Homosexuality and the Bible: WWJD?

It is amazing how we all assume we know what the Bible says and does not say. As much as we use it to determine how we should and shouldn't act, we do little but read it...we do not STUDY it. In order to study any work of literature, holy or not, we must put it in the context of the time it was written. We must learn how the people of the time lived, acted, and thought. If someone from 1000 years ago or a 1000 years into the future were to read something written today, they would understand little of it because they do not understand our vocabulary and culture today.

For instance, until a few years ago, the term "gay" was used to mean happy. Today it refers to homosexuals. If one did not know that, one would assume that there was lots of controversy about happy people in the 21st century and would wonder why being happy was such an issue. Only until they had read more about us, would they realize the context of the word.

That is part of the problem in us trying to interpret the biblical scriptures in regards to homosexuality. We are taking scriptures that are thousands of years old, was not written down until much after its origin, for which we do not have the original written record, relying on translations from a time when there was no Hebrew or Greek dictionary to pick up, reading it literally without regard to its context, and saying we know exactly what God thinks.

The second problem is our tendency to use proof-texting where we pull any verse from scripture, say "here it is...this proves ________is right or wrong". An example is the Holiness Code.

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." (Leviticus 18:22) and Chapter 20:13 which reads, "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." 

The problem in doing this is the reader has completely ignored the rest of the scripture surrounding it. They do not take into consideration that Leviticus 11: 9-12, also part of the Leviticus code, tells us that eating shellfish is also an abomination. When was the last time you saw a Christian protesting Red Lobster? The list goes on of things considered abominations in the Leviticus Code including cutting one's hair, wearing clothes made of two different types of fabric, sewing mixed seed in a field and so on. 

We also ignore the scriptures we do not like and excuse them away. Deuteronomy is very clear that fornicators, adulterers, and even disobedient children are to be put to death. (See Chapters 12, 17, 22). Yet if this were to happen, the christian church would be appalled. Even today, they condemn radical muslims who stone women who have committed adultery, but the same bible that they so quickly pick up to condemn the homosexual allows for this.

I am surprised  when  I am told that marriage in America should be the way God intended it in the bible. But then we forget what marriage WAS in the bible. Women were property like cattle. Men were allowed more than one wife. Solomon, the "wisest man" in the bible had 700 wives and 300 concubines, while David, a man "after God's own heart" had his lover's husband killed in battle so he could have her. So tell me again....what is God's plan for marriage? No where in the scriptures does God condemn polygamy.

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah found in Genesis 19 is also frequently used express the sinfulness of  homosexuality. In the story, the angels are sitting in Lots house while the crowd outside shouts for the angels to be sent out so they may "know" them. The Hebrew term used is "Yoda". According to the context, the crowd wanted them to come out so that they could gang rape the angels. Their purpose was to humiliate them, in the worst way possible. The city was destroyed, not because it was filled with homosexuals but because their hearts were filled with such cruelty.  Ezekiel 16: 49-50 clearly states the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, and it had nothing to do with homosexuality:
 
 

"Behold, this was the inequity of your sister Sodom: pride, overabundance of food (in Hebrew this phrase literally means eating to the point of retching...), prosperous ease, and idleness were hers and her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abominable offenses before Me." 

I have frequently heard Christians say that Jesus ministry wiped out many of the laws of the Old Testament (except the one's they like to use against homosexuals). So they site New Testament verses instead. One of these is found in Romans 1 which talks about what is natural and unnatural.

"For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." (Rom 1)

The term used for "natural" comes from two Greek words "phusikos" and "phusis". Together, these words describe someone's natural disposition...that which comes instinctive to them.  For instance, it would be "unnatural" for a heterosexual to have homosexual sex. That is exactly what what was happening at the time the book of Romans was written. Temple prostitution was a common thing among the pagan Roman religions of the time. It was part of worship. Often straight people would trade heterosexual sex for homosexual sex. This is confirmed in extra biblical writings. The Christians of the day wanted it to be made clear that their religion was different and this was one way. 

Ask almost any homosexual, and they will tell you they knew from the time they were very young that they were different and not attracted to the opposite sex. Heterosexuality is very "unnatural" for them. Why do you think so many who try to force themselves into the heterosexual "lifestyle" end up killing themselves? Because they hate feeling "unnatural" as a straight person.



The other scripture that refers to what is natural and is the same greek term is 1 Corinthians 11:14.  ^" Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵ but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?" This refers to what is culturally acceptable, not what is moral. If one lets nature take its course, both man and woman would have long hair. And notice that few Christians follow this verse. 
 

Additional scripture often quoted as proof-text for the "sin" of homosexuality can be found in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6:9-10)

Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." (1 Tim 1:9-10)

Again, we must go back to the original language of the scripture. The terms in contention here are "arsenokoitais" and "malakos". In contemporary literature of the time of Paul and his writings, no where are these words found to refer to homosexuals. In fact "arsenokoitais" was used as a term referring to using sex for economic gain in any form particularly temple prostitution (homo-or-heterosexual). Leviticus uses the same term which is not translated as homosexual, but temple prostitute.  "Arsen"Malakos" was used in ancient times to refer to soft expensive clothing, rich food...ie....spoiled laziness. It is scholarly misinterpretation or perhaps laziness, that condemned homosexuals, not God himself! In addition, if "Arsen" and "koitais" are translated literally, it is "soft" "bed". Just like many English words, such as "understand" the literal interpretation is not the proper one. One must know the culture and much more before proper translating scripture.


The bible never once speaks of long term monogomous homosexual relationships negatively. It refers to acts such as gang rape, the use of gay sex in temple worship and as a humiliation to a man. It also refers to doing trading what is natural for that person for what is unnatural. And remember the term "natural" also refers to it being "unnatural" for men to have long hair.


When God created the world in the literal interpretation of the Bible, he stated that all he made was good. The only thing he mentioned that was not good was found in Genesis 2:18: The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone."


Yet this is what is expected of the homosexual. To be denied a long term monogamous married relationship. Imagine the same required of you. Never to be allowed to fall in love, to start a family, whether adopted or conceived. It is a miserable existence to require of anyone. The argument is often stated, "You are not forced to be alone, you can marry the opposite sex." If I told you that you must fall in love with the same sex, could you do it just because I told you to? No. Yet that is what is being required of homosexuals if they are to be accepted by the conservative Christian Church. 

 

So I'll ask the question Christians so often ask. WWJD? What would Jesus do? Well, think about what he did...did he once preach against homosexuality? No he did not. He had 3 years of active ministry. Most of it he spent with the outcast. His biggest pet peeve was people like that Pharisees who knew the law perfectly, but had no clue how to show the true love of God. He tried to get people to think outside of the box. If homosexuality was the abomination today's Christian church has determined it to be, do you not think that he would have mentioned it at least once? But he didn't. Instead he preached about the importance of humility and of never showing religious arrogance. He told us that the most unexpected people would inherit the kingdom. He championed for the poor, the sick, the homeless, the outcast.

So to the fundamentalist church today....What would Jesus Do?.....the opposite of what you are doing now.