Why is homosexuality mentioned so many times in the Bible as a sin? In the book Torn, Lee tries to find an answer in the Bible for why he is gay. Although Lee grapples with scriptures in Chapter 12 and tries to discern the meaning of the verses in light of the context, he is disappointed that the answers he was looking for were not there. Through these scriptures we can discern that the act of gay sex is a sin, homosexuality is no different from any other sin, and because every person on earth is a sinner, we should unconditionally love these people. God has created each human being in his own image, and it is only by sin that man would have sexual feelings towards other men. Romans 1:24-27 says just that. "That is why God abandoned them to …show more content…
Homosexuality, and all sins for that matter, were very much punished and condemned by God in the Old Testament as exemplified through the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gibeah. Lee wrestles with these passages and is thrown for a loop on how harsh God looks and acts upon homosexuals at this time. The great thing about all of these stories is looking upon them with knowledge of what happens in the New Testament. With the crucifixion of Jesus and the salvation that flowed out of him as he took on the burden of all of our sins in the New Testament, the scriptures provide hope and an opportunity for all sinners to repent and to start their journey on becoming the men or women that they were originally modeled to be. As Christians, we all should be doing our best to avoid sin at all costs, but inevitably we will fail. I agree with the explanation that the article "What does the Bible have to say about Christianity? Is homosexuality a sin?" has to say about homosexuality as a sin. It reads, "God does not create a person with homosexual desires. The Bible tells us that people become homosexuals because of sin and ultimately because of their own choice. A person may be born with a greater susceptibility to homosexuality, just as some people are born with a tendency to violence and other sins. That does not excuse the person’s choosing to sin by giving in to sinful desires." This passage rings true and is something that, I feel, Lee can 't come to terms with. God has created each human being in his own image, and it is only by sin that man would have sexual feelings towards other men. Now, in no sense does the Bible describe homosexuality as an unforgivable sin. Nor does the Bible teach that homosexuality is a sin Christians will never struggle against. This is made clear throughout scripture and people caught
Throughout the essays of Richard B. Hays in “Awaiting the Redemption of Our Bodies” and Walter Winks “Biblical Perspectives and Homosexuality” both authors tackle the difficult subject of homosexuality and how it should be perceived in terms of the bible. Both Authors agree that Homosexuality is a sin according to the bible, but have different perspectives on how it should be handled and received. Christians. Richard B. Hays opens his essay talking about his friend Gary, who was dying of Aids and was struggling with homosexual behavior. In Hays’s “Living under the cross” section he says “there is no reason at all for the church to single out homosexual persons for malicious discriminatory treatment; Insofar as Christians have done so
Many people proclaim, particularly Christian fundamentalist, that homosexuality is sinful because it says so in the Bible. However, many people admit that they have never read the entire bible, and can’t accurately cite where it says this. They simply repeat the message(s) from pastors, parents, etc., rather than careful study and research. One of the movie’s most quotable moment, “There’s nothing wrong with a fifth-grade understanding of God – as long as you’re in the fifth grade.”
God has declared through His loving kindness and His righteousness how He enjoys heterosexual relationships, as Creator of man and woman. God created a woman from Adam’s rib so that Adam would not be alone. Upon completion of God creating woman, God asked Adam to name her; Adam declared she would be called woman as she was created with man’s rib, but her name will be Eve as she is the first woman. Therefore, that pleased God, and we have the first marriage. A marriage where to people man and woman come together. They were creatively designed by God to fit each other. God did not create man to lay with another man, as their bodies are not designed to fit or complement each other. Adam was given instructions from God not to eat from the tree of knowledge and as head of the marriage; it was his responsibility to enforce God’s command. Yet he failed and ate with Eve from the tree. And later that day, as God was walking in the garden in the coolness of the day, He called out to Adam. Adam and Eve were hiding from Him, as they knew they blew it. When God questioned Adam why did he eat from the tree, Adam blamed Eve. God is fair and just and He loves us all. Even when they had sinned against God, God loved them and clothed them with animal skins. In order for Him to provide the animal skins, He had to kill the animal.
"That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites, for both their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary nature and likewise even the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full recompense, which was due for their error." (Romans 1:26-27)
People’s different values and morals play a role in defining what they believe. Many people find homosexuality to be not natural, and it goes against many people’s views. However, there is also a lot of people who argue in favor of homosexuality and find nothing about it unnatural. For those people who do think it is not natural they normally use the argument that this kind of sex can not reproduce, therefore it is not right because the point of sex is to reproduce. Many times the Bible will also be used to refer to verses that condemn acts of homosexual sex. People who favor the morality of homosexuality find many things wrong with these arguments. To say that the only purpose of sex is to reproduce would be wrong because there are many examples of heterosexual couples who have sex without the intention of conception. Medical problems, protected sex, and just sex for fun are all reasons why
In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, there are many clues that suggest Gene has a sexual attraction toward Finny; however, in the 1940s when the story takes place, homosexuals were subjected to a tremendous amount of discrimination and, therefore, might ignore or hide their true feelings. Because of its time, it’s almost as if the book itself is “in the closet” as it cannot acknowledge directly that it is a gay novel. Throughout the text, the novel has many references to Gene being gay, but never direct ones. In John Knowles’s A Separate Peace, because of the time he lives in, Gene cannot express or perhaps even admit to his true identity.
Religion has been a big issue with judging homosexual. Some Christians believe that the Bible speaks with one clear voice in condemning homosexuality. In many Anti-gay Christians groups see homosexuality as sinful. Using the Bible to justify their hate against anything they do not understand.
The second biggest offenders are individuals who are raised in a norm where it is not accepted. It has been said, ‘‘hate the sin and love the sinner, homosexuality is a ticket to Hell. You could not be gay and go to church. You cannot be a Christian. You cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.” (Levy 2014). In the bible Sodom & Gomorrah Genesis 19, Leviticus 18:22, and Leviticus 20:13 talks about how homosexuality are condemned and abominations. There are many more other versus in the bible that speak about homosexuality. Individuals who are growing up listening and reading to the bible will follow the bibles way. If the bible talks about how homosexuality are condemned and abominations, they are going to think and feel the same way as well. It becomes a manifestation of how their personality will be in the future. When it becomes part of their personality, whenever they see or hear homosexual acts they become enraged. For others who are from different religions that say nothing about homosexuals, throughout their life course they are influenced by the vast majority who view homosexuality is wrong as a cultural norm. When they reach adult hood or a critical age all their going to remember is homosexuality is wrong and the violence that is tied with it. It creates a super ego conscience where they are to not
The focus of this essay is to explore sexuality presented by Philoclea in the New Arcadia. Philoclea cultivates a relationship towards another women in the book. Yet readers understand that Zelmane is in fact Pyrocles. Sidney allows the reader to be given the impression that until Pyrocles admits to be Zelmane, Philoclea would be shown to have a homosexual tendencies. Philoclea herself is certain that a same-sex friendship is giving way to sexual desire.
Even in the Old Testament of the Bible, the issue of homosexuality has already been talked about. An example of a quote from the Bible would be: "...
"[I]t seems appropriate to understand sexual orientation (heterosexual or homosexual) as a deep-seated dimension of one's personality and to recognize its relative stability in a person. Generally, homosexual orientation is experienced as a given, not as something freely chosen. By itself, therefore, a homosexual orientation cannot be considered sinful, for morality presumes the freedom to choose. The teachings of the Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence against them"(Pastoral).
---If we were supposed to be homosexual, God would have created Adam and Steve, not Adam and Eve.
“All men are created equal, No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words,” Harvey Milk. A homosexual, as defined by the dictionary, is someone of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same sex. Homosexuality is ethical, and I will provide rational arguments for, and irrational arguments against the topic. A few objections are as follows: It is forbidden in the Bible and frowned upon by God; It is unnatural; Men and women are needed to reproduce; There are no known examples in nature; and the most common argument that concerns homosexuality is whether it is a choice or human biology.
We have no right to judge. We should leave that to the Lord, and he will make the right decision. He will decide what the sinner does and doesn't deserve. Christians know what to abide by. They may know that being a homosexual is going against Gods word, but they also know that the Lord says that one should love all no matter what circumstances.
These questions arise from our own desires as Christians to reflect a biblically sound attitude towards sexuality and relationships. That same desire to act according to biblical scriptures is subject to opposition from today’s culture and views about sexual relationships, gender, and roles. A new definition of marriage, sexual orientation, and sexual practices is challenging our relationship with God and our view of human sexuality. Bishop John Spong defines sex and its impact on relationships: “Sex can be called at once the greatest gift to humanity and the greatest enigma of our lives. It is a gift in that is a singular joy for all beings and enigma in its destructive potential for people and their relationships.” (Spong, 1988)