This is a multiple part blog. The first part is a look at scriptures that deal with homosexuality and an interpretation or look at them that is different from the normal traditional understanding. This is not necessarily my viewpoint so dont start throwing stones yet. The second part (or second blog depending on how long it gets) would be my personal opinion. Feel free to jump in with your ideas, opinions, understanding of what certain scriptures are saying. Ignorance is the father of bigotry. Lets put an end to it together.
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Leveticus 18:22 "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."
Leveticus 20:13 "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."
Deuteronomy 23:17-18 "No man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute [literally - dog] into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both."
I included the third because the behavior condemned here includes both hetero and homosexual prostitution.
All three of these porhibitions are a part of what is called the purity (or Kosher) code. While the moral code (commonly known as the Ten Commandments) is for all people for all time, the purity code is specifically for Orthodox Jews. After all, we don't restrict eating pork, having sex with a woman during her period, ceremonial washings, shaving, and many other aspects of the Kosher laws. So what right do we have to pick and chose? The New Testament makes it clear that these rules are no longer valid in the new covenant.
(Acts 10:9-16, Romans 14:14 etc)
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I Timothy 1:10-11 "Knowing this: that the law was not made for a righteous person but... for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust."
I Corinthians 6:9-10 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilerers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."
The word used here for "sodomite" ("pervert" in the NIV) in 1 Timothy and as "homosexuals" in 1 Corinthians is arsenokoitai. The word is found only a handful of times in Greek literature and none older than these two texts. It is difficult to say from the limited context what exactly the word means. In one case it is clearly used with regard to heterosexual marraiges: "In fact, many men even commit the sin of arsenokoitia with their wives." (Penitential of John the Faster).
There is a strong basis for believing that what is condemned in these texts is not homosexuality per se but rather pederasty. In ancient Greece, a young boy was considered the epitomy of erotic desire. Often an older male teacher (or tutor) would take advantage of his position and seduce or coerce his student into having sexual relations. Since the victim's attractiveness is in his youthfulness the boy would often do things to mask the oncoming of puberty and aging. One common technique these physically and psychologically abused boys would use is the assuming of effeminate mannerisms. Sooner or later they would become abandoned as their "tutor" would move on to someone younger. Often these abandoned boys would be suicidal or, if not, emotionally damaged for life.
Since Paul is writing one of these letters to Corinth, the most depraved of the Greek cities, and the other letter while ministering in Corinth, many believe that it is this filthy practise that he is condemning.
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Romans 1:26-27 "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."
It is becoming harder and harder for people to deny the fact that certain people are biologically created with homosexual tendancies. Although it is to early to make the claim definitively, many believe that Dean Hammer has actually identified the gene that causes it. (XQ28) It is in their nature for certain men (and women) to be homosexual. It is natural. Therefore, for these people a homosexual act would not be what is condemned here in Romans.
Who is condemned in this verse is those who are genetically, biologically heterosexual but who have committed homosexual acts that would for them be "unnatural". Wether the thrill, the deviancy, the convenience... whatever. These people are doing something that is counter to their nature and it is just as wrong for them to commit a homosexual act as it would be for a genetic homosexual to commit a heterosexual act.
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Again, this is not necessarily me speaking but rather me playing advocate. I may agree with some of this and disagree with other aspects but before putting my personal opinions up here I want to see what other people's reactions (straight, gay, Christian, nonchristian alike) and I will go from there. Please people, join the discussion.
my bro always says, its simply lust, not love, so thats the argument against homosexual marriage. i mean love is a choice, but the only way the bible describes homosexual relations is lust and 'unnatural'. he didnt design us that way, hence why he gave adam EVE! It all makes sense when you think about it in God's context. Homosexual relations are not honorable to God, and we weren't made for it! That's what it comes down to. Find it in the bible, and those key verses you've shown puts it point blank as well. if you seek God for answers, you'll surely find em! :)
wow...bj...okay i'm going to get personal here, so just take this for what it is, my opinion.
okay first and foremost, i honestly believe when we are put here, we have a mission. we have a purpose to be here and to accomplish something in our life. some it takes their whole life to do this, some it only takes a little while. i also believe that we are given trials and tribulations that we are to overcome to make us stronger individuals. HOWEVER, i don't know/understand the bible like i probably should, and thats my fault. honestly i don't think that "gays are going to hell". i don't feel that way. if we were all put here to love one another and live together in unity, then we have to accept diversity. and i am not saying this b/c i am gay, thats not why i'm saying this. i honestly believe that if your heart is right, and you honestly believe in your heart that you know who your savior is, then your interpretation of what the bible is saying is totally up to you. i feel like god left that part of the bible open so that the many interpretations would be made, thus the diversity that we are all supposed to harmonize and accept! i hope i have made my point/opinion clear. if not let me know and i'll expound on it! props to you! thanks for putting it in dummy terms!!! lol i tend to understand it better that way!!!!
Thank you for taking the time for reading this. I know you don't read much. ;) Thank you even more for being willing to reply with honesty and sincerity. You've made your point well. Don't be a stranger.
hey brother, this is an awesome blog! July 9th I wrote a blog that basically said the exact same thing. It was called Homophobia:the Truth. I think you could look at it and may be able to expand this blog. Have a blessed day. Shalom
Hm... something just dawned on me. Perhaps this "something" doesn't hold much value, but perhaps it does. It is this:
Is Romans 1:26-27 really saying that it is a sin to perform an act which goes against one's nature? Is it really saying that it is a sin for a genetically heterosexual person to participate in a homosexual act BECAUSE it is unnatural (and vice versa)? It doesn't seem that way to me. After all, our nature is to sin! So can it be considered a sin to live opposite of our sinful nature? (which is what God wants us to do)
I don't think this verse is declaring that homosexuality (or heterosexuality) is a sin because it is counter to one's nature.
I think the Greek word for "relations" is good to examine. Stemming from the word "Chraomai", which means to "use" or "usage", this passage can be saying that the natural use of either sex was exchanged for unnatural use. In other words, the sexual organs of men and women are naturally used with/for each other, but to use them in any other way is unnatural.
(these are just quick thoughts that came to my head)
I agree with Amy about God making Eve for Adam and not another Adam. Okay, here's a question. Why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if the law of the Old Testament only pertained to the Jews? I noticed that you completely left that out of the first blog. On another note. I do believe God called us to love others regardless of whether we agree with their choices. As a mom, I don't like it when my kids start honing on each other's weaknesses. After all, it's not really their place to judge or put each other in their place even if they know that their brother/sister has broken one of my rules. I think it's the same with God. He states in the New Testament quite a few times how he doesn't want us to judge each other.
On Sodom and Gomorrah... The issue in Sodom and Gomorrah is not homosexuality. The issue in Sodom and Gomorrah is something much deeper. Homosexuality is only a symptom. (And if there is a greater sin which is the greater forced sex or mutual sex?) In Sodom and Gomorrah's circumstance the context is forced sex. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were inhospitable and sought to use people. The deeper problem is the lack of respect for human life. And we cannot use this passage to say homosexuality is sin. We can use this text to know that disrespecting and taking advantage of others is a sin.
It should also be noted that in Genesis chapter 18 two things of interest happen. First, Abraham is shown to be doing the right kind of thing... caring for the needs of others, being hospitable, not taking advantage of people in the heat of the day (moment). In other other words Abraham models for us god-like hospitality. The kind of hospitality that sacrifices self for the sake of others (or at least looks towards others needs before one's own). Second, in Genesis 18:17-19, the author of Genesis gives us insight into God's thinking. It reads, Should I hide my plan from Abraham? the Lord asked. 18 For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.
Notice verse 18... Abraham a great and mighty nation... and all nations will be BLESSED through him.
And in verse 19... God has singled Abraham out to direct his children to keep God's way of doing rightly... Rightly to whom... to self, to others, to creation, to God.
Then we see what is happening in Sodom and Gomorrah verse 20... God has heard the cries of Sodom and Gomorrah... in other words people are being abused, taken advantage of... injustice is happening. Selfishness, greed and lust rule the day. God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah not because of homosexuality, but because of the great injustice to others that was happening there.
This 'story' of the Hebrew people was to continually remind them of the kind of people they were to be. Sodom and Gomorrah is the epitome of a world gone bad; and it is a reminder that anytime we begin to take advantage of others (sexually or otherwise) we have crossed the boundaries of God's way. We have begun doing more harm than good, and God will hear the cries of the people we abuse. This includes how respond to those who differ from us. Hospitality and respect are vital to becoming the kind of people God created us to be.
20 So the Lord told Abraham, I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.
Ezekiel 16:49,50 - Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
The sin of Sodom is that they were too much like most Americans.
... on your argument about people being born a certain way, you don't know this is why Jesus said we all must be born again?
cuz since the fall of men, everybody has been born with all kinds of things in them, and nobody is 'normal' by default.
and since there are genetic illness that people have and disease that people are born with or passed down, you don't also think that people can be born with spiritual disease? sure, all is born in sin, and shaped in wrong. the bible says that.
nobody will be rejected by God because of what they are born with, as we all were born of sin. It is rather or not a person receives the provision God made to make us new, and give us a new heart and life through His Son Christ Jesus.
If you don't believe God has the power to make somebody's heart new, then can you really then be a Christian?
u can't say u believe in God, and then deny His power (2 Tim 3:5).
as far as u playing advocate, be an advocate of Christ and truth. seek God's heart, and not man's approval.
u know what the world says, and u know what God created in the beginning as marriage, and you know what sex really is. two men in God's eyes cannot have 'sex' -- man created the other definitions of it but there is only one. male and female have the only autonomy to have 'sex' and therefore become 'one'
don't trust how people are born, man is fallen, the world is sinful. Instead trust God and all His love and power to change and make new.
and no, being gay doesn't make a person 'bad', but even the 'good' of this world is lost of they don't have truth.
as far as homosexual people, some of the best men are gay, but i always believed the devil goes after the best. which is why so many gay men are great, and straight men are ... anyway
u get the point
but I won't say i love people because they are gay, I love all people because they are people.
"on your argument about people being born a certain way, you don't know this is why Jesus said we all must be born again?"
Beautiful line. Beautiful truth. There's a lot of meat in what you have to say. Hold on... I've got one, maybe two more blogs before my line of thought reaches a conclusion. And again.
"I won't say i love people because they are gay, I love all people because they are people."
This blog wasn't the only place I posted this but since most people are reading it here I figured I'd copy a few other comments Id received (or comments of comments, etc)
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I see no reason why homosexuals cannot be christian. In fact I know quite a few who are...and aside from their "sinful" lifestyle of loving eachother, they are some of the most devout and kindhearted christians I know.
If a person cannot be be considered christian because of one sin, then all others cannot because of their various sins. Or are some sins more forgiveable than others?
- B
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Homosexuals can be Christian. Anyone can, provided they understand what that means. Homosexual BEHAVIOR and Christianity are incompatible.
- D
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YES!!!!!!!!!! God will forgive me...
- C
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dont care what your false idol thinks of me, if im living in the life of sin.. then i am a proud sinner...
- W
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Simple answer, yes, gays can be Christians. However, that doesn't mean they should do homosexual acts. Some would argue that doing homosexual acts and is just their nature so it should be natural and right. Problem is that the Bible clearly states that we must act against our sinful human nature. Homosexuality is just another part of that whole sinful nature. Besides, everyone else should not have sex until married to one they love, so that goes to show that control is needed over your urges either way. Point is that the Bible implies that homo sex should be treated like any other sort of defect. A person addicted to drugs should still resist doing drugs. C.S. Lewis puts it in a way like a man who lost an arm. He should learn to live without an arm much like how a homosexual man/woman should learn to live without sex (even straight people can do that).
- G
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I think gays have as much right as anyone to throw away reason and submit to superstition, but I don't see why they would want to. Why would anyone want to surround themselves with people that hate them due to their lifestyle?
Look I am an atheist through and through, but if there was a god that was all powerful I am 100% sure he would not care what any human being does in their own private sex life. FFS why the hell would anyone care? Oh yeah because they were indoctrinated into bigotry.
- R
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I think all Evangelical ministers are going to pergatory where they have to wear short shorts and work out with Richard Simmons every day and gays are going to heaven where Tripskii will be their God ;o)
- K
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Christianity could be the cause of homosexuality.... Just my theory though, yet to be proven.
The Orthodox Church teaches that homosexuality is a sin just as sexual immorality, sodomy, fornication, and adultery are. It is a vice that certain people have to struggle with more than others do. None of us can answer the question of "what God thinks" but interpreting the biblical scripture by yourself with no guidance from a spiritual father can lead to misconceptions and misinterpretations. Some people struggle with gluttony, others with fornication, everyone struggles with something or multiple things and "has their cross to bear". It is up to us, if we truely want to live a Christian life, to try as hard as we can (even though we will often fail) to live life as Christ, the Bible, and the Church instructs us to. This includes refraining from homosexuality, which is clearly listed in the the Bible and reinforced by the church as a sin.
As for the so called "gay gene". I am not an expert on the science on it, but I know that it is disputed and nothing is definitive when it comes to this topic. If I had to speculate based on all my knowledge on whether people are "born gay", I would say that we are in a fallen state as man. Adam fell, thus in this current world on Earth we have sin, corruption, genetic mutations and variations, and also sicknesses. I would maybe speculate that the "gay gene" is a result of this fallen nature. I AM NOT SAYING THAT BEING GAY IS A DISABILITY, OR THAT ANYONE WITH THIS GENE IS A PHYSICAL ABOMINATION. I AM NOT SAYING THAT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SHOW THIS GENE OR DO NOT HAVE HOMESEXUAL TENDENCIES ARE PERFECT. Everyone has vices. Did you ever hear of anyone saying they have "an addictive personality"? This might cause someone to over-eat, over-drink or become addicted to drugs or alcohol more so than another person. There are some studies that suggest this can possibly be genetic. There are people who might have a personality or genes that cause them to become angry quicker, or have a harder time controlling their temper. This person will struggle more with the sin of anger or wrath. Then maybe someone who might have this alleged "gay gene" might struggle with homosexual urges. We are all flawed and all fallen, and we need to trust in God that with faith, and with PARTAKING OF THE SACRAMENTS ESPECIALLY THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, that we can overcome these tempations and vices and enter paradise when we die.
I am sorry if I offended anyone, I tried hard to watch my words.
- bismillah I have as not yet read your entire essay on homosexuality because I wrote one to my family in our newsletter that, as a Muslim Imam (to them, as Christians, like a Minister or a Pastor of religion) came at them as a complete surprise. I said that in the deen (religion) of Islam, the punishment in Qur'an for homosexuality was not so much in the Act itself but in the fact that they brought their Shameful Deeds out in the Public, they came out of the closet so to speak. You dig? They brought it to Lot's doorstep! Think about the then and now. As musical people of New Orleans say, "they are taking it to the streets" and in New Orleans, the ONLY time deviants are allowed to Parade is at Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) that precedes the Fasting month of Catholics called Lent, where you give up something for 40 days before Easter, and the return of the Messiah! The day after Mardi Gras is called Ash Wednesday, and they place a prayer mark on their foreheads that a muslim is 'supposed' to have from a lot of nafl salat. (you rarely get one, maybe dim, from obligatory salat) We as muslims are supposed to seek the 'similarities' in religion and not quick to criticize as Allah says to ALL of us (not just to Mohammed the Prophet!) "Come to 'common' terms" with people of other faiths (and quit wearing muslim like a label BE ONE!) We are the people in America that Ameer Salaam, Jesus, The Prince of Peace, spoke of. We are in the Land of the Peace Corps and Cat Stevens - Yusuf Salaam - is trying to Lead the Damn Peace Corps and he is way over there in England or Britain which is not so Damn Great anymore, but Hitler rained BOMBS on Britain and the ONLY bomb America recognizes in 9/11. But the Japanese remember Hiroshima and Naggasaki (spell it right for me) for Easterners have long memories, they can memorize the ENTIRE QUR'AN! Imagine that for a moment and wonder how Great your imagination is. For we, the FOI of America are your brothers and - sorry - We do not take no **** from anybody, be it fellow muslims or fools! Malcolm X and I have a low tolerance for ignorance. We come, as Muslim African Americans in Peace but remember, "We do not take **** from anybody cuz we got enuff of that in Slavery JUST LIKE BILAL! And we are callers to Worship, not just salat, We are callers to the SERVICE of Allah and believe you me (as imam wali Ra'oof likes to say) that aint no ****. Which i(****) a slippery Western Word for Shiites! You listening with a heart full of love for the African American people? Or do you have a lot of (white/black) BULL **** in your brain? That's some heavy ****! No **** (?), imam, really? - imam wali A former musician who had to give up his horn for awhile and NOBODY but Allah can tell me not to play my horn because Gariel, Jibril, was born in New Orleans and his name is Wynton Marsalis and The Saints are Marching in. A 'wali' is a Saint. You dig? And even the sissies can march on mardi gras in New Orleans, but only on that one day, because the next day they must FAST (Lent) and PRAY! And Allah will decide if he wants to drop a Bomb on their nasty ass or set them on FIRE! So they become quiet in Lent (like Ramadan) and pray, fast and think.
I love this blog. I have a huge problem with Christians who use the bible to justify HATE. As you probably know, the bible was also used to justify slavery (being black= the mark of Cain). I have a book on my amazon.com wishlist called "God is not a Homophobe", now I really need to buy that. Or I guess I can finish reading the rest of this blog series and then take it off the list ;)
People often quote leviticus, but like you said, leviticus was rules for the priestly cast. And frankly, even if you accept what Paul says about homosexuality as being very clear cut and literal, Paul doesn't seem ok with any sex at all.
BJ- I typically read your blogs, and never comment on them. They are great. I applaud you for stepping into this arena, many would stay outside of this one in particular. I do believe that homosexuality is a sin, regardless of whether someone is born that way or not. I do think that some people are born with at the very least more of a propensity to be homosexual. I never would have though that until I have seen my youngest son growing up for the last 5 years. If ever there was a child born gay, it would be him. Maybe he will outgrow it. Regardless that doesn't matter. I do think homosexuality is a sin. HOWEVER, we are all sinners. And as much as we try, we will all ALWAYS be sinners. One kind of sin is no worse than another. Homosexuals are no worse than I am. I ask God to forgive me, I ask God to help me change, to become a better more Chirstlike person. I believe that God will and IS doing that. EVERYDAY. But guess what, I'm not perfect yet. I still sin. I don't think that means I am not trying hard enough, or that I don't believe enough, and I don't think that means I am going to hell. That being said, I do not think Homosexuality is right. I think God does not want any of us to be Homosexuals. And those with a propensity for the same sex, I think should really try to focus their attention on God and perhaps remain celebate. That statement is likely to enrage all homosexuals " straight people can have sex, but gay people can't?" I can hear it now... all my friends are going to come and stone me. As it happens I have a lot of homosexual friends. I have no idea what you are trying to get at, we will see I suppose, but my job, here on earth is to love people as Jesus loves people. And Jesus loved everyone while he was on earth, treated everyone with love and kindness. That's my job. I am neither judge nor jury.
Being as you have several lengthy comments and I have very limited time... :)... lol... I did not read any of the comments other made on your article... just the article itself... so, I apologize if any of this is already said.
In my humble opinion(though I love to think on things) at the end of the day it simply comes down to any relationship outside of marriage whether heterosexual or homosexual is disguising in God's site... what I don't get is why we make homosexual activity out to be so much more disgusting! Joshua Harris, the author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, actually mentions a moment when he was walking down a street and was hit on by men catcalling him from a car... he was so disgusted by this he complained to God and God's response to him was something along the lines of "Your lust for women is just as disgusting in my site" ... sin is sin... homosexual or heterosexual. People who walk around with signs that say stuff like faggots, God hates you etc. .. should have rocks thrown at them(lol not very Christ like I know but its my honest opinion. ) I believe we should love people living in sin, be there for them practically, and pray for them. IF GOD IS TRULY ALIVE IN US THAT WILL BE UNDENIABLE. God will deal with peoples hearts. Until HE has their heart... it's kinda hard for anything else we say or preach to mean a hill of beans to anyone. Why should anyone give up an immediate comfort they are used to for a God who as far as their concerned either doesn't exist or doesn't have anything to do with them. As far as the scriptures go, you used OT scriptures to make a clear case about the condemnation of homosexual acts amongst the jews. But then, you posed the idea that since we don't follow some of the other old laws why is this one different? we shouldn't pick and choose. This is an interesting thought; however, even after trying to pull the rug out from under common verses later found in the NT(which I do believe to be speaking on homosexuality) you left Romans alone and merely just worked with the idea that they had been given over to this so now it was natural. So, with that in mind even though there is no following statement about burning in hell... homosexuality is clearly not a good thing in God's site even if we only find a clear NT reference once in Romans. TO me it doesn't matter if a subject appears a hundred times in the bible or once... God's word is God's word. There is no Direct statement of hellfire and brimstone following in Romans 1 but it is made so clear that the act of the unnatural relationship between two woman or two men is a) against God b) sick and put up with all the other things that displease God and will not be found in heaven: Rom 1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, Rom 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; {they are} gossips, Rom 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, Rom 1:31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; Rom 1:32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
I might be simple minded but I believe homosexuality is in fact a sin. I believe there are those who are born with what we call " homosexual tendencies" .... I have yet to really hear conclusive research on genes such as you listed.... however, I have heard interesting studies which have been conclusive in animals where hormones are given at certain points during gestation and the animals are altered as far as their sexual behavior. However, we serve a God that is clear in HIS will for us, and in whom ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, and who even though he may have given some over to a reprobate mind or generational curse or some sort does in fact give us a way out if we firstly believe... secondly receive Those who call upon the Lord will not be put to shame. There is a way out. Firstly for people not born with this problem which is THE MAJORITY just dont go there!... secondly if you have or if you were born and feel that it is something that has been with you since you can remember turn your heart towards God. End story. This is getting way to long now sorry. God bless.
The argument that homosexuality is only sinful when it is against one's nature can be easily dismissed because heterosexual sex is very clearly defined as sinful when it is not against one's nature.
Jesus did not specifically condemn homosexuality, but He did say, quoting Genesis, that "at the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This speaks very clearly of a marriage relationship. Such a relationship is obviously sexual, and the Bible is quite clear that for a man and a woman to engage in sexual relations outside of marriage is sinful. So, from this verse, one can deduce that homosexual marriage is NOT part of God's plan and intent. It can also be deduced that, because heterosexual relations outside of marriage are sinful and condemned, that homosexual relations outside of marriage are probably also sinful and condemned.
There are a lot of commandments in Scripture that are based upon principles or upon the nature of God. For example, "thou shalt not murder" is based upon the principle that we are supposed to love one another because God has loved us. The extensive ceremonial cleanliness laws were based upon a principle of purity before God because God is a Holy God. You can look at the laws in the Old Testament that we not bound to follow as the Jewish people were and say, "well that doesn't apply any more today" or we can look for the principle or the aspect of the nature of God contained therein. Sexual intimacy was intended to be something shared between people in an exclusive covenant relationship as a picture of the exclusivity of intimacy we are meant to have in our covenant relationship with God. As a matter of fact, God compares our unfaithfulness to Him through idolatry to unfaithfulness in marriage through adultery.
Now the tough question: why would a loving, just God make people with a gay gene? The answer is that it is caused by the fallen, messed up state of mankind caused by sin. More specifically, I believe that the gay gene is different from sin - it is caused by iniquity. Iniquity is different from sin. In Isaiah 53:5, it says that Jesus was "pierced for our transgressions" and "bruised for our iniquities." Those are two different words/concepts. Iniquity comes from a root that means crookedness and twistedness. Iniquity is generally the crookedness that is a result of sin. I think that things like a "gay gene" are really manifestations of iniquity. We tend to think of stuff like that as being something that exists in a spiritual realm of a person's being, but genetics are beginning to show that this crookedness works its way down into a person's genetic code.
Furthermore, iniquities can be inherited from parents and continue/grow throughout generations. A verse commonly used for this concept is Exodus 20:5 "You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them [idols]; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments." If you dissect it in the original Hebrew, it is hard to tell what the "visiting" thing means. I will admit that this by itself is weak support, but there are a number of anecdotal illustrations of this concept in Scripture.
The most obvious would be Adam's iniquity passing down to all of humanity. The next example we see is Cain killed his brother and later had a son, Lamech. Lamech is recorded as telling his wives, "I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times!" It is a peculiar detail to be recorded in Scripture, but from it we can see that Cain killed one person and Lamech has inherited the same crookedness and has killed at least two (if one assumes his words to be somewhat literal). I think that Lamech's comment about him being avenged 77 times versus his father's 7 times points to his iniquity, or crookedness, being even greater than that of his father.
Another Scriptural example is King David. In Psalm 51:5, he says that (NASB) "I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." That, combined with the fact that Jesse left him out to tend the sheep when the prophet was coming over and wanted to see his sons has led many to the conclusion that David was actually an illegitimate child. So we can see that Jesse committed fornication. David later committed adultery with Bathsheba, in addition to having quite a few wives and concubines. (Exodus 17:15-17 says that the king of Israel "shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away." So, whether polygamy was forbidden for everyone is unclear, but the king is specifically forbidden from "multiplying wives.") Then we see that same iniquity passed down to Solomon who 300 wives and 600 concubines, most definitely in violation of that command in Exodus and also clearly exhibiting the result of his heart turning from the Lord.
Iniquity - that crookedness that can even corrupt us down to our genetic code - can be present in a person from conception. The heritability of iniquity is why so many offenses, including homosexual behavior, warranted the death penalty in the Old Testament. It wasn't merely a matter of punishing someone or deterring others from the same behavior - it was about purging that iniquity from among the people of Israel because otherwise it will continue on through that person's descendants and spread.
The good news is that, whereas there was no cure or atonement for iniquity in the Old Testament, Jesus was bruised for our iniquities. 1 John 1:9 says that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness [iniquity]." Through Jesus, it is possible to have iniquities cleansed, the crookedness made straight.
I love it when people's comments are longer than my origional blogs. ;) You came at the issue from directions I wanted to in my next two blogs, but couldn't fully explore for brevity's sake. For those that only read the short comments... scroll back up. Even if you don't fully agree, this one was well thought out and delivered and is worth your time.
I read the blog.. and while I agree with the majority of it.. there is something i disagree with:
I do understand that the views stated in your blog are not necessarily your views.. but the part that states that there is a gene that causes homosexuality.. how can that be?
Sometimes people tell me.. well this person was born a homosexual.. but how can that be?
My argument is this:
God loves us and created us. Those two facts are undisputed. But in Romans 2 and Leviticus 18:22, it clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination to God.
Why then.. would God create people whom He loves.. yet are an abomination to Him? It doesnt make sense. Unless of course it was a result of inceste.. or something that God also says in Leviticus 18, not to do.
This is not an attack on you.. just merely an observation.
I applaude you for this intelligent, open minded, and I belive Spirit driven discussion. I am not homosexual. But I have to admit, I have been struggling for a very long time with the religious aspects of it because my heart really breaks for the "true" homosexual community of believers (and by "true" I mean people who were obviously born that way, not people who choosing it as a lifestye to rebel or be 'vogue' in this day and age).
I had a very close friend who passed away a few years ago. She was kicked out of the catholic church for being a lesbian and lost faith, possibly, because of it. My heart bleeds for her now that she has passed and I don't know if she ever really knew Jesus and accepted what he did on the cross for her because of that church. But the catholic church is not the only one guilty of doing this to people, I know.
I am still searching for answers on this subject but I rest assured that God knows what is in people's hearts and that is what really matters to Him. He proved that fact over and over in the OT and that is what Jesus preached. Therefore, until I have reason to believe otherwise, I absolutely DO believe that naturally born homosexuals who are believers, are just as good and righteous in God's eyes as the rest of us. Either way, we are NOT the judges! God is and we are to leave that task to him anyway. Our job is to love and spread the good news of Jesus...that is what Jesus preached.
I agree with Josue. In Romans God shows us that we are a slave to sin and that we are born into sin, therefore if someone is born homosexual they need to repent of their sin and turn from it, just like everyone was born with original sin we need to repent of it, we don't accept sin because it is our nature, we need to reject sin cause it goes against GOD. I think the Greek tutor student thing is a far stretch, God is not only condemning the student tutor act of homosexuality in Corinth but he is condemning any act of it idolatry, thievery, coveting and any other sin listed there in Corinthians.
i hope this can bring some light on to it please comment back
Wow! What a can of worms you opened! (grin) I appreciate the chance to see things in a new light and to test my previous assumptions, but at someone born with a huge tendency to rage, I can tell you we are sometimes born with sinful tendencies and we have to fight them, not proudly stand by what is natural to us. If I did that, my kids might be really messed up people. (scary thought)
I think what he means is - why many people hate hosoemxuality is because they have a pre-set opinion that it's disgusting, etc, but they cannot help thinking about the disgusting sex when they think about us, and that reinforces their hatred..Crisp didn't make a whole of sense all the time. He was selling wit, and wit can be funny if you don't carry it too far. Just my take.
