Why is god against homosexuality

To be sure, ethical concerns apply to all cultures and peoples in every age. Such concerns were ultimately reflected by Jesus Christ, who said nothing about homosexuality, but a great deal about love, justice, mercy and faith. Romans Most New Testament books, including the four Gospels, are silent on same-sex acts, and Paul is the only author who makes any reference to the subject. The most negative statement by Paul regarding same-sex acts occurs in Romans where, in the context of a larger argument on the need of all people for the gospel of Jesus Christ, certain homosexual behavior is given as an example of the "uncleanness" of idolatrous Gentiles.

The book of Romans was written to Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome , who would have been familiar with the infamous sexual excesses of their contemporaries, especially Roman emperors. Jewish laws in Leviticus mentioned male same-sex acts in the context of idolatry. The homosexual practices cited in Romans were believed to result from idolatry and are associated with some very serious offenses as noted in Romans 1.

Taken in this larger context, it should be obvious that such acts are significantly different from loving, responsible lesbian and gay relationships seen today. What is "Natural"? In Romans , God acts in an "unnatural" way, para physin, to accept the Gentiles. In view of this, we should observe that it is "unnatural," para physin, for a person today with a lesbian or gay sexual orientation to attempt living a heterosexual lifestyle.

Romans is the only statement in the Bible with a possible reference to lesbian behavior, although the specific intent of this verse is unclear. Some authors have seen in this passage a reference to women adopting a dominant role in heterosexual relationships. The Other Verses… I Corinthians Any consideration of New Testament statements on same-sex acts must carefully view the social context of the Greco-Roman culture in which Paul ministered.

Prostitution and pederasty sexual relationships of adult men with boys were the most commonly known male same-sex acts. In I Corinthians , Paul condemns those who are "effeminate" and "abusers of themselves with mankind," as translated in the King James version.

Unfortunately, some new translations are worse, rendering these words "homosexuals. The first word — malakos, in the Greek text-which has been translated "effeminate" or "soft," most likely refers to someone who lacks discipline or moral control.

The word is used elsewhere in the New Testament but never with reference to sexuality. The second word, Arsenokoitai, occurs once each in I Corinthians and I Timothy , but nowhere else in other literature of the period. It is derived from two Greek words, one meaning, "males" and the other "beds", a euphemism for sexual intercourse. Other Greek words were commonly used to describe homosexual behavior but do not appear here.

The larger context of I Corinthians 6 shows Paul extremely concerned with prostitution, so it is very possible he was referring to male prostitutes.

By Matthew Vines. Related Stories. Already a print subscriber? Go here to link your subscription. Need help? Visit our Help Center. They have either got to give us up or give up traditional understandings. When push comes to shove, people will mostly choose people over something they have been told.

Parents have chosen the love of their children. Southern Baptists, Mormons, and Roman Catholics—at least in terms of the official teachings of the church—are pretty rigid in sticking to original understandings. But even people within those ranks are facing this. Remember, there are just as many gay kids growing up in the Southern Baptist, Roman Catholic, or Mormon churches as anywhere else—and the parents of those kids are presented with dissonance between the kid they love and what the church is telling them.

What did you say and why do you think it was so powerful? G: I did this video for the kid in nowhere Idaho and Georgia for whom the Internet may be the only place to get some good news for who they are. They are bombarded by the culture and most likely by the church saying they are despicable in the eyes of God.

Having that said by a bishop who happens to be an openly gay man can pack an even greater wallop because they know I have gone through what they are going through. They are flat-out wrong. Hang around long enough for those of us who know differently to convince you otherwise. Hang in there long enough to hear voices like mine, and others that will join mine, to let you know that you are absolutely beloved by God and absolutely nothing can come between you and that love.

J: Moving from this place in time and thinking ahead—knowing that predictions are tricky—what do you see for LGBT people both here in the United States and around the globe? G: I believe that we are well on our way to bringing LGBT people into the promise of America, which is equal treatment for all our citizens.

We will keep on working until that is a reality. It matters who is elected to Congress and who is elected president. There is no question in my mind that we have been able to do things because of who is president right now.

I think progress in that realm is inevitable. We would like it to happen faster. On a longer trajectory, I would like to see our movement mature. We have been concerned with our own issues, and we have every right to be. But we also need to move ever outward. First of all, I think we will see our community becoming more concerned with the plight of LGBT people around the world.

That is all to the good. It is going to take activism on our part to change life for LGBT people in the rest of the world. Two years ago I met a young woman in Africa. When she came out to her parents, they took her to the local police station where all the policemen gang-raped her to cure her of her lesbianism.

The other expansion I want to see in our community is a greater understanding of the connections between heterosexism, which oppresses us, and racism, sexism, ableism—all of the isms. While the specifics may be different, the dynamics are the same. The way one group oppresses another works out the same.

And yet we have been rather siloed in our concerns. I am horrified to hear someone in the gay community speak about women in a sexist way, or be racist. Accept More Information. Share on Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email At the heart of the claim that the Bible is clear "that homosexuality is forbidden by God" is poor biblical scholarship and a cultural bias read into the Bible.

Introduction For the last two decades, Pew Research Center has reported that one of the most enduring ethical issues across Christian traditions is sexual diversity. What is the Bible? What is Biblical Interpretation? Conclusion All things considered, it is important to remember that throughout church history, new information about people and the world have frequently led Christians to reconsider their beliefs. Love conquers hate. Donate Today. Wear your pride this year. Shop Now.

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