Cherry Picking the Bible- Leviticus and Other OT Rules

I don't know why people have a buffet style method. I suspect they choose those aspects that alread fit their life.From an historical perspective, you ahve to look at what Leviticus was supposed to be. It , for the most part, was rituals and customs that dealt with the priesthood, and the temple.For example, in Levitucus 20, when discussing the sexual realtionship with a slave if she is 'bethrothed' to another man, Although technically the betrothal has not happened (since she still is a slave), it is saying that the offense against God still has to be dealth with. The "ashram" offering of guilt has to be satisified (see levitucus 5:14-26). So, in the context of the time, it is basically saying that devotion to god has to meet the spirit, rather than just the legalities.THen, look at the mixed fabric prohibition. The Priestly fabrics of the time were made of linen and wool. By prohibiting people to use the same kind of fabrics as the priests, it was making a seperation between the sacred and the mundane.Now, when it comes to 'a man also lie with a woman'. .. you have to also some other parts of the bible. The 'homosexual' act for the ancients was basically an act of force associated with humiliation, revenge or subjecation (see The Jewish Study Bible, page 251). It is this act of humilation via sex that they are talking about (at least one interpretation, also see Judg 19.22). They were not talking about a loving same-gender relationship, because they didn't acknowledge that existed at all. Now, the Orthodox Jews also have certain sexual
restrictions, but that is more about the 'waste of seed'.. (silly in my opinion, but hey, different strokes and all).I don't think that the laws of the Leviticus are even UNDERSTOOD for what they were by most. The cultural context has been lost, or made irrelevent. The translation of 'abomination' is actually better translated as 'ritualistically unclean'. And, it specifically dealt
with the Jewish relationship to the temple, and rules that the priests have to follow also.

Out of the 613 laws on the book, many are currently invalid, since they specifically deal with the Temple, and there isn't any temple.Out of the ones that are left, God does not 'enforce' any of them. They are rituals and restrictions that the Jews have 'chosen' to follow to be able to live a more sanctified life, and become closer to god.

That specific one is because the Priests wore linen and wool, and that was specifically a prohibition against the masses not to mix the sacred and the mundane.Personally, it seems elitist to me. However, the ancient jews put a lot of effort in seperationg the sacred from the normal life.

From my perspective.Acts was directed at the gentile converts to christianity. It was a marketing ploy. Get rid of the harder restrictions to follow, and you get more people willing to convert.

Tell me, how is that cherry picking different than any other denomination?

I don't think it is possible to look at the entire bible , either entirely literal, or not, and NOT cherry pick. Each an every passage has more than one interpretation about what it truely means, and each and every person who uses the bible as a spiritual guide will chose amoung the various interpretations to pick the viewpoint that will have personal meaning to them.One of the traditional methods of studying talmud emphasis's this. Someone will have a passage opened up, and then surround the passage with the various commentary, and then follow the various commentary, so the meaning 'opens up like a flower'

That is still in use today, yes. I don't know if all the implications into 'initiation' are the same, but the technique is the same.