Thursday, December 11, 2008

Robert Gagnon's reponse to Newsweek cover article advocating same-sex marriage

Dr. Robert Gagnon, a theologian at the University of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, leaves Lisa Miller's so-called religious argument for same-sex message in a smoldering ruin in his response to her Newsweek cover article.

In one part of the article Miller makes that argument that the Bible only condemns homosexuality in a handful of passages. Well, I'm not quite sure why that isn't enough.  But Gagnon points out the numerous passages that Miller ignores, and then closes the deal by pointing out that there of plenty of things, include things even less savory than homosexuality that have even fewer explicit mention:
What of Miller’s argument based on frequency of explicit mention?
Bestiality is mentioned even less in the Bible than homosexual practice
and incest gets only comparable treatment, yet who would be so foolish
as to argue that Jews and Christians in antiquity would have regarded
sex with an animal or sex with one’s mother as inconsequential
offenses? Infrequency of mention is often an indicator that the matter
in question is foundational rather than insignificant. You don’t have
to talk a lot about something that most everyone agrees with and that
few persons, if any, violate.
You can read the rest here.

1 comment:

Lee said...

The good news is that Newsweak is hemorrhaging readership and has had to undertake huge cuts in the magazine's scope and lay off some of its staff.

Meanwhile, conservative news venues like the Washington Times buck the negative trend each year by increasing readership and circulation.

I have always said liberals would rather be liberal than successful. As the mainstream networks, the liberal magazines, and even the Grey Lady herself are foundering, I am watching the proof unfold.

Good riddance.