Homosexuality and the Bible.

I have been meaning to post this for a while now. The past week I have been struck with strep and am still unable to get to class this morning, and felt this would be a great time to hopefully still contribute to class somehow from home. Two weeks ago we talked about the history of Heterosexuality, and during that class, a few students started the discussion of homosexuality's representation in the Bible. I regretfully didn't speak up in class, and have felt compelled to discuss these verses that I was taught in my Sunday School classes and current Bible studies at my United Methodist church from a somewhat more liberal viewpoint than other Christian perspectives.

Below is a compilation of verses and thoughts from an Ordained Elder of the United Methodist Church, a close friend of mine who has gathered information from published books by Christian authors and studied these verses in his Seminary endeavors.

Here is to some good food for thought and respectable discussion -

Homosexuality and the Bible / Christianity

To understand what the Bible says about homosexuality, we must read Scripture in context of the Biblical setting and modern day. Of course, I have a biased opinion of God’s thoughts on homosexuality. That is to say, I think that the love between two people has an honored place with God. What is the discussion to be about then? Well, if we notice the context of the Biblical text and modern discussion, we will see that the issues are not about relationships, but sexual acts. This is why I suggest conversation is nurtured around what relationships are most important to God. Hearing the words of Jesus Christ, to love your neighbor as yourself and to love God with all your heart, mind and soul, I understand that love between a woman and man, a man and man, and woman and a woman to be affirmed and honored by God.

Since the discussion of what the Bible says about homosexuality is how most people encounter each other, here are the Bible references to homosexuality and their “real” issues.

Genesis 19:1-11 Rape

The condemnation is against straight men of Sodom raping strangers to humiliate them. The nice thing to say is that they were not showing hospitality as was custom to visitors to a town. The reality is a gang of guys decided that they needed to show their toughness and took it out on innocent bystanders. Sure the sexual acts condemned are of a homosexual nature, but the reality is that the Sodomites are condemned for “de-humanizing” the strangers. This was an aggressive act of rape, rather than a loving relationship most homosexual partners are trying live out.

Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13 Uncleanliness (not Kosher, not right)

The book of Leviticus is a set of laws for the Jewish people. These two verses say it is unlawful for people to participate in homosexual activity. The scientific understanding of human reproduction was flawed in Old Testament times. They thought that male semen was all that was needed to make a child. The woman only carried the child. They didn’t know women produced an egg. So, homosexual activity went against nature and would not produce a child, which Jewish people thought should be the only reason for sexual activity. Pleasure and response to love was not part of sexual contact for Jewish people. The other practical application to understanding the concern for procreation (having a child) is that villages needed people to survive. If homosexual activity occurred, it went against procreation. Again, notice that the loving relationship between two people is not recognized in this condemnation of homosexual activity.

Deuteronomy 23:17-18, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10 Prostitution

These Scripture text against homosexuality are easy to see the discrepancy between relationship and sexual activity. The verses all are related to prostitution. The negative attributes against prostitution are the same today as they were in Biblical times. Prostitution sells out someone’s body. This is an act of slavery to give your body and sexuality over to another person for money rather than relationship and love. Basically prostitution does not respect and honor God’s beautiful creation of a person.

There are some very practical concerns against prostitution. When a person exposes themselves to many partners, the risk for STDs and other problems. Also, the person having sex with a prostitute, even just once, is exposed to the same risks as the prostitute.

Romans 1:26-27 (read Romans 1:18-32) Homosexuality is “unnatural”

Paul was writing from a Christian perspective in a Greek (non-Christian) world. For the Greeks, homosexual activity was socially acceptable. From Paul’s perspective though he saw that men (and women) whom he assumed were heterosexual were engaging in homosexual activity. He did not know about homosexual relationships and therefore the natural relationship Greek’s understood as homosexual attraction seemed unnatural to Paul. The bigger question with these verses is that we should understand other people’s point of view before passing judgment on their lifestyle. Just because one person does not have homosexual attraction does not mean everyone should not have homosexual attraction.

Other Discussions:

In the same discussion that the Romans verses bring up about understanding other person’s point of view, here are a few other comparisons that the Bible says something that modern people think differently about.

The Bible and Modern society agree that the following things should be rejected: Incest, Rape, Adultery, and Intercourse with animals.

The Bible condemns these things, but modern society does not: intercourse during menstruation, celibacy (in some places), naming of sexual organs, nudity (under certain conditions), masturbation, and birth control.

The Bible permits certain behaviors, modern society condemns: prostitution, polygamy, sex with slaves, concubines, treatment of women as property, very early marriage (11-13 year old girls)

Resources:

Human Rights Campaign – www.hrc.org

Anyone want to share their thoughts on this? - Ashley G.