Homosexuality and the Bible

I am opposed to gay marriage. My brother is gay and says he is married, we don't argue about it. I feel the Bible is very specific about homosexuality. It says it is wrong on many levels. He says the Bible was written in a different time and place. Example: the Bible says a woman who is divorced and remarries is committing adultery, but not the same for the man. I was wondering what others think about the subject.

Well the Bible is pretty cut and dry on the subject really. Either you believe it or not. I know alot of people who try to rationalize away things so they don't feel guilty but in the end it isn't gonna matter. God will be a "good" judge, for now its up to us to love them and try to point them in the right direction. I don't think God wants us to attack them. But yes I agree with you, and I'll pray that God will lead you in how to deal with him.

The bible also condones slavery FYI

I'd agree with CreatorsPixels. The "different time and culture" argument isn't really logically consistent. A case can be made for something like "head coverings for women" being specific to biblical time and culture, but the biblical stance on homosexuality is too consistent. For my position on the issue you can check out the post I wrote on it at: http://spiritblade.blogspot.com/2010/08/in-search-of-truth-homosexuality-and.html

We should probably start a new thread if we want to talk about the supposed condoning of slavery in the Bible (which I understand getting that impression but disagree that slavery, as we use and think of the term, is condoned in the Bible).

Another issue probably more relevant to this topic is that homosexuality was considered SO evil that Lot was willing to give his daughters to the crowd of men instead of the two men he had in his house

Gen. 19:8

I'm not going to add much that hasn't been said already. But I will add that the Bible doesn't limit what your brother said about divorce to women; it's for men too (Matt 19:1-12). I've heard arguments from people trying to explain away the Scriptures that are clearly condemning homosexuality and their explanations just don't hold up. They are obviously just trying to soothe their conscience.

What I remind myself is that to God it's just another sin. That's not really intended to make light of homosexuality, but really it should wake us up as to how repulsive ALL our sins our. We all have our weaknesses -- for me it might be pornography, for you it might be pride, for Ken's brother it's sodomy. And while we tend to "grade" sins as one being really bad while another is not so bad, they're all repulsive to the Lord.

Where I was going was this: they're a sinner, true... just like me. And while I may not have a weakness for that particular sin, I have weakness for others. And that helps me accept them as a person...helps me see past the sin and to the person because I would want the same thing. I would want someone else to see past my sin and not see just a pornography addict, but rather to see a person. A person who still struggles with sin in his life and will until I die.

I remember you covering that topic way back whenever, Paeter. I was fairly new to the podcast. You mentioned that you were going to be talking about it the next week, and the way you promoted it I thought, "Ah, crap... I was liking this podcast, too. Now he's gonna say it's ok and I'm gonna have to disagree and maybe even just move on." I was really relieved the following week when everything you said was spot on.

Anyway... I said I wasn't going to add much. Sorry for rambling on.

I remember listening to a recorded sermon by Dr. John Stott a number of years ago that really had me thinking. I recall clearly two points that he made.

The first was that while individual passages in the Bible might be debated about whether homosexual activity is sinful, he notes that every time it is mentioned it is condemned (which fits Paeter's argument of consistency).

The second is the one that has me convinced (if the first wasn't enough already). It appeals to the creation story and indicates that God created Eve for Adam as a helper suitable for him. She was sufficiently different from him in every way. When the early Church was seeking a metaphor for Christ's relationship to the Church, it settled on that of a Groom to his Bride, a metaphor even Jesus used. A homosexual union runs counter to the image of two separate, different entities coming together and forming one bond, and as such is the antithesis of what God is trying to communicate to His people.

I know that I didn't do justice to the argument, but I think that is at least the gist of it.

Elevating some sins above others is troubling to me.

And as damaging as I think homosexuality is to individuals and society, it's always seemed to me that heterosexuality has done much more damage.

ProfessorAlan wrote:Elevating some sins above others is troubling to me.

And as damaging as I think homosexuality is to individuals and society, it's always seemed to me that heterosexuality has done much more damage.

There's a really great article over at "Parchment and Pen" about exactly what you're saying. Can Homosexuals Be Christians http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2012/05/can-homosexuals-be-christians/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ParchmentAndPen+%28Parchment+and+Pen%29

I've had friends who are gay and and I try not judge them because i'm a sinner too and in God's eyes we're same I have a hard time keeping my sexual desires towards women at bay. It's how they celebrate their homosexuality with there gay pride parades that gets to me and it's hard for me not think about that when they die they won't be celebrating anymore and I know it will break God's heart to have to send them to Hell I just don't know how or even if I want to reach out to them.


Also about the issue of Gay marriage why are people fighting this saying we need to protect marriage and yet remain silent as the divorce rate rises?

Wow, I'm actually glad someone brought this topic up.

As of late, I've been trying to determine my thoughts on gay marriage/gay rights/etc, since it's been a prevalent topic in politics lately.

My brother is gay, and I have a few friends who are gay. I don't look at them any differently from a Christian standpoint. God tells us through the scripture that homosexuality is a sin and something He finds detestable. But all sin is detestable to God. I've lied, and therefore I've sinned. Is my sin any worse or less than someone choosing to live in defiance of God's design for sexuality? Nope. Sin is sin. I've been taught God doesn't discern levels of sin.

I love my brother and my friends undeniably, as we are supposed to do. Jesus came to this world to love the sinners. I was (am) a sinner, and so I can't pretend I'm any better than someone else. I'm just different. I'm forgiven. I live my life to reflect the love Jesus had for those in the world.

But I struggle with the secular arguments about gay marriage and gay rights. I understand the idea of treating everyone equally and fairly. I have no problem with that. I think my problem is being lumped in with other radical christian sects (Westboro Baptist) simply because I am a Christian. I have heard from members of the LGBT community that Christians are anti-gay. I have a hard time finding the right way to tell them that not all Christians are anti-gay.

I believe Christians should present themselves as anti-sin, and remind others that we are simply forgiven sinners. Unfortunately, it's the members of the Christian community espousing stupid thoughts (like the minister that says put them all behind a fence and let them die out because they can't procreate) that have completely missed the point of a true relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And they tend to also be the ones with the biggest microphones.

I may be rambling, but I hope my thoughts make a little sense.

Several people have said that they are sinners the same as gay people. I beg to differ. Gay people are living their sin daily. The Bible says you should do your best to get away from your sin, not continue to live it.
Am I a better person than a homosexual because I try to keep away from sin? No of course not. But to ignore the parts of the Bible you don't like and still call yourself a Christian is wrong.
I have been called closed minded, strictly fundamentalist, and all kinds of other things because I believe gay marriage is wrong. As I Christian I am supposed to love the sinner and hate the sin. But even the Bible says that if the person or place won't listen, then you are to shake the very dust of the town off your feet.

You're right. My point is just that it's the same as any other sin, though. I would say the same with someone continuing in any other sin. If I just continue to embrace my sin -- even if it's a heterosexual temptation instead of a homosexual -- rather than try to fight it, stop it, avoid it, whatever...that is a sign of a nonbeliever.