At this point, I'm not even sure what your argument is. My point was simple: the great sin of Sodom was it's neglect of the poor and needy. Were there "other
abominations" that also contributed to it's destruction. Obviously there were. But those "other abominations" were not Sodom's "great sin." Presumably, the "great
sin" was the primary reason for the destruction of Sodom.
Let me see. Moses story of Genesis 19 and Jude's comments of the New Testament mean nothing to you. But Ezekiel, now there's a man worthy of your consideration. Your attempt to trun the account of Genesis 19 into one of neglect of the poor and needy isn't just laughable, it's psychotic.
I assume you meant that my references to other abominations were "red herrings." I was simply pointing out that in the Old Testament there are/were other
abominations than homosexuality. Thus, Ezekiel's reference to "other abominations" could have referred to any of the things which were considered abominations.
Sure, sexual immorality could have been one of them.
Yes there were other abominations. None being mentioned I'll stick with the one God impressed Moses to address. Sure, sexual immorality could have been one of them. Do ya think?
The question of why God would allow the destruction of the poor and needy along with the haughty rich is a good question. I don't know the answer. But you seem
to think that my lack of an explanation proves your point that Sodom was destroyed because its inhabitants were "embracing the homosexual lifestyle." But why
would God destroy all the women and children of Sodom if the reason was homosexuality? Were the children of Sodom also wicked homosexuals? And if everyone
in Sodom was a wicked homosexual, how/why did they have wives and children? Or do you believe that Sodom was a town of adult men only?
Homosexuality isn't something that is limited to the male of the species. Perhaps wives were taken to provide offspring, but the implications are that the men were living an abomination. Their wives were almost certainly living the same abominable lifestyle. And their children being surrounded by this were unable to grow up to be anything but what the norms of the community allowed. The utter destruction of these communities was the only way to see that their perversions didn't spread throughout the world. As in Noah's time, utter destruction was the only anwer.
I do not "dismiss" the account provided in Genesis 19. I simply dismiss the notion that in that account homosexuality is given as "the" reason for the destruction of
Sodom. Genesis 19 simply doesn't say what you want it to say.
I don't have an ax to grind here. I don't want it to say anything. But it does reveal the events on the night in question. And thereby it reveals the nature of the community and the need for annihilation. You are seeking to state that the cities were destroyed simply because the rich people didn't contribute to the support of the needy and the poor. Oh, and yes, there was that little problem of homosexuality and the demand that angels from heaven submit to anal intercourse on penalty of Lot and his family being killed. But don't worry about that. It meant nothing.
Let's consider the death of Lot's wife for a moment. Do you seriously think God turned her to salt because she looked back on a wealthy lifestyle devoid of feeding the poor? LOL I hate to break it to you, but the woman was turned to salt for looking back longingly to a community of perversions and debauchery
60 posted on 9/13/02 1:39 PM Pacific by Col. Forbin