PAR Society unravels the puzzle of homosexuality and the Bible
Sarah Bode | Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/21/09 Section: Lifestyles
Dr. Herbert Berg discussed the various views on homosexuality, Christianity and the Bible in his presentation Friday, Oct. 16 in Bear Hall. Presented by UNCW's Philosophy and Religion Society, the event was held in recognition of Pride Week and National Coming Out Day.
Alex Elfner, president of the PAR Society, commented that she was very pleased with how many people came to the event and plans on holding more events that will spark students' interest.
"I appreciated that he kept his opinions about it out of the discussion. He appeared to be unbiased," said sophomore Amanda Smith, a member of Pride. Dr. Berg focused on the three main groups that have voiced their opinions on this subject: Christians opposed to homosexuality, Christians not opposed to homosexuality, and gay and lesbian (as well as bisexual, transgender and queer) atheists.
In preparation for this event, Dr. Berg said, "It was important for me to try to represent the positions of each group accurately. Therefore, I consulted the literature and Web sites published by the groups themselves." After noting their specific interpretations, Dr. Berg then "analyzed what interpretive methods they employed."
Dr. Berg made sure to note a disclosure about the generalizations he planned on using before beginning his presentation. He said that he would be using the word "most" a lot, despite the fact that there are homosexual Christians who believe homosexual behavior is wrong.
There are Christians who are not opposed to homosexuality and Christians, such as organizations like P.A.T.H. (Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality), who are against homosexuality. The two groups have many similar beliefs but they differ in their interpretations about what the Bible has to say about homosexuality.
Christians who are opposed to homosexuality believe they are reading the Bible "literally." A major argument they employ is Thomas Aquinas and natural law, which says that anything that goes against nature is a sin. Thus, having a relationship with someone of the same sex, especially a sexual one, something that cannot result in offspring, is "unnatural." Thomas Aquinas also had an interesting view on prostitution, saying it was healthy and good for men, because it gave no reason for sodomy to be practiced.
Christians who are not opposed to homosexuality use the argument of how little homosexuality is even discussed in the Bible. Out of the 613 commandments given by God in the Old Testament, homosexual acts are only mentioned twice. Also, Jesus never mentions homosexuality. Another argument is that there is no ancient Greek noun for "homosexual." Dr. George Zervos, the current PAR chair and expert on ancient Greek, verified this claim. The words that were translated from the ancient Greek to the modern King James English could have been the Greek word for "cowardly," "effeminate," or "weak/soft."
Dr. Berg ended the presentation by allowing each audience member a chance to decide for themselves after examining the facts, followed by a Q&A. Dr. Berg was surprised to find that everyone was so respectful and quiet.
"I thought my presentation would generate a little more debate" Berg said.
Alex Elfner, president of the PAR Society, commented that she was very pleased with how many people came to the event and plans on holding more events that will spark students' interest.
"I appreciated that he kept his opinions about it out of the discussion. He appeared to be unbiased," said sophomore Amanda Smith, a member of Pride. Dr. Berg focused on the three main groups that have voiced their opinions on this subject: Christians opposed to homosexuality, Christians not opposed to homosexuality, and gay and lesbian (as well as bisexual, transgender and queer) atheists.
In preparation for this event, Dr. Berg said, "It was important for me to try to represent the positions of each group accurately. Therefore, I consulted the literature and Web sites published by the groups themselves." After noting their specific interpretations, Dr. Berg then "analyzed what interpretive methods they employed."
Dr. Berg made sure to note a disclosure about the generalizations he planned on using before beginning his presentation. He said that he would be using the word "most" a lot, despite the fact that there are homosexual Christians who believe homosexual behavior is wrong.
There are Christians who are not opposed to homosexuality and Christians, such as organizations like P.A.T.H. (Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality), who are against homosexuality. The two groups have many similar beliefs but they differ in their interpretations about what the Bible has to say about homosexuality.
Christians who are opposed to homosexuality believe they are reading the Bible "literally." A major argument they employ is Thomas Aquinas and natural law, which says that anything that goes against nature is a sin. Thus, having a relationship with someone of the same sex, especially a sexual one, something that cannot result in offspring, is "unnatural." Thomas Aquinas also had an interesting view on prostitution, saying it was healthy and good for men, because it gave no reason for sodomy to be practiced.
Christians who are not opposed to homosexuality use the argument of how little homosexuality is even discussed in the Bible. Out of the 613 commandments given by God in the Old Testament, homosexual acts are only mentioned twice. Also, Jesus never mentions homosexuality. Another argument is that there is no ancient Greek noun for "homosexual." Dr. George Zervos, the current PAR chair and expert on ancient Greek, verified this claim. The words that were translated from the ancient Greek to the modern King James English could have been the Greek word for "cowardly," "effeminate," or "weak/soft."
Dr. Berg ended the presentation by allowing each audience member a chance to decide for themselves after examining the facts, followed by a Q&A. Dr. Berg was surprised to find that everyone was so respectful and quiet.
"I thought my presentation would generate a little more debate" Berg said.
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posted 10/21/09 @ 2:10 AM EST
In the U.S. there are over 50,000 intersexuals that are not male or female. They were created by God but the bible says nothing about them.
The main message of Jesus in the bible was not to judge other people. (Continued…)
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