Question: Is homosexual sin worse than other sins?
Question: Is homosexual sin worse than other sins?
It is very tempting to suggest that all sins are equally sinful. In some sense, every single sin sufficiently justifies our eternal damnation and separation from an infinitely holy and righteous God. Yet not all sins are equal in ambition, context, or effect.
They are not all equal in ambition because some sins are so deeply rooted in conscious rebellion that they amount to blatant disobedience or refusal to believe. With regard to context, the Bible itself distinguishes sin. Some are described as "against nature" and others are not.
Paul did this in Romans 1 when he spoke about homosexuality. He used the same argument in 1 Corinthians 6 when he showed that sexual sin has a particularly sinful quality since it is, unlike other sins, directed against the body, which he argued is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Even in the Old Testament, some sins are referred to as abominations, which effectively set them apart from other sins. Nor is all sin equal in effect. Some sins cause physical death. Others cause far less immediate and apparent consequences.
For this reason, even the criminal justice system recognizes different levels of criminality and assigns different penalties for different criminal acts. The Old and New Testaments make the same distinction. Nevertheless, every single sin is opposed to the infinite justice and righteousness of God and thus deserving of God's righteous punishment.
