The Bible and homosexuality

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There are a number of direct references to homosexuality in the Bible.[1] In Mosaic law, male homosexuality is identified as an "abomination". In the New Testament, Paul of Tarsus condemns arsenokoitēs, a term related to male homosexuality that is open to much interpretation; it could mean male homosexual acts, male prostitution, or sex with men in general (hetero- or homosexual). Paul also makes reference to female homosexuality when he refers to "unnatural relations" between women in the Epistle to the Romans.

Contents

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

Main article: Homosexuality in the Hebrew Bible

Leviticus 18 and 20

Chapters 18 and 20 of Leviticus, which form part of the Holiness code, contain the following verses:

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination.[2](Leviticus 18:22 KJV)
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.[3](Leviticus 20:13 KJV)

The two verses have traditionally been interpreted by fundamentalist Christians as blanket prohibitions against homosexual acts.

Possible references

See also: Sodom and Gomorrah

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis has traditionally been interpreted within Christianity as a punishment for homosexuality due to the interpretation that the men of Sodom wished to rape the angels sent to retrieve Lot. This interpretation became so prevalent that the name Sodom became the basis of the word sodomy, still a legal synonym for homosexual and non-procreative sexual acts, particularly anal sex. However, homosexuality is never clearly identified as the sin for which Sodom was destroyed, and in Ezekiel 16:49-50 the specific sin for which Sodom was destroyed is identified as arrogance and apathy towards the poor.[4]

The Hebrew Bible uses the word kedeshah for prostitute. The meaning of the male form kadesh or qadesh is not entirely clear.[5] Some translations imply a male cultic attendant, apparently with some sexual implication. The account of the friendship between David and Jonathan in the Books of Samuel, depicted by traditional and mainstream religious interpretation as a relationship of platonic love, has been interpreted by some secular writers as being of a sexual nature.[6][7]

Passages from the New Testament

Main article: Homosexuality in the New Testament

Romans 1

“ (26) Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. (27) In the same way the 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. ”

However, it says in verse 27, "In the same way...", which is a comparative phrase, meaning that the women in verse 26 practiced unnatural relations in the same way that the men in verse 27 did, through homosexuality. This passage is also debated, both in terms of its relevance today and in terms of its actual prohibition.[8] Most Christian denominations maintain that this verse is a complete prohibition of all forms of homosexuality.[9][10][11][12][13] However, some contend the passage is not a blanket condemnation of homosexuality at all,[14][15][16] and some argue that Paul's writings must be considered fallible because of his support for slavery and the oppression of women.[17][18][19][20][21]

Other Epistles

In the context of the broader immorality of his audience, Paul of Tarsus wrote in the First Epistle to the Corinthians,

“ Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, arsenokoitēs, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) ”

The word arsenokoitēs (ἀρσενοκοίτης) has challenged scholars for centuries, and has been variously rendered as "abusers of themselves with mankind" (KJV), "sodomites" (YLT), or "men who practice homosexuality." Greek ἄῤῥην / ἄρσην [arrhēn / arsēn means "male", and κοίτην [koitēn] "bed," with a sexual connotation": there is no evident reason for Paul to choose this word to signify homosexuality, as Greek has the word androkoitēs for this meaning. It is likely that arsenokoitēs is taken from the Septuagint (LXX) reading of Leviticus 20:13 where the root forms (Greek ἄῤῥην / ἄρσην [arrhēn / arsēn] and κοίτην [koitēn] both appear. Paul's use of the word in 1 Corinthians is the earliest example of the term; its only other use is in a similar list of wrongdoers given (probably by the same author) in 1 Timothy 1:9–10:

“ Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, fornicators, arsenokoitēs, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. (1 Timothy 1:8–10) ”

Later Christian literature used the word to mean variously prostitution, incest or rape without any single clear meaning – Patriarch John IV of Constantinople, in a passage dealing with coercive and non-procreative sex, speaks of "...many men [who] commit the sin of arsenokoitia with their wives".[22] Other scholars have interpreted malakoi and arsenokoitēs as referring to weakness and effeminacy, or to the practice of exploitative pederasty.[23][24]

See also

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LGBT portal

References

  1. ^ David Hilborn (2002, p. 1)
  2. ^ Leviticus 18:22 KJV
  3. ^ Leviticus 20:13 KJV
  4. ^ Ezekiel 16:49-50
  5. ^ Anderson, Ray Sherman (2001), The shape of practical theology: empowering ministry with theological praxis, InterVarsity Press, p. 267, ISBN 9780830815593, http://books.google.com/?id=CagagOo11-QC&pg=PA267 
  6. ^ Boswell, John. Same-sex Unions in Premodern Europe. New York: Vintage, 1994. (pp. 135–137)
  7. ^ Halperin, David M. One Hundred Years of Homosexuality. New York: Routledge, 1990. (p. 83)
  8. ^ Interpretations of Romans 1:26-27 by Religious Liberals, Religious Tolerance
  9. ^ Mark Hertzog (1996). NYU Press. p. 58. ISBN 0814735304. http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=uVdmGZpSyr8C&pg=PA58. 
  10. ^ http://bible.org/article/homosexuality-christian-perspective Homosexuality: The Christian Perspective
  11. ^ http://www.catholic.com/library/Homosexuality.asp
  12. ^ http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_eccdc.htm THE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND HOMOSEXUALITY
  13. ^ http://www.holy-trinity.org/morality/homosexuality.html Orthodox Statement on Homosexuality
  14. ^ Mentioning the Unmentionable. Nelson, Eugene Jr. (Rev.), 12 Oct 1997, Community Church of Sebastopol
  15. ^ Romans: Exposing The Lie That Paul Condemns Homosexuality
  16. ^ Romans 1: Read the Whole Chapter Kiddo. Cadonau-Huseby, Anita
  17. ^ Way, Ron (2011-05-13). "The Bible and homosexuality: Selectively plucking passages looks like seeking divine cover for denying basic human rights". MinnPost. http://www.minnpost.com/community_voices/2011/05/13/28226/the_bible_and_homosexuality_selectively_plucking_passages_looks_like_seeking_divine_cover_for_denying_basic_human_rights. Retrieved 2011-05-14. 
  18. ^ Rogers, Jack (2009). Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church. ISBN 978-0664233976. http://www.amazon.com/dp/066423397X. Retrieved 2011-05-14. 
  19. ^ Farrell, Ph.D. (Rev.), John T.. "On Biblical Authority". http://www.philosophy-religion.org/bible/authority.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-14. "Crucial to the historical-critical approach is the question of translation, since not only is any version of the Bible we read today a translation, the original texts in the original language have been lost. It is the historical critical method, among other things, that allows scholars to assess the biblical advocacy of slavery, the Bible’s relegation of women to subordinate status, and its injunctions against homosexuality in their historical and literary contexts and question their relevance or their compatibility with the Christian message of love, salvation, and hope (…) Using the examples of the Bible’s positions on slavery and women, I argue by analogy—as do many others, gay and straight—that the Scriptural injunctions applying to homosexuality are perhaps in need of the same type of thoroughgoing review that was applied to the issue of slavery and the status of women." 
  20. ^ Cauthen, Kenneth. "Homosexuality and Religion". http://www.bigissueground.com/atheistground/cauthen-homosexuality.shtml. Retrieved 2011-05-14. 
  21. ^ White (Rev.), Mel. "What the Bible Says - And Doesn't Say - About Homosexuality". http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian. Retrieved 2011-05-14. 
  22. ^ Boswell, John (1981). Christianity, social tolerance, and homosexuality: gay people in Western Europe from the beginning of the Christian era to the fourteenth century. University of Chicago Press. p. 364. http://books.google.com/books?id=v-MR5_AdG68C&pg=PA364. 
  23. ^ Scroggs, Robin (1983). The New Testament and homosexuality: contextual background for contemporary debate. Fortress Press. pp. 62–65; 106–109. http://books.google.com/books?id=4pdeZ_MWcWIC&pg=PA62. 
  24. ^ Berlinerblau, Jacques (2005). The secular Bible: why nonbelievers must take religion seriously. Cambridge University Press. p. 108. http://books.google.com/books?id=sGkp3Y4PUlsC&pg=PA108. 

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