Saturday, March 23, 2024
HomeFactsWhat Does The Bible Say About Same Sex

What Does The Bible Say About Same Sex

What About The Argument That Homosexuality Is Inherited

What the Bible says about homosexuality | Kristin Saylor & Jim O’Hanlon | TEDxEdgemontSchool

If this is true, at least for some, how can such activity be wrong?

God made me this way is a typical testimony. A very brief response would be that the connection between genetics and homosexuality is tenuous at best.

Where research has seemed to indicate some physical propensity toward homosexual orientation, others in the field have refuted such a conclusion. It is widely believed that alcoholism can be an inherited genetic propensity, but no one would therefore endorse its practice. While this is a very unfortunate analogy regarding homosexuals, it perhaps illustrates the fact that not every genetic tendency should be endorsed .

You May Like: Where Your Heart Is Bible Verse

Same Sex Attraction / Orientation Is Not A Sin

Heres a few things the Bible says about homosexuality. Keep in mind, it is very important that we dont add to the Bible or subtract from the Bible.

  • The Bible says that homosexual action is a sin.
  • The Bible does not say that homosexual attraction is a sin.
  • Lust and attraction are two very different things. Lust is a sin, attraction is not.
  • If you have Scriptural evidence that says otherwise, I humbly and honestly invite you to share it with me.

    I have lots of conversations with my Bible-believing brethren about homosexuality since its something that I blog about relatively frequently . The biggest hurdle / misunderstanding that Ive found heterosexual Bible-believing Christians have about what I espouse is they think that same sex attraction / orientation is the same thing as lust. They hear me say The Bible says the action is wrong and they fill in the rest as so everything outside of actual sex is okay. What needs to be understood by all is that lust is an action. By action I mean a conscious choice. Lets break this down in terms that straight Christians like myself can better relate to.

    I am attracted to many women.

    Have I just sinned?

    Pause and think about it before you answer.

    Am I sinning because I find a woman to be pretty? Am I sinning because I find a certain hairstyle, fashion, personality, weight, or body shape more appealing / attractive than a different hairstyle, fashion, personality, weight, or body shape other women?

    Surprising Things That The Bible Says About Marriage

    The Bible is not a book about marriage at least not mainly or directly. The Bible is a book about God and about people and how God saves people through the life and death of Jesus Christ.

    Even still, the Bible does have a lot to say about marriage and a great deal of what it has to say runs contrary to our assumptions and values as modern people.

    Amongst the most surprising revelations would be the following:

    Don’t Miss: What Is Wrong With The Rsv Bible

    What Does This Mean In Practice

    Most Christian churches hold the position that you should love the sinner, but hate the sin. This is generally interpreted to mean that Christians should show love and compassion to homosexuals, but that homosexuals should not engage in sexual activity. This is because most churches teach that sex should only happen within marriage, which the Church defines as being between a man and a woman.

    The Catholic Church states:

    quote This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoidedHomosexual people are called to chastity.Catechism of the Catholic Church 1992, paras 2358-9

    The Quaker view on homosexuality is accepting:

    quote Where there is a genuine tenderness, an openness to responsibility, and the seed of commitment, God is surely not shut out. Can we not say that God can enter any relationship in which there is a measure of selfless love? To reject people on the grounds of their sexual behaviour is a denial of Gods creation.Towards a Quaker View of Sex, 1963

    Most Christians will take a position somewhere between these two views. Some churches offer support to homosexuals in leading a chaste life, while others readily accept openly homosexual people in positions of authority. However, few Christian groups will give a definitive statement on the issue as it would cause divisions within the community.

    How To Please God Despite Having Same

    What does the Bible say about " gay marriage" ?

    The Bible says: Dont be controlled by your body. Kill every desire for the wrong kind of sex. To kill wrong desires, which lead to wrong actions, you need to control your thinking. If you regularly fill your mind with wholesome thoughts, you can more readily dismiss wrong desires. While you may struggle greatly at first, it can become easier. God promises to help you to be made new in the force actuating your mind.Ephesians 4:22-24.

    The same struggle is faced by millions with heterosexual desires who wish to conform to the Bibles standards. For example, those who are single with little prospect of marriage or who are married to a partner who is unable to function sexually choose to control their sexual urges despite any temptations they might face. They are able to live happily, and those with same-sex urges can do so as well if they truly want to please God.Deuteronomy 30:19.

    Recommended Reading: What Dies The Bible Say About Masterbation

    Don’t Miss: Do Not Be Afraid I Am With You Bible Verse

    The Bible On Marriage

    Let us rely on Scripture when we are defining marriage. Neither should we depend upon human opinions, liberal theologians, sociologists, modern philosophies or on new state laws and constitutions. Gods law are a higher moral standard than that of mankind and even governments and states. If we rely solely on Scripture, we will know the truth. Since the Bible is the Word of God, we must believe what it says and we care not that its not popular because its more important to believe what God says than what humans think. What is popular is not always the right thing and what is the right thing is not always popular, so lets read the Word of God to see what He says about marriage, same sex marriage, and homosexual relationships.

    You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female it is an abomination .

    Also Check: How Many Psalms Are In The Bible

    Are Homosexual Relationships Mentioned In The Bible

    In modern Western culture we associate touching, kissing and the word lovewith a sexual relationship. But that was not at all the case in Biblical era culture. Most Bible scholars say these relationships were no more than close friendships. That is especially clear in the case of Jesus and John the word translated as lovedwas the Greek word agape, which means kindness and respect rather than romantic or sexual love.

    You May Like: What Does Suffering Mean In The Bible

    Claim : The Ancient World Didnt Understand Genuine Same

    Apparently neither Jesus nor Paul nor even God the Fatherwho inspired Scripturerecognized this potential category. But this claim ignores how widespread same-sex relationships were in the ancient world. Not all of them were abusive or exercises of raw social power. This is a classic example of chronological snobbery, which C. S. Lewis described as the uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate common to our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that account discredited , and which his friend Owen Barfield explained as the belief that, intellectually, humanity languished for countless generations in the most childish errors on all sorts of crucial subjects until it was redeemed by some simple scientific dictum of the last century .

    Such a claim drastically underestimates the options ancient life presented, and it ignores the fact that ancient culture fairly uniformly rejected the idea of same-sex marriage. This point is important for understanding Pauls inclusion of such relationships in the category of porneia . The infidelity in view isnt just to another person, but to the complementary divine design of man and woman in Gods image.

    Something Sacred And Profound

    âWhat does the Bible actually say about Same-Sex Marriage?â? – Message from 6.12.2022

    Paying serious attention the trajectory of Scriptureeven if it aims to be monogamous and lovingdoesnt open the door to affirming same-sex marriage. In fact, it does the opposite.

    Divine revelation gives us every indication there is something sacred about Gods image being male and female, and something profound about marriage between a man and a woman something that makes marriage unique among all human relationships.

    Recommended Reading: Does The Bible Speak Against Cremation

    How Should Christians Respond To Gay Friends Or Family Members

    Biola Magazine Staff December 31, 2015

    Kaltenbachs unique story is detailed in his new book Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction and landed him on the front page of the New York Times in June. Biola Magazine reached out to him to talk about his book and his perspective on how Christians can better navigate the complexities of this issue with truth and grace.

    In your book you say that its time for Christians to own the issue of homosexuality. What do you mean by this? How would you like to see this play out?

    You challenge Christians to stop avoiding or merely tolerating LGBT people, but to engage in meaningful relationships with them. What should that look like?

    You write that one definition of love is holding the tension of grace and truth. What do you mean by this and who do you think models this sort of love well?

    What happens if our love is not accepted at all because we still hold to truth? What would you say to an LGBT person who argues that acceptance but not approval is not actually love? Isnt that the direction society is moving, that anything short of full approval is actually bigotry?

    How should and how shouldnt Christians respond if someone in their life or church community confides in them about same sex attraction?

    How should a Christian respond if invited to a same-sex marriage ceremony? Is attending a gay wedding a tacit affirmation of the sacredness of the vows being exchanged?

    Homosexuality In The New Testament: 1 Corinthians : 9

    The next New Testament text typically included in our topic is 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: 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 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

    Male prostitutes could refer to men who sold themselves sexually, either in heterosexual or homosexual activity. As translated by the New International Version, the word would not necessarily speak to our subject, as prostitution of any kind is almost universally understood to be immoral.

    But the Greek word so translated is more likely a technical term for the passive partner in homosexual activity . And so it may well refer to one who engages in homosexuality, without a necessary connection to prostitution. The activity it describes makes it harder to assert that Paul had no concept of homosexual orientation but meant his words only for heterosexuals who practice homosexual behavior.

    Also Check: What Is The Bible Code

    What To Do If Your Teenage Daughter Is Having Sex

    Learning that your teenage daughter is having sex can likely leave you with more questions than answers. Following the initial wave of emotions and panic, you might ask yourself: How did I not know about this? What do I do now?

    Young and unsure, Destarra didnt know what to do. Her unwanted pregnancy led to a cycle of clinic visits and pain, but eventually she found hope.

    Sign Up for Our E-Newsletters
    • Get our updates straight to your inbox.

    You May Like: Verbal Abuse Bible Verses

    God Will Not Let You Be Tempted Beyond What You Are Able

    Same

    All people meet trials and difficulties in life, both in their physical circumstances and in their spiritual life. Not living according to ones innate homosexual orientation can require a huge sacrifice. But God blesses those who live wholly for Him. Nobody who has truly given up everything to serve God will regret it. He only wants the best for us.

    No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13.

    Even though Gods Word may appear radical, God also loves each sinner, no matter who they are, what their background is, or what they have done. He loves each one of us more than we can comprehend. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sins, and has shown us the way of escape.

    Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.

    Read Also: Where Are Dinosaurs Mentioned In The Bible

    While We Wish To Offer The Dignity And Respect Of Christian Grace To All Persons We Cannot Truly Love Them While Endorsing That Which Is Unbiblical In Their Lives

    As intolerant as the next sentence may seem, it is honestly motivated by a sincere desire to speak the truth in love: we can and should pray for those in the homosexual lifestyle to come to repentance and transformation.

    After including homosexuality in his list of sins , Paul next told the Corinthians: And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God .

    I recognize that some will read this paragraph as bigoted prejudice. However, any of us would want to help those we care about to practice a biblical lifestyle that leads to the fullest abundance of Christs joy . This is the honest motivation behind my suggestion that such intercession is appropriate for the gay people we know and love.

    I must offer one last suggestion, a statement that will engender further resistance from many in the gay community:

    The Lust Of The Heart

    How low can people go? While in recent years same-sex relations have been glamorized in some sectors of society, Jesus confirmed that Gods will for marriage has always been lifelong heterosexual monogamy .1Alternatives may be fashionable, but they are expressions of Gods abandoning people to the lusts of their hearts and to impurity, which can also be translated vileness .

    These verses reflect not a low but rather a high view of sexuality. Dishonoring . . . their bodies by same-sex erotics implies that opposite-sex relations can have the effect of honoring human bodies. God intended marital relations that have the potential for fruitfulness and population of the earth . Old Testament teaching affirms the virtue and joy of physical intimacy in marriage . Elsewhere Paul condemns the forbidding of heterosexual marriage . Paul is not sour on sex. He seeks to warn readers of the grimy origins and consequences of misuse of one of Gods greatest gifts: human sexuality.

    You May Like: Does The Bible Say Anything About Gays

    Sexual Orientation Is Not A Sin

    However, regardless of how we interpret the Bibles teachings about homosexual acts, it is important to note that the Bible does not condemn people for being sexually attracted to persons of the same sex. It is sexual intercourse between persons of the same sex that is prohibited by Bible teachings.

    A boy or girl who discovers homosexual feelings should realize that, like other interests and feelings, it may be only a passing phase that will fade away in time. Meanwhile, he or she should avoid becoming obsessed with the feelings or indulging in any kind of sexual activity.

    A homosexual Christian man or woman is presented with great challenges, and great strength is often achieved by learning to deal with great challenges. Perhaps God has some special role in mind for that person that is best accomplished outside the restrictions imposed by traditional marriage and family duties.

    What Does The Bible Actually Say About Gay Marriage

    LGBTQ Relationships and the Bible: A Progressive and Evangelical Dialogue

    Several days ago, a historic vote in the state of New York, pushed aggressively by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, legalized the practice of same-sex marriage. Such an action was certainly a momentous decision for marriage equality rights in the LGBT community. The vote was not exactly sui generis, but the fact that it occurred in a large and populous state in the country drew more media attention than, say, Vermont. The media focus is a double-edged sword for the issue of same-sex marriage: it exhibits an enlightening progress in our culture concerning the LGBT community, and it also gives voice to the cacophonous opposition, not only directed towards same-sex unions but towards same-sex orientation itself.

    Second, the Bible does not clearly endorse one form of marriage over another. Adam and Eve as the divine groom and bride is one Biblical arrow in the quiver of same-sex union opponents. The Yahwist creation story in Genesis has God forming Eve out of Adams rib, and Adam exclaiming their unity . This is a gender creation story, not a creation of marriage story. Adam and Eve do not exchange rings, say I do and have a jazz band reception in Paradise.

    For further reading:

    There are voluminous secondary sources to consider, but one of the concise and best treatments can be found in Victor Paul Furnishs The Moral Teachings of Paul: Selected Issues

    You May Like: Does The Bible Say Slavery Is Ok

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Most Popular