Let’s be honest, no one takes the whole Bible literally, no one. Otherwise, they would already be in prison for murder or a fugitive from the law. We are all selective, and rightly so, in our reading of scripture.

We no longer practice, support or condone slavery, prejudice against the disabled (at least in part) and the silencing and marginalisation of women in the Church (again at least to some extent - although injustices still remain).So why are particular texts still treated by some as first-order instructions to be obeyed and ruthlessly enforced (unlike many other instructions in the same books and letters that are no longer insisted upon)?So again, a selective interpretation has been made - a choice to perpetuate past cultural taboos and prejudices - for example against LGBTQIA people - but why?