GAY TRUTH

The Revisionist Answer The ancients, including writers of the Bible , knew nothing of homosexual orientation. Thus, even if Scripture condemns homosexual behavior, orientation cannot come under the Bible’s prohibition. The church should fully accept people who are born gay. At the least, homosexual thoughts arising from homosexual orientation are not sinful. The Biblical Answer Homosexual orientation was known in the generations in which Scripture was written. Paul gives no indication that it does not fall under his general condemnations of homosexuality in Romans , 1 Corinthians , and 1 Timothy .  Lustful homosexual thoughts are not as grave in consequence as are the acts, just as adulterous or murderous thoughts have fewer consequences than do the overt actions.  But the moral culpability for thoughts is the same as for deeds, as Jesus makes clear in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). Scripture certainly associates evil desires and thoughts with the evi...

What is the meaning of arsenokoitai, which Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 6:9 –11 and 1 Timothy 1:10–12? The Revisionist Answer Arsenokoitai cannot refer to “homosexuals” because there is no preceding occurrence of this word with such a meaning. In the lists of vices, the word means “ homosexual acts ,” “pederasts,” or “active male prostitutes ” or refers to ritual impurity . These were the prevalent forms of homosexual activity that found some disapproval in contemporary codes or among the Jews . Paul’s word cannot refer to those of a homosexual orientation or to those who live in a mutually respectful and committed homosexual relationship; these are modern phenomena, unknown to Paul. The Biblical Answer The English term homosexuals is an appropriate correspondent to arsenokoitai, given both ancient sexual practice and today’s usage. We have ample evidence that ancient Greeks and Romans knew about homosexual orientation and that some Greeks practiced a mutually respectful, commit...

THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY felt an explosion quite unlike that which shook Sodom, an eruption of reinterpretation of Scripture regarding gay and lesbian sexuality. The outing of gay priests and homosexual pastors seeking to justify their existence.  To varying degrees, these homosexual groups have stated the traditional view of key texts were wrong and in error. The old interpretations were replaced by three approaches: 1. References to homosexuality do not occur in passages where they traditionally have been seen (Gen. 19:1–8; Judg. 19:16–30; Ezek. 16:44–50; 1 Cor. 6:9–11; 1 Tim. 1:8–10; 2 Peter 2:6–8; and Jude 6–8). Identification of homosexuality in these passages is improper interpretation of Scripture. 2. Homosexuality is in the context of certain passages, but these texts concern Israel ’s special ritual or sacred relationship to God (e.g., Levit. 18:22; 20:13). They are irrelevant to the Christian. 3. Whatever references to homosexuality ...

But in both testaments God ’s Word condemns homosexuality in the strongest of terms.   Under the Old Covenant it was punishable by death. Paul declares unequivocally that, although homosexuality can be forgiven and cleansed just as any other sin, no unrepentant homosexual will enter heaven, just as will no unrepentant fornicator , idolater, adulterer, effeminate person, thief, covetous person, drunkard, reviler, or swindler (1 Cor. 6:9–11; cf. Gal. 5:19–21; Eph. 5:3–5; 1 Tim. 1:9–10; Jude 7). But a society that openly condones and defends such evils as sexual promiscuity , homosexuality, and the rest has reached the deepest level of corruption.   All people are born in sin, and individuals have varying tendencies and temptations toward certain sins . But no one is born a homosexual, any more than anyone is born a thief or a murderer . A person who becomes a habitual and unrepentant thief, murderer, adulterer, or homosexual does so of his own choice. Any attempt a...

The only model of sexual expression contemplated in Scripture is that which finds its pattern in the Creation model of Genesis 1 –2. This is the pattern taught by our Lord and the apostles (see, for example, Matt. 5:27–32; 19:3–12). It is to occur in heterosexual marriage. If in Romans 1 Paul opposes all forms of sexual expression between people of the same sex, then his judgments are, as Scroggs admits, “eternally valid.” Revisionist interpretations would do well to come under the meaning and authority of Scripture. So What? Several reasons seem persuasive that Paul does oppose homosexual lust and expression:     1.      Paul writes as a Jewish Christian whose theology and ethics are formed by an Old Testament worldview, not Greek philosophy.98 Yet he speaks to Jewish and gentile readers with terms (the natural use and what is contrary to nature) that Greeks and Romans understood.     2.      For Paul, what is “natu...

It’s more difficult because young adults today are much more likely than us older folks to support same-sex marriage, or to be confused by it. But "more difficult" is not the same as impossible—that’s because, no matter what the media is telling you, young evangelicals are still much less likely to support same-sex marriage than their non-evangelical peers. Just as Jesus did with the Pharisees who questioned Him about marriage and divorce, we should refer our young adults back to the Garden of Eden, to God’s created intent. Marriage is not something that human beings invented—so it is not an institution that we are free to re-invent. As Christians, we believe marriage was given to us by God for the benefit of man (that is, Adam) and woman (Eve). That plan is written into the moral fabric of the universe, which is why marriage between man and woman is known in every human society throughout history. That is certainly what Jesus Himself thought. And as followers of Chri...

The Bible doesn't speak of homosexuality very often; but when it does, it condemns it as sin . Let's take a look. Leviticus 18:22 , "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." 1 Leviticus 20:13 , "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 , "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God." Romans 1:26-28 , "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natur...

ROME — Leaders of gay Catholic groups on Monday praised Pope Francis for saying that all Christians and the Roman Catholic Church owed an apology to gays for previous mistreatment, even as the groups called on the church to take more concrete steps to repudiate past teachings and condemn anti-gay violence. Returning from a visit to Armenia, Francis also visibly winced, momentarily overcome with emotion, when a journalist, Cindy Wooden, mentioned the recent attack at an Orlando gay nightclub and noted that Christians are sometimes blamed for stigmatizing homosexuals. Yet Orlando is now seen as 'Gay on Gay' violence, and nothing to do with the church. Although this is an intentional LGBT blame strategy because the Bible clearly states that all forms of homosexuality, behaviour, orientation, lust and desire are sinful. We could infer it is a disordered life . But all people are welcome to attend church, repent of their sins, sin no more and turn to Christ. Should we acce...

Traditional marriage groups have slammed comments by Labor and the Greens linking a national vote on same-sex marriage to the deadly Orlando mass shooting. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten backed away from associating a plebiscite with gay hate crime on Saturday, after earlier making reference to the mass killing, but he said he was concerned "ugly arguments" would emerge. But the Greens say there's "no question" the murder of 49 people at a gay nightclub proved hateful views persisted in the community. Greens leader Richard Di Natale used "vile" online comments in response to the Orlando attack as evidence those attitudes were shared by some Australians. "A plebiscite will unleash those voices of hate in the community," he told reporters in Sydney on Saturday. "And we give those views legitimacy by endorsing a plebiscite." It's a view the Greens had held consistently since the national vote was announced, he said. The opposit...

Bermuda 's Premier Michael Dunkley has announced plans to let all Bermudans vote on whether homosexuals should be included in the country's definition of marriage , in response to a strong pro-marriage lobby from a church-led coalition on the one hand and a court decision that same-sex couples must be treated the same as heterosexual ones on the other. A homosexual rights lawyer wasted no time in declaring that any law passed in response to a Christian lobby group might be automatically unconstitutional. Dunkley announced that the government would hold the non-binding referendum "in order to get the widest possible reach of views from the people." In the same statement, he said, "As a final and important point, this Government is of the view that marriage is a union between a man and a woman." The referendum announcement is the latest development in the same-sex issue, sparked by the landmark 2015 Supreme Court decision in the Bermuda Bred case, decla...

West Australian Labor senator Joe Bullock has announced his shock decision to quit parliament less than two years into his six-year term, saying he could not remain a member of a party that would force him to support gay marriage. Senator Bullock, an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, will leave Parliament within weeks. Openly gay former WA senator Louise Pratt will nominate for the vacancy. The Labor party now is filling with immoral homosexual crusaders bent on destroying traditional marriage and forcing Christian Churches to marry homosexuals. Senator Bullock, 60, told the Senate his resignation was caused by the decision at last year’s ALP conference to require Labor MPs to support same sex marriage by removing a conscience vote . He said he walked away from the conference “shocked and alone”. “How can I in good conscience recommend to people that they vote for a party which is determined to deny its parliamentarians a conscience vote on the homosexual marriage...

Sodom and Gomorrha, Alte Pinakothek, Room 23 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) 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, t...