TheHeresy.com

One of the most important things to remember when studying the bible is to know who you are and what your potential biases are. The study of homosexuality in the bible is polarized. On one side of the issue is the cause of human rights and an honest desire to protect those who have been mistreated in the past. On the other side we have tradition, the assumptions of most of the world's societies and religions, and sometimes an irrational fear of homosexuals.

We can't approach the bible with a hermeneutic of fear. Many evangelicals are afraid of becoming liberals. For them accepting homosexuals is the primary gateway to liberalism and heresy. When we interpret text with an underlying fear of reaching a certain conclusion we are naturally biased against reaching that conclusion.

I've seen this in a denomination I'm very familiar with. There is a move towards affirming women in all areas of church leadership. Among some this is perceived as another step down the slippery slope towards *gasp* affirming homosexual marriage. People valiantly defend the status quo like it was a trench on the plains of Europe.

This post by Leighton Tebay and the subsequent discussion will really get you think. Read the whole thing.