November 22, 2018
Dear editor;
Charles Coddington’s article in last week’s issue of The Voice about the genetics of sexual orientation was well written and insightful (click here for the article).
There is but one clarification I would offer. Mr. Coddington, a man for whom I hold great respect, quotes Leviticus 20:13, “If a man lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: They shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them”.
There are two points of this quotation that needs be addressed. The first is quite obvious; the quotation mentions a man lying with a man yet makes no reference to lesbianism. The second is far more subtle. No where in the quotation is man commanded to put the committers of the abomination to death. Quite to the contrary, 44 times in the Bible we are told that vengeance belongs only to God. Specifically, see Deuteronomy 32:35 and Paul’s affirming quote thereof in his letter to the Romans 12:19.
So, despite what modern man may chant in his catechisms, man is not to be the executioner of the offender! God is not commanding that the sinner be put to death; he is warning that the sinner will not receive eternal life. God’s command to humans is to love one another and let God sort them out at the final resurrection. Once again, I thank Mr. Coddington for his insightful look at the issues of the day.
TJ Johnson
Demotte, Ind.