via The Telegraph
From the page:
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, said that Christians and Jewish people who oppose homosexual relationships on biblical grounds were applying double standards unless they also believed in some of the more obscure commands in the Old Testament.
He told a debate on gay marriage in London that religious texts had to be reinterpreted for new generations meaning, he argued, that same sex couples should be allowed to marry.
The debate, co-hosted by the religious campaign group Catholic Voices and the British Humanist Association also heard claims that David Cameron’s plans to legalise gay marriage had more to do with “elitism” and “snobbery” than equality.
Dr Romain, the minister of Maidenhead Synagogue, is a leading figure in the liberal-leaning Reform Judaism which has publicly given its support to same-sex marriage.
He told the debate that Christians could not take references in the Old Testament to homosexuality as an “abomination” literally unless they also practised circumcision or adhered to the Jewish food laws.
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This is a great argument for those who would quote the Old Testament verses that condemn homosexuality, and one we’ve been trying to point out for years. So when a religious leader speaks out about it publicly, look out… progress has been made.
If you’re looking for a similar argument for the New Testament verses in Romans, see this response to the Kansas Pastor’s statement that the government should kill gays.
For me, it’s no longer an issue of controversy or disrespecting one’s religious beliefs, it’s completely an issue of equality vs. bigotry. The god of the Bible and those who wrote in his name are very clear about what is and is not acceptable behavior and what is expected of his followers. If that doesn’t sit well with your sensibilities, perhaps you should examine closer the reasons you continue to support a religious institution that would point to those verses to condemn our fellow brothers and sisters, for certainly there’s something in that holy book somewhere that condemns you too.
