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Human Rights
[ Biblical References to Homosexuality ]
Culled from "Of Love and Justice: Toward the Civil Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage," a resource developed by The United Church of Canada for congregations by Alyson C. Huntly.
Even though there is no record of Jesus having mentioned homosexuality or same-sex relationships, many Christians continue to believe that Jesus himself condemned homosexuality. Jesus did not. Instead he preached a message of radical inclusion, in stark contrast to the strict adherence to purity codes observed by many within his society.
So what does the Bible say about homosexuality? The short answer is, "nothing." The concept of homosexuality as a sexual orientation was unknown in biblical times.
The Bible does make a few explicit references to same-sex genital activity. Several of these texts have been used to assert a biblical condemnation of homosexuals and their relationships.
Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19, cf. Judges 19-21)
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah and a very similar story in Judges, has nothing to do with same-sex affection or sexual intimacy. Rather, it is about infringing ancient Near Eastern hospitality codes, and about gang rape as a violent expression of male dominance. In both stories, women are offered to men "to do with as they please." The women are offered as substitutes for male visitors that townsmen want to violate. In the story from Judges, the two women are gang-raped and murdered.
When later biblical texts refer to "the sin of Sodom," the sins referred to are arrogance, adultery, lies, insincere religious practices, political corruption, oppression of the poor, neglect of orphans and widows, and inhospitality. Homosexuality or same-sex sexual acts are not mentioned.
An Abomination (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13)
Leviticus states, "if a man lies with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination." The second reference adds, "they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them."
These acts were considered an abomination (which literally means a practice which prohibits one from entering the precinct of the Jewish temple) for several reasons.
Within the patriarchal culture when a man treated another man "like a woman" he degraded him, because women were considered non-persons. This was reflected in an ancient Near Eastern practice of anal raping of captured male foes as a sign of domination. In patriarchal societies, the worst and most degrading thing a man could do to another man is to use him as a woman might be used.
Secondly, the Hebrew understanding of procreation was that the sperm contained all of life. It entered the female body for incubation only. Thus, the spilling of sperm in coitus interruptus (Genesis 38:1-11), masturbation, or anal intercourse was like abortion or murder.
People who single out these verses to condemn lesbians and gays choose to ignore other prohibitions in the book of Leviticus such as being naked with next of kin (which was a crime); having sex during menstruation; breeding hybrid plants; wearing garments made of more than one type of fibre; eating rabbit, meat with blood or milk, shellfish, or shrimp; bearing tattoos; or males cutting the hair on their temples and trimming their beards.
Male Prostitutes (1 Corinthians 6:9)
Paul's list of "wrongdoers" -- those who "will not inherit the kingdom of God" -- includes male prostitutes. The Greek word, which is translated "Sodomites" or "homosexuals" in some versions of the Bible, refers to adolescent boys who sold sexual favours to older men in Greek towns such as Corinth.
Unnatural Relations (Romans 1:26-27)
In reference to women, Paul writes of women who exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural. The specific acts, which are against nature, are not specified. In the modern period this is often assumed to mean homosexuality. Pre-twentieth century Christians would have interpreted this to mean non-procreative sexual activity, or oral and anal sex.
The passage goes on to condemn men who, "giving up natural intercourse with women were consumed with passion for one another." In Paul's time there was no notion of homosexual orientation so Paul would have assumed that homosexual relations were unnatural for everyone. Gay and lesbian people have noted that a same-sex relationship would be unnatural for (against the nature of) a heterosexual person. But it would be very much according to the nature of a gay or lesbian person.
Paul uses these statements in a debate about the ritual requirements of Jewish law regarding diet and male circumcision. Ironically, these verses, which are so often quoted to judge and condemn homosexuals, were used rhetorically by Paul to denounce judgemental and self-righteous behaviour. Paul chose behaviour that would have been generally condemned in order to make his point. But his point was, "There is no one who is righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:9).
www.united-church.ca/humanrights/biblereferences.shtm
--
Go ahead and condemn me to hell. Tell me what a sick abomination I am. Tell me I am "wrong" and throw the same exact verses back at me. Play God like you always do. I will not be replying to anything you write. I am proud of my lifestyle, and thankful for all the amazing people in my life. I enjoy who I am and I live my life to the fullest.
Obviously I did not write this, so try not to shoot the messenger. If this angers you, then let it anger you, but don't retaliate childishly to someone who will have no reaction to your verbal vomit.
This is not intended to accuse any of you of being wrong, unlike you, I am not going to shove this down your throat. Whats written here has the exact same chance of being utterly wrong or completely right, as your opinions do. But just like all of you express on these forums, this is a simple expression of opinion based on biblical knowledge. Nothing else.
Chew on something different, for a change.
[ Biblical References to Homosexuality ]
Culled from "Of Love and Justice: Toward the Civil Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage," a resource developed by The United Church of Canada for congregations by Alyson C. Huntly.
Even though there is no record of Jesus having mentioned homosexuality or same-sex relationships, many Christians continue to believe that Jesus himself condemned homosexuality. Jesus did not. Instead he preached a message of radical inclusion, in stark contrast to the strict adherence to purity codes observed by many within his society.
So what does the Bible say about homosexuality? The short answer is, "nothing." The concept of homosexuality as a sexual orientation was unknown in biblical times.
The Bible does make a few explicit references to same-sex genital activity. Several of these texts have been used to assert a biblical condemnation of homosexuals and their relationships.
Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19, cf. Judges 19-21)
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah and a very similar story in Judges, has nothing to do with same-sex affection or sexual intimacy. Rather, it is about infringing ancient Near Eastern hospitality codes, and about gang rape as a violent expression of male dominance. In both stories, women are offered to men "to do with as they please." The women are offered as substitutes for male visitors that townsmen want to violate. In the story from Judges, the two women are gang-raped and murdered.
When later biblical texts refer to "the sin of Sodom," the sins referred to are arrogance, adultery, lies, insincere religious practices, political corruption, oppression of the poor, neglect of orphans and widows, and inhospitality. Homosexuality or same-sex sexual acts are not mentioned.
An Abomination (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13)
Leviticus states, "if a man lies with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination." The second reference adds, "they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them."
These acts were considered an abomination (which literally means a practice which prohibits one from entering the precinct of the Jewish temple) for several reasons.
Within the patriarchal culture when a man treated another man "like a woman" he degraded him, because women were considered non-persons. This was reflected in an ancient Near Eastern practice of anal raping of captured male foes as a sign of domination. In patriarchal societies, the worst and most degrading thing a man could do to another man is to use him as a woman might be used.
Secondly, the Hebrew understanding of procreation was that the sperm contained all of life. It entered the female body for incubation only. Thus, the spilling of sperm in coitus interruptus (Genesis 38:1-11), masturbation, or anal intercourse was like abortion or murder.
People who single out these verses to condemn lesbians and gays choose to ignore other prohibitions in the book of Leviticus such as being naked with next of kin (which was a crime); having sex during menstruation; breeding hybrid plants; wearing garments made of more than one type of fibre; eating rabbit, meat with blood or milk, shellfish, or shrimp; bearing tattoos; or males cutting the hair on their temples and trimming their beards.
Male Prostitutes (1 Corinthians 6:9)
Paul's list of "wrongdoers" -- those who "will not inherit the kingdom of God" -- includes male prostitutes. The Greek word, which is translated "Sodomites" or "homosexuals" in some versions of the Bible, refers to adolescent boys who sold sexual favours to older men in Greek towns such as Corinth.
Unnatural Relations (Romans 1:26-27)
In reference to women, Paul writes of women who exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural. The specific acts, which are against nature, are not specified. In the modern period this is often assumed to mean homosexuality. Pre-twentieth century Christians would have interpreted this to mean non-procreative sexual activity, or oral and anal sex.
The passage goes on to condemn men who, "giving up natural intercourse with women were consumed with passion for one another." In Paul's time there was no notion of homosexual orientation so Paul would have assumed that homosexual relations were unnatural for everyone. Gay and lesbian people have noted that a same-sex relationship would be unnatural for (against the nature of) a heterosexual person. But it would be very much according to the nature of a gay or lesbian person.
Paul uses these statements in a debate about the ritual requirements of Jewish law regarding diet and male circumcision. Ironically, these verses, which are so often quoted to judge and condemn homosexuals, were used rhetorically by Paul to denounce judgemental and self-righteous behaviour. Paul chose behaviour that would have been generally condemned in order to make his point. But his point was, "There is no one who is righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:9).
www.united-church.ca/humanrights/biblereferences.shtm
--
Go ahead and condemn me to hell. Tell me what a sick abomination I am. Tell me I am "wrong" and throw the same exact verses back at me. Play God like you always do. I will not be replying to anything you write. I am proud of my lifestyle, and thankful for all the amazing people in my life. I enjoy who I am and I live my life to the fullest.
Obviously I did not write this, so try not to shoot the messenger. If this angers you, then let it anger you, but don't retaliate childishly to someone who will have no reaction to your verbal vomit.
This is not intended to accuse any of you of being wrong, unlike you, I am not going to shove this down your throat. Whats written here has the exact same chance of being utterly wrong or completely right, as your opinions do. But just like all of you express on these forums, this is a simple expression of opinion based on biblical knowledge. Nothing else.
Chew on something different, for a change.
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