So you still think homosexuality is sinful?

Originally Posted by mexitucky

I'm a terrible Catholic, I guess. I don't believe much of what the Bible says as truly the word of God. I like the rituals and the community that they create. I like a lot of things, however, knowing all of the politics that went into forming the Bible, I can not take it as the true word of God. If that was so, then so many books wouldn't have been eliminated. That Council of Nicea impacted the New Testament that every Christian faith uses. So, if I live my life, and dedicate my efforts to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and I live correctly, and I don't make it to Heaven b/c I questioned the validity of those who selected the books that dictate much of our faith...then I guess I won't make it.

Well, I suppose we can't ever agrue on equal footing. I have a question for you. Have you read the entire Bible?

Originally Posted by spindoc

Well, I suppose we can't ever agrue on equal footing. I have a question for you. Have you read the entire Bible?

Yes. Am I a Biblical Scholar...no. I came back to the Catholic Church in college and read it then.

If homosexuality were a speeding ticket what MPH would it be in a 65 MPH zone? Curious to how serious people think this sin is as compared to others.

Originally Posted by mexitucky

Yes. Am I a Biblical Scholar...no. I came back to the Catholic Church in college and read it then.

Ok, I was simply wondering. Please explain the politics that went into forming the bible, as you put it.

Originally Posted by Clyde

If homosexuality were a speeding ticket what MPH would it be in a 65 MPH zone? Curious to how serious people think this sin is as compared to others.

Does it matter how we view sin, in the grand scheme of things?

Originally Posted by spindoc

Does it matter how we view sin, in the grand scheme of things?

By that logic we need to shut down BGP.

Why discuss anything?

Originally Posted by Clyde

If homosexuality were a speeding ticket what MPH would it be in a 65 MPH zone? Curious to how serious people think this sin is as compared to others.

Ranking sins is what creates a lot of our misconceptions about God's view of it, IMO. In other words, sin is sin and ALL sin is offensive to God, even the "little ones".

Originally Posted by Watusi

Ranking sins is what creates a lot of our misconceptions about God's view of it, IMO. In other words, sin is sin and ALL sin is offensive to God, even the "little ones".

Why don't we have people protesting against people like me who curse?

Originally Posted by spindoc

Ok, I was simply wondering. Please explain the politics that went into forming the bible, as you put it.

Are you familiar with the First Council of Nicea?

Originally Posted by Clyde

By that logic we need to shut down BGP.

Why discuss anything?

Nice diversion, I'm talking about how God views sin. It doesn't matter how we view it.

Originally Posted by spindoc

Nice diversion, I'm talking about how God views sin. It doesn't matter how we view it.

No diversion. I knew what you meant.

However, you and others have taken the time to express your opinion on it being a sin and now when I ask where it rates on your sin scale you suddenly say it's not for you?

Originally Posted by mexitucky

Are you familiar with the First Council of Nicea?

Nope. I googled it, and it seems to me that it's extra-biblical. Am I mistaken?

Originally Posted by Clyde

No diversion. I knew what you meant.

However, you and others have taken the time to express your opinion on it being a sin and now when I ask where it rates on your sin scale you suddenly say it's not for you?

My sin scale? When have I ranked them? The question was, is it sin? I said yes. Never ranked a one. As a matter of fact I related it to adultery. It's still sin. There is no rank. We all have our own "level of disgust" for lack of a better term. Like I said before, one would be hard pressed to find someone who wasn't appalled with a pedophile. I imagine if we were to rank them on our level of moral disgust, it would be somewhere near the top. But sin is sin when it comes to eternity.

Originally Posted by spindoc

Nope. I googled it, and it seems to me that it's extra-biblical. Am I mistaken?

The Council is where much of Catholic Cannon Law was created. It was called by the Emperor Constantine and was as much about uniting the Roman Empire under the new state church as it was about fighting the Arian heresy.

If I remember correctly, it sifted through many of the books of that time and created its version of the New Testament. Many of books were voted out. Does that mean that they were less inspired?

Originally Posted by spindoc

My sin scale? When have I ranked them? The question was, is it sin? I said yes. Never ranked a one. As a matter of fact I related it to adultery. It's still sin. There is no rank. We all have our own "level of disgust" for lack of a better term. Like I said before, one would be hard pressed to find someone who wasn't appalled with a pedophile. I imagine if we were to rank them on our level of moral disgust, it would be somewhere near the top. But sin is sin when it comes to eternity.

How can we not have a sin scale when we are saying that laws should be based upon it being a sin?

Originally Posted by mexitucky

If I remember correctly, it sifted through many of the books of that time and created its version of the New Testament. Many of books were voted out.

You are mostly correct. It was at that council that the early Church all but decided which books would go into what would become the Bible and which ones would not. It was a process that evolved over the two centuries prior and was really cemented when the books were chosen by Pope Damasus and St. Jerome to go into the first Latin Vulgate Bible in the early fifth century. In truth, the Catholic Church didn't have an offical Biblical Canon until the Council of Trent.

Originally Posted by Clyde

Why don't we have people protesting against people like me who curse?

Probably because it hits too close to home for them. People rank sins plenty, no doubt about it. Most likely to justify it for themselves, but my bible teaches me that God does not, he hates all sin.

Originally Posted by Watusi

Probably because it hits too close to home for them. People rank sins plenty, no doubt about it. Most likely to justify it for themselves, but my bible teaches me that God does not, he hates all sin.

Should the fact that something is a "sin" or "sin-like" be taken into consideration when forming laws?

Originally Posted by Clyde

So can you say , as AT did, being a homosexual is not a sin but the act itself is?

Seems like rationalization to me that doesn't have support. If you're gay you're having gay thoughts about others. Seems like that leads to "being gay is a sin."

Is being straight a sin? If you're straight you're having lustful thoughts about people of the other sex. If you can have those thoughts about opposite sex people, not act on them and not be a sinner then why not for gays? I don't think being straight is sinful, I do think being straight and having sex outside of marriage is sinful. I don't see any inconstantcy at all.

Originally Posted by Clyde

Should the fact that something is a "sin" or "sin-like" be taken into consideration when forming laws?

Sin-like is pretty subjective. Our laws have to reflect a moral responsibility, so I think most laws will go along with what the mainstream religiosly minded individual considers good. But other than that, my answer would probably be no. Religion and Politics are two different animals and I don't think our lawmakers need check with God before they enact legislation.