What does the bible say about homosexuality

However, in the play, all these people do not quote or refer to any particular verses of the Scriptures which explicitly prohibit homosexuality. Phelps once cites Isaiah 58:1: “Cry aloud. Spare not. Lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions” (p. 80), but this passage does not directly say that homosexuality is such a ‘transgression’. Nevertheless, for those people the Bible states that heterosexuality is the original, natural and only possible sexual orientation. Of course, there are passages in the Scriptures which could be interpreted as a condemnation of homosexuality, but they have to be studied profoundly before being used as evidence against homosexuality.

References to homosexuality in the Bible

The term ‘homosexual’ is a relatively modern term that first appeared in print in an 1869 pamphlet written by the Austrian-born novelist Karl-Maria Kertbeny. The word ‘homosexual’ (a combination of the Greek prefix ‘homo-‘ = ‘the same’, and the Latin root ‘sex-‘ = ‘sex, gender’) means ‘of the same sex”, either used as an adjective describing sexual relationships between people of the same sex, or as a noun for referring to a person who has such a relationship. The term ’homosexuality’ describes “a sexual orientation characterised by lasting aesthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for others of the same sex or gender” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality [9/6/2006]).

Terms that could directly be translated as ‘homosexual’ or ‘homosexuality’ were absent from the original Hebrew and Greek biblical texts. They were first used in the 1946 Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the New Testament. It is often claimed that, “the writers had little or no comprehension of same-sex committed relationships. Their languages had no words for these concepts. Rather, they assumed that everyone was heterosexual, but that some heterosexuals engaged in sex with persons of the same gender” (http://worldpolicy.org/globalrights/sexorient/ bible-gay.html [9/6/2006]).

There are some passages in the Bible that deal with same-sex behaviour, but actually do not refer to ‘homosexuality’ as it is understood today. For example, three emotionally close relationships between two people of the same gender are described: Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan as well as Daniel and Ashpenaz. Daniel’s relationship appears to have been a committed homosexual partnership, the others may or may not have been sexually active. None of them was depreciated or punished.

Furthermore, there are six Biblical accounts that have been frequently used in reference to homosexuality, partly from the Old Testament and partly from the New Testament.

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1. Verses from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) on homosexuality

Passage I: The Creation Account (Genesis 1-3)

This passage is often referred to as the “’Adam & Eve not Adam & Steve’ argument” (http:// www.apostolicrestorationmission.4t.com/id27.htm [9/6/2006]): because the first couple was heterosexual, then all future couples also have to be heterosexual. However, this is not directly stated in these verses.

According to the Scriptures, God created the first human, Adam, out of dust. Originally, Adam was not a proper name, but the Hebrew word for ‘human species’ (‘ha'adam’) (cf. http://epistle.us/hbarticles/creation.html [9/6/2006]). Later on, God gave Adam a “helper [ezer] as his partner” (Gen 2:18). The helper was also referred to as ‘ezer k’negdo’, which means ‘a helper as opposite to him’, i.e. a mirror image. However, this helper was formed out of Adam’s rib and was therefore genetically and sexually identical to him. This claim is supported by Gen 1:27, which says “that ‘adam’ was made both male and female. Gen 5:1-2 tells […] that their name was […] ‘adam’” (http://www.apostolicrestorationmission.4t.com/id27.htm [9/6/2006]). Prior to the original sin, man and woman were not heterosexual, because neither sexuality nor any difference between male and female existed – they were both ‘adam’, a human being.

The need for reproduction was only a result of the original sin, which brought about death. “Pregnancy, bringing forth children, was not part of her original state, but was part of the curse. […] she would not originally have needed those parts of the body associated with bearing and nursing children” (http://www.apostolicrestorationmission.4t.com/id27.htm [9/6/2006]). After the fall, Adam, which was now his proper name, called his wife Eve (Hebrew: ‘chav-ah’ – ‘living’) according to her new status, namely that she was capable of bearing children.

Heterosexuality was therefore one of the first consequences of the original sin for the simple purpose to preserve the human race by producing children. Although a heterosexual relationship is presented as the original and therefore most natural one, one should not conclude that, for example, friendship, homosexual partnerships or being a single are unnatural and unacceptable, because they do not lead to having children. These relationships and states are not mentioned in this passage, and therefore they are neither explicitly condemned nor approved of.

Passage II: The Sodom Account (Genesis 19:1-11)

According to this account God sent two angels to warn Abraham’s nephew, Lot, about the destruction of Sodom because of its residents’ wickedness, immorality and rebellion against God. Then some men from Sodom (Sodomites) appeared and asked where the angels were and “wanted to have sex with them” (http://www.truthsetsfree.net/study.doc [9/6/2006]):

“ 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city […] surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them.’ 6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, 'Please my brethren, do not so wickedly. See now, 8 I have two daughters who have not known a man; please let me bring them out to you, and you may do with them as you wish; only do nothing to these men […] who have come under the shadow of my roof” (Gen 19:4-8).

Due to the various interpretations of the verb ‘know’ (Hebrew: ‘yada’), which can mean ‘getting to know somebody physically’, it is not clear whether the Sodomites just wanted to meet, to rape or attack the angels physically. From the context, it is obvious that the men were full of violence, hatred and brutality and therefore it is often assumed that “’Sodomy’ […] in Genesis is basically oppression of the weak and helpless; and the oppression of the stranger is the basic element of Genesis 19:1-11 […] but not in a single instance is the sin of the Sodomites specified as homosexuality” (http://www.ecinc.org/Scriptures/clbrpg.htm [9/6/2006]).

“Whatever is happening here is a form of rape. The crowd of men wished to sexually assault […] the angels” (http://www.truthsetsfree.net/study.doc [9/6/2006]). Thus, the verses deprecate homosexual rape, possessive lust and sexual abuse, but should not be used as an argument against sincere, monogamous homosexual relationships. Some people, however, claim that homosexual activity was the crime of Sodom and therefore has to be prohibited.

Today the word ‘sodomite’, which was derived from the name of the town, denotes somebody “who engages in certain kinds of (male) homosexual acts” (http://www.ambs.edu/ LJohns/Homosexuality.htm [9/6/2006]). ‘Sodomy’ usually refers to “the practice of anal or oral

intercourse” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodomy [9/6/2006]), but not only between males. This

is by some people associated with immorality and sin, which were prevalent in Sodom.

Passage III: The Holiness Code (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13)

The book of Leviticus is part of the Holiness Code, which lists many ethical, ritual and sexual laws that had to be followed by the ancient Israelites. It contains all kinds of commandments for men as well as the punishments in case of violation of these rules. The purpose of this code was to introduce “purity regulations” (http://www.truthsetsfree.net/study.doc [9/6/2006]) in order to differentiate the Israelites from their neighbours, for instance the Canaanites, a ‘pagan culture’. Some versions of Lev 18:22 are quoted on http://www.truthsetsfree.net/study.doc [9/6/2006]: Correct Hebrew translation: […] and with a male thou shalt not lie down in beds of a woman; it is an abomination. Revised Standard Version (RSV, 1952): You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. New Living Translation (NLT, 1996): Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin.

For conservative Christians the meaning of this verse is clear and unambiguous. It simply deprecates and forbids homosexual behaviour, which is ‘an abomination’, similar to “bestiality, or having sex with a woman while she’s having her period, or child sacrifice, or adultery” (http://www.ambs.edu/LJohns/Homosexuality.htm [9/6/2006]).