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Homosexuality and Bisexuality
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In biblical times, same-gender sexual interactions could take many
forms. Some were:
- kings of conquered tribes were sometimes raped by the invading
army as the ultimate symbol of defeat and humiliation.
- some non-Jewish tribes in the area had male prostitutes in their
temples that may have engaged in same-sex activities; this horrified
the ancient Israelites.
- it is reasonable to assume that many loving gay and lesbian relationships
existed, but these would normally have been conducted in secret.
Only the third type would have any similarity to today's gay and
lesbian consentual, committed, loving relationships.
Many versions of the Bible exist in the English language. Each reflects
the world view, beliefs and mind sets of its translators. Their personal
biases distort their work. There is an additional complexity facing
translators: today's society is very different from that of Biblical
times. It is sometimes difficult to find a current English word that
matches a Hebrew or Greek term.
Many words have been translated from the original Hebrew and Greek texts
as "homosexual", "sodomite", "homosexuality". However, most (perhaps all)
of the references bear no similarity to today's lesbian and gay
partnerships. By carefully reading the original texts and considering the
societies in which they were written, one comes to surprising
conclusions:
- The Bible has a lot to say about temple prostitution.
- It talks about being kind to strangers in a way that has been
incorrectly interpreted as referring to homosexual acts
- It says almost nothing about homosexual feelings;
- It says nothing about sexual orientation. The writers
of the Bible assumed that everyone was heterosexual (or "straight"); the
concept of sexual orientation was not developed until the late 19th century.
The Bible does make occasional references to activities which have
been translated as homosexuality:
- Genesis 19
describes how two angels visited Sodom and were welcomed
into Lot's house. The men of the city gathered around the house and
demanded that Lot send the visitors to the mob so that they might
know the angels. [The Hebrew verb yada (to know) is ambiguous.
It appears 943 times in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). In only about
a dozen of these cases does it refers to sexual activity; it is not clear
whether the mob wanted to rape the angels or to meet with them, and perhaps
attack them physically. From the context, it is obvious that their mood was
not friendly]. Lot refused, but offered his two virgin daughters to be
heterosexually raped if that would appease the mob. The offer was declined.
God decided to destroy the city because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
The angels urged Lot and his family to flee and to not look back.
Unfortunately, Lot's wife looked the wrong way, so God killed her because
of her curiosity.
God was apparently not critical of Lot for offering his two daughters to
be raped. However, God was angry at the other inhabitants of the town.
He destroyed Sodom with fire and brimstone (sulfur). He presumably
killed all of the men in the mob, their wives and other adults, as well
as children, infants, newborns, etc. It is unclear from these few verses
whether God demolished the city because the citizens:
- were uncharitable and abusive to strangers
- wanted to rape people
- engaged in homosexual acts.
The Church has traditionally accepted the third explanation. In fact,
the term sodomy which means anal intercourse is derived from the
name of the city, Sodom. As recorded in Matthew 10:14-15 and Luke 10:7 to
16, Jesus implied that the sin of the people of Sodom was to be
inhospitable to strangers. In Ezekiel 16:48-50,
God states clearly that Sodom's sins were
pride, idolatry and insensitivity to the poor; sexual activity is not even
mentioned.
We are faced with the inescapable and rather amusing conclusion that the
activities in Sodom had nothing to do with sodomy.
- Leviticus 18:22 states: "Thou shall not lie with mankind as with
womankind: it is abomination." The term abomination (to'ebah) is a
religious term, usually reserved for use against idolatry; it does not
mean a moral evil. The verse seems to refer to temple prostitution, which
was a common practice in the rest of the Middle East at that time.
Qadesh referred to male religious prostitutes. (See the discussion of
Deuteronomy below).
- Leviticus 20:13 states: "If a man also lie with mankind as he
lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they should
surely be put to death....". The passage is surrounded by
prohibitions against incest, bestiality, adultery and intercourse during
a woman's period. But this verse is the only one in the series which uses
the religious term abomination; it seems also to be directed
against temple prostitution.
These passages are part of the Jewish Holiness Code which also:
- permits polygamy
- prohibits sexual intercourse when a woman has her period,
- bans tattoos
- prohibits eating rare meat
- bans wearing clothes that are made from a blend of textiles
- prohibits cross-breeding livestock
- bans sowing a field with mixed seed
- prohibits eating pigs, rabbits, or some forms of seafood
- requires Saturday to be reserved as the Sabbath
Churches have abandoned the Holiness Code; it is no longer
binding on modern-day Christians. They can wear tattoos, eat shrimp, wear
polyester-cotton blends and engage in temple prostitution without violating
this particular section of the Bible. Although this code is obsolete for
Christians, many clergy still focus on those passages which deal with
homosexuality.
- Deuteronomy 23:17 states (in the King James Version) "There shall be
no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel
. This is an "error" by the authors of the KJV. The word
qadesh in the original text was mistranslated as sodomite.
Quadesh means "holy one" and is here used to refer to a man who
engages in ritual prostitution in the temple. There is little evidence
that the prostitutes engaged in sexual activities with men. Other Bible
translations use accurate terms such as shrine prostitute, temple
prostitute, prostitute and cult prostitute.
- Judges 19 describes an event much like that at Sodom. This time,
an unnamed Levite visited the town of Gibeah with his slaves and concubine.
He met an old farmer and was made welcome. A gang of men appeared and
demanded that the old man send out the Levite that they might homosexually
rape or assault him. (It is again not clear what the precise meaning
of the verb to know was). The old man argued that they should not
abuse the visitor. He offered to give them both the Levite's concubine and
his own virgin daughter to be heterosexually raped. The mob accepted the
former, raped her all night and finally killed her. The Levite sliced up her
body into 12 pieces and sent one to each of the tribes of Israel. This
triggered a war between the inhabitants of Gibeah and the Israelites during
which tens of thousands died. There was no condemnation against the Levite
for sacrificing his concubine, or for committing an indignity to a body.
Judges 20:5 emphasizes that the aim of the mob was to kill the stranger -
the ultimate act of inhospitality. It appears that these passages condemn
abusive treatment of visitors. If they actually refer to homosexual activity,
then they condemn homosexual rape; they have nothing at all to say about
consentual homosexual relationships.
- 1 Kings 14:24 and 15:12
again refer to temple prostitution. The
original word qadesh is mistranslated as sodomite (homosexual)
in the King James Version, but as male prostitute, male cult prostitutes,
and male shrine prostitutes in more accurate versions. As
mentioned before, there is little evidence that homosexuality was involved.
Again, the text has nothing to say about consentual homosexual relationships.
- Romans 1:26 and 27, at first glance, appears to condemn gay and
lesbian activity. Paul criticizes sexual activity which is against a
person's nature or disposition. But in Greek society of the time,
homosexuality and bisexuality was regarded as a natural activity for some
people. Thus Paul might have been criticizing heterosexuals who were engaged
in homosexual activities against their nature. He might not be referring to
homosexuals or bisexuals at all.
The verses preceding 26 might indicate that he was referring to
sexual acts associated with idol worship. The verse is too vague to be
interpreted as a blanket prohibition of all same-sex activities.
- I Cor 6:9
Paul lists a many activities that will prevent people
from inheriting the Kingdom of God. One has been variously translated
as effeminate, homosexuals, or sexual perverts. The original Greek text
reads malakoi arsenokoitai. The first word means soft;
the meaning of the second word has been lost. It was once used to refer
to a male temple prostitute (as in the verses from the Hebrew
Scriptures/Old Testament described above). The early Church interpreted the
phrase as referring to people of soft morals; i.e. unethical. From
the time of Martin Luther, it was interpreted as referring to masturbation
. More recently, it has been translated as referring to homosexuals
. Each Translator seem to take whatever activity that their society
particularly disapproves of and use it in this verse.
- 1 Tim 1:9
again refers to malakoi arsenokoitai which has been
variously translated as homosexuals, sexual perverts etc. Again, the
original meaning of the text as been lost.
- Jude 7 refers to the people of Sodom as "giving themselves over to
fornication and going after strange flesh". Strange flesh has been
variously translated as perverted sensuality, unnatural lust, lust of
men for other men, and perversion. Again, it is unclear what
is being referred to here. Some biblical scholars interpret this as
referring to an ancient Jewish legend that the women of Sodom engaged in
sexual intercourse with angels.
In summary:
- homosexual activity in the temple by male prostitutes is clearly
prohibited by the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).
- homosexual activity in general may have been prohibited at the
time by the Holiness Code, but that code is no longer binding on Christians
today.
- St. Paul considered at least some male and female homosexual acts to be
forbidden, but it is unclear precisely which acts are included. He may have
been referring to temple prostitution, or to people who are not innately
gay, lesbian or bisexual engaging in homosexual acts. One should note that
Paul also condemned women preaching (1 Cor 14:34) or wearing gold or pearls
(1 Tim 2:11). He also accepted and did not condemn the institution of
slavery. Some Christians feel that his writings are not a useful guide for
ethics and morals in the 20th Century.
- Jesus made many hundreds of statements regarding belief and behaviour.
However He never mentioned homosexuality.
- There are two Biblical same-sex relationships (one between two women,
the other two men) reported in the Bible in a positive light. They appear
to have progressed well beyond friendship. They were likely homosexual
affairs, although not necessarily sexually active relationships:
- Ruth 1:16, 2:10-11 between Ruth and Naomi
- 1 Samuel 18:1-4, 1 Samuel 20:41-42 and 2 Samuel 1:25-26 between David
and Jonathan. (Some translations of the Bible distort the original Hebrew
text, particularly of 1 Samuel 20)
- It is the subject of endless debate whether St. Paul's prohibition of at
least some homosexual acts was:
- for the people in the vicinity of the Mediterranean during the 1st
Century CE, or
- for all people, forever.
One can argue that the ancient Israelites were surrounded by warlike tribes.
Their fertility was very important if the group was to survive. The early
Christian church was also surrounded by enemies. Homosexuals tend to have
few children; thus their presence would be met with opposition. At the end of
the 20th Century, conditions are the exact opposite; we are threatened by
our excessive fertility. Perhaps Paul's criticism of homosexuality is no
longer valid, like his various prohibitions against women's behaviour.
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This is a topic of fierce debate among Christians. Churches currently
hold different views:
- The Unitarian-Universalist Church is believed to be the first religious
organization in North America to ignore sexual orientation in membership
and leadership. A very few other groups have followed their lead.
- The Metropolitan Community Church was organized as a Gay and Lesbian
positive religious institution.
- Some liberal churches allow non-practicing Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals
to full membership and eligibility to the ministry
- Some mainline and conservative churches absolutely prohibit homosexuals
as members or clergy. One Evangelical church allows clergy who are guilty
of murder, molesting children or rape to return to their jobs after
an interval of treatment, but forever expels clergy that are "guilty" of
having a loving, committed homosexual relationship.
Jewish groups tend to mirror Christian denominations, ranging from liberal
to conservative.
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The term homosexuality, like heterosexuality can refer
either to:
- feelings of sexual attraction to another person, or to
- practices of a sexual nature.
When discussing sexual orientation, a person may often switch between these
two meanings. This causes much confusion and misunderstanding. We recommend
that the terms homosexual or heterosexual never be used
in isolation, but always followed by either feeling or
practices or suitable synonyms.
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There are many different beliefs. However, most people hold one of the
following concepts:
Homosexual Feelings as a Choice:
Homosexuality is an
evil, unnatural and sinful lifestyle. It is a matter of choice that can be
changed at any time. Keeping children ignorant of homosexuality will assure
that they will grow up heterosexual. To grant homosexuals the same
protection under law as is granted to other minorities is to give them
"special privileges".
Homosexual Feelings as a Fixed Orientation:
Homosexuality is a
natural orientation for a minority of people. Like other sexual
orientations, it is determined early in life, perhaps at conception.
Most children grow up heterosexuals; the orientation of their parents
and friends have little influence. Since Gays and Lesbians are extensively
discriminated against, they need the same protections as are granted to
other minorities.
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Some people believe that there are only two sexual orientations (feelings
of sexual attraction):
- Heterosexual - a person who is sexually attracted only to
members of the opposite gender, or
- Homosexual - a person who is sexually attracted only to members
of the same gender.
This is not a useful model, because it ignores two minorities:
- Asexuals - people who have no feelings of sexual attraction to neither gender
- Bisexuals - people who are attracted (perhaps to different degrees) to both genders
Most researchers into human sexuality look upon sexual orientation as a
continuum:
- Those with solely heterosexual feelings form one extreme; they are free
to select celibacy, or to seek sexual activity with members of the
opposite sex.
- Those with solely homosexual feelings form the other extreme; they can
be celibate or enter into relationships with members of their own gender
- In the middle are bisexuals. Being sexually attracted to both genders
they can choose:
- only heterosexual relationships
- only homosexual relationships
- relationships with both men and women
- celibacy
Most researchers believe that one's orientation is fixed and unchangeable.
Prayer, counselling, psychotherapy, electric shocks, castration, frontal
lobotomies, etc have all been used to try to change a person's orientation.
None have succeeded. These "therapies" can persuade homosexuals to be
celibate. They can persuade bisexuals to confine their sexual activities to
members of the opposite sex. But they cannot change one's feelings (one's
sexual orientation).
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As described above, there are two schools of thought:
- Orientation is a decision made perhaps at puberty and can be changed at
any time
- Orientation is fixed early in childhood; perhaps before birth;
perhaps at conception; the cause is outside of a person's control.
The vast bulk of evidence favors the second belief:
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The root meaning of the word homophobia is: fear of homosexuality.
Its meaning has evolved; it is now usually defined as fear, loathing and
hatred of homosexuals and/or homosexuality. Some reasons are:
- this is what some of us have been taught as children
- some of us do not personally know any openly gay or lesbian person and
fear people who are different
- one's religious faith promotes homophobia
- heterosexuals have a natural feeling of repulsion at the thought of
engaging in same-sex sexual activity. They recognize that homosexual
behaviour is wrong for them. Some generalize this feeling into the
belief that homosexuality is wrong for everyone. (Homosexuals, of course,
have the same feelings of repulsion at the thought of engaging in other-sex
sexual activity).
A TIME/CNN poll in 1994 showed that 52% of US adults found the homosexual
lifestyle to be acceptable; this is an increase from 35% in 1978. An
Angus-Reid poll in Canada showed that 68% of Roman Catholics, 59% of
United Church members, 63% of Anglicans (Episcopalians) and 38% of
"conservative" churches favour legal protection from discrimination
for gays and lesbians.
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There is general agreement among researchers into human sexuality
that one's sexual orientation are unchangeable in adulthood. In terms of
behaviour by sexually active adults:
- Heterosexuals (over 90% of the adult population) can chose to enter into
sexual relationships with members of the opposite sex, or be celibate.
- Homosexuals (less than 10%) can chose to become involved with members of
the same gender or be celibate
- Bisexuals (less than 10%) can become involved with members of either
gender or be celibate
Researchers have attempted to change people's sexual orientation using
counselling, psychotherapy, electric shock treatments, castration and
frontal lobotomies (cutting away of brain tissue) without success.
Many Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians disagree. Some ministries
specialize in attempting to change homosexuals and bisexuals into
heterosexuals. Their long-term successes appear to be in two areas:
- convincing bisexuals to restrict their sexual activities to members
of the opposite sex
- convincing homosexuals to be celibate.
As knowledge of sexual orientation increases, it is expected that
conservative Christians will change their focus towards convincing
homosexuals to abstain from sexual activity.
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A booklet by John Ankerberg & John Weldon, "The Facts on Homosexuality;
Scientific Research and Biblical Authority: Can Homosexuals Really Change?"
(Harvest House, 1994) is typical of the many conservative Christian
books which attack homosexuals. The entire book is based on a fallacy: that
people have either a homosexual or heterosexual orientation; bisexuals are
ignored. They use heavily biased phrases, such as:
- "committed homosexual" - implying that one can choose one's
orientation
- "sexual preference", again implying a choice
- "encouraged homosexuality", implying that feelings of
sexual attraction can be taught.
Some of their arguments are:
- Their preface and introduction to the book mention
homosexual child molesters and AIDS as two reasons to oppose homosexuality.
The authors ignore that facts that:
- the vast majority of child molesters are heterosexual,
- female homosexuals (lesbians) have the lowest rate of AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases than do heterosexuals
- in the third world, AIDS is primarily spread by heterosexual contact
They also imply that homosexual lobby groups have immense political power.
They overlook the fact that (as of 1994) those groups had still not been
able to change the laws in almost half of the states in the US which still
list homosexual behaviour as a criminal act.
- Section 1 describes scientific studies which attempt to prove the
biological origin of sexual orientation. They reject Dr. LeVay's study
of brain structure, Dr.'s Bailey and Pillard study of identical twins, and
Dr. Hamer's genetic research. The authors seem to imply that since none
of the studies prove that all homosexual orientation is genetic, that
therefore none of it is determined before birth.
They cite many researchers who believe that a genetic or biological basis
for sexual orientation has not yet been proven. The authors seem to
imply that it never will be. As of 1995, any absolute proof is still in the
future; all we have to go on now are many strong indicators that sexual
orientation is determined before puberty (and probably during or before early
childhood).
The authors cite many human sexuality specialists who believe that sexual
orientation is a matter of choice and can be easily changed. They have
ignored the majority who hold the opposite opinion. They cite instances
where homosexuals have apparently changed their sexual behaviour and
implied that they have also changed their orientation. They do not
mention that many of these are bisexuals who are simply choosing to develop
relationships only with the opposite gender. Others have a homosexual
orientation and have desperately have tried to behave as heterosexuals in
order to be accepted. Such attempts inevitably fail. Whether one is
homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual, our feelings of sexual attraction
are unchangeable.
- Section 2 describes what the Bible has to say on sexual
orientation. The authors interpret Genesis, Chapter 1 & 2, Matthew 19:4-6
and other passages as promoting heterosexual marriages. They state that if
homosexual unions were permissible then they would have been specifically
condoned. One could say with equal logic that because horses and chariots
were mentioned often in the Bible, but trains, plains and automobiles were
ignored, we should not use modern methods of transportation. The authors'
views are based on their belief that matters of ethics and morality are
absolute and fixed for all time. This is obviously false. Consider the
matter of slavery; ownership of another person was regarded as quite normal
throughout the Bible. But is regarded as a moral outrage in the 20th
century. (It is also illegal throughout the entire United States since the
13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified by Mississippi on
1995-March-21).
In fact, sexual orientation was unknown in ancient times; thus, the authors
of the bible could not have written about it.
They analyze passages in Genesis, Deuteronomy, Leviticus and Romans, II
Peter, etc with a particularly narrow, homophobic focus. These verses have
been dealt with elsewhere in this essay.
- In their conclusion, they suggest that homosexuals recite a
standard prayer to God and cut off all contact with the homosexual community.
The authors are a little vague about the results to be expected. They state
that "same sex inclinations" will cease - either immediately or over
time. They do not state whether the reader will lose all sexual desire, or
whether he/she will develop heterosexual feelings. In practice, sexual
feelings will not change. Hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of
devout Christian homosexuals have each begged God (sometimes over many
decades) to change their sexual orientation. God's answer is always no. This
is perhaps the best proof that God does not condemn homosexuality.
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Recent statements include:
- The American Psychological Association released a Statement on
Homosexuality in 1994-JULY. Their first two paragraphs are:
The research on homosexuality is very clear. Homosexuality is
neither mental illness nor moral depravity. It is simply the way a minority
of our population expresses human love and sexuality. Study after study
documents the mental health of gay men and lesbians. Studies of judgment,
stability, reliability, and social and vocational adaptiveness all show that
gay men and lesbians function every bit as well as heterosexuals.
Nor is homosexuality a matter of individual choice. Research
suggests that the homosexual orientation is in place very early in the life
cycle, possibly even before birth. It is found in about ten percent of the
population, a figure which is surprisingly constant across cultures,
irrespective of the different moral values and standards of a particular
culture. Contrary to what some imply, the incidence of homosexuality in a
population does not appear to change with new moral codes or social mores.
Research findings suggest that efforts to repair homosexuals are nothing
more than social prejudice garbed in psychological accouterments.
In 1994-AUGUST, The APA sent a proposal to one of its committees that would
declare as unethical:
- attempts by a psychologist to change a person's sexual orientation
through therapy, or
- referral of a patient to a therapist or organization who attempts
to change people's sexual orientation
- The American Medical Association (AMA) released a report in 1994-DEC
which calls for "nonjudgmental recognition of sexual orientation by
physicians." They suggest that psychotherapy be directed help
homosexuals "become comfortable with their sexual orientation."
- The American Psychiatric Association took homosexuality off of its
list of mental illnesses many decades ago.
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- LGB-Friendly Religious Links
- There are many Evangelical Christian organizations devoted to helping
gays and lesbians to become celibate, and helping bisexuals confine their
relationships to members of the opposite sex. They also attempt the
impossible: converting people with homosexual orientation to heterosexual.
Among these are Exodus International
and
Courage.
© Copyright 1995 by the
Ontario Centre for Religious Tolerance.
Whole pages at this site may be freely
copied and disseminated. Acknowledgment of the source would be appreciated.
Revised, enhanced and footnoted by
info@dignitycanada.org.
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footnotes
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Cf. Gen 19:1-29
- 1
-
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
-
2
-
"My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."
- 3
-
But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.
- 4
-
Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house.
- 5
-
They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
- 6
-
Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
- 7
-
and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.
- 8
-
Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."
- 9
-
"Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.
- 10
-
But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door.
- 11
-
Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.
- 12
-
The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here--sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here,
- 13
-
because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it."
- 14
-
So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
- 15
-
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."
- 16
-
When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.
- 17
-
As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"
- 18
-
But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please!
- 19
-
Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die.
- 20
-
Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it--it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."
- 21
-
He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of.
- 22
-
But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.
- 23
-
By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.
- 24
-
Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah--from the LORD out of the heavens.
- 25
-
Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities--and also the vegetation in the land.
- 26
-
But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
- 27
-
Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD.
- 28
-
He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
- 29
-
So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
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Rom 1:24-27
- 24
-
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
- 25
-
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
- 26
-
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
- 27
-
In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
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1 Cor 6:10
- 9
-
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
- 10
-
nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
note: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:8-10 list arsenokoitai among those who will be excluded from the Reign of God. This obscure term has been translated
"homosexuals" but its exact meaning is debated.
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1 Tim 1:10
- 9
-
We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,
- 10
-
for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers--and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
- 11
-
that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
note: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:8-10 list arsenokoitai among those who will be excluded from the Reign of God. This obscure term has been translated
"homosexuals" but its exact meaning is debated.
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Ezekiel 16:48-50
- 48
-
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.
-
49
-
"`Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
- 50
-
They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
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- 1 Kings 14:24
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There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
- 1 Kings 15:12
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He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made.
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