastern side of Sendai, an area that was hit by the tsunami following the earthquake on March 11, 2011. On that day, after the quake, the schoolchildren were evacuated to the rooftop of the building. About 27 hours later, they were all rescued. The school now exhibits the impact of the tsunami, the conditions on that day, and the aftermath...

Kumano Kodo - Day 3

Based on the model itinerary on the Kumano Kodo official website, my trip was supposed to last until Day 4, with a visit to Nachi Falls and its surrounding area on that final day. However, due to some schedule changes with my friend, I needed to return to Osaka by 6 pm on the last day. So, after much thought, I decided to squeeze the Day 4 itinerary into the afternoon of Day 3. As it turned out, the route I took could actually be completed in three days. That meant I could leave for Osaka via an early train from Kii-Katsuura on Day 4. Let’s continue with Day 3. After breakfast, I boarded a bus heading to Shingu and got off at the Michi-no-Eki Kumanogawa bus stop, which is exactly the departure point for the traditional boat ride to Shingu. If river cruising isn’t your thing, you can simply stay on the bus until it reaches Shingu. Along the river, there are a few waterfalls. About halfway through the ride, we made a brief stop at a riverside spot with a white rock believed to be the rem...