This short essay attempts to address some of the most common justifications people might give who are opposed to homosexuality because of their Christian convictions.
If the Bible were taken literally, there would be lots of things outlawed,
Leviticus 20:13 NIV -- "`If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
Leviticus 11:9-12 NIV -- "`Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales--whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water--you are to detest. And since you are to detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses. Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.
1 Peter 3:3 KJV -- Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
Leviticus 25:37 - KJV -- Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
Leviticus 19:19 - NIV --
" 'Keep my decrees.
" 'Do not mate different kinds of animals.
" 'Do not plan your field with two kinds of seed.
" 'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
1 Timothy 4:8 - KJV -- For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Deuteronomy 23:19 - KJV --Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usuary of money, usury of victuals, usury of anyh thing that is lent upon usury:
Matthew 5:32 - KJV -- But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Exodus 20:10 - KJV -- But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Corinthians 14:34 - NIV -- women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.
If someone wants to be consistant about his observance of Biblical restrictions and prohibitions, then he must also preach and practice abstinance from many other activities that are commonplace in our society. With a few exceptions, most people are not willing to apply the morality of the Bible to their lives today.
Actually, except for the case above, the Bible does not really ever condemn homosexuality. And in the case above, most people do not accept the instructions anyway because they also like to do other abominable things such as wear poly-cotton blends and eat oysters.
There are several cases where some translations of the Bible mention homosexuality, but when you look at the context or research the words from the original language, you find that what was really being condemned were things like idolotry, prostitution, and rape.
This type of theology ultimitely is subjective, i.e., not scripturaly objective. It says, "Go with your heart." And that it is left up to the individual as to what is right or wrong for himself. Thus, no one else can judge the heart of another person.
Actually, it does no such thing. If you reread the story critically, you see that God destroyed the city for its excessive wickedness, and the lack of righteous men there. If Lot had been able to find even five righteous men, the city would have benn spared. Moreover, Ezekiel 16:48-50 explains what the sins of Sodom were. It mentions lots of things, but never does it mention homosexuality.
Ezekiel 16:48-50 -- As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. "`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. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
The word natural is fairly ambiguous in this statment. Does it mean appearing elsewhere in nature? Does it mean according to God's original design? Does it imply no biological/genetic link? Would the discover of a gay gene show that it is infact natural for some people?
This argument is not valid, in my opinion, because whether something is natural or un-natural has nothing to do with whether God loves it or hates it. E.g., we are called on many times in the Bible to do very un-natural things, like fasting, and turning the other cheek.
Thus, this statement claims that gay people must either to
Lesbians have a much lower incidence of AIDS than even heterosexuals. So if AIDS were Gods wrath onto homosexual men, then it would also be his blessing of approval on lesbians. I find it hard to believe that anyone would actually think AIDS shows God's judgement or blessing on anyone.