Bill O'Reilly ignorant of Scripture?

I like Bill O'Reilly. He's really a rational thinker, flexible, considerate, well-informed and non-partisan. Bill has a wide and varied background and can bump heads with the elite. However, when it comes to theology, Bill is naive or just doesn't understand. My suspiscion is that Bill has probably not read the entire Bible, is unaware of its entire text is written  by divine inspiration and that the entire Bible is in fact the Word of God. At the least Bill knows Holy Scripture, but doesn't believe it!

I can't quote Bill, but I can paraphrase what he has said before. On one occasion he crticized Christians' attempts to proselytise adherents to other religions. (This was several years ago.) For those of you who are wondering, proselytise means that you're trying to convert another to your own faith. And if we do that it is intolerant?  Jesus told his disciples, specifically the apostles:

Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...."

Disciples are those who adhere to and spread the teachings of Christ (in this case). Therefore, by the instruction of Jesus the Christian's foremost responsibility is to tell others about Jesus (i.e, proselytise)!  O'Reilly, as a confessed Catholic, had no idea that not only ours, but his, primary responsibility as a Christian is to proselytise. It isn't intolerant to want others to love and be loved by Jesus, it's the ultimate display of love!  I also will repeat my mantra "Scripture doesn't teach tolerance... it teaches obedience!"

Your entire life as a Christian must be centered around telling others about Jesus! Don't listen to the spinmeisters who fail to understand the power and truth of Scripture. I suspect that O'Reilly doesn't intend to condemn the teachings of Jesus, he just may not be aware of them!

Recently, O'Reilly was crticizing the preacher in England who was publically quoting and expounding on what the Bible says about homosexuality. The preacher was arrested (later released) for inciting hatred, which is an English law. (So much for freedom of speech!). (Here's the link http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/07/09/british-police-arrest-american-for-preaching-against-homosexuality-79367).

From Bizpac Review July 9, 2013 "Tony Miano, a retired sheriff’s deputy who was a chaplain with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, told Fox News he spent seven hours in jail after being charged with “using homophobic speech that could cause … anxiety, distress, alarm or insult” when passersby took exception to his reading from the writings of St. Paul to the Thessalonians."

Bill O'Reilly took the position that it is wrong for any person to publically tell another that they are going to hell because they are a homosexual. He went on to say that Jesus never used that approach in all his ministery.  Is he wrong or right?

One instance was when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who lived a busy-body type of religion, but had not love in their hearts: Matthew 23:33 " “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" Jesus not only called them snakes, but he informed them of their destination of going to hell; exactly what Bill O'Reilly said that Jesus never did! How wrong can he be?

Jesus is God. He said he is! That's in the New Testament. God said that his name is "I AM". When Jesus was walking on the water and the apostles wondered who he was the exact translation is that  Jesus said "I AM". In many other places Jesus admitted to be God incarnate!

Since Jesus is God what God says is what Jesus said, remembering that Jesus was God on earth who had taken on a human physical body. God strongly condemned homosexuality. He called it an abomination (disgusting)! 

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." (God destroyed two entire cities because of homosexuality).

God placed homosexuality in the same category as he did sins of idolotry. Why?  Idolators (pagans) practiced homosexuality and even had male and female homosexual temple prostitutes. It is clearly disgusting to the Lord! For a preacher to warn others of God's punishment for their sin is the ultimate in courage and love. Christians tell others about Christ, his love and grace!  To accept the grace offered by Jesus requires repentance. Repentance isn't possible without a knowledge of sin. Rebuking sin is how Christians are to convert others:

Proverbs 1:30 "They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof." "Reproof" is "rebuke" and both mean "to sharply criticize".  That's what Brother Miano was doing. He was using Scripture to rebuke!

Paul tells us what God's Word is for: 2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

Paul is saying that Scripture (The Old Testament at that time) is for reproof (sharply criticizing) sinners. He also says that Scripture is "given by the inspiration of God" and since Scripture called homosexuality "an abomination", that is from God! Who are we to question the creator of the universe?

And why would Christians criticize sinners? "For instruction in righteousness." God wants sinners to become righteous... to change sinful acts... to be Christlike!  Christians desire that none should perish, but that all should go to heaven. That includes the homosexual. Bro. Miano expressed the ultimate love. He risked persecution to tell others they're not lost if they only repent! He was arrested for his love!

Bill O'Reilly didn't know Scripture well enough to realize that we rebuke because we love just as God told us to do. He didn't realize that Jesus himself publicly rebuked sinners and even told them that they were bound for hell. Bill failed to see that Jesus was being intolerant (by today's political correctness) when he called a bunch of sinners "snakes", in public, no less!

Jesus is always portrayed as a loving God and He is! However, Jesus is also a just God and at the end Jesus will be the one who punishes. If we love and obey him now we'll never see nor experience that side of him!