You asked, so I'll tell you my views as well as how I perceive the world viewing the evangelicals on these two hot button topics.
About abortion, the civil laws have no business forcing a theological view of some, onto others who hold to a different theological view of when a human being starts existence. So, in line with older views and the earlier translations, I'd make civil law against abortion begin at 15-20 weeks, NOT earlier. I base that on such statements as by 19th century Adam Clarke on Exodus 21:22 -
"But if mischief followed, that is,
if the child had been fully formed, and was killed by this means, or the woman lost her life in consequence, then the punishment was as in other cases of murder-the person was put to death; Ex 21:23."
This is in line with Exodus 21:22, 23 as translated in the LXX as used by Jesus and the Apostles -
"And if two men strive and smite a woman with child, and her child be born imperfectly formed, he shall be forced to pay a penalty: as the woman's husband may lay upon him, he shall pay with a valuation.
But if it be perfectly formed, he shall give life for life," (Exod 21:22-23, LXXE)
Historically, v22 has been understood as "miscarriage" and that is how the 1977 NASB translated it, but when fundamentalist modernists saw that hurt their anti-abortion ideas, the later NASB translations switched to some form of premature birth.
It is so obvious to translate to support your already held belief.
The evangelicals can stop pretending they hold the ONLY biblical view on the topic. Even our founding fathers, such as James Wilson, saw that a fetus gains legal status at viability, not conception.
Intelligent people of the world can see the difference between the sodomitic behavior condemned in the scriptures and a simple case of same sex relationships. The sexual sin of Sodom was attempted rape and the destruction of Sodom was described by God in the following:
"As I live, saith the Lord, this Sodom and her daughters have not done as thou and thy daughters have done. Moreover this was the sin of thy sister Sodom, pride: she and her daughters lived in pleasure, in fullness of bread and in abundance: this belonged to her and her daughters, and they helped not the hand of the poor and needy. And they boasted, and wrought iniquities before me: so I cut them off as I saw fit." (Ezek 16:48-50, LXXE)
(again from the translation used by Jesus and the apostles)
On 1 Cor. 6:9, the 2021 NRSV Updated Edition put explanatory notes on the two questionable words in the Greek writing:
a "male prostitutes" 6.9 Meaning of Gk uncertain
b "men who engage in illicit sex" 6.9 Meaning of Gk uncertain
You can read various translations and it is clear that there is NO consensus on what the words mean for certain and it has been true back in history, not just today.
Christians can disagree on such matters as abortion and same-sex relationships, but when the world sees the nasty, hate-filled dogmatism of the evangelicals, they reject it, as is quite understandable. If you do not think the evangelicals come across as nasty and hating, just read evangelical's statements you find online. Evasions such as "love the sinner but hate the sin" is such an obvious cover for hate toward persons, and it is received as such.
My view is, on abortion, a cut off point of 15-20 weeks is legitimate in civil law, as it was at the founding of America. On the topic of same-sex conduct, laws about abuse and sodomy should be the only concern of civil law. If some Christians don't like same-sex relationships and abortion before 15 weeks, then those Christians should certainly not engage in it for it would violate their own conscience. But you get a rebellion from the world trying to force your conscience onto the public at large by civil law. It is amazing how so many Baptists who were historically known by their insistence on separation of church and state, are now so strong in wanting government to regulate consciences. By the way,
marriage is ONLY between man and woman, period! It may be, the evangelical nastiness lost them such credibility at the start on matters of same-sex relationships, they had no influence on the matters of who qualifies as marriage partners.
It is easy to go to
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng.html and read through over 100 commentaries from the past and some modern. You'll find that there has NOT been agreement among Christians on these topics over the years and to pretend that evangelicals today have the only true understanding is untrue.
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