What Does the Bible Actually Say about Homosexuality?

November 28, 2004

http://jmm.org.au/articles/13935.htm 

What Does the Bible Actually Say about Homosexuality?

Written by a Retired Baptist Minister (Rev. Ron Smith)

I know the Lord and love Him dearly. I also love His Word and believe it to be the inspired Word of God in its entirety.  Nothing in this paper will attempt to twist or manipulate the Word of God in any way whatsoever.

However, it is important to acknowledge at the outset that the Word of God as recorded in the original languages is divinely inspired and that the translations from those languages into the copies of the Bible we hold today are not inspired. They were translated by men whose interpretations in some cases differ from the original meaning of the Greek/Hebrew words of scripture.  In this presentation, these differences will be shown.

While some churches are debating whether to allow openly gay pastors to be ordained and minister in their churches, the Baptist Church by and large holds very different views.

A Baptist Church Conference on homosexuality in one state has decided to forbid any homosexual (practicing or non-practicing) from exercising any leadership, any teaching, any ministry of any kind and even any Christian service. Non-practicing gays are being told they are not welcome to be on the cleaning roster or to help take up the offering. Does this even extend to prohibiting non-practicing gays from leading someone to Christ?

Before a Baptist Conference was held in Victoria, Australia, a questionnaire was circulated to participating churches, which asked, among other things, whether they would welcome a homosexual ‘at the door’ of their church. 34.4% said ‘No’ while a further 36.6% declined to answer the question. This means 71% of Baptist churches say that homosexuals (practicing or not) are not welcome to even attend church, or refused to say they were welcome. Is it right that we treat gays this way?

This prompted me to leave all homophobia at the front gate and use exactly the same principles of exegesis as we use for any other topic and let the Word of God speak. Let’s take a totally honest look at what the Scriptures ACTUALLY say about homosexuality, to determine how much of what we think about homosexuals is shaped by the Word of God and how much is the result of our reactions to homosexuals. I hope this paper helps you to decide the same question for yourself.

It is vitally important that we allow the Scriptures to shape the way we think.

My motives in writing this paper are:

1.      To challenge directly the traditionally held views on homosexuality. As a conservative evangelical, I firmly believe that what we commonly hear from our churches just does NOT agree with the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Scriptures. What we are saying is driven much more by homophobia, than by what the Word of God ACTUALLY says.  I am definitely not trying to find ways around passages that are traditionally used to condemn homosexuals.

2.      While a review of Scripture is very important, I am far more interested in changing the church’s attitude towards gays to be the same as those of the Lord Jesus, than I am in winning any academic arguments. We are talking about PEOPLE who Jesus went all the way to Calvary to die to save. (Don’t miss the prayer at the end. Its vital).

3.      To try to save the lives of gays at risk from suicide. Youth suicide is now the leading cause of death by injury in Australia, according to a University of Sydney study. More young people die of suicide than in car accidents. The same study said nearly 30% of youth  suicides are committed by gays.  It was estimated that gays form about 5% of the population. This means that gay youths are 600% more likely to commit suicide than the rest of the population. In a so called christian country, that is just appalling.

4.      More importantly even than that, we must assist the Lord in reaching the gay community with the Gospel as His first priority, and not to make it harder for Him by holding unbiblical views of homosexuals. What chance have gays of hearing the Gospel and accepting the Lord as their Saviour while we maintain the attitudes towards them that we do? This concerns me greatly, and it must concern the Lord even more. The Lord Jesus never gay bashed, why should we? 

Why do we treat homosexuals and heterosexuals so differently? They are mentioned side by side in 1 Cor 6:9.

It is a basic premise of debate that the onus of proof is on the asserter. It is up to those who assert that the Bible condemns homosexuals and homosexuality to prove from the Bible that it does.

The presentations below are an honest attempt to respond to the most common arguments, which claim that the Bible condemns homosexuals and homosexuality and to test them carefully from the Word of God to determine if these assertions are true, just as the Bereans did. (cf Acts 17:11).

Sodom and Gomorrah

Genesis 19: 1- 29

I want to consider these verses as part of the account.

Gen 19:4-5

‘Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom–both young and old–surrounded the house.’

‘They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” (New International Version) – ‘that we may know them.’ (Authorized Version or the King James Version)

Notes:

AV – Authorised Version or the King James Version. (King James was gay)

NIV – New International Version

V 4 all (Heb kol) is important

V5 men (Heb ‘nowsh) can also be validly translated ‘people’ as it has been over thirteen times by the translators of the NIV in other passages. The best known of these is in Exodus 10:7 ‘Let the people go’. Did he say ‘Let the men go and let the women and children stay as slaves in Egypt’? No. He said ‘Let the people go’.  Exactly the same word ‘nowsh is used in Genesis 19:4, which should be translated ‘all the people from every part of the city of Sodom’’

 

Others examples of when ‘nowsh is translated ‘people’ in the NIV are Gen 29:22, Ex 22:31, Lev 18:27, Num 13:32, Josh 8:25, Judges 9:49, 1 Sam 5:9, 1 Sam 6:15, 1Kings 13:25, 1Kings 21:13, Ezra 1:4, Eccles 9:14.  There are others. 

 

Why would the NIV  translators choose ‘men’ in this passage?

 

Both words are valid translations of the Hebrew word ‘nowsh.

 

If we translate ‘nowsh  as ‘people’ in Genesis 19:4, the argument that the passage refers to homosexuals, largely evaporates.

 

It is also debatable whether the angels, Hebrew mal’k in Genesis 19:1 were men. When speaking of them in verses 5 and 10 ‘nowsh is again consistently used. We have already seen that ‘nowsh has been translated as people many times in the NIV translation of the Old Testament.

 

Let us carefully compare Gen 19:4 in the Authorized Version or King James Version to the New International Version.

 

In the AV, Gen 19:4

 

‘But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:’

 

In the NIV, Gen 19:

‘Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom–both young and old–surrounded the house.’

 

Notice how the word ‘people’ has been quietly deleted from the AV when they translated the NIV. Why? The word ‘people’ is in the original Hebrew. Many would say that is lying.

 

It is particularly interesting to observe how many times the translators have changed ‘men’ in the AV to ‘people’ in the NIV.

 

For example, Mark 5:20

 

‘And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.- has become –And all the people were amazed.’

 

In the NIV, there are many dozens of examples of where ‘men’ has been changed to ‘people’.

 

Why are they so happy to change ‘men’ to ‘people’ in so many places in the Bible, but not in Genesis 19:4 and 5?

 

V5 can have sex NIV (Heb yada) is most commonly translated ‘to know.’

 

However the meaning in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon is 3045.

 

‘yada’, yaw-dah’; a prim. root; to know (prop. to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, fig., lit., euphem. and infer. (including observation, care, recognition, and causat. instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) [as follow]:–acknowledge, acquaintance (-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, [un-] awares, can [-not], certainly, for a certainty, comprehend, consider, X could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be [ig-] norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to, let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have [knowledge], (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be learned, + lie by, mark, perceive, privy to, X prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have [understanding], X will be, wist, wit, wot.’

 

As we can see, Yada has a wide range of meanings. It can include sexual activity, as seen above and is used in

 

Gen 4:1 ‘Adam knew his wife Eve and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.’

 

However, Yada is only used to denote sexual activity between a man and a woman. Yada is used over 930 times in the Old Testament and it has not been used once to denote homosexual activity.

 

When the Old Testament scriptures describe sexual activity between members of the same sex (eg Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13- refer to discussion later) it uses the Hebrew word shakab, which according to Strong’s Lexicon means:

7901. shakab, shaw-kab’; a prim. root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose):– X at all, cast down, ([over-]) lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still, with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.

 

Keep in mind that the term ‘homosexual;, was not coined until around 1868 in Germany, and was first used in English in 1891. However, that term and the term ‘gay’ are used in this paper to refer to those who experience same sex attraction and the absence of opposite sex attraction.

 

But the word shakab is not used in Genesis 19:5.

 

Therefore the NIV translation of yada as ‘can have sex’ is plainly incorrect.

 

As a general observation, do you think that the men of Sodom and Gomorrah would be even remotely interested in the daughters of Lot if they were homosexual?

 

It just does not make sense that Lot would offer his daughters to homosexuals, does it?

 

If you still want to claim Lot was offering his daughters to homosexuals, does the morality of that bother you at all?

 

One of the most important principles of Biblical interpretation, is how the Bible interprets itself. When the Word of God says something about one event and then at some other point the Scriptures also refer to that same event, that Biblical interpretation of the event supersedes all other interpretations.

 

What then does Genesis 19:5 mean? It can only mean what the Scriptures themselves say it actually means. We are not free to guess that it was homosexuality, inhospitality or anything else. Scripture must interpret scripture. Let’s look at those carefully.

 

How does the Bible itself interpret the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah?

 

Isaiah 1: 1-17 describes the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. This passage makes no mention of homosexuality when it lists the grievances against the rulers of Sodom and the people of Gomorrah.

 

Isa 1:10 ‘Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!’

 

Isa 1:16-17 ‘Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong,’

‘learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.’

 

If ‘all the men’ (Gen 19:4) of Sodom were homosexual, where did the fatherless and the widows come from?

 

If all the men of Sodom were homosexual, there wouldn’t be any fatherless or widows. This text proves it could not have been homosexual activity that was the sin of Sodom.

Jer 23:14

 

‘And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”  No mention of homosexual practice.

 

Ezek 16:49-50

 

“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

 

‘They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.’

 

‘Detestable things’ is important.   In Hebrew, the word is ‘tow’bah’ and is mainly used to refer to idolatry. However, Appendix 1 gives a comprehensive list of things that the Scriptures themselves give to describe what ‘detestable things’ means when it is used in the Word. These include anything without fins and scales, certain birds, insects and anything that crawls along the ground. Those who claim that the sin of Sodom was homosexual practice have failed to prove that ‘detestable things’ in Ezekiel 16:50 refers to homosexual practice, and not one of the many other ‘detestable things’ it could have meant. The onus of proof is on them. Homosexual practice is not recorded in the Genesis 19 account of Sodom.

 

However, this next passage in Deuteronomy provides the answer.

 

Deut 29:17

 

‘You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold.’

 

Deut 29:23-26

 

‘The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulphur; nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in fierce anger.’

 

‘All the nations will ask: “Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?’

 

‘And the answer will be: “It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers.  ‘They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them.’

 

The word ‘like’ in bold in the second line above (verse 23) does not appear in the original Hebrew. The word has been INSERTED. The writer is referring to Sodom and Gomorrah. What was the translators’ motive when they inserted words that don’t exist in the original Hebrew?

 

Strong’s Hebrew  Lexicon says 8441. tow’ebah, to-ay-baw’; or  to’ebah, to-ay-baw’; fem. act. part. of H8581; prop. something disgusting (mor.), i.e. (as noun) (an abhorrence; espec. idolatry or (concr.) an idol:–abominable (custom, thing), abomination.

 

Scripture itself  interprets ‘detestable things’ done by people in Sodom and Gomorrah recorded in Ezekiel 16:50 to be idolatry based on Deuteronomy 29: 17 & 26, and therefore the Scriptures themselves say ‘detestable things’ does not mean homosexual practice. Scripture must interpret Scripture.

 

If it was not for homosexual practice, why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?  

 

This same passage asks that very question and provides the answer.

 

Deut 29:23-26

 

It will be like (not in the original Hebrew) the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in fierce anger.’

 

‘All the nations will ask: “Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?’

 

‘And the answer will be: “It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers

 

‘They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them.’

 

God Himself says He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because they broke the covenant and practiced idolatry. God Himself says it was NOT because of homosexual practice.

 

 (Surely nothing can be clearer than that!)

 

Anyone who says Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of homosexual practice is not telling the truth. This passage proves that.

 

This is what the Scriptures ACTUALLY say.   Scripture must interpret scripture.

 

Mat 10:14-15

 

‘If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.’

 

When Baptist Churches refuse to welcome homosexuals, that sin is worse than the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus said so.

 

Mat 11:20-24

 

‘Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.’  “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Here the Lord again makes reference to Sodom‘s destruction as he talks about unrepentant cities that refuse to believe in him or his miracles. This is about religious unfaithfulness and unbelief, not homosexuality.

 

Jesus said in Luke 17:28-29:

 

“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.

 

‘But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.’

 

When Jesus Himself spoke of Sodom, He did not mention homosexuality or sex of any kind. Surely if that was the sin of Sodom, as many have claimed, the Lord would have at least mentioned it here, but He didn’t.   Doesn’t this strike you as being just a little bit strange?  Here the Lord had a golden opportunity to condemn homosexuality if that was the sin of Sodom, but he didn’t even mention it.

 

2 Peter 2:6-9

 

‘if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)– if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.’ See also 2 Peter 3:17 where the translators inserted ‘men’ again.

 

No mention of homosexual practice.

 

It’s also very important to realize that ‘men; in bold in the verses above does NOT appear in the Greek. It is athesmon and just means the ‘lawless;. Why would people want to do that? One suspects that since the translators have chosen to use ‘men’ in Gen 19:4 to try to claim it refers to homosexuals, they then choose to INSERT the word ‘men’ here to try to perpetrate the idea that the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were homosexual practice. God calls that lying actually. It is a very serious sin.

 

Jude 7

 

‘In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.’

 

This is the only text in Scripture that refers to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah as being sexual in nature. ‘Sexual immorality’ in the Greek text is ekporneusassai which means ‘fornication’ as it is translated in the AV.  G. Abbott-Smith in his Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament gives the meaning ‘to give oneself up to fornication’. This is defined as consensual sex between a man and a woman outside marriage.

 

‘Perversion’ is sakros heteras in the Greek It literally means ‘flesh other

 

We get our word heterosexual from heteras.

 

This is a very important text. This text proves that the Bible itself interprets the sexual component of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah was heterosexual, not homosexual.  Homosexual practice is not mentioned.

 

Conclusions:

 

After reviewing every verse in scripture that gives a description of the sins of Sodom, we gain a Biblical picture of what those sins were. Sexuality features very little really. Heterosexual fornication and perversion is mentioned in Jude 7. Scripture itself interprets ‘Detestable things’ in Ezekiel 16:50 as being idolatry in Deuteronomy 29:17, 26.

 

Deuteronomy 29:24-26 asks the question why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? and then says ‘And the answer will be…’ because they broke the covenant and practiced idolatry.

 

Therefore as a conservative, evangelical Christian, I believe that the Scriptures themselves do not interpret the sin of Sodom to be homosexuality or homosexual practice.

 

Notice how the decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18) was made before the alleged threatened homosexual rape took place. (Genesis 19)

 

Can we just take a moment and stand back and ask?

 

‘Who are the ones who are supposed to be twisting the Word of God and what is the purpose for twisting the word of God?’

 

If people still want to hold the view that Genesis 19 condemns homosexuals and homosexuality, then let us turn to Judges 19: 20-30. This is a dreadful passage. It has similarities to Genesis 19, except that in this case, the men took the concubine who was offered. They raped and abused her and she died.

 

Judges 19:20 – 28

 

“You are welcome at my house,” the old man said. “Let me supply whatever you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.” So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink. While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men (Heb enowsh) of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.”

 

(Heb – Yada – to know)

 

The owner of the house went outside and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this disgraceful thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don’t do such a disgraceful thing.” But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight. When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.’

 

What was the sin of Judges 19?   If we insist the sin of Genesis 19 was homosexuality, then to be consistent, we must say that the sin of Judges 19 was heterosexuality.

 

Of course this was not the case. The sin of Judges 19 was rape and abuse

 

(Judges 19:25).   Then, to be consistent, they must claim the sin of Genesis 19 was threatened homosexual rape (it didn’t actually happen, it was only threatened).

 

Genesis 19 is not a general condemnation of homosexuality, in the same way that Judges 19 is not a condemnation of heterosexuality. 

 

However, I do not accept that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was homosexuality, because the Scriptures themselves say very clearly that it wasn’t.

 

In summary, Genesis 19:4,5 is more accurately translated as ‘Before they had gone to bed, all the people from every part of the city of Sodom–both young and old–surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the people who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can know them.”

 

Why would the translators choose to translate this passage that way?

 

I believe the reason is, translators intensely and bitterly hated homosexuals and were prepared then and even to this day to twist the translation of the Word of God to engender and encourage as much homophobia as possible in the Christian community.

 

This is a very serious offence as it is not only a mistranslation of the original Hebrew/Greek scriptures, but it affects enormously the lives of many people born as homosexuals. It is not just an academic argument. It also ascribes to God a hatred of homosexuals, which God Himself knows nothing about. This is a very serious matter.

 

This next passage is used regularly to condemn homosexual activity.

Lev 18:21-22

 

‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. ‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

 

See also Lev 20:5-13

 

In both passages, homosexual activity was prohibited as part of the idolatrous worship of Molech. In Leviticus 20, the worship of Molech is mentioned four times.

 

There are TWO very important points here.

 

1. People who claimed that Christians needed to obey the Old Testament Laws were the very ones Paul and other New Testament writers condemned in many places.  eg Acts 15:1-11. It is the theme of the whole book of Galatians.

 

Therefore Christians are not bound by any parts of the Law, including Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.

 

Paul claimed many times that the Old Testament laws no longer apply to those who have accepted Christ as their Saviour and Lord, especially in the book of Galatians and Romans.

 

Romans 10:4

 

‘Christ is the end of the law.’  (Notice the full stop at the end of that sentence)

 

Romans 10: 4 does not say ‘Christ is the end of the law, except for Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13’ At least not in my Bible. Either Christ is the end of the Law or He isn’t.

 

Other passages which declare that the Old Testament Law no longer applies are

 

2 Corinthians 3:6, Colossians 2:13-15, Hebrews 8:8-13 and Galatians 2:15-16. Each of these are worth careful study as the issue of Jewish believers who tried to insist that Gentile believers must also obey the Old Testament law, was the very issue that Paul addressed.

 

However if people want to claim that homosexuality is a different topic and is an obvious exception to all those passages we have just seen then.

 

2. It is a requirement of the Law itself that people obey everything in it.

 

Galatians 3:10-11 says

 

‘All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

 

‘Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”

 

Paul was quoting Deuteronomy 27:26. See also Galatians 5:3

In the very context of the Leviticus passages quoted,

Leviticus 19:37 says

 

‘Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them.’

 

I believe the following letter to Dr Laura is worth reading.

 

 

 

Dear Dr. Laura

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them. Leviticus 19:37, Galatians 3:10 and 5:3 tells me I must obey all of God’s Laws.

1. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

4. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

5. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination – Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?

6. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

7. Most of my male friends get their facial hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

8. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

9. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? – Lev.24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev.20:14)

 

10. Occasionally our children throw a tantrum and curse my wife or myself. Lev 20:9 says we must kill them. How should we do that?

 

11. I know several gay Christian brothers and sisters in Christ.  Lev 19:7 says ‘Do not hate your brother in your heart.= Does this really mean that I have to stop hating them?

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted disciple and adoring fan,
Jack

 

By what justification, can people claim that the prohibition of homosexual activity and homosexuals applies today? You can’t cherry pick two texts and say they apply today and say all the others don’t. Paul didn’t give us a How to Vote card for us to put ticks against those verses we want for today and crosses against those we don’t. Those who claim these verses regarding homosexuality apply today are exercising cognitive dissonance, or only believing what they want to believe.

 

It is very important to clarify that I am not trying to use this argument to legitimise homosexual practice. I am only insisting that you can’t use Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 to condemn homosexual practice, because it forms part of Old Testament law that Paul makes very clear no longer applies. If you say it does, then ALL of the Law applies. God said so in Lev 19:37.

 

Some try to claim that these passages in Leviticus apply today, as the prohibition against homosexual behaviour is repeated in the New Testament. In the pages that follow, I intend to show that homosexual behaviour between people who have not known the Lord and rejected Him, who do not practice idolatry and who are born homosexual is not condemned in the New Testament. Remember we are talking here about what the scriptures ACTUALLY say.

 

For those who continue to insist that these passages still apply today, it is only one small step from that point to claim that they have a scriptural warrant to kill homosexuals.

 

Lev 20:13

 

‘If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.’

 

It is probably alarmist to suggest this, but in many parts of the world, it is a real concern for many homosexuals none the less.

 

Romans 1

 

Sexuality is not a matter of choice. If it were, there wouldn’t be any homosexuals. You can choose to practice your sexuality or remain celibate, but you can’t choose to be heterosexual or homosexual. Preliminary findings of research into human sexuality which has been conducted by a panel of qualified doctors at the Kinsey Institute which is attached to the University of Indiana has shown that in almost all cases, sexuality is determined prior to birth. In those where it was not, it was determined no later than the age of five years. The research is continuing.

 

The most common passage used to claim the prohibition of homosexuality is

 

Romans 1.

 

Rom 1:18 = 2:1

 

‘The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.‘

 

‘Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator–who is forever praised. Amen.’

 

‘Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.’

 

‘Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.’

 

‘Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.’

 

Rom 2:1

 

‘You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself’

 

When I was training for the Baptist ministry, we used to clown around a bit. One day over morning tea, a student told us about this fellow who was seeking the Lord for guidance. He read in the Bible, ‘Judas went out and hanged himself.’ Then a bit further down he read, ‘Go and do likewise’.

 

The context of all scripture is very important. This is especially so in Romans 1.

 

I find it absolutely amazing how people can place their left hand over the beginning of the chapter and their right hand over the end of the chapter and the beginning of chapter 2. They then read the verses about homosexuality and proceed to gay bash as hard as they possibly can.

 

For Romans 1 to apply, a person needs to have:

 

Known the Lord and rejected Him verse 21

 

Worshipped idols verse 23

 

If both those are true, THEN and ONLY THEN

 

I quote ‘THEREFORE’ verse 24, ‘BECAUSE OF THIS’ verse 26,

 

Those who had a heterosexual nature to start with, abandoned that to practice homosexuality (NOTE PRACTICE- AGAIN I SAY PRACTICE) verses 27 and 32 – nothing whatsoever is mentioned about homosexual orientation.

 

If you disagree with this, tell me, ‘Why is the context of every other passage in scripture vitally important but not Romans 1?’

 

Paul only talks about those who have abandoned their heterosexuality and decided to practice homosexuality. I have no problem with that at all. But many people have never known what it is to be heterosexual. I conducted research among over 300 homosexuals and about 80% of them said they had never known sexual attraction to members of the opposite sex. They said they were born gay. 20% said they believed they were gay as the result of the actions of others.

 

We need to acknowledge that scripture is silent about those who were born homosexual who decide to remain celibate, practice their homosexuality, or abandon their homosexuality to try to practice heterosexuality. I am only pointing out that Romans 1 is silent on this issue. Many homosexuals have married under pressure of the Christian church, which regularly claims that the only union sanctioned by the scriptures is that of a man and a woman joined together for life in marriage.

 

A former Principal of a Baptist Theological College, used to say, “It is just as important not to water up the Word of God and try to claim it says things that is doesn’t, than it is to water down the Word of God.”

 

Revelation has a particular warning for those who try to water up the Word.

 

Rev 22:1:

 

‘I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.’

 

I Corinthians 4:6 says

 

‘Do not go beyond what is written.’

 

To claim that Romans 1 says anything about those who are born gay is watering up the Word, without any doubt whatsoever.

 

It is impossible for someone to abandon something they have never had.

 

However you want to interpret Romans 1, you can’t accuse homosexuals of abandoning their heterosexuality if they have never ever known what it is to be heterosexual.

 

I am sure that in Paul’s day there were homosexuals who had known the Lord and rejected Him, gone out and practiced idolatry, become perverts and lived in ignorance of God’s judgement as recorded in Romans 1. But for people to see a homosexual today and then claim to their face very often that they must have known the Lord and rejected Him, worshipped idols, become a pervert, and live in total ignorance of God’s judgement is just not true.  The Lord means absolutely everything to many homosexuals and they are very keen to want to serve Him, but in the majority of cases are prevented from doing so.

 

It is important to note that the only time lesbianism is ever mentioned in scripture is in Romans 1:26.

 

However, the most important part of Romans 1, the whole point of everything Paul said in Romans 1, is found in Romans 2:1

 

Rom 2:1

 

‘You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself’

 

Proof that this text refers to those who judge homosexuals is the word ‘Therefore’ in Romans 2:1 as it follows what Paul had to say about homosexuality.

 

Don’t ever take Romans 1 out of context. Almost every time people quote Romans 1 as a passage which condemns homosexuality, they stop at Romans 1:32 and then proceed to judge homosexuals and ‘gay bash’ as hard as they possibly can.

 

I find it absolutely amazing how people can take the Word of God out of context on this issue.

 

Romans 1:26-27 says that people ‘abandoned natural relations’.

 

There is something else in Scripture that is against nature.

 

The Greek word for ‘natural’ is phusis. Another use of the same word occurs in

 

1 Corinthians 11:14 which says

 

‘Does not the very nature (phusis) of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him’?

 

The need to apply the Scriptures consistently, requires that those who condemn homosexuals using Romans 1, saying that it against nature, must also condemn men with long hair with just as much vigour, using 1 Corinthians 11:14. The elders should hold a meeting and determine the ‘proper’ length of a man’s hair to be no longer than two centimetres, and then get out the callipers at the front door. They should then refuse entry to any man with hair longer than that, just as they tell all homosexuals they are not welcome. Consistency requires that we treat homosexuals (practicing or not) and men with long hair in exactly the same way.

 

If people want to prohibit non-practicing homosexuals from even attending church, they must also prohibit any man who has EVEN THOUGHT of growing long hair from attending church.

 

May God write all His Word on our hearts, including mine.

 

I Corinthians 6:9 NIV

 

‘Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders will inherit the kingdom of God.’

 

This passage is best handled if we simply refer to the Greek.

 

‘Sexually immoral’ is pornoi, which means ‘fornicators’ as in the Authorized Version or King James Version. G. Abbott-Smith in A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament gives the meaning of pornos as ‘a fornicator’. pornoi is the plural and means ‘fornicators’. Fornication is voluntary sexual intercourse between a man and a woman outside marriage.

 

‘Male prostitutes’ as it is translated in the New International Version are malakoi, actually means ‘effeminates’ (as translated in the AV). There are many effeminate men who are not homosexuals and many men who are homosexuals and not effeminate at all. Effeminacy definitely does not equate to homosexuality.

 

(Malakoi is also used in Matt 11:8 and Luke 7:25 to refer to fine clothes. These are the only times this word is used in the New Testament)

 

‘Homosexual offenders’ is arsenokoitai, which is correctly translated ‘male prostitutes’. There are many male prostitutes who have never had sexual relations with a male.

 

At the time Paul was writing, the word for homosexuality was arrenomanes.

 

It was very widely used and known, but does not occur anywhere in the New Testament.

 

If homosexuality was clearly what Paul was referring to in 1 Cor 6:9, why didn’t he just use arrenomanes? This is a serious question and deserves a serious answer.

 

“arsenokoitai” was a word that Paul had coined. It had not been used before Paul used it. It literally means man/bed, and is correctly translated as ‘male prostitutes’.

 

Some claim that when Paul used arsenokoitai he was quoting from the Greek translation of the Hebrew (Septuagint LXX) in Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20 when he created this new word and that this is proof that this word is referring to homosexual practice.

 

Paul said many times that the Old Testament law no longer applied, as we have already seen. He even used the colourful language of calling them ‘dogs’ in Phil 3:2 when Jews tried to insist that Gentile Christians must follow the OT law and be circumcised.

 

Do you really think that Paul is then going to go back and do the same thing which he so vehemently condemned others for doing? It is most unlikely.

 

However, as much as people may want to condemn homosexual practice, they can�t use Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13 to do it. Either Christ is the end or the law or He isn�t. (refer Romans 10:4).

 

1 Corinthians 6:11 says:

 

‘And this is what some of you were.’  It is referring to ‘fornicators, adulterers, effeminates, male prostitutes’ in verse 9.  This verse is often incorrectly translated ‘homosexual offenders’ instead of ‘male prostitutes’ and verse 11 is then used to try to claim that if homosexuals repent, they will no longer be homosexuals but become heterosexuals, as part of the conversion process.

 

This is not so, for two reasons.

 

*    The translation of “arsenokoitai” is incorrect as we have just seen. He is not talking about homosexuals at all. If he were, Paul would have used arrenomanes.

 

*    God does not change the sexual orientation of homosexuals to become heterosexuals when they are converted. If only He chose to. There has not been one recorded instance of this happening.(Refer to Kinsey Institute research later).

 

Stop and think for a moment. If the word for homosexuals in Paul’s time was arrenomanes, and Paul did not use it but chose to invent another word arsenokoitai, isn’t it really begging the question to claim that arsenokoitai means homosexuals and couldn’t possibly mean anything else? Yet, this is exactly what many claim. You really have to ask why people would want to do that. If people are going to totally vilify homosexuals, they would have to have something much more substantial than this before they could claim to be justified in doing it.

 

Many times I have heard sermons on this passage where the preachers claimed that we get ‘arsenic’ in English from arsenokoitai and that this is a clear indication of the poisonous influence of homosexuals on our society.

 

‘arsen’ in Greek means ‘male’ and has nothing whatsoever to do with arsenic. If people want to gay bash, please don’t lie to do it. The Oxford Dictionary says ‘arsenic ‘from Arab al-zarnik, (al the, zarnik orpiment) Orpiment is defined in the same dictionary as  ‘Arsenic trisulphide as mineral, formerly used as yellow dye and as artists pigment.’

 

1 Timothy 1:10

 

‘for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers–and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.’

 

‘Adulterers’ is pornois, which means ‘fornicators’ which is consensual sex between a man and a woman outside marriage.

 

‘Perverts’ is arsenokoitai which means ‘male prostitutes’ Refer to my comments in 1 Cor 6:9 above. This word only occurs in these two references in the Scriptures.

 

Homosexuality as we know it today, when it is expressed in the committed long term loving relationship of two people of the same sex who were born homosexual and who have not known the Lord and rejected Him and who not practice idolatry, is not mentioned in scripture anywhere. Remember, we are talking about what the Scriptures ACTUALLY say.

 

Now let us look at what Jesus said about homosexuality.

 

 

 

My answer is on the next page.

 

 

 

 

 

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If the view of absolute condemnation of homosexuals and homosexual behaviour were supported by the Word of God, surely the Lord Jesus would have said a great deal about it and it would have been recorded in all four gospels, and blazoned in neon lights. But He said nothing! absolutely nothing! That is particularly significant!

 

At this point, we would be comparing what Matthew, Mark, Luke and John said, and we would be discussing this at great length. 

 

The truth is, it is just not mentioned. I am sorry, but it is totally inappropriate to dismiss this as an argument from silence.

 

Jesus said in Luke 17:28-29

 

“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.

 

‘But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.’

 

In the verses above, Jesus talked about Sodom!.

 

and He didn’t mention homosexuality!

 

 

Or did He?

 

Let’s look at Matthew 19

 

Mat 19:11-12  Jesus replied,

 

“Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.  For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

 

The context here is divorce.

 

A ‘eunuch’ literally means a castrated man, but most believe it refers to anyone who does not have a heterosexual nature. In Esther, eunuchs were placed in charge of the king’s harem, as the women would be safe when guarded by them. See Esther 2:3ff

 

Isaiah gives a precious promise for eunuchs.

 

Isaiah 56:3-5

 

‘Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.” And let not any eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” For this is what the LORD says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant, to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.’

 

 

 

Isn’t it absolutely tremendous that those born homosexual are included in God’s family, when they accept the Lord Jesus as their Saviour?

 

Matthew 19:11 is a particularly important passage for many homosexuals.

 

For them, verse 12 makes absolute sense when it says ‘For some are eunuchs because they were born that way’. They know they were born homosexual. Their homosexual nature is all they have ever known. This is a very precious verse after experiencing years of bitter homophobia.

 

It would probably come as a surprise to most heterosexuals to learn that for most gay men, it is a physical impossibility to have sexual relations with a woman, and that it has been that way all their lives. It is the way they have been born. It is definitely not a matter of choice.

 

Gays often feel strong personal hatred from others just because they were born the way they were born and would give absolutely anything to have a heterosexual nature.

 

Many homosexuals have prayed to God for years asking God to make them heterosexual, and God has said: ‘No’ ! every time.  Most of them go to extraordinary lengths to conceal their homosexual orientation out of fear of what others will say and do to them if they were to ever find out.  Many are in Christian churches and you will never know who they are. Most of them do not practice their homosexuality.

 

Whether you realize it or not, every day, you speak with many of them and almost certainly have been completely unaware you were talking to a person with a homosexual nature.

 

Gay bashing as a means of heterosexual bonding is never a good idea, either from the pulpit or anywhere else.

 

Matt 19:12 is real hope. ‘The one who can accept this should accept it.’ Jesus said -just accept yourself the way I created you.  That can be a very big step for many gays, but a very important step. It can take years in some cases.

 

If only the heterosexual community could accept it too, just as Jesus said.

 

Mat 19:11  Jesus replied,

 

“Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.”

 

When speaking of homosexuality, people often refer to the woman taken in adultery in John 8:3-11 and point out Jesus said ‘Go and sin no more’. However the first comment Jesus made in V11 was ‘Neither do I condemn you’. We should not condemn people either, irrespective of whether they are straight or gay.

 

Only those who are gay will ever understand what its like to be born gay and those who are born straight will never really appreciate that some are born gay or what it is like to be gay. Some Christians have said many things to gay Christians including comments like, ‘Clearly, you are not walking close with the Lord.’ Others have said that they are ‘evil’ and ‘you are an abomination.’ Gays in some countries suffer incredible persecution and torture. What they go through is almost beyond belief. Surely it should not surprise you to learn that the suicide rate amongst homosexuals is high.

 

Gays are six times more likely to commit suicide than the rest of the population.

 

30% of all suicides are by gays and they represent just 5% of the population. This is particularly disturbing. Have you inadvertently ever said anything to a homosexual or within the hearing of a homosexual that would encourage that person to take his or her life?

 

Stop gay bashing, my friend and stop doing it now. The Lord Jesus never did it. Why should you?

 

If you are not sure what to say about homosexuality and homosexuals or what to say to homosexuals, just take the example of the Lord Jesus and say what He said.

 

It doesn’t stop all the hurt, but it does help to know that Jesus said they would never understand. However, the Lord says in Titus 2:15b ‘Do not let anyone despise you.’ When the Lord speaks to you through His Word, it is precious.

 

It is particularly important to realize that nowhere in the Word does the Lord ever condemn homosexuals for being born the way they were born.

 

My friend, if you are reading this and you have been born gay, please let the reality of this sink into the deepest recesses of your soul. I know this is a huge issue for most gays.

 

GOD DOES NOT CONDEMN YOU OR HATE YOU FOR CREATING YOU GAY. HE LOVES YOU DEEPLY JUST AS YOU ARE, WHEREVER YOU ARE.

 

It is also very important that homosexuals accept themselves on the same basis that God accepts us all – and that basis is unlimited and unconditional Love. Gays should never use the feelings of hatred by others as the basis for hatred of themselves. This is often hard, especially when the hatred by your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is particularly bitter and intense. Titus 2:15  ‘Do not let anyone despise you.’ The word is ‘let’. It’s up to you whether you let them despise you or not.

 

Summary

 

What do the scriptures actually say about homosexuality and homosexuals?

 

1        Where a person has known the Lord and rejected Him, worships idols and is born heterosexual and decides to abandon their heterosexual orientation and practice homosexuality, only that type of homosexual behaviour is condemned.  Refer Romans 1

 

2        The scriptures are silent in respect of those persons who are born homosexual, and decide either, to remain celibate, practice their homosexuality in a committed long term loving relationship, or abandon their homosexual orientation to try to practice heterosexuality. (Remember the warning about adding to the Word of God in Revelation 22:18).

 

3        When an individual, group, church or denomination judges homosexuals, that person, group, church or denomination has ‘no excuse’ and are condemned for doing that.  See Romans 2:1.  These words are the whole point of all that Paul said about homosexuality in Romans 1. God has not delegated the function of judging to you, or me, or anyone else. If their judgements are then followed by prohibitions, by sanctions, by discrimination, by hatred, by homophobia or by total exclusion, those individuals, groups, churches and denominations similarly have no excuse and stand condemned by God, every time they do it.

 

4        Whatever interpretation you put on Romans 1, you must be able to look a homosexual in the eye and be prepared never to accuse that person of abandoning something they have never had.

 

5        It is also my firm belief that those who claim that the scriptures condemn homosexuality and homosexuals (apart from those mentioned above) are in real danger of distorting the Scriptures. This is also mentioned in 2 Corinthians 4:2  ‘nor do we distort the word of God.’

 

The Baptist Churches in a State held a special Conference on homosexuality. They absolutely forbad any homosexual from leading, or teaching or exercising any ministry of any kind at any time, or even engaging in any christian service. This prohibition applies equally to both practicing and non-practicing homosexuals.

 

A Plea for Consistency

 

If that conference was so concerned to use the Scriptures to regulate behaviour, it would have been particularly helpful if that same conference had also dealt with the issues of adultery and fornication which are also raised in the same verse in 1 Cor 6:9.

 

How many heterosexuals who are married are virgins?   If they are not virgins, are they guilty of fornication?  What about those who have ever had a sideways glance at a member of the opposite sex other than their spouse? They may not have done anything, but it does mean they are non-practicing fornicators and adulterers.  What we have is a situation where the non-practicing adulterers and fornicators are judging the non-practicing homosexuals and saying they are not welcome to lead, teach, exercise any ministry at all and are not welcome to even attend church.

 

To be consistent, surely we need to hold a special conference and tell them they are also not welcome to hold any positions of leadership or of teaching or exercise any ministry at any time or engage in any form of christian service. What about the non-practicing thieves and the non-practicing murderers? Are they even christians? Many argued that non-practicing homosexuals cannot possibly be christians and should not be admitted as church members.

 

Jesus made it very clear in Matt 5:32 that anyone who marries a divorcee commits adultery. Yet the Christian church, by and large, shows compassion on such people and accepts them as members, affording them similar privileges of membership.  I know several who hold positions of leadership. One is even chairman of the elders. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if homosexuals were also shown similar forms of compassion?

 

Yet most christians believe Jesus said nothing about homosexuals.

 

Why do we treat homosexuals and heterosexuals so differently?

 

How many people would be left in our churches if we applied the scriptures consistently? It is my belief that these people who voted that way are not really concerned about upholding the scriptures as the regulator of our behaviour. If they were, they would have included in that same motion at the conference, a similar number of paragraphs which cover adultery and fornication committed by heterosexuals, both practicing and non-practicing. The two issues are mentioned side by side in the same verse in 1 Corinthians 6:9.   It was homophobia pure and simple that was behind that motion passed at the Baptist Conference. Technically it is called cognitive dissonance, or only believing what you want to believe.

 

I know the Lord and love Him dearly. I also love the scriptures and accept them as the divinely inspired Word of God in their entirety. I have not tried to manipulate my understanding of the Word to suit my particular point of view. However I am convinced that those who claim that the scriptures condemn homosexuals and homosexuality, (apart from those mentioned above) have clearly manipulated and twisted the Word of God to try to do it.

 

I expect many Christians will continue to feel it is their duty to condemn homosexuals and homosexuality, and discriminate against homosexuals in every way they possibly can.

 

However, this paper has shown that they do not have a scriptural warrant to do so.

 

David and Jonathan

 

These two men had a very special relationship. I am not suggesting that David and Jonathan were gay for a moment, but it is helpful to look at a couple of verses that describe their feelings for one another. Jonathan was David’s brother in law.

 

1 Sam 18:1-4

 

‘Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.’

 

1 Sam 20:41

 

‘After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together–but David wept the most.’

 

After Jonathan was killed, David said in 2 Sam 1:26

 

‘I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.’

 

David had many wives, including Michal and Bathsheba. Yet Jonathan’s love for David must have been something particularly special, as David said that Jonathan’s love was more wonderful than that of women, including even the love of Bathsheba!

 

That very deep love they knew for each other was something that God implanted in the hearts of those two men.  It was something that God did.

 

Is God doing the same today when he implants a very deep love in the hearts of two men for each other?- Absolutely. Can you put the issue of homosexuality to one side for a moment, and appreciate that God often brings two men together and places within their hearts an incredibly deep love for each other? That in itself is something wonderful and beautiful that God does and it isn’t wrong.

 

Should they kiss?  -..even in church???? Absolutely. It’s scriptural.

 

As David and Jonathan were so deeply in love, their kiss was not just a form of cultural greeting as practiced in Greece or Russia.

 

It is also important to realize that nowhere in Scripture did God punish David and Jonathan for loving each other so deeply. It wasn’t wrong then and it’s not wrong today.

 

This is a classic case of not allowing the scriptures to shape the way we think. You need to ask yourself how much of what you think about gays is driven by homophobia, which is always wrong, and how much is driven by what the Scriptures ACTUALLY say.

 

You would be staggered if I told about the behaviour of heterosexuals in church that I have witnessed that has been judged to be perfectly acceptable.

 

Much of the heat in the debate on homosexuality in the churches would dissipate if good conservative evangelical Christians would treat the Bible much more seriously and honestly on the topic of homosexuality. If conservative evangelicals applied exactly the same principles of exegesis to this topic of homosexuality as we do to any other topic, we would be saying very different things about homosexuality from our churches.

 

One need not ever lie from the Bible just because one hates gays.

 

If I am gay, what shall I do?

 

If you have a minute, why don’t you come into my sound proof room? There is a lot of noise outside with people gay bashing and saying all sorts of things about gay marriage. We need to get away from all that for a while. First of all, I am a retired Baptist Pastor who is gay. I don’t practice homosexuality, but that is my choice. I am not going to judge you, nor am I going to stand on any high moral ground in here. So just relax. OK?

 

I am assuming you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. That’s great. If you don’t, or aren’t sure, why don’t we talk about that sometime

 

You know, we read in John 3:16 that God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son… Loving someone is when you give yourself to someone, completely and unreservedly. That’s what love is. When two people fall in love and they commit themselves to each other for the rest of their lives, they give themselves wholly and completely to their partner to the exclusion of all others.

 

Exclusivity is a hallmark of true and genuine love. Sexual relations are a beautiful expression of that love that follows the commitment of a couple to each other.

 

Sometimes we can get all mixed up and think we can get love through having sex with someone. Often when we have sex with someone, what we are really looking for is to be loved. True? Gays go to places sometimes looking for sex and they can become promiscuous. That can be really dangerous – dangerous to your health if you pick up an infection or a virus. Did you know there are over 50 different sexual transmitted diseases you could expose yourself to? It can also be physically dangerous. It really isn’t worth it. It can also be hard not to go to those places once you have started going there.

 

Whether you are single, married or in a permanent relationship, promiscuity can totally wreck your life and even end your relationship, not to mention the health risks to you and possibly to the person you are in a relationship with. That’s really sad. If you are struggling with this, why not talk to your doctor?

 

Masturbation is not mentioned in the Bible; so don’t let anyone ever put you on a guilt trip over doing it.  Historically, this is another classic case of people not using the Scriptures to shape the way they think.

 

Nothing is going to change your sexual orientation, but you can change your promiscuous sexual behaviour, and you will be a much happier person and feel much more in control of your life when you do.

 

It’s OK to be gay. It’s not OK to be promiscuous.

 

The Kinsey Institute attached to the University of Indiana, which is run by qualified medical practitioners, has been conducting research into whether a person’s sexual orientation can be changed, for over 45 years.

 

To date they have not found one.

 

Many have modified their sexual behaviour as I have done, but no one has changed their sexual orientation.

 

Whether a person is gay or not can be determined by medical doctors with testing. Wires that measure temperature changes are attached to the private parts of a person. Many hundreds of pictures of men and women are then shown to the person over a period of about 10 days and changes in temperature are recorded.  For instance, when a man sees pictures of women in all sorts of situations and the instruments do not record any change, but on the other hand do record changes when pictures of men are shown, the conclusion is drawn that the person is homosexual. There is nothing that a person can do to influence the outcome of those tests. Having a gay orientation is definitely NOT a matter of choice.

 

Some people make claims to have been ‘cured’ of homosexuality. How do we test the accuracy of their claims? They can be verified.

 

Step 1. Such people need to have taken the temperature change test  BEFOREHAND to prove they were homosexual in the first place.

 

Step 2 They need to go out and get ‘cured’. 

 

Step 3 Finally they need to take the same test again several times over the following years to prove they have been made heterosexual.  Then let the doctors say whether the person has changed their sexual orientation.

 

UNLESS SUCH PEOPLE TAKE THOSE TESTS, WE SHOULD NOT ACCEPT THEIR CLAIMS. 

 

In view of the fact that of all those tested by the Kinsey Institute for over forty-five years indicating that NOT ONE has changed his or her sexual orientation, we have every right to question whether they are telling the truth.

 

We also need to be aware that those who try to elevate so called ‘converted homosexuals’ and put them up on a pedestal as a good example to the rest of the gay community, actually have a political agenda. If they can just get one ‘convert’ it will prove that gays’ sexual orientation can be changed. ‘All you have to do is pray hard enough and God will cure you’. You see what they are trying to do to gays is to add to their problems of being gay by giving them a huge spiritual inferiority complex. ‘You can’t be a very spiritual person if you haven’t been cured.’

 

If some christians pressure you and say that if only you were to pray hard enough, the Lord would certainly ‘cure you’ from your homosexuality, the best response we can give is to ask them to fast and pray that the Lord will make us heterosexual. If they are serious about it, then it’s reasonable to expect that the Lord will also tell them ‘No’ in the same way as He has told us. Maybe they will be more likely to accept the Lord’s answer when they are not prepared to accept ours.

 

A group of men went through a program by a group called the Ex-Gay Movement. Ex-Gay produced an article claiming they had successfully changed the sexual orientation of these men. The men concerned all knew that their sexual orientations had not been changed and were rightly aggrieved at the false claims. The men instigated a group court action against Ex-Gay and won the case. It is absolutely amazing to me how good conservative, evangelical christians can lie when it comes to this issue.

 

However the real reason why gays react so strongly against the ministries of groups such as the Ex-Gay Movement is that these groups strongly recommend gays LIE about their sexual orientation, not only to the rest of the world, but to themselves.

 

Another similar group is Exodus International. Two guys who were instrumental in setting up the group actually fell in love and lived happily together for many years. They spent much of their time after that speaking against the aims of the group.

 

What if you slip over?  Firstly, don’t hate yourself. The Lord Jesus loves you heaps, so why not use the model of His love for you as your model to love yourself?  That is very powerful I tell you. It is very common for gays to transfer the hatred they feel from others towards hatred of themselves. That is never a good thing.

 

There is a fantastic verse that is a promise in 1 John 1:9 which says ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ It’s a great verse to memorize. If you feel like crying your eyes out, go find a nice quiet place and pour your heart out to the Lord. Ask Him to forgive you, and He will. He promised He would. He does that every time because He is faithful, just as the verse says. He is a great God, absolutely, isn’t He? We are then justified. Put simply, that means ‘just as if I’d – never sinned – perfectly clean and white in God’s sight. Then accept yourself as perfectly clean and white in your own sight. That can be much harder, but it most important that we do.

 

We shouldn’t plan to do it though. Romans 6:1 says ‘Shall we go on sinning that grace may increase? By no means.’ If the spot you have chosen is used by other gay christians, you might need to be a bit careful where you walk. The ground will probably be quite damp. You are not on your own.

 

Promiscuity is a sin whether we are gay or straight.

 

However, when heterosexuals are promiscuous, it is called adultery or fornication, depending on whether the person was married or not.

 

There is a widely held belief that promiscuity is nowhere near as bad when a heterosexual does it than when a homosexual does it. In God’s sight, there isn’t any difference. The ground at the foot of the cross is the most level ground on earth.

 

You are not a second class Christian because you are gay.

 

The Lord Jesus loves you dearly. Psalm 18:19 says ‘he rescued me because he delighted in me.’ God is crazy about you, yes, even you as a gay Christian. He really is. (There is box of tissues just there if you need it – its OK) Let’s just take a minute to quietly think about that and let it sink in  ‘..He rescued me because he delighted in me’ .Isn’t God such a wonderful God? Absolutely.

 

There is another great verse in 1 Cor 6:19-20 which says ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body.’

 

That word ‘temple’ is the word naos in the original Greek and it means not only the temple, but the Holy of Holies within the temple. When Christ is our Lord, our bodies are the naos of the Holy Spirit, so it’s not a great idea to mess it up.

 

However, don’t ever consider a heterosexual marriage as a solution to being gay or as a means of ‘curing’ you. If you have been born gay, you won’t need me or anyone else to tell you. You will know you are not attracted to members of the opposite sex, and nothing anyone can do will change your sexual orientation. Nothing will ever change after you are married, no matter how much you ask God to make you heterosexual. It would not be fair on your heterosexual partner either. Many gays think that if only they were to get married to a member of the opposite sex, everything will sort itself out. It won’t. 

 

If you did decide to proceed with a heterosexual marriage, the day you took your wedding vows on your wedding day, you would also be committing yourself to being dishonest about your sexuality to yourself, your partner and to the rest of the world every single day for the rest of your life. Think very long and hard about it beforehand. Nothing will change after you are married. It can be a very hard decision, particularly when you really want to be accepted as ‘normal’. It is also really hard when you love children.

 

People can hit homosexuals with high voltages of electricity to punish them for being homosexual as they did in the 70’s, they can discriminate against them and hate them, they can tell them they are evil, they can say they are obviously not living very close to the Lord, they can say that even non-practicing gays are not welcome to exercise any ministry whatsoever or to even attend church, they can say that they can’t possibly be Christians, but no one can make you be attracted to members of the opposite sex, even if you really want to be attracted to them.

 

Finally, think very long and hard about whom you come out to, or tell that you are gay. I would not recommend you tell anyone in a Christian church, not even a pastor. A Christian doctor gave me that advice several years ago, and I regret the day I did not heed his advice. One Christian in our church was told by an elder that he was not welcome to exercise any ministry or even do any act of Christian service, just because he is a non-practicing gay. That ministry for him involved vacuuming the floor and helping to take up the offering. He was told he was not good enough to exercise any ministry.  In all fairness, that elder modified his position a year later.

 

Things must change my friends – they need to.

 

The reason why it is not a good idea to come out to anyone at Church is that in general, Christians do not allow the scriptures to shape the way they think about gays. Their homophobia does. (That is one reason why this paper was written).

 

For the record, I had a very good relationship with both my parents, especially my father. I was never abused by anyone, nor have I abused anyone else.

 

Many doubt whether people are born gay, and the most gracious response we can offer is to say, ‘I know the way I was born.’ It is arrogant to suggest to anyone that they don’t. God definitely creates some people gay.  Sorry about that, my friend, but it’s true.

 

If you are straight, and you are reading this and doubt that this is true, how about you tell me about the day you decided to become a heterosexual.

 

A number of gay christians were asked recently if they believed they had been created gay from birth and a young fellow named Chris gave this interesting response. It says a lot.

 

 

 

I wasn’t born gay. I was on my way as a clever young heterosexual, and a devout Southern Baptist. Then one day, I decided

“Oh, heck. Who wants such a boring, easy, God-blessed life before going to Heaven? I’d much rather live in fear and oppression, surrounded by people who hate me without knowing me, and constantly being told God hates me. And maybe they’re right- maybe I’ll end up not going to boring old Heaven at all! Yeah, I think I’ll choose to be gay. That sounds much better.”

So I went out to the store (Kinko’s, or some other gay-friendly den of Satan) to buy my nice shiny pink plastic Gay Kit, along with a copy of Color Me Homo and went straight to work un-straightening myself.

I can’t believe how EEEEASY it was to change my sexual orientation!!! Wow! It was only a teeny-weeny bit more difficult than a do-it-yourself spinal tap. Yeah!!

…and hooo-boy! Now that I’m queer, life is so much BETTER than before! Woo-hoo! I would recommend those pink kits to anyone!!!! Don’t forget to sign the little card where you sign your soul away and reject Jesus.

EVERYTHING ABOVE IS SARCASM!!

…not really. I was born Gay and I’ve never rejected God. In fact, I’m closer to Jesus now than I ever was before I came out.

-Chris  (Used with permission)

 

The Lord Jesus said in Mat 19:12

 

‘For some are eunuchs because they were born that way’ The one who can accept this should accept it.”

 

Whom should you tell? I recommend a good Christian doctor. If you want to modify your behaviour, they are the best qualified to help you, and will also give you good coping mechanisms on how to handle gay bashing at church and elsewhere. However well meaning, christians at church are definitely not a good choice to help you modify your behaviour.

 

People only have power over us when we give it to them. There are some incredibly sad accounts of homosexuals who went to church folk and church organizations looking for support with the issue of being gay, and received staggering treatment involving manipulation, total control over every area of a person’s life, humiliation and embarrassment almost beyond belief. Gays should never relinquish control of their lives to anyone like that. Untold damage can be done that can take years to repair. It is my firm belief that christians who operate such institutions should serve very lengthy jail terms.

 

Also, tell the Lord Jesus. No one loves you more than He does, and no one understands you better than He does. He will speak to you through His word and really encourage you.

 

1 John 4:20

 

‘ If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.’

 

Hebrews 4:15,16

 

‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’

 

Has it ever occurred to you that the Lord Jesus was tempted to be promiscuous just as many have been and that He said ‘No’ every time? It also means He understands perfectly how hard it is for us, as gays, to say ‘No’ and is right there to help us. Just ask Him. He won’t mind a bit. He’ll be glad to.

 

However, God never asks us to surrender our will. We aren’t robots. He does ask us to align our will with His will, and He will gladly help us do that if we ask Him. He helps us to want what He wants.

 

Nahum 1:7

 

‘The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.’

 

Just before you go, I have a really thick hide here that looks as though it might fit you. How about you take it and wear it every day.  It’s really important to wear it whenever you go to church. You will need it.  Have a great day. I will be praying for you. (I mean that.)

 

My friend, life can be pretty tough at times. If you are struggling to work your way through the issue of being gay, can I strongly urge you to seek professional medical help? If you are in Australia, you can call

 

Lifeline’ s 24-hour crisis counselling on 13 11 14 or

 

Kids Help Line on 1800 551 800.

 

If you are in another country, please take the time to look up a similar service.

 

God is absolutely crazy about you. He really is. He definitely does not condemn you for being gay. He loves you. He wants to have a personal relationship with you. He needs you and so do we.

 

What about everyone else?

 

Recently I have been counselling with a young fellow. He came to me and said, ‘The Pastor said last Sunday in his message that ‘Homosexuals are an abomination.’ The Pastor even called me an abomination. Am I really an abomination to God and everyone else?’ He was really upset, as no doubt you would be too if someone said that to you.

 

If your line is to love the sinner, but hate the sin of homosexuality, please articulate that. The Pastor should have said, ‘Homosexual practice is an abomination’ if that is what he believes. Always differentiate between the sinner and the sin. What he said was unscriptural anyway. Lev 18 and 20 clearly says it was homosexual practice that was an abomination or detestable, as part of the idolatrous worship of Molech. That has got to be a case of really sloppy exegesis.

 

Don’t you ever be guilty of that, especially on this topic!

 

If I were to say to you that I hate your heterosexuality but I love you, it would be absolutely ridiculous. Your sexuality is part of who you are as a person. You cannot separate the two. It is just crazy to say to someone that you hate the sin but love the sinner.

 

If that Pastor still believes those verses apply today, I wait with bated breath for him to tell me how many of his children he has killed lately for cursing him or his wife, when they throw a tantrum. (See Lev 20:9 – exactly the same passage).

 

Pastors who read this, please help the Lord reach gays. Don’t make the Lord’s job harder. Don’t ever use gay bashing as a means to make yourself more popular with your congregation. That happens frequently.

 

Sometimes the loudest gay bashers in the church community are in fact gay themselves, and are using their behaviour as a decoy, so you won’t suspect them. Several in every hundred in your congregation will be gay. Almost certainly you will never know who they are. Your first priority needs to be to align yourself totally with what the Lord Jesus wants to do in the lives of the gays in your congregation. The Lord Jesus NEVER gay bashed. Why should you?

 

I would rate the suicide risk of that young fellow as moderate to high. His name is Jeff. Please pray for him and for many others like him, would you?

 

Recently in the US, a young high school student came out to his parents and told them he was gay. The parents went to their Southern Baptist Pastor, and he said that the Lord would never be able to bless their home while a homosexual was living there. They went home, put everything belonging to that young guy out on the porch and changed the locks. Two weeks later the young fellow committed suicide. Friends, I would really like to have a little chat with that pastor.

 

Some people, as a concession to gays, say that so long as they don’t actually practice homosexuality, they will tolerate homosexuals just attending church. It’s important to realize that from a gay person’s point of view, those people are saying that as far as they are concerned, ALL THAT MATTERS is that you get your theology right. That fact that you are a PERSON with a deep desire for companionship and intimacy with a true soul mate does not matter one scrap.

 

When people condemn homosexuals and homosexuality, they are attacking who gays are as PEOPLE. It is not just an academic argument.

 

I firmly believe the most important priority of the Lord for the gay community is to reach them with the gospel. What chance have they got of coming to know Christ if we continue to maintain attitudes of total and bitter vilification towards them.

 

The Baptist Churches in Victoria, Australia held a conference on homosexuality and were asked beforehand to complete a questionnaire. One of the questions was whether their church would welcome a homosexual person ‘at the door’ of their church. Out of 93 churches that responded, 32 said they would not welcome such a person. Wait for it, another 34 churches gave ‘no indication’. Together that means 71% of Baptist Churches would not even welcome a homosexual ‘at the door’ or refused to say they would.  Churches in Victoria are considered to be among the most liberal in Australia. One wonders how much greater the percentage would be in other states. It means that homosexuals are not welcome to even attend most churches. What would the Lord Jesus say?

 

Friends, that just cut me to the core. Honestly, what chance have gays got of coming to know the Lord while we have attitudes like that?

 

Can’t you just imagine them singing with great gusto ‘Sinners Jesus will receive/Sound this word of grace to all’??? Obviously either Christ didn’t go to Calvary to save gays, or in the view of most Baptist Churches, it was a total waste of time that He did. Friends, have you even the slightest idea how much that really hurts?

 

Are we so great sinners just for being born the way we were born, that we are not even worth reaching with the Gospel? How God’s heart must just ache!

 

Their little sign out the front of the church saying ‘All welcome’ needs to be corrected.

 

We saw a moment ago Hebrews 4:15 which says

 

‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.’

 

It means a very great deal to homosexuals that the Lord Jesus understands perfectly how we feel. However, without any disrespect for the Lord whom we know and love dearly, Jesus was a non-practicing homosexual. Is the Baptist church then going to tell even the Lord Himself that He is not welcome to lead, teach, exercise any ministry or even attend His own church? One wonders.

 

John 3:16,17

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’

 

Gays really appreciate that verse I can assure you.  It means God’s love reaches them and they are included in His plan of salvation when they accept Him as their Saviour and Lord. When it seems the entire world excludes them, even those in His own church, God doesn’t.

 

Is your approach to say change first and then we will accept you, or are you going to do what Jesus did and love them right where they are?

 

The best qualification you can obtain to pass any opinion on this topic is to spend a minimum of 500 hours out there sitting with gays, listening a lot and telling them how the Lord Jesus loves them. After all the hatred that has come from churches, don’t be surprised if it takes a very long time before they are prepared to listen. Whatever we say in our churches, it must help the Lord Jesus reach gays as His first priority, and not hinder Him in His work.

 

There is an inclusive church that has a gay couple who hold a home group of over 100 in their home each week, and almost every week gays are accepting Christ in those meetings. I wept when I heard that. ‘Come and rejoice with me’! Isn’t it absolutely fantastic! Please don’t judge them. (Romans 2:1 forbids you to do that) Let us pray for them and really encourage them. I believe that in our community, gays remain a significant group of people unreached with the Gospel.

 

If God has spoken to your heart as you have read this paper, whether you agree with what has been said or not, can I suggest you pray this prayer:

 

Lord, I don’t understand why you have created some people gay, or why some people think they have been. I am sure my gay brothers and sisters don’t understand either. But I praise you that you do understand. Help me never to judge them. Your Word forbids me to do that. Help me to be obedient to your Word. Help me never to hate them and discriminate against them and vilify them. Please forgive me if I have ever done it in the past. Lord, the ground at the foot of your Cross at Calvary is the most level ground on earth. Help me to be totally honest with your Word in respect of homosexuality. Forgive me if I have ever twisted or manipulated or lied from your Word when I have spoken about homosexuality.

 

Lord, please forgive me if I have ever offended a homosexual or hindered them from coming to you, whether I have realized it or not. I beg you to forgive me if I have ever said anything in the hearing of a homosexual that has encouraged that person to take his or her own life – especially if that person has gone to a lost eternity without you. Lord, I beg you to forgive me if I have ever done that.

 

 Lord, I want to treat heterosexual and homosexual sinners exactly the same. Exactly the same as you do Lord. Exactly the same as you have treated me. I am a sinner just the same as they are. I want to totally identify myself with what you are doing in trying to reach gays with your offer of Salvation, and to grow them as your disciples. Help me never to place pre-conditions on that, just the same as you don’t. Please forgive me Lord if I have ever prevented a gay person from even attending church, or failed to make them feel welcome when they have attended.

 

Lord, Help me to be the kind of person you can use mightily when I meet homosexuals, whether I am aware of who they are or not.

 

I love you Lord. Help me to love gays too, just as much as you do.

 

Amen

 

In the first month after this article was first published, there have been over 369,000 hits and over 7,700 email responses have been received by the publisher, DL Dewey,  and most of those were from churchgoers. The publisher also prepared an article on gay suicide and published it alongside this article.

 

Approximately 90.3% of the responses were positive. Over 7,000 people have written emails to say they found this article helpful.

 

Over 350 were from homosexuals who said they had contemplated suicide and that this paper provided many of the answers they had been longing to find for years. The big issue for gays is to reconcile the Scriptures with the fact that they have been born gay. How can I be a Christian and be gay at the same time? It appears to them that the very God who created them gay also condemns them and hates them in the same breath, just for being gay. (The issue of any homosexual practice is related, but quite separate.) THAT together with intense and bitter hatred from those in many of our churches is enough for many gays to contemplate suicide.  It is absolutely tragic that many of them do take their own life.  How many Michelangelos and Leonardo di Vincis are we losing? However, all of them are precious souls whom the Lord Jesus died to save.

 

While many may want to quote biblical passages about heterosexual marriage, which is fine for those who are born heterosexual, I am asking that when people refer to these passages that I have addressed, they do NOT twist, manipulate and even LIE from the inspired Hebrew and Greek scriptures when they speak of homosexuals and homosexuality, while at the same time very conveniently ignoring others.

 

One of those passages that is quoted often is Genesis 1:27 ‘male and female he created them.’ It is important to sit Galatians 3:28 along side that verse and read it at the same time. It says ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ (The Greek is male and (kai) female, not male nor female). However, the most fantastic part of that verse for me is the last part, ‘you are all one in Christ Jesus.’  Don’t you just love that verse!!! God doesn’t exclude us. His love reaches us too. God is an absolutely wonderful God.

 

Here are a couple of the responses. They are the most moving words I have ever read.  Please take the time to read them.

 

Subj:    We are now speaking with my son because of your article
Date:    3/1/2005 11:05:10 AM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:
Sent from the Internet (Details)

 

Five years ago, our son came ‘out’  to us.  My husband disowned him and said he was not welcomed in our home any longer.  I have struggled with this to the point that I almost decided to leave my husband over it so that I could have a relationship with my son again.  And then I read your article about gay suicide and what the bible says about homosexuality.  It took my breathe away and touched me so deeply.   I applaud both you and that retired minister for writing something that you can tell as you read it is truth because it is written with love.

 

 I printed your article out and gave it to me husband of 32 years.  I told him that unless he read it I was going to pack my bags and leave.   I left him alone in the living room and about 10 minutes later I heard him crying.  I went in and my husband was in tears.  He looked up at me and said –

 

‘we need our son back in our lives’.   Needless to say I sat down beside him and we both cried for what seemed an hour.  Later than evening, we called our son.  I had talked with him several times over the last five years, but my husband had not.   Steven our son answered the phone and I talked a few minutes with him and then said, ‘your father has something he wants to say to you’.

 

At first, he did not want to talk to his father, but I pleaded with him.   My husband took the phone and the first words out of his mouth was, ‘Steven – I love you’.  Needless to say that started a conversation that last well over 30 minutes.    To make a long story short, we got together with our son and his companion for the first time just this last weekend.  We had them over for dinner.  Scott, Steven’s companion and my husband started talking about football while Steven and I sat in the kitchen and just talked about things.

 

I’ve told you this whole story Mr. Dewey because I wanted you to know in case you didn’t just how much your article and the piece from the retired minister will have an effect on people.  It created a miracle for us.  Thank God for writers like you and the courage of that retired minister to write something that I know is going to touch so many people’s lives in one way or another.  Although my husband doesn’t 100% accept my son’s choice, he has accepted him with loving arms and his companion, that alone has made a world of difference because there is love back in our family again.  That is what your article reminded us, love and understanding is more important than anything in this world. 

 

Thank you and that retired minister so very much Mr. Dewey.

 

KG

 

Subj:    just wondering… 
Date:    3/5/2005 9:45:21 AM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:
Sent from the Internet (Details)

I am gay and a 21 year old who used to think of suicide a lot. I read your article about gay youth suicide and what the bible says about being gay.  Thank you Mr. Dewey for that article and for including the piece from the retired minister.  You do not know how both affected me.   I realized because of that article that thinking of killing myself was not only stupid but I was throwing myself away.  Also that God truly does love us all what is important is how we love ourselves and our fellow man.  I am passing the link to my other friends that are struggling with this about themselves.

 

Gavin

 

Subj:    Your article touched me and changed
Date:    3/22/2005 6:05:15 PM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Dear Mr. David Lawrence Dewey:

 

 Something that I had not seen concerning this issue of homosexuality until I read your article on the subject and what the bible really says about it has changed my life in more than one way.

 

I am what you would most likely call a right wing conservative. I go to church every Sunday, but have always been very open minded about such things for I’ve always believed I’m not to judge.  You article reinforced that belief.

 

It was also very interesting to read what the bible actually says about homosexuality.  At first, I was skeptical about the so called translations – so – I went down to the university library and double checked things in translation references myself.   The article written by the retired minister is correct and I had no idea of the truth.   Needless to say, I started a conversation this last Sunday about this at a church social event and all of a sudden I thought I was the devil for even mentioning it.   When I saw how what I thought were so called loving Christians turn on me, I decided this was not where God wanted me to be.  Believe this or not, I have joined a gay community church and for the first time I am looking at my own sexuality that just possibly I have been ‘burying’ deep within me for years hiding behind religion.  I love God, believe that Jesus died for our sins and provided a pathway back to God, but now more than ever I am for the first time totally loving myself for who I may be.

 

I thank you Mr. Dewey for writing such an article and for sharing the retired ministers work.

 

You both may not realize how much you will effect people with this and I am sure you most likely will be attacked from the religious right.  By the way, I no longer consider myself a religious right,

 

I  simply consider myself a Christian – who just may be gay.

 

Thank you again – Matthew

 

 

Subj:    I learned to love myself by reading your article
Date:    2/27/2005 8:10:05 PM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Dear Mr. Dewey :

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I read your bible article. I am 33 years old, a lesbian and for years I have struggled with my sexuality, thinking I was evil.  For the first time, I now love myself and by finding how to love myself I have felt God’s love.  I found that in your article and the article written by the retired minister.  I just wanted you to know that you are touching people’s hearts with this and if you get nasty emails from other people, just ignore them, they haven’t found love in their hearts yet and without love in their hearts they can’t find God.  That is what I learned today from your article.

 

God Bless

 

Sharon

 

Subj:    Our 17 year old son came out yesterday
Date:    2/27/2005 10:10:05 PM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Dear Mr. Dewey;

 

Today my husband and I got the shock of our lives yesterday.  Our very athletic 17 year old son Eric told us today that he was gay.  We both sat at the dining table at first in complete shock, we never suspected he could be because he acts very masculine.  At first, my husband told him it was just hormones working and that a lot of guys at that age might be interested in exploring that but that didn’t mean he was gay.  My son insisted he was and then he handed us your article about gay suicide and what the bible says about homosexuality.   Our son proceeded to tell us that if it had not been for finding your article the other night because for sometime he had been thinking about committing suicide.   I immediately grabbed my son and told him no, we would still love him no matter even if he was gay.

 

I and my husband read your article and we both feel we have learned so much on this issue.

 

Thank you on many fronts, first and foremost, you saved our son.  We cannot find the words to express our sincere gratitude, but we both know within our hearts that we still have our son today because of your article.

 

Second, you have shared with a couple of old birds facts and most important – – truth and wisdom regarding this issue.  We also want you to know that we are sharing your article with other friends at church.  Some have been receptive to it, some not.  But who cares!   They are the ones missing out on so much love and life.

 

Thank you Mr. Dewey and the retired pastor from the depths of our hearts

 

B and K M

 

 

Subj:    I now know God truly loves me
Date:    2/29/2005 8:15:15 PM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:
Sent from the Internet (Details)

 

Mr. David–

 

I am 20 years old and gay and I now know God’s truly loves me and I don’t need to end my life. I have been struggling with this for years. Thank you for your article and for the retired ministers facts of the bible.   Thank God there are people like you and this minister that have the courage to do this.

 

God Bless you both!

 

Mark

 

Subj:    YOU ARE EVIL ! ! ! ! !
Date:    2/26/2005 7:11:10 PM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:    Sent from the Internet (Details)

 

Mr. Dewey

 

HOW DARE YOU TURN THE WORD OF GOD INTO LIES.  YOU ARE EVIL AND THE DEVIL HIMSELF AND THIS RETIRED MINISTER IS HIS PAWN!  MAY YOU BOTH LIVE IN HELL FOR ETERNITY!

 

 

Subj:    Thank you so very much
Date:    2/26/2005 7:11:10 PM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:    Sent from the Internet (Details)

 

Dear Mr. David Lawrence Dewey:

 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Today, I picked up the phone and called my son that I have not spoken with for over a year since he came out.  I realized by reading your article what is more important is loving my son instead of judging him.  I learned so much from your article I had no idea how the true writings of the bible have been twisted.  No wonder we have so many problems in the world today, people need to start listening to their hearts and God and not religion.

 

Thank you!

 

Monica

 

 

Subj:    Thank you
Date:    3/9/2005 8:22:11 PM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:
Sent from the Internet (Details)

 

Mr. Dewey – – –

 

I am 30 years old and have kept me being gay from my family for years.  I have been in a long term relationship now for 4 years and we have had to do things like when my parents come, Jeff goes to a hotel for a few days.

 

After reading your article, I sent it to my parents and told them everything.

 

I did not hear from them immediately, actually it was about a week, just the other day.  My mother started crying on the phone and asking me why I had not told them sooner.  My father was on the extension phone and said they both love me and because I was gay was never going to change that.  They then both said that if it had not been for the article, ( your article and that of the retired ministers ) that they would not have understood so much and most importantly concerning the bible.  My parents are strict Catholics, but now say their views have completely changed concerning homosexuality.

 

The best part is, Jeff and I are going over to their home this coming Friday.

 

They want to meet Jeff.

 

You do not know what your article has done for me and my family Mr. Dewey.

 

Thank God for people like you and that retired minister that have the courage to stand up and speak love and truth of God’s love.

 

With many thanks,

 

Gregory M

 

 

Subj:    One night last week
Date:    3/9/2005 11:22:11 PM Mountain Daylight Time
From:    xxxxx
To:
Sent from the Internet (Details) 

 

Mr. Dewey,

 

One night last week -   I was thinking of committing suicide because I am gay. I am 24 year gay male.  Earlier this evening, I got an email from a friend who knew I was depressed and listed the link to your suicide/bible article. Thank you so very much, you showed me how to love myself first so that I could allow God to love me as who I am.  After reading it, I called my parents and told them I was gay.  They both accepted it and did not disown me like I thought they would.  They said they didn’t understand it or agree with it, but they still loved me anyway.  That is what your article gave me was love.  I sent them your article as well.  I went over to dinner the other night and we had a long discussion, they realized many things they said and learned a lot from your article.

 

Thank you and that retired minister, you saved my life in more ways that you can imagine!

 

-Matt 

 

I literally cried reading your article about teenage suicide and what does the bible actually say about homosexuality.   I am a 21 year old gay male, who since the age of 9, knowing I was different have struggled with this all my life.  Once I even thought about suicide.  Thru the years I tried talking a couple of times to ministers but was given the I’m going to hell speech.  Your article and the article written by the baptist minister helped me to let go years of torment of my soul.  I now truly know that God loves me for who I am.   I also believe what you wrote about being promiscuous.
I’ve never been like that.  I have only been with two men in my life  thus far and they were fairly long term relationships, both I thought was going to last.  After the last one, I decided I would not bed someone until we actually lived together for awhile and really knew we were going to be together the rest of our lives.

I believe in God now more than ever because of your article and I do attend church, not as much as  I would like because of my job.  But I feel and believe that as long as you keep God in your heart and try your best to live a good moral life and follows the teachings of his son, that is at least what I try to do.

I could tell by the words you wrote that you are a good person and care about people, mainly because you are speaking from the heart and truth.  The baptist ministers article mean so much to.

Thank you again. I’m emailing my friends about your article.  I want you to know that I think that you and that baptist minister are God’s messangers of the truth, thank you.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

I cannot find the words to say to really express my gratitude to you and the baptist minister.  Thank you for your article.  I am straight, but it touched me.  I’m going to share it with my friends.  By the way I do attend church and for once read something that not only made mindful sense, but spiritual sense, it spoke of truth.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

“Good column –There are so many people in this area who suffer from serious misconceptions about what The Bible actually says.

My husband and I learned a great deal, (we are 64 and 65 ) from your article and especially the one written by the retired minister.  We go to church every Sunday but never hear what you have and the minister wrote about.  As we read  it, we listened to God and he told it it was the truth.
This is an area that really cries out for a rational perspective. The
popular media (and often, government schools) overpromote “alternative
lifestyles,” while the “religious right” mostly just takes a reactionary
position. Individuals should be free to associate with whoever they want to,
as long as no one is coerced. And churches or private concerns should handle
marriage (or other unions) according to the wishes of their congregation or
participants.
Thank you to the Baptist Minister for bringing some real sanity to this debate.  My husband and I can’t wait to discuss this with our fellow church goers.  We go to a Church of Christ church.  I am going to ask my minister about these translations and ask him to explain them.  I know they are correct because we checked the Lexicon translations and your are correct and the baptist minister are correct.”

 

‘And all I did was to tell the truth, before God, to the very best of my ability’.

 

The silence of the many homosexuals who have taken their own life as a result of those who have twisted, manipulated and in many cases lied from the original scriptures when they spoke of homosexuality is a very sobering thought. May God forgive us. Let us pause to remember them, and do all in our power to make sure their number is not added to. God does not hate you my friend.  He loves you, He really does and so do we.

 

A movie called ‘Prayers for Bobby’ has been made which is based on the true story of a gay teenager, Bobby Griffith who took his own life as a result of the religious beliefs of his mother and how the family tried to cope with his death. It is a very moving account and I would strongly recommend you view it. It would take about 1- hours and would be time well spent. Most people I know who have seen it were moved to tears. If you are gay, it would be a good idea to watch it with some else if you can.

 

You can view it on the internet at http://www.supernovatube.com/play.php?viewkey=53c5fe45a11a0aa7aa24

 

Click on the button entitled ‘I am human now let me watch this video’ and it will take you to the movie.

 

A Retired Baptist Pastor

 

Appendix 1

 

 What does detestable NIV (or abomination AV – Hebrew tow’bah) mean when it is used in the Scriptures? It occurs 111 times in 107

Food, sacrifices	D for Egyptians to eat with Hebrews, D to eat certain foods	Gen 43:32, Ex 8:26, Deut 14:3
Shepherds	Shepherds d to Egyptians	Gen 46:34
Touches unclean thing	D to touch unclean thing	Lev 7:21
Without fins and scales	Anything without fins & scales is d.	Lev 11;12
Certain birds	Listing of d birds	Lev 11:13f, Rev 18:2 (memisemenou – Gk)
Insects	D flying insects	Lev 11:20
Creatures that move on the ground	D to eat creatures that move on the ground	Lev 11:42
Homosexual practice	Homosexual practice is d	Lev 18:22, Lev 20:13
Idolatry	Idolatry is d	Deut 7:25, 27:15, 29:17, 32:16, 1K 11:5, 11:7, 2K21:11, 23:13, 24, 2Ch 15:8, 28:3, 34:33, Is 41:24, 44:19, Jer 4:1, 7:30, 16:18, 32:35, 44:4,22, Ez 5:9,11, 6:9,11, 7:20, 8:5,10,15, 11:18,21, 14:6, 16:36, 18:12, Ez 43:7f, Mal 2:11, 1P 4:3 (athemitos – Gk)
Worship God in the way of your neighbours & intermarry with them	D to worship God in the way of your neighbours & intermarry with them	Deut 12:31, 2Ch 23:2, 36:14, Ezra 9:1,11,14,
Sacrifice	D to sacrifice an animal with a defect	Deut 17:1, Prov 21:27
Imitation of ways of neighbours	D to imitate the ways of neighbours	Deut 18:9, 2 K 16:3, 2 K 21:2
Remarry	D for a man to remarry his divorced wife	Deut 24:4
Male prostitute	D practices with male prostitutes	1 K 14:24
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.	D to the Lord are haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers	Prov 6:16-19
Prayers, incense	Prayers of those who turn a deaf ear	Prov 28:9, Is 1:13
Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution!	Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution are d	Jer 13:27, Ez 23:36f, 33:26, Ez 43:8,
Lewdness	Lewdness is d	Ez 16:43
Lends at usury and takes excessive interest.	Lends at usury and takes excessive interest is d	Ez 18:13
one man commits a detestable offence with his neighbour’s wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father’s daughter.   In you men accept bribes to shed blood; you take usury and excessive interest and make unjust gain from your neighbours by extortion.	These are d	Ez 22:11
you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.	D to do these things	Ez 44:7
He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.	D to do	Luke 16:15  (bdelugma Gk)
They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.	D to do these things	Titus 1:16  (bdeluktos -Gk)

 

 

Homosexual practice did not occur in the Genesis 19 account of Sodom.

 

Deuteronomy 29:17 and 23-26 mentions that idolatry was ‘detestable’ and also describes how the people of Sodom and Gomorrah practiced idolatry.

 

When Ezekiel 16:50 says that the sins of Sodom included ‘detestable things,’ Deut 29 shows that it was idolatry and not homosexual practice that was being referred to.

 

Scripture must interpret scripture.