The Bible

It really irritates me how people who don't even read or understand the Bible try and use it against people who do. "Oh, so if you believe that homosexual acts are wrong, then you must believe in slavery because the Bible allows slavery, and if you don't follow certain rules, then you believe a person should be killed for something like not following the Sabbath. And you have to believe that pigs are dirty, filthy animals too because the Bible says so."

Right.

First off, the rules in the Old Testament were there for the Jews, God's chosen people, so that they would be set apart and holy from the rest of the pagans of that time. It now applies to us, but in a different way. The Sabbath is there as a day of rest so we don't get burnt out working seven days a week. It is also the day that God's people go to church to honor and worship him, thanking him for giving us this day of rest.

The Bible also does condone slavery. In God's eyes, there is no difference between a slave and a freeman. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). God even says that "he who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death," otherwise saying that any man who forces another man to become his slave should be put to death (Exodus 21:16). Because there was a lot of voluntary servitude, God didn't say they shouldn't, but instructed how a master and a servant should treat each other.

If you don't believe me, it says here: "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free" (Ephesians 6:5-9).

In the same way people were slaves to people, so do Christians call themselves "slaves of Christ" voluntarily and submit ourselves to him. The Bible never says that one should beat their slaves or force them to be slaves.

As for filthy animals in the Bible, there were animals deemed unclean in the Old Testament. It was to keep the Jews holy and set apart, as stated before. Pigs in particular were considered "unclean" because pigs eat anything and roll around in the mud. It wouldn't be good to let your holy people eat something that eats slop and rolls in the mud. However, because God has set apart the Jews, we Gentiles don't have that obligation to fulfill. The disciples never binded the Gentiles to follow the same exact rules as the Jewish, the chosen people. But in Genesis 9:1-4, it says:
"Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." Later, of course, there are rules on what to eat for the Jews, and Gentiles were seen as unclean then. And after Jesus came, we were all cleansed and given salvation if we so choose to accept it.

If you find it offensive that we have our beliefs and opinions that can differ from yours, then don't try to rub it in our faces. Good Christians try not to offend others by shoving our way of life down your throats, but we believe in what we believe. Believe what you want, but don't try to argue against us with our Holy Bible without understanding it properly. It's like any literature: there's a deeper meaning behind a lot of Scripture, something that we all might interpret differently. If there's anything that's said outright, it's something that God does not want us to misinterpret, though we sometimes do anyway. We pray for wisdom to understand His Word, and I ask that the rest of the world respect that, though I know this battle will always be going on until He comes again.