GAY TRUTH

Homosexuality, a word for which there is no specific equivalent in the Hebrew Bible or in the Greek NT, since the concept of homosexuality as a “sexual orientation” originated only in the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, there are a few biblical references to people who engage in sexual acts with persons of the same sex. In the Hebrew Bible, the most explicit references to sexual acts between men are in the Holiness Code of Leviticus , where, under penalty of death, a male is strictly prohibited from lying with another male as he would with a woman (18:22; 20:13). In addition to these passages, the Bible contains two narratives in which men desire to have sexual relations with other men. The first of these is set in the city of Sodom and provides the derivation for the term “sodomy,” which in modern English is sometimes used as a pejorative term for “homosexual sex acts.”  In the biblical account, the men of Sodom intend to rape two male visitors who have come to the house of L

Homosexuality and the Bible . The Holiness Code in Leviticus makes it clear that male homosexuality is detestable (Lev. 18:22) and punishable by death (20:13). In the former context it is grouped together with adultery, child sacrifice, and bestiality. In the New Testament the treatment is no less harsh. Homosexuality is clearly not one of the practices that Christian liberty or the age of grace made more acceptable. For Paul it represents the epitome of depraved conduct (Rom. 1:24–32). His inclusion of homosexuals in the list of the unrighteous who will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9), as well as in the list of those for whom the law serves a necessary and continuing function (1 Tim. 1:10), shows us that his disapproval cannot in any way be viewed as limited to his particular time, culture, or situation. The Bible is clear that homosexual practice is wrong and sinful. It is not just wrong insofar as it is promiscuous. Rather, as with adultery, incest, and bestiality,

Homosexuality, a word for which there is no specific equivalent in the Hebrew Bible or in the Greek NT, since the concept of homosexuality as a “sexual orientation” originated only in the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, there are a few biblical references to people who engage in sexual acts with persons of the same sex. In the Hebrew Bible, the most explicit references to sexual acts between men are in the Holiness Code of Leviticus , where, under penalty of death, a male is strictly prohibited from lying with another male as he would with a woman (18:22; 20:13). In addition to these passages, the Bible contains two narratives in which men desire to have sexual relations with other men. The first of these is set in the city of Sodom and provides the derivation for the term “sodomy,” which in modern English is sometimes used as a pejorative term for “homosexual sex acts.” In the biblical account, the men of Sodom intend to rape two male visitors who have come to the house of Lot,

By Jackie Hill  Dear ______, I just want you to know that I understand. I understand how it feels to be in love with a woman. To want nothing more than to be with her forever. Feeling as if the universe has played a cruel joke on your heart by allowing it to fall into the hands of a creature that looks just like you. I too was a lesbian. I had same-sex attractions as early as five-years old. As I grew up, those feelings never subsided. They only grew. I would find myself having crushes on my female best friends, but I was far too ashamed to admit it to them — let alone to myself. At the age of 17, I finally made the decision to pursue these desires. I entered into a relationship with a young lady who became my “first.” The first time we kissed, it felt extremely natural, as if this feeling is what I had been missing all along. After her came another woman and then another woman. Both relationships were very serious, each lasting over a year. I enjoyed these relationships and love

For better or worse, the Bible is a cultural text. And people are struggling today with how to read it. Magazines like Newsweek are informing the general public (and in this particular case advocating) that the Bible is culturally obsolete and outdated. Here is an excerpt from the December 2008 cover story The Religious Case for Gay Marriage by Lisa Miller:   Most of us no longer heed Leviticus on haircuts or blood sacrifices; our modern understanding of the world has surpassed its prescriptions. Why would we regard its condemnation of homosexuality with more seriousness than we regard its advice, which is far lengthier, on the best price to pay for a slave?… A mature view of scriptural authority requires us, as we have in the past, to move beyond literalism. The Bible was written for a world so unlike our own, it’s impossible to apply its rules, at face value, to ours. For some Christians , this is where appeals to blind faith or personal feeling come in—but these responses do

    ARGUMENT #1       “ God prohibited homosexuality in Leviticus 18:22, and yet in the same book He also prohibited eating shellfish (Leviticus 11:10). Since Christians today eat shellfish, the Old Testament laws concerning homosexuality must no longer be valid either.”     ANSWER:       Some people teach that God instituted the Old Testament dietary law for the health of His chosen people in order to provide protection from illness during their difficult journeys. (For example, if not properly prepared, shellfish can cause hepatitis, pork can cause trichinosis.) Others teach that the laws were a way to separate themselves from their pagan neighbors and to stress holiness. Nevertheless, all dietary laws were repealed by Jesus , who, in Mark 7:19 declared all foods clean. However, the ban on homosexuality was never repealed, only reinforced.       “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made … for adulterers and perverts [homosexuals] …