What with Same-Sex Marriage/Marriage Equality/DOMA on the floor of the Supreme Court this week we thought this might be an interesting little blurb to throw into a blog entry, since the opportunity and inspiration presented itself. Kismet. (<- a couple of ours' favorite word these days)
Today, while doing research for an upcoming piece on freedom, nutrition and addiction we're planning to write, we accidentally hit on an article about obesity that contained Bible references. With a good knowledge of the Bible, and a keen interest in it as a text, we often find our life is influenced and inspired by it, just not in the ways people would expect, or hope.
As some people who read this blog know, we used to Christian, and even did two missionary trips to Mexico in High School. We grew up in a Baptist home, and one side of our family is very religious.
We are no longer Christian, for personal reasons, just as personal as the reasons many people are Christian.
It's always interesting to read the Bible and think about the parts that are cherry-picked as need-be by modern day Christians. In fact the Bible teaches a lot of good things; like loving your neighbor, and being a good person, taking care of the poor and needy, and not being greedy. (Ha! That rhymed!)
Sadly, more and more so-called Christians fall short of the teachings where it really counts, and it's not so much that they are sinners that is bothersome. By Bible standards everyone is a sinner, no exceptions. The problem is really the self-righteous behavior of people claiming to walk in the path of the Lord, who claim to live a life by his word but don't; who pick and choose what is good, which Testament and which books of the Bible are relevant to follow, and which aren't, which chapters work for them, what is fine, and what is a sin; that we generally find ourselves most disgusted with.
Back to all of the inspiration and topic at hand; being a homosexual, or being fat. A sin, is a sin, is a sin. If you believe is such a concept as sin.
According to a 2012 Gallup study 3.5% [1] of Americans identify themselves as LGBT, according to the CDC the percentage of Americans over 20 years old, who are obese, or overweight, is 69.2% [2]. Just some fun facts to throw at you.
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From our own quick research we found that in the Old Testament homosexuality is specially mentioned twice, in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, and once in the New Testament, in Romans 1:26-27.
Of course there are a handful of bible references to sexuality that have been interpreted to include homosexuality, but they also specifically include every other kind of sinner, including liars and drunks, as being an abomination. Depending on the versions/translation of the Bible in your hands, of course. There are more than 40 translations of the Bible in the English language alone. (We tend to prefer the King James Version, as it was the Bible of our youth and missions work, and the most familiar, but for this entry we used various online versions because our Bibles are still packed in a box in the spare room).
So how about that sin of being obese, of being fat, of being a glutton.
Isaiah 10:16
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
Mmm, BBQ.
Proverbs 23:2
And put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.
See Also (just a short list, we didn't other to look for all of them):
Jeremiah 50:11-12
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 / 32:15-16
Proverbs 23:20-21
And put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.
That one seems pretty damn extreme.
See Also (just a short list, we didn't other to look for all of them):
Jeremiah 50:11-12
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 / 32:15-16
Proverbs 23:20-21
So, next time someone talks about "the homosexuality problem", use some knowledge and patience to help them understand the error of their ways, and implore of them what laws they plan to create, what protests they plan to stage, for the sin and abomination of a 70% fat society.
