Well this is a noteworthy development:
WASHINGTON — The United States said Friday it is urging the Ugandan leadership to block a bill calling for draconian measures against homosexuals, warning it would be a setback in fighting AIDS.
Johnnie Carson, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, told reporters that he has urged President Yoweri Museveni twice since October “to do everything he can to stop this particular legislation.”
Carson, who earlier briefed groups representing gays, lesbians and transgender individuals about the situation, noted that the Ugandan president has the power to veto any legislation.
The top US diplomat for African affairs said the bill, if passed, would not only violate human rights, it would also “undermine the fight” against HIV and AIDS by stigmatizing homosexual acts.
He added that it is premature for US government to consider withdrawing aid from Uganda because Museveni himself said he does not support the legislation and the battle is not yet lost. (emphasis mine)
Let’s wait and see…
Many people who speak and write present day english still misinterpret what is being communicated.
Well, obviously I have read the passages and looked through Strongs concerning the Hebrew. I figured that conversing with someone who has studied ancient Hebrew would exactly be personal research – or ‘interpersonal’ research.
Sorry – but this needs personal research. Going on someone else’s interpretation means nothing to me anymore. Too many cooks in the kitchen who are trying to manipulate what you are fed.
Me? It comes from a student of Greek and Hebrew once told me. I suppose then that I am going on what the Israelites considered it said.
I’m tempted to use Jesus’ new convenant as my standard. And still I interpret the OT differently than you. Thou = in what context? Really, I don’t have the background to interpret the original langauge but I have concerns that it has been skewed over the years and we have lost sight of something.
Oh, I’m all for that. And yet three verses down from 20:13 [If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them.] we find:
Which is quite clear about the temporal death sentence.
.
I understand why you should choose to interpret the meaning as a spiritual death left only to your god. A god should not change its mind if the system of morality it represents is absolute. Certainly the Israelites did carry out such judgments, one which Jesus is said to have stopped. Certainly too, people have modified their viewpoint on capital punishments over the years, especially for sexual trangressions. But has the god done so? Not if it is still a god.
Lynn,
I still see your perspective as an interpretation of who should do the killing. Perhaps, we are to leave that killing up to God himself. Leave the individual alone and let God handle the situation.
On president Museveni vetoing or blocking the bill is a dream that may unfortunately or fortunately for many Ugandans not come to pass.
A hopeful development…
Democracies have ways of protecting themselves against the Horde (WOW allusion).
Just telling Mary how it was written, Michael. It was meant that a person should be judged and die at the hand off his Israelite peers. But it is also true that Jews consider that Gentiles should not adhere to the Mosaic law. Instead everyone else is supposed to keep to the Noachide laws. But that also includes adultery/fornication. Of course, that presupposes that we’re all descendants of Noah, which I do not in the least believe to be truthful.
I pray this is so.
“No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means.” — George Bernard Shaw
Let’s not do this again.
Mary…. a couple of verses after that the Bible states that a man should surely be put to death for having sexual relations with a beast. It then says, “you shall slay the beast.” The surely is taken to mean that the community should do the killing as in ’cause the death.’ And that is the same language used for a ‘man doing the lying that is done with womankind with another man.’
Korry,
Excuse me for not being as familiar with the bible as some. Does that passage tell exactly who shall do the killing of these people? It mentions death – does it mention who is charged with killing these people?
Good grief! Please take this elsewhere.
But doesn’t God oblige that good Jews and Christians kill the homosexuals in their midst?
Leviticus 20:13 “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them.”
Hmmm…. hearkens back to the two articles voicing opinions against the bill, one on the Uganda Media Centre and the other on New Vision, the government paper.
It is interesting to note that two of the more recent articles on the Media Centre have concerned poverty in Uganda. But I also note that the reincarnation of the article on not passing the Bahati bill is no longer on the Media Centre website. However the statement of Buturo on it is there:
http://www.mediacentre.go.ug/details.php?catId=3&item=709
So… I don’t know, Warren.
…