Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

Monthly Assignment 52 - Reflections
Deadline: September 1st noon UTC/GMT
MA Rules · Current entries

FM Forums | Monthly Assignments | Join Upload & Sell

end

Archive 2008 · #47: Leviticus 20:13

watkinssr
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · #47: Leviticus 20:13

Nice image, not offended at all.

Minor nitpick, someone above said that being gay was sin per the bible. Not exactly true. Acting on upon being gay would be, with a litteral interpretation. Being gay and remaining celibate wouldn't be.

Lots of things are sinful acordingly....my favorite is loaning money for interest. If you have an interest bearing checking account you have no business speaking out against gays. It was considered a crime against nature by the early church.

Personally, I'll let God deal with what he consideres sinful. If I'm ever attracted to another man, maybe I'll worry about it, but other than that as a xtian its none of my business.

Feb 02, 2008 at 06:41 AM

Wilfredo
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · #47: Leviticus 20:13

It's very difficult to offend an Episcopalian. The Episcopal church has been described by one bishop as a "catholic church in love with freedom." We are a thinking person's church that does not thrive on dogmatics. That is another reason why, even though I am a priest with a passion for photography, your image does not offend me. The Leviticus passage qouted here from the Hebrew Bible unfortunately is taken out of context, often to promote moralistic bias and homophobia. This passage is all about ritual purity. For example if you explore Leviticus further you will find that even eating shrimp is an abomination. I don't think any of us would consider eating Shrimp at the Red Lobster an act lacking in morality. This passage is not what fundamentalist Chriistians want it to be, it is not about morality. It requires critical thought to better understand the context.

Cheers,
Wilfredo
www.saintanselmgg.org
www.BenitezRivera.com

Feb 02, 2008 at 02:00 PM

Marc Severo
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · #47: Leviticus 20:13

Nice work, not just technically but with subject matter. By looking how this has turned into a religious thread, I would say that it is universally a very effective image.

I think the lighting in interesting. I'm not sure how much is intentional, but the cross and the hand holding the cross is in the light, with the rainbow arms blocking it and is in the shadow. It gives immediate focus to the cross and reads nicely from left to right.

The only thing technically that might bother me a little bit is the halo effect, particularly around the cross. That appears to be a bit over photoshop, but it could be that the JPEG compression eliminated too many colors.

Good luck!
Marc

Feb 05, 2008 at 05:31 PM

CTYankee
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · #47: Leviticus 20:13

watkinssr wrote:
Lots of things are sinful acordingly....my favorite is loaning money for interest. If you have an interest bearing checking account you have no business speaking out against gays.

Jews and subsequently Christians were taught not to collect interest on loans to each other. Rather they were to help each other. This was part of the social law. Just like the Kosher diet. Nothing morally wrong with interest, but for society sake do it this way. There was no such prohibition on collecting interest from those outside the church/nation of Isreal.

I also don't think that one's guilt in one sin necessarily makes them unable to stand up for other ideas. We are all sinful, yet God still tells us to "correct and rebuke". Often this comes across as the stern church leader condemning people with shame. Rather when we correct and rebuke its more of the way it happens on a sports team. The captain is often given this role. Is the captain the best player? Not necessarily. Look at the Boston Red Sox. Jason Varitec is one of 3 captains in all of baseball. When he speaks, his team listens. Why do they listen? He has earned their respect and demonstrated his devotion to the common goal...winning (not perfection). The same should be true for us as people. We are not to dismiss others just because they are fallible like us. Rather we should listen to others when they do 'rebuke' us in love and according to a higher standard that exists for our benefit. In this case God's teaching.

Mar 08, 2008 at 11:45 PM

watkinssr
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · #47: Leviticus 20:13

CTYankee wrote:
Jews and subsequently Christians were taught not to collect interest on loans to each other. Rather they were to help each other. This was part of the social law. Just like the Kosher diet. Nothing morally wrong with interest, but for society sake do it this way.

Sorry, but this is incorrect. The early church considered making interest on money "a crime against nature" Martin Luther was very outspoken on the subject as well. Money making money without labor was considered immoral.

You cant cant pick and chose the laws you dont like and say "you people over there...your sinful" then try and find loopholes for your own failings. you cant say "oh that...that was a social law....but your sin...that was a real one."

We are much better off as Christians worring about our own sins and letting God worry about convicting our neighbor if he is going astray.

I know good Christians who are gay. I know good Christians who are bankers.

Mar 09, 2008 at 12:51 AM

CTYankee
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · #47: Leviticus 20:13

watkinssr wrote:
Sorry, but this is incorrect. The early church considered making interest on money "a crime against nature" Martin Luther was very outspoken on the subject as well. Money making money without labor was considered immoral.

You cant cant pick and chose the laws you dont like and say "you people over there...your sinful" then try and find loopholes for your own failings. you cant say "oh that...that was a social law....but your sin...that was a real one."

We are much better off as Christians worring about our own sins and letting God worry about convicting our neighbor if he is going astray....Show more →
Interest is only spoken against in the context of Jews/Christians charging each other interest. The Bible does not say collecting interest is wrong. As for Luther's sentiments, I can only take your word that is what he believed...but he is just as falible as the next person. I personally don't see it in the Bible.

Social law and moral law are two different things. Disobeying both is sin. The difference is social law can change (OT dietary restrictions vs NT no dietary restrictions) while the 'natural' or 'moral' law cannot. Some things are inherently sinful (lying) while others are only sinful because they are an act of disobedience, rebellion (OT jew eating pork). To put it in today's context...it is not immoral to drive on the wrong side of the road, but disobeying the governing laws is. While other behaviors are and always be inherently sinful. People like to focus on the 'big ones' but they include lying, greed, selfishness, laziness, etc so in the end we are all in the same boat and there is not a hierarchy of righteousness. So we have all sinned, God has provided a means of making it right (Jesus), and then we are called to work on getting things right in our life. Day by day living more like we ought to. Eliminating sin, no matter what it looks like.

The issue with ignoring fellow believers (and unbelievers too) who are involved in sin is that the Bible explicitly tells us to get involved. So the hands off approach ignores God's call to hold each other accountable. There are many verses that speak to this. I know I personally appreciate it when people call me on my mistakes. Like in my example above, it should be done to better individuals and as a result the community, not for shame or other negative reasons. Yes, God will convict, but part of the plan to bring them to repentance is often by us confronting them. The Bible is full of such examples. David, Eli, Saul, Paul, etc.

I know if I were eating food that was poisoned I would want my friends to stop me. Sin is no different.

Mar 09, 2008 at 01:28 AM

1 2 end
FM Forums \| Monthly Assignments \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 end

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.