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Originally posted by: GlopOfGrease
I just wanted to add a few things to the discussion. If you are debating homosexuality and abortion in the context of religion, it is different than if you are debating domestic policy. The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin(1 Corinthians 6:9). That does not mean that it should be outlawed or people should stone homosexuals. It does mean that homosexuals should not be clergy, or even members of the church. Christians are still called to love them, but there is a difference between loving a person and accepting that person's sin.
As for abortion, it is not discussed in the Bible because they never thought of it as an issue then. However, the Bible does try to indicate where life begins. In Psalm 51:5, David states, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother concieved me." and in Luke 1, Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits her cousin Elizabeth, pregnant with John, and John leaps for joy in Elizabeth's stomach. You have to be alive in order to sin or be joyful.
Well said. Hate the sin, love the sinner. Although, I do believe a good argument can be made outside of the bible for both issues that would lead to abortion being outlawed and no recognition for gay marriage.
Asha quoted a verse from Exodus where it seemingly indicates a price had to be paid if an unborn child were to be killed as the result of a fight between men, or more broadly stated as the result of an accident involving more than one person. However, the verse in question does seem to put a lesser price on the life of the unborn child than it does the mother, in which case it calls for a punishment of eye for eye, tooth for tooth. This being said, Christians are no longer under Mosaic law, and Christ commanded during his sermon on the mount that eye for eye and tooth for tooth was no longer the way, but that anyone who committs murder or holds contempt for his fellow man is in danger of hell fire.
My take on this whole discussion is I got into it to explain why Christian churches believe the way they do. My point was that the churches that understand their faith and their doctrine base these decisions on biblical principals, and are thus bound to obey them. As I said previously, nobody is forcing anyone to belong to these churches. Trying to coercing them to change their rules because you disagree is a little Orwellian.