Where is homosexuality referred to in the bible

By Philip H. Some Christians say that The Bible makes it clear that homosexuality is an abomination to God. As a Christian, I have to admit that until recently I had never thoroughly explored the Biblical position on homosexuality. I decided to review the topic of homosexuality in The Bible in order to get a better perspective on why some Christians find homosexuality so troubling.

In my review, I found that the word homosexual does not appear in the Bible. The word homosexual first was used in the English language during the eighteenth century. Also, the word homosexual is used less often today because many feel that the word has negative connotations. The acronym stands for lesbians female homosexuals ; gays male homosexuals ; bisexuals and trans-gendered.

The letter Q is sometimes used to refer to those who are questioning their sexual identity. The acronym most commonly used is LGBT. The acronym, LGBT, first entered into widespread use in the s. It was part of a general sensitivity movement. Likewise, corporate America has discovered that bias against all kinds of minority groups is bad for business. So, overt discrimination against members of the LGBT community is not tolerated. These descriptions occur both in the Old and New Testaments.

A surface reading of these passages would suggest to the casual reader that the Bible does in fact condemn such behavior. However, when these passages are read in context, it is clear that all negative connotations about these persons who we now refer to as LGBTs are always secondary to a more primary message.

However, if we are to have a full understanding of the verse, we must know the context in which the verse is written. The full context of Leviticus paints an entirely different picture of what this verse is intended to mean.

There were two primary reasons for this verse being in the Bible. The Bible is filled with stories of polygamy and husbands taking concubines. In accordance with the culture and laws of the past, women were often treated like property that could be traded or sold into marriage. Today we understand that these examples of marriage reflect the cultural practices of the time rather than a spiritual model for today. For more on civil rights from American Progress please visit the Civil Rights, Liberties, and Justice page of our website.

Sarah Dreier. Tricia Woodcome Senior Media Manager. You Might Also Like. Rather, most Christians make these difficult determinations by studying what the whole of Scripture says regarding a specific topic, exploring the linguistic, historical and cultural context within which the words were written, and then putting these discoveries in conversation with what we know to be true of the character of God more broadly. Whenever any person opens the Bible, they begin a process of interpretation.

But, the question is begged, is this a fair and accurate assessment? Are there such things as neutral interpretations?

Is there one true or correct way to interpret the Bible, and if so, who determines that? The study of biblical interpretation is called hermeneutics, and helps us to address these kinds of questions. More specifically, we are seeking to determine if the biblical writers were condemning specific practices related to sexuality in the ancient world, or were they indeed condemning all same-sex relationships of any kind for the rest of time?

While gender complimentarity is indeed rooted in passages from Genesis 1 and 2, it is worth noting that these stories say God began by creating human beings of male and female sex defined as the complex result of combinations between chromosomes, gonads, genes, and genitals but there is nothing that indicates in Scripture that God only created this binary.

This account says little to nothing about gender, the social and cultural norms and practices corresponding to what is considered masculine and feminine. Two dimensions of the text that become important in considering the biblical affirmation of intersex, transgender, non-binary, and other gender diverse people, discussed at more length here.

This was what allowed the first Christians to decide to include gentiles who were not keeping the Old Testament law in the early church Acts What they did suggest was that the obvious exclusion, injustice and destructive outcomes of widely held beliefs should take Christians back to the text to consider a different perspective, one which might better reflect the heart of God. While some Christians say that the Bible presents a variety of hard teachings as well as promising suffering for followers of Jesus Matthew , it never endorses oppression.

In order for suffering to be Christ-like, it must be redemptive. Redemptive suffering does not uphold oppressive forces but always expresses resistance against them.