Which Bible is Bill Press reading?

I like Bill Press – as a human being.

He's a nice guy.

He even claims to be, like me, a Christian.

But there are few people on Earth with whom I disagree more. It's one of the reasons I chose him to be a columnist at WND. I've taken a lot of heat from WND readers for that decision. But I have always believed presenting the broadest and most diverse commentary lineup to be found anywhere on planet Earth to be the right thing to do.

Dialogue and debate are healthy.

It's good to try to understand the way other people think – even when they are dead wrong, as Bill Press usually is.

It's with all that in mind that I address his latest column, in which he makes one of the most indefensible claims I have ever heard in my life.

In supporting Barack Obama's "gutsy" proclamation in support of "same-sex marriage," Press wrote: "Nowhere in the Bible does God condemn homosexuality. And nowhere in the Bible does God say marriage must only be between one man and one woman. After all, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. King David had at least seven wives. If we really wanted to practice marriage according to the Bible, we'd all be polygamists."

If "same-sex marriage" is ever accepted universally, so will polygamy. In fact, there is simply no legitimate rationale for maintaining a legal prohibition on polygamy once you permit "same-sex marriage."

For while God may not have proscribed polygamy, He most certainly made it abundantly clear that marriage was designed as an institution between one man and one woman. So, for those who say there is no legal or moral reason to maintain marriage as an institution between a man and a woman, they can hardly claim there is any reason to prohibit polygamy – or other even more bizarre and unnatural unions, such as incestuous relationships, group marriages involving more than two males or more than two females and marriages with animals or even inanimate objects.

Laugh if you will, but the idea of "same-sex marriage" was as preposterous a notion as any of these possibilities just 20 years ago.

As to Press' claim that "nowhere in the Bible does God condemn homosexuality," I have to ask myself which Bible he's reading.

Let me give you a few verses to consider:

Genesis 2:24 – "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
Leviticus 18: 22-30 – "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God."
Leviticus 20:13 – "If a man also 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."
Matthew 19:4-5 – (Jesus speaking) "Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?"
Mark 10: 6-9 – (Jesus speaking) "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
Romans 1:18-27 – "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."

No condemnation?

This is about as serious as the Bible gets in condemnation. This is not only sin that affects the individuals involved, it's the kind of sin that has ramifications for the entire nation. It's not only the kind of unrepentant sin that will keep someone from eternal life with God, it's the kind of sin that defiles the land. It's the kind of sin that caused the inhabitants of Canaan to be spued out, opening the door to the nation of Israel. It's the kind of sin that brings on national judgment.

Is that what America wants?

Is that what Bill Press wants?

Or is he reading a redacted version of God's Word?