CHOOSING YOUR WORDS
Some Christian churches wrote expressing concern that Christians cannot express views reflecting "extracts of the Bible". But Folau does not correctly quote the Bible on homosexuals.
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The Old Testament 18 times condemns homosexuality. It also advocates [Exodus 35/2] killing people breaking the Sabbath [Sunday Football?], killing those cursing their parents [Exodus 21/17] and enslaving foreigners [e.g. New Zealanders, Tongans; not Tasmanians!] [Leviticus 25.24]. Such views are not valid today. Those doing them get jailed with claims to "religious freedom" ignored.
A few New Testament translations contain three references to homosexuality by Paul. [Romans 1.26-7; 1 Corinthians 6.10; I Timothy 1.10]. Folau seems to cite Timothy and Corinthians which condemn many sins, as does Folau. Homosexuality is not singled out. But homosexual does not accurately translate Paul's words. My Bibles include King James [KJV], New Revised Standard Version [NRSV], Good News plus Luther's German translation. None translate Paul's Greek words as homosexual. In Timothy, KJV says "Man stealer; NRSV more accurately says "slave trader". For Corinthians KJV says "effeminate". Before 1958 no Bible translated the word as homosexual! If St Paul intended to condemn homosexuality he could have picked one of 15 unquestioned Greek words meaning homosexual.
Compared with 18 Homosexual mentions, the Bible 2700 times demands justice, mercy, kindness, understanding, compassion and caring for the disadvantaged and poor, Jesus said loving God and your neighbor as yourself are the two great commandments. Rather than condemnations, we Christians should express and act more on these 2700 sentiments.
David Goss, Woonona
A SOCIAL MELTDOWN
Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook, in-part, an article published in the New York Times (May 9, 2019): "Starting in the 1970s, a small but dedicated group of economists, lawyers and policymakers sowed the seeds of our cynicism. Over the next 40 years, they financed a network of think tanks, journals, social clubs, academic centres and media outlets to teach an emerging generation that private interests should take precedence over public ones. Their gospel was simple: "Free" markets are dynamic and productive, while government is bureaucratic and ineffective. By the mid-1980s, they had largely managed to relegate energetic antitrust enforcement to the history books".
In a nutshell, a democratic meltdown.
John Macleod, Berry
PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS
The article 'Elderly focus on care, climate' (llawarra Mercury, May 13) referring to a survey of 3000 older Australians in short states that both the Federal Coalition government and the Labor opposition are failing in aged care. Ian Yates, chief executive of Council of the Aging (COTA) apparently stated "the whole aged care system [is] in danger of falling over"
Senior voters, carers of the aged and nurses need to be aware that the Seniors United Party is the party that really cares about them.The first thing that needs to happen is a change in culture away from profits before people.
Bob Patrech, Illawarra/South Coast contact, Seniors United Party of Australia