Bible verse that says homosexuality is a sin
The Bible on Homosexual Behavior
One way to argue against these passages is to make what I call the “shellfish objection.” Keith Sharpe puts it this way: “Until Christian fundamentalists boycott shellfish restaurants, stop wearing poly-cotton T-shirts, and stone to death their wayward offspring, there is no obligation to listen to their diatribes about homosexuality being a sin” (The Gay Gospels, 21).
In other words, if we can disregard rules like the prohibit on eating shellfish in Leviticus , then we should be allowed to disobey other prohibitions from the Old Testament. But this argument confuses the Senior Testament’s temporary ceremonial laws with its permanent moral laws.
Here’s an analogy to help understand this distinction.
I remember two rules my mom gave me when I was young: hold her hand when I cross the highway and don’t drink what’s under the sink. Today, I contain to follow only the latter rule, since the former is no longer needed to guard me. In fact, it would now do me more hurt than good.
Old Testament ritual/ceremonial laws were like mom’s handholding command. The rea
Was Homosexuality the Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?
The old guy then responds just as Lot did, saying in verses 23 and 24, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t execute this outrageous thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will carry them out to you now, and you can utilize them and carry out to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t undertake such an outrageous thing.”
Unfortunately, with no angels present this time to end the attack, the men in Gibeah are able to carry out their plans. Verse 25 horrifyingly tells us that “the guy took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they consent her go.” But she didn’t continue the brutal sexual violence. As the next verses elucidate, in the morning, the Levite create her lying expired in the doorway.
This is among the most horrific stories in the Aged Testament, and it’s impossible to peruse it without feeling sick to your stomach. But as gruesome and disturbing as it is, it provides us with a clarify picture of what the men of Sodom h
Leviticus
“You shall not myth with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”[1] It is not a surprise that this verse seems to say that queer male sex is forbidden in the eyes of God. The dominant view of western Christianity forbids same-sex relations. This verse is one of the clobber passages that people cite from the Bible to condemn homosexuality. This essay first looks at the various ways the verse is translated into the English Bible and then explores some of the strategies used to create an affirming translation of what this route means for the LGBTQ community. More specifically, it presents the interpretation of K. Renato Lings in which Lev. refers to male-on-male incest.
While Lev. is used to condemn homosexuality, we must realize that the term “homosexuality” was only recently coined in the English language. So did this term live in ancient Israel? Charles D. Myers, Jr. confirms that none of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible mention homosexuality.[2] He also contends that in ancient Israel same-sex relations were viewed as an ancient Near East challenge. The anc
This article is part of the Tough Passages series.
Listen to the Passage
Read the Passage
24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged innate relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.29They were filled with all behavior of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are entire of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, dis