How To: Condemn Homosexuality Using the Bible

1. Start With Your Conclusion
It is much easier to understand how the Bible condemns homosexuality if you keep that condemnation in your mind as you read. You already know that same-sex acts are depraved, perverse and disgusting - keeping that in mind will ensure that your study leads only to the proper conclusion.

2. Get an English Language Bible
The original bible texts were written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic - languages that few readers of today would be able to comprehend. Thankfully, somebody else has done the work of putting the authors' words into English for us. They've figured out for us what the writers intended when they put words like ish, zahkar, yada, malokoi and pornoi onto paper.

This can tricky, because words like "zahkar" only mean "temple prostitutes" MOST of the time, but SOMETIMES it means "mankind". "Malakoi", which for the longest time has been translated as "effeminate", or "boy prostitutes", or "those who masturbate" has only been properly translates as "homosexuals" since 1946. Even "arsenokoita" - a word that Paul seems to have invented, which he used instead of any of the many Greek words commonly used at the time to describe those who perform homosexual acts, has been properly translated... it means "those who perform homosexual acts".

No need to worry that these interpreters made any mistakes, or introduced their own bias into their translations. Why would any person introduce ideas into their religious dogma that are contrary to God's intent?

3. Read Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
This book lists out the laws of God's chosen people - the Israelites. You can just read 18:22 and 20:13, and you'll see clear condemnations of "man with mankind". Here's a perfect example of how an English language translation helps the reader! Although the author, Moses, used the word "zakhar" here, which is commonly used to refer to males used in ritual pagan sex acts, and even though this instruction is intended to show the Israelites how they are not to follow the practices of the Egyptians or the communities, and even though ritual pagan sex with temple prostitutes was common practice of the Egyptians and communities, the translated has figured out that THIS PARTICULAR OCCURRENCE of "zakhar" DOES NOT MEAN "temple prostitutes" ... it means "mankind". I don't think many lay readers would have reached this obviously correct conclusion.

That's about all you need from Leviticus. If you read the rest you'll find there are a total of 613 instructions that comprise the law, but most of them - like "don't eat pork" or "don't touch a pigskin" or "don't cross-breed livestock" don't apply to today's Christian. BUT 18:22 AND 20:13 STILL DO!

4. Read Genesis 19
Here is the story of Sodom, a city so depraved and sinful that God sent angels to destroy it, and everyone in it, except for Lot and his family. When God's angels arrived in Sodom, only Lot extended an offer of hospitality. The rest of the town was content to let these visitors stay out in the town square and fend for themselves. After Lot took the strangers in, a crowd showed up demanding that Lot hand the men over so that "we may know them". Well, Lot didn't hand the visitors over, the gathered crowd was blinded, Lot & his family escaped, and the city was destroyed.

From this story it is obvious that God does not approve of two men being in a loving relationship together. When men express love for each other, nurture and support each other, and help each other live a good life in the community it is EXACTLY THE SAME THING as attempting to assault or gang-rape strangers visiting from another town.

NOTE: You should under no circumstances read Ezekiel 16:49-50 - "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good."

5. Read Romans 1
In Corinth, in Paul's time, most people worshiped the goddess Aphrodite, a false deity with both male & female sex organs. Part of their worship was to play the role of the opposite gender, and to engage in orgiastic sex with temple prostitutes who were available for that purpose. Still, there is no reason to think that Paul might have been writing about these ritualistically practices in Romans I. Certainly he meant that any kind same-sex relationship was sinful, because really what's the difference between performing sex for money as part of idol worship and having a committed, monogamous relationship with somebody you care about? THEY ARE THE SAME THING!

NOTE: Do NOT read ANY OTHER CHAPTERS in Romans. If you make that mistake, you may run into passages about how we are not to judge one another (2:1, 14:4, 14:10, 14:13 ), or how no one can be justified through the law (3:20) but through faith (3:28-31) and God's perfect sacrifice and forgiveness (4:7, 5:18, 8:3-4). How can nothing be unclean in itself (14:14) when mosaic law list so many things as being unclean?

6. Read 1 Timothy
Ever since 1946, 1 Timothy 1:9-10 has been translated as a condemnation of homosexuals. Prior to that the word Timothy used, "arsenokoitai", had been translated as any of the following: child molesters, perverts, homosexual perverts, sexual perverts. True, the words "arsenokoitai" and "malakois" are NOT among the Greek words commonly used at that time to describe homosexual sex acts, and up until the 20th century the common interpretation condemned masturbation, but is that really any reason to question the 1946 translation?

Moral Superiority of The Catholic Church

Since the rise of Popery 50,000,000 people had been put to death in various ways for their religion by the end of the 19th century. Here's a bit of the track record ...

The Crusades - 11th Century slaughters to free the holy land.

Pope Innocent III commisions an army to kill the (Christian!) Albigenses. 60,000 unarmed men, women and children murdered at Beziers, 14,000 at Minerve.

The Inquisition - from 1200 to 1500 - founded expressly to exterminate every human being in Europe who differend from Roman Catholic beliefs and practices. Defened by St. Thomas Aquinas, and preserved in Spain until 1820!

The Shoah (or Holocaust) - German churches promoted anti-Judaism in sermonds & articles, the Vatican stood by. "Unhioly Trinity" raises charges that the Vatican aided inthe escape of war criminals ( and booty ).

Sex Abuse - Catholic priests take advantage of their postiion to abuse children in their congregations. The church executes a policy of shuttling offenders off to new congregations. Since 1962 - The Vatican instructs bishops to cover it up. In Ireland the police are complicit. In Australia, the Brothers want taxpayers to compensate their admitted victims.

Vatican implicated in the Hague war crimes tribunal for hiding accused war criminal former Croatian General Ante Gotovina. ( 2005 )

The Church & Same Sex Unions

Chuches are divided on the issue of same-sex realtionships. Even in the Catholic church, clergy is divided. The US Bishops call for care but the Vatican hasn't exactly integrated these ideals into their teachings or practice. God does not change, but people do, and even the Vatican may at some alter their position on this. They have, after all, changed their position on...

... usury, the charging of any loan interest whatsoever, which the bible, the church, philosophers, saints and the popes condemned. The church maintains the condemnation, but has redefined the offense.

... evolution, which John Paul II acknowledges as "more than a hypothesis"

... religous liberty, which the church condemned throught he 19th century but accepted in the 1960's.

... copernican physics, which at one time was considered heretical and punsihable by death or improsnment by the church, is now accepted

Unnatural ?

Homosexual behaviors occur across cultures and generations, in consistent proprtions, and as far back as we know. these include courtship, affection, sex, pair-bonding, and parenting. In some species 44% of the observed population would be characterized as homosexual. In humans the number seems to be closer to 10%. Homosexuality is an expected occurence in nature.

Moral Implications?
The clssifications of natural and unnatural say nothing about the morality of any given act. If nature provided the standard for morality, we might be in-breeding, keeping harems and devouring our young with impugnity. We might be shamed by unnatural acts such as driving a car, or talking on a telephone, or wearing clothing, or taking medicine, or countless other things that exist in human society alone and nowhere (else) in nature.

The Bible

Aspects to Understanding
Translation - this is required to make the orginal greek, hebrew and aramaic texts more accesible. Even contemporary translations often fail to capture the writer's meaning, so this is one cause for careful study. Is there the possibility - or even likelihood - that these words may have been mistranslated?

Yada - this word describes what the crowd in sodom wanted with Lot's visitors. In almost 900 cases in the bible, the word "yada" is translated to mean "to gain knowledge of" with no sexual meaning implied. In less than 10 cases, the same word is translated to mean CARNAL knowledge. Strange.

Ish and Zakhar - these are the ORIGINAL words used in the prohibition against man lying with mankind. "Ish" means man or male, but Zakhar is most often translated to mean a man or male animal specially dedicated to a deity for some sacred function. The correct translation explains the prohibition.

Arsenokoitai - good luck translators, Paul seems to have made up "Arsenokoitai". (Timothy repeats it). "Arsenos" = male, "koitai" = beds, sounds like men in bed? Sometimes this gets translated as "them that defile themselves with mankind", or "male sexual perverts", or "the sexually imorral", or "those with unnatural desires", or "male prostitutes", or "child molesters". http://www.geocities.com/pharsea/PaulineLists.html

Interpretation - even if the translators get all the words right, getting the proper meaning may not be as simple as taking the literal meaning of the words on the page. Just consider common phrases of the day and you'll get the point .. we don't mean it literally when we say "get off my back", or "I was scared to death", or "I'm starving". Reading, studying & praying can help get at the writer's intent.

Leviticus - this book is about sin, atonement, ritual and hygiene. It instructs Isrealites not to practice what they practice in Egypt (which they had left) and Canaan (which they were entering). Egyptian and Canaanite cultures practiced ritual, pagan sex with temple prostitutes ... Ish with Zakhar ... and Leviticus tells the Isrealites not to do that.

Sodom - is the great sin of Sodom homosexuality ... or is it violence against visitors? Ezekiel 16:48-50 spells it out: the sins of Sodom are idolatry, inhospitality, pride and lack of care for widows orphans and the poor. Homosexuality was not mentioned, directly or by inference.

Sodomite ?

Sodom & Gommorah
The point of the story of Sodom is ... love thy neighbor as thyself - even (and especially) strangers in your land. In Ezekiel 16:48-50 the prophet describes the sins of Sodom as idolatry, inhospitality, pride and lack of care for widows orphans and the poor. Homosexuality was not mentioned, directly or by inference. The idea that the crowds outside Lot's house had any sexual intention is itself questionable, as they are demanding that they might "know" the visitors. The original text uses the word "yada", to gain knowledge of, which is translated into a sexual meaning in less than ten of its 900+ appearances in the bible. (not all knowledge is carnal)

Abomination ?

Mosaic Law (Leviticus)
Don't have ritual sex with temple prostitutes. Check the Hebrew .. 20:13 speaks of a man (ISH) with mankind (ZAKHAR). (ISH) with (ISH) is not mentioned, its (ISH) with (ZAKHAR) that is an abomination. (ZAKHAR) is most often translated to mean a man or male animal specially dedicated to a deity for some sacred function.

Do the Levitical laws apply to Christians? If so, then why do we eat pork? A common theme throughout Paul's epistles is the idea that we are no longer under the law. That law leads only to death, whereas we are under grace that leads to eternal life. When two people make a contract, they agree to do specific things. That contract is in effect until all of the conditions are met. Then it is no longer in effect. Jesus' death on the cross met the conditions of the old covenant. Jesus came to offer us a new one. This new one only has one basic requirement: Love. Love God. Love your neighbor.

Leviticus Also Prohibits
Eating the fat from a sacrificial animal
Eating blood
Burning incense at the wrong time ?
Eating camel, rabbit, saphan/coney (?), pig (do not even touch it), eating anything from the water lacking fins & scales
Eating eagle, buzzard, vulture, falcon, kite, raven, ostrich, owl, stork, heron, bat, mole, mouse, lizard, gecko, crocodile
Slaying an ox, goat or lamb for any reason OTHER THAN sacrifice
Seeing relatives naked ?
Reaping the corners of the field.
Doing any injustice in judgement
Bearing any grudge against the sons of your people
Round haircuts
Beard trimming
Mediums, spirtualists, soothsayers
Any hostility to a stanger in your lands
Anyone with a defect from bringing an offering
cross-breeding cattle
sow the field with mingled seed
wear a garment of linen & wool blended
tattoos

But Requires
Complex cleansing rituals and sacrifices
Yom Kipur
Men may only marry a virgin of his own people


And Allows
Touching something unclean, swearing, (providing you sacrifie a goat, or turtledoves, or pigeons, or flour for it)
Deceit about money, robbery (providing you pay it back plus 1/5 more ... and make a sacrifice)
Sex with a betrothed women, as long as she is a slave