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Church magazine condemns Bible literalists
Church of Scotland
A Church of Scotland magazine has slammed people using the Bible to condemn gays
An editorial backing civil partnerships and openly gay ministers in the Kirk has appeared in the latest issue of Life and Work, the magazine of the Church of Scotland.
In the article, acting editor Muriel Armstrong attacked those “selective literalists” who used carefully selected passages of the Bible to back their anti-gay arguments, while deliberately ignoring other passages not fitting in with their view of the world.
“Every student of the Bible is a selective literalist,” wrote Ms Armstrong. “Those who swear by the anti-homosexual laws in the Book of Leviticus wouldn’t publicly advocate slavery or stoning women taken in adultery.
“They presumably no longer accept Biblical teaching on sexual matters such as polygamy and sex with slaves.
“And yet there are many who continue to be bound by a few Biblical verses – none of them in the Gospels – about homosexuality, nowadays understood as a matter of genetics rather than lifestyle.”
The article has appeared in advance of next month’s General Assembly in Scotland and a debate on whether openly gay men can be appointed to the Church.
However, the Church of Scotland has said that the magazine is editorially independent and that it is not the official voice of the Church of Scotland.
