The Book of Leviticus

Another fantastic post from David Plotz at Slate. He discusses several chapters from Leviticus, including passages that he loves and respects as well as some that he has real problems with. Toward the end of his entry, he has this to say:

"Where do I get off deciding certain Levitical laws are glorious and universal, true 4,000 years ago and true today (You shall not render an unfair decision; do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich), while others are archaic and should be tossed away (Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abhorrence.)? Fundamentalists solve this problem by accepting all the laws as true. But the rest of us—both those who believe the Bible was inspired by God and those who believe it's just a book—don't get off so easy. Unless you're willing to live in a Taliban-esque world of moral absolutism, in which adulterers and homosexuals are dragged from their beds and murdered, you have to pick and choose. We talk about the Bible, as if there is only one. But if there's anything I've learned from the e-mails you're sending me, it's that we all have our own Bible. We linger on the passages we love and blot out, or argue with, or skim the verses that repel us. My Bible, I suppose, has a very long Chapter 19, and a very short Chapter 18. What about yours?"

I think that's a very difficult question, and I'm interested to hear your responses. Do you think that all biblical laws and passages are still authoritative? If so, why? If not, how do you (and I mean you, personally) decide which biblical laws/passages are authoritative and which are no longer useful or binding?