Questions about Leviticus

So, I was reading Leviticus this morning. I have some questions for more conservative interpreters of the Bible…

Here’s the thing. I’m a gay rights (and GLTB)  advocate on a heart level. I have friends that fit under the GLTB umbrella. These are friends that I know are good and decent people. Several are Christians who walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Others are Agnostic or ‘other’ in religious terms. Most are not in relationships at this time. However, the ones that are, are in committed ones, and to my knowledge would marry if they legally could. But, in our country in 2012, that is a dicy issue, primarily because religious folks in this country, of which I would guess most of whom are Christian, have a ‘thing’ against Gay marriage, due to some verses in the Bible.

So, I was reading through Leviticus to attempt to understand the abomination of homosexuality that some of my Christian counterparts see. I’m a practicing Christian who puts my emphasis on following the Word of God—the Word who became Flesh, that is.  Jesus, his example, his teachings, his whisper to my heart—these to me are my measure of what is right and wrong. But I understand some Christians put their measure in the (small w) ‘word’ of God, the literal words of the Bible. So, those that do, help me understand.

Well, here in Leviticus is one law against homosexuality:

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Leviticus 18:22 (we presume speaking to men of the time) ²² “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.

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An explanation is given at the end of the chapter here:
Leviticus Chapter 18: ²⁴ “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. ²⁵ Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. ²⁶ But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things, ²⁷ for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. ²⁸ And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

²⁹ “‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. ³⁰ Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God.’”
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But if you go further in reading through Leviticus, there are these others verses that would give one pause, if you were a literal interpreter:
Leviticus, Chapter 19:
19 “‘Keep my decrees.
“‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.
“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
“‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
(NOTE: So, why isn’t the Christian world up in arms against polyester/cotton blends? Stretch jeans would be an absolute no-no. I would be out of clothes. Why is this verse left out of current cultural interpretation and focus? Um, and what about modern farming practices, like strip farming. Is this against moral code? And, God forbid, what about the Labradoodle and the Mule? We wouldn’t have settled the West without the help of some good mules. Are we all going to Hell for that or what?.)
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27 “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
(NOTE: Dude, could we PLEASE have a law against bad facial hair? Seriously, why is this not a major concern?)
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33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
(NOTE: So, as a person who has compassion for the foreigner, I totally wish this were a focus… but it’s not. Where are Mitt and Sarah and Michelle and Newt on this page?)

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So, for those that would accuse me and my more liberal counterparts of ‘picking and choosing’ what we want to read, what about these verses? Aren’t conservative interpreteors doing the same.

Oh, and I forgot, there is the NEXT chapter.

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Leviticus, Chapter 20

Punishments for Sin

¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. ³ I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. ⁴ If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, ⁵ I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.

⁶ “‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.

⁷ “‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. ⁸ Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

⁹ “‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.

¹⁰ “‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.

¹¹ “‘If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

¹² “‘If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, both of them are to be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.

¹³ “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

¹⁴ “‘If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.

¹⁵ “‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he is to be put to death, and you must kill the animal.

¹⁶ “‘If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

¹⁷ “‘If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.

¹⁸ “‘If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.

¹⁹ “‘Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.

²⁰ “‘If a man has sexual relations with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.

²¹ “‘If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.

²² “‘Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. ²³ You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. ²⁴ But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations.

²⁵ “‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those that I have set apart as unclean for you. ²⁶ You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

²⁷ “‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’”
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If we’re following Leviticus 20, there would be a whole lot of death-penalty going on. And what about all those food laws? Why aren’t Christians, the conservative ones, Kosher? Who is doing the picking and choosing here?

Now there are my non-religious friends that would call me and all of my religious friends crazy or delusional for believing in a supernatural God, and why do we still believe in such things anyway. Well, I do—and I don’t have a great explanation other than this: I experience a God who is good and loving, daily. I feel Christ’s call on my heart. I feel His hand in my life. It’s a heart thing. That’s how I live. And it doesn’t make sense to some Conservative Christians, as it doesn’t make sense to some of my Athiest friends.

I write all this because I am genuinely frustrated.  I think there would be more common ground if we lead with our hearts, if we could agree on common values, in valuing PEOPLE, not laws. If we knew people and were out to protect the interests of the everyday person… not CORPORATIONS, not LAWS, but PEOPLE—good, honest, loving, hard working, people that we see, live with, and work with every day. And in my mind, as a practicing Christian, I think Christians of all stripes could agree if we followed God’s ultimate law that Christ spoke:

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Luke 10:25-28
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"

28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

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So, as this political season starts to wind up. I guarantee I will be frustrated. And I may vent. But, genuinely, I’m looking for some conversation and common ground. I truly don’t understand why that is so difficult to find. But, in this political environment of shouting matches, appealing to the extremes on both sides, there is little common ground to be spoken of. I’m looking to start it here.

**all Bible verses taken from Biblegateway.com, NIV version