My concerns over Tasers

Police slammed over Taser plan - National - smh.com.au  While I can see some benefits in tasers in that they are less lethal than guns, I am concerned that police may be more willing to use them for situations when there are other alternatives.  Personally, I believe that part of the training process should be to be shot with a taser so that the shooter knows exactly how painful it really is.

Homosexuality

I was recently challenged by a Christian on my non-condemnation of homosexuality.  I replied that I thought the Old Testament references were not really valid, because they were in the same context as the directives not to mix meat and milk, and not to wear fabrics of two different types at the same time, and other practices that are clearly no longer acceptable to mainstream Christianity.   I indicated that I was fairly sure that the new testament references to Homosexuality were also ambiguous.  After the conversation, I felt the need to check the new testamant to see what it said.

 

There appear to be three references to homosexuality in the new testament.  Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:10.  There is clearly disagreement among Scriptural scholars about whether these passages actually refer to the practice of homosexuality, or not.  However, even putting that aside, and assuming that God does not approve of homosexuality, it is variously equated in these scriptures with envy, gossip, adultery, drunkenness, theft, disobedience to parents and other sins.   So, if that is what the scriptures say, why do the churches talk as if it is an unforgivable sin and one that necessarily excludes the sinner from the community?  There is clearly something wrong here.  Even if homosexuals should be excluded from the community because of this sinfulness (there wouldn't be many people on the inside, if the same treatment was given to the other classes of sinners), why does the church support the active discrimination against homosexuals in secular society, where the defacto relationships of homesexuals are not recognised by the law?  I have no hesitation in saying that to the extent that the Church is opposed to changes in legislation to protect the rights of homosexual couples that the Church is wrong and is speaking against natural justice.

 

That is why I happily support changes to legislation to end discrimination against homosexual couples.

 

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