Bible still relevant on homosexuality

A recent letter tries to compare homosexual marriage to race and slavery as an issue, and implies the Bible is no longer valid. While the Bible does not say interracial marriage is a sin and the 19th Century abolitionists cited the Bible over and over in supporting their arguments that slavery was apostate, these comparisons are not germane to homosexuality.

Slavery and interracial marriages are not psychological conditions. What the Bible says on homosexuality in Leviticus 20:13 is: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.” Pretty clear in meaning, but just because liberals now favor homosexuality, that does not mean a Christian nation, founded by Christians on Christian principles should ignore its own religious text.

Then there is the aspect of figures of speech in the Bible. Take Psalm 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Of course humans have no wings, but it means keep me safe or close. Leviticus 20:13 also has figures speech, but still describes wrong psychological behavior.

Figures of speech do not negate the Bible, and so neither should criticism of the Bible by people who clearly do not fully understand it or practice Christianity.

A doctor recently wrote in chastising the Herald for making a claim about a medical treatment the newspaper obviously was not qualified to make without citing real medical findings. We should also apply that standard to homosexuality, as there is no medical science proving a claim homosexuality is “hard wired,” for example.

So the behavioral observation that is in Leviticus is much more correct than the opinion of those who just ignore it. The Bible is as relevant in 2013 as it was in the year 213.

Harold Knudsen

Arlington Heights