Homosexualiry in the bible
Homosexuality & the Bible
The pos ‘homosexual’wasneverin theoriginal Bible. In the original Greek and Hebrew texts, the synonyms that is now translated to ‘homosexual’ actually accurately translates to ‘pedophile; or ‘boy abuser’ or ‘boy molester.’
That is, according to the bible, homosexuality is NOT a sin. Minor molesting is.
The ancient nature condoned and encouraged systemic pederasty – sexual relationships between an adult (old) man and a new boy, usually years old.
According to theologian Ed Oxford, “Ancient Greek documents demonstrate us how even parents utilized this abusive system to help their sons advance in society.” For most of history, these verses were interpreted to be obviously referring the pederasty, not homosexuality!
In summary, the original bible condemned pederasty, not homosexuality. The shift to attack homosexuality in the s is not only a calculated attack on queer folks that came during a critical period for us (think: the AIDS epidemic) but is also disgustingly ironic coming from an institution with nearly 6, (old) clergy men charged with
The Bible on Lesbian Behavior
One way to argue against these passages is to make what I call the “shellfish objection.” Keith Sharpe puts it this way: “Until Christian fundamentalists boycott shellfish restaurants, stop wearing poly-cotton T-shirts, and stone to death their wayward offspring, there is no obligation to monitor to their diatribes about homosexuality entity a sin” (The Gay Gospels, 21).
In other words, if we can disregard rules like the ban on eating shellfish in Leviticus , then we should be allowed to disobey other prohibitions from the Old Testament. But this argument confuses the Old Testament’s temporary ceremonial laws with its everlasting moral laws.
Here’s an analogy to aide understand this distinction.
I remember two rules my mom gave me when I was young: contain her hand when I cross the street and don’t drink what’s under the sink. Today, I have to follow only the latter rule, since the former is no longer needed to protect me. In fact, it would now execute me more damage than good.
Old Testament ritual/ceremonial laws were like mom’s handholding rule. The rea
Leviticus
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”[1] It is not a surprise that this verse seems to say that gay male sex is forbidden in the eyes of God. The dominant view of western Christianity forbids gay relations. This verse is one of the clobber passages that people cite from the Bible to condemn homosexuality. This essay first looks at the various ways the verse is translated into the English Bible and then explores some of the strategies used to create an affirming interpretation of what this passage means for the LGBTQ community. More specifically, it presents the interpretation of K. Renato Lings in which Lev. refers to male-on-male incest.
While Lev. is used to condemn homosexuality, we must realize that the phrase “homosexuality” was only recently coined in the English language. So did this term exist in ancient Israel? Charles D. Myers, Jr. confirms that none of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible mention homosexuality.[2] He also contends that in ancient Israel same-sex relations were viewed as an ancient Near East issue. The anc
What the New Testament Says about Homosexuality
The Fourth R Volume May-June
Mainline Christian denominations in this region are bitterly divided over the question of homosexuality. For this reason it is important to request what light, if any, the New Testament sheds on this controversial issue. Most people apparently take for granted that the New Testament expresses strong opposition to homosexuality, but this simply is not the case. The six propositions that follow, considered cumulatively, head to the conclusion that the New Testament does not provide any control guidance for understanding and making judgments about homosexuality in the modern planet.
Proposition 1: Strictly speaking, the New Testament says nothing at all about homosexuality.
There is not a single Greek word or phrase in the entire New Testament that should be translated into English as “homosexual” or “homosexuality.” In fact, the very notion of “homosexuality”—like that of “heterosexuality,” “bisexuality,” and even “sexual orientation”—is essentially a modern concept that would simply have been unintelligible to