Bible passage against gays
Leviticus 18:22
“You shall not untruth with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”[1] It is not a surprise that this verse seems to say that homosexual male sex is forbidden in the eyes of God. The dominant view of western Christianity forbids same-sex 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 understanding of what this channel means for the LGBTQ community. More specifically, it presents the interpretation of K. Renato Lings in which Lev. 18:22 refers to male-on-male incest.
While Lev. 18:22 is used to condemn homosexuality, we must realize that the legal title “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 refer homosexuality.[2] He also contends that in ancient Israel same-sex relations were viewed as an ancient Close East problem. The ancient Near East tradition included pederasty and relations between an older man and
But for many LGBTQ Christians, the Bible can experience like the enemy. In the Book of Leviticus homosexuality is called an “abomination” (18:22; 20:13). And although Jesus never explicitly condemns homosexuality, thought he could have (he is hard on divorce, for example), St. Paul does (1 Cor 6:9-10). The few biblical verses that address homosexuality are used against LGBTQ people over and over: in the political sphere; by religious leaders; on social media; in one-on-one encounters; and, perhaps worst of all, in homilies and sermons in the very churches where LGBTQ people try to encounter a loving God.
By the same token, the Bible proscribes many laws, moral codes and ethical guidelines that modern-day Christians ignore, don’t obey or have rejected completely. For example, even though they honor the Senior Testament, Christians don’t stone people who work on the Sabbath (Ex. 35:2). We don’t sell people into slavery (Ex. 21:7). And if someone curses God, we don’t perform them (Lev. 24:10-16). In the New Testament, St. Paul told slaves to be obedient to their masters (Eph. 6:25-29). He also said that women should be silent in churches (1 Cor 14:34). A now-famous online response to
The Bible on Homosexual Behavior
One way to argue against these passages is to make what I ring the “shellfish objection.” Keith Sharpe puts it this way: “Until Christian fundamentalists boycott shellfish restaurants, interrupt wearing poly-cotton T-shirts, and stone to death their wayward offspring, there is no obligation to monitor to their diatribes about homosexuality being a sin” (The Gay Gospels, 21).
In other words, if we can disregard rules love the ban on eating shellfish in Leviticus 11:12, then we should be allowed to disobey other prohibitions from the Vintage Testament. But this argument confuses the Old Testament’s temporary ceremonial laws with its permanent moral laws.
Here’s an analogy to support understand this distinction.
I think of two rules my mom gave me when I was young: hold her hand when I cross the street and don’t drink what’s under the sink. Today, I contain to follow only the latter rule, since the former is no longer needed to protect me. In fact, it would now do me more harm than good.
Old Testament ritual/ceremonial laws were enjoy mom’s handholding rule. The reason they forbade the Israelites from using certain fabrics or foods, or interacting with bodily
The Church of England issued pastoral guidance from the House of Bishops to its clergy on January 23, following the legal introduction of heterosexual civil partnerships in 2019. While the guidance concerns heterosexual civil partners, the document has, controversially, been used by the church to reiterate its position on sexual relationships outside of heterosexual marriage. It states that “sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purpose for human beings”.
This is squarely in line with the church’s official position on homosexuality, which is that it is “incompatible with scripture”. We have seen recent attempts by liberal members to get the church to take a more inclusive approach towards gender and sexuality, but these have been rebuffed by conservatives. In October 2018, four bishops from the diocese of Oxford published guidance designed “to advise local clergy and congregations in order to support LGBTQ+ people and their families, and to learn from the insights of LGTBQ+ people about being church together”.
Several months later, more than a hundred “concerned Anglicans” signed an open letter criticising the guidance. The
.