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Donald E. Hester

A Modern Retelling of John 8:1-11

by Donald E. Hester
Donald E. Hester
Husband, father, and adventurer. A computer science instructor who dabbles in t
User is currently offline
on Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Ethics 0 Comments

USF

A Modern Retelling of John 8:1-11

This is simply a modern retelling of John 8:1-11 about the woman caught in adultery.  I think this speaks for itself.

A Man Caught in Homosexuality

Jesus returned to the City, but early the next morning he was back again at Church. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.  As he was speaking, the religious teachers and leaders brought a man who had been caught in the act of sodomy. They put him in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this man was caught in the act of sodomy. The Bible says this sin is punishable by death. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the man. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the man, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” he said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Notes

Based on the New Living Translation

I should probably make a number of qualifying statements for this but I think it stands on its own.  Ten pages of footnotes would detract from the power of the simplicity.  You can bring up a number of objections to my retelling, but, I believe it is theologically sound.  I pick this particular issue out of many that I could have.  I could just as easily retell the story with any number of other sins.  The woman who had an abortion, the couple that got divorced etc…  This passage came to mind while I was reading a blog post entitled, “Is Homosexuality the Worst Sin of All?”

Tags: Contemporary, Sociology, Sexuality Studies, Morality, Ethics, Bible, Hypocrisy, Sin, GLBT
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Donald E. Hester

Ted Haggard and Ray Boltz Gay Christians

by Donald E. Hester
Donald E. Hester
Husband, father, and adventurer. A computer science instructor who dabbles in t
User is currently offline
on Thursday, 12 February 2009
Christianity 0 Comments

alt

Recently two very prominent Christians who turn out to be gay. Ted Haggard who was very outspoken against homosexuality now admits he suffers from same sex attraction (SSA). Ray Boltz a prominent Christian musician says he has always struggled with it and was tired of living a lie. It almost seems like it is epidemic within Christianity.

As an internal discussion between Christians what should we do? Should we ignore them? Should the church excommunicate them? Or maybe have a big scarlet G put on their shirts to were around town. In the past the church tied them up and set them on fire. Should we do that? The church has a reputation for shooting its' wounded. Is that what will happen to these two men? Will they be discarded like trash? That is what the rest of the world expects us to do.
 
What is really the epidemic within Christianity?
 
Christians are supposed to be known for our love for one another. So where is the love? Should we not stand beside them in their trials? If Christians are to love their enemies, how much more should we love one another? How do we glorify God by casting away His elect?
 
No wonder the rest of the world thinks Christians are crazy. Where do we go from here?
Tags: Sin, Morality, Ethics, Sexuality Studies, GLBT
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Donald E. Hester

To be or not to be? Gay is the question.

by Donald E. Hester
Donald E. Hester
Husband, father, and adventurer. A computer science instructor who dabbles in t
User is currently offline
on Sunday, 18 January 2009
Current Events 0 Comments

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I want to take some time and explore different perspectives on homosexuality.� I have not spent any time researching homosexuality from a Biblical perspective.� The funny thing is I know Christians who have good reasons to have opposing positions.�


I think that in today’s culture it is important to have an educated opinion on a subject that is causing a great deal of separation.� Currently, I don’t have an opinion only because I have heard very convincing and contradicting opinions from many Christians.� I really don’t want to take the easy way out and just except someone else’s opinion.


As I work through this, I will end up with a series of blogs and hopefully I will receive comments that will help me explore this issue in ways I would not have conceived.

Some of the issues I think that need to be addressed are:

  • Is homosexuality a sin?
  • Can you be a Christian and a Homosexual?
  • How should Christians treat homosexuals?
  • Should Christians enforce their morals on non-Christians?
  • Gay marriage, the State’s and Church’s role in marriage.

�

Stay tuned for more posts on the subject and please let me know your opinion.� This is a very divisive topic and one where emotions tend to run wild.� My intention is to learn and reserve judgment until I feel confident I have an educated opinion.

Tags: Politics, Morality, Theology, Sin, Ethics, GLBT, Sexuality Studies
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Donald E. Hester

Is God a kitten killer?

by Donald E. Hester
Donald E. Hester
Husband, father, and adventurer. A computer science instructor who dabbles in t
User is currently offline
on Sunday, 21 December 2008
Ethics 0 Comments

alt

 

 

[Advisory: This is a topic that most religious folks might find too risqué. If you think this is to risqué, you might find that parts of the Bible might not be suited for Sunday morning as well.]
 
Where in the bible does it say masturbation is wrong?
Pasted from <http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060614200926AAwDBYb>
 
There is a saying that every time you masturbate God kills a kitten. Is this really how people view Christian's view of masturbation? I am concerned that non-Christians and Christians have bought the idea that this is an important issue. I am not one to simple accept something as true just because an authority, even a church leader, says it is so. I believe God gave me reason and that I should use it. My head is not a hat rack.
 
To look at this issue the first question one must ask is does the Bible even speaks to the subject? Once that is done you can have meaningful dialogue concerning whether it is right or wrong. The most sited verse as a prohibition of masturbation is Genesis 38:6-10.
 
Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the Lord's sight; so the Lord put him to death.
Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother."
But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother.
What he did was wicked in the Lord's sight; so he put him to death also.
Genesis - Chapter 38:6-10
New International Version (NIV)
 
What was Onan's sin?
 
Judah son Er was next in line for inheritance. After he died without an heir of his own, the inheritance would have gone to the next in line. Next in line was Judah's second son was Onan. As custom, if a man died without an heir another male family member would give him an heir. If Onan would have impregnated Tamar and gave his brother an heir; he would not get his father's inheritance. In his self-interest, he tried to make sure his sister-in-law would not have an heir.
 
Onan's sin was disobedience and selfishness. The application of disobedience and selfishness was to spill his seed on the ground. The motive was selfishness and greed the action was spilling the seed.
 
Does the phrase 'spilled his semen on the ground' indicate masturbation?
 
Note the context of the phrase, 'whenever he lay with his brother's wife.' This indicates that he did have intercourse with his sister-in-law. The question here is does masturbation best fit the meaning in context. I have never heard of anyone using masturbation as a means of birth control. It is a real stretch to say that masturbation is the means of birth control being described. However, the withdrawal (pull out) method of birth control has been around for ages and fits the description given by scripture.
 
Using Occam's razor what is the most probable scenario with the least assumptions? Clearly the pull out or withdrawal method is what is meant.
 
What is the context of the verse?
 
The context of this passage is that it is a narrative account. Meaning that it is simplify telling a story as what happened. Like a news story, the story recounts what happened and does not state what anyone was thinking or what their motives were. To apply prescription to a narrative account is taking the scriptures out of context. Hermeneutics, the study of scriptural interpretation, requires that we apply the context of the passage when we interpret meaning.
 
What should be the Christian response to this question?
 
For Christians this is not a primary or core issue of doctrine or faith. Therefore, Christians have the liberty to disagree on this point. Christians should not be compelling other Christians to accept their conclusions as gospel. “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” St. Augustine.
 
By creating a prohibition out of this non-essential issue, Christians are placing a stumbling block in the way of those who might otherwise seek to the Love of Christ. Once a Christian, the Holy Spirit will help them work out their own faith in the process of sanctification.

 

Tags: Sexuality Studies, Hermeneutics, Interpretation, Context, Sin
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