Homosexuality: A Biblical Overview

Denison Forum on Truth and Culture ^ | March 28, 2013 | Jim Denison

[robowombat]

This is long but it is not ponderous. The author surveys this contentious issue throughly from a biblical perspective and quotes religious figures who favor acceptance of homosexual conduct and carefully debunks their arguments. For both secular cultural conservatives and religious people this is an important article . this issue is going to be part of the ongoing clash of cultures and it is more important than the actual numbers of active homosexuals in the general population would merit as it is part of the secular statist agenda to define down private but fundamental units of society so the state can define the relationship of the individual in any way it may desire.

[US Navy Vet]

This was the BEST read on these subjects I have ever read.

[HomeAtLast]

Let’s all be gay for a day and demand the qu’ran be renounced!

[Neoliberalnot]

Homosexuals, particularly the males, are nothing more than sex-offenders. Sex-offenders should be monitored, not married.

[Viennacon]

Great read. Very true, especially the part about slavery. I’m sick of arguing with people who say the Bible ‘ednorsed’ slavery. They clearly have never actually studied it.

[circlecity]

ping for later

[Graybeard58]

Good article but the author needs to rethink his listing of the "worst sin"

I believe that racism is the greatest sin in America

If I were to list "the worst sin", the daily murder of countless innocents, would head my list.

[The_Reader_David]

As a side note, regarding the Levitical prohibition: in the Orthodox Church, those sins which were punished with death under the Old Covenant Law are referred to as “sins unto death” and are peculiar in present usage in that the canonical penance is lifelong excommunication with communion of the Holy Mysteries on the deathbed only (not usually imposed, since penances are regarded by us Orthodox as medicines for the sick soul, rather than punishments, so that priests have great leeway in imposing lighter penances than the canonical penance in hope less drastic treatment will provide a cure). The Orthodox reading of the prohibition that potentially imposes this penance is very narrow — male-on-male anal intercourse — other homoerotic acts have lighter, often much lighter, canonical penances.

[Zakeet]

I know Jim well. My pastor who also knows him has said that Jim can walk into any room and instantly be recognized as the smartest person in that room. My pastor is correct.

[Graybeard58]

The old law also provided for a release of slaves every sabbath year (seventh year) and at the year of Jubilee (Every 50 years) and even provided a provision for those slaves that did not wish to leave their masters.

[Shery]

Thanks! A thoughtful article. I disagree with Dr. Wink’s statement that slavery is condoned in the Bible. While it doesn’t say anywhere that it is immoral, it does say a lot about the treatment of them, and they were never supposed to be treated as property, but as humans, created in the image of God. God knew that the heart of man would always be deceitful and treacherous, and while slavery began as a way to deal with conquered peoples, or a way to pay one’s debt, they were still to be treated as human beings. It was not God’s will that men became slaves.

Slavery can be associated with homosexuality on these grounds only: it is a sexual sin that you (mostly) submit yourself to, although lots of young boys are raped by adult men they trusted in their childhoods. That normally does not mean they were slaves to anyone, but some we know today are kidnapped to be inducted into the sex slavery trade...by corrupt evil men!

[Shery]

Thanks! A thoughtful article. I disagree with Dr. Wink’s statement that slavery is condoned in the Bible. While it doesn’t say anywhere that it is immoral, it does say a lot about the treatment of them, and they were never supposed to be treated as property, but as humans, created in the image of God. God knew that the heart of man would always be deceitful and treacherous, and while slavery began as a way to deal with conquered peoples, or a way to pay one’s debt, they were still to be treated as human beings. It was not God’s will that men became slaves.

Slavery can be associated with homosexuality on these grounds only: it is a sexual sin that you (mostly) submit yourself to, although lots of young boys are raped by adult men they trusted in their childhoods. That normally does not mean they were slaves to anyone, but some we know today are kidnapped to be inducted into the sex slavery trade...by corrupt evil men!

[mjp]

But given that I understand the Bible clearly to teach that homosexuality is an unbiblical lifestyle, the only conclusion I can draw is that the practice of this lifestyle will lead the person out of the will of God and into harmful behavior.

Also, when life is the standard of evaluation,homosexuality is not a value.The homosexual lifestyle lowers life expectancy by 20 years.

[Sans-Culotte]

Good summary.

[longtermmemmory]

I would like to see,

“Homosexuality: a science overview”

[warchild9]

Sorry. This has to be done every now and again.

It’s why no one listens to Bible-thumpers.

Leviticus 15:19. Live it or be a hypocrite.

[griswold3]

A most excellent essay. It is important, imho, for Christians not to be dragged down in the gutter with the ‘haters’. You can be destroyed by their hate.
Love the sinner as he/she “is loved by our Father in heaven” but hate the sin.

[caww]

Homosexuals are sinning, there can be no mistake about calling a spade a spade. However, I don't believe for a moment that ‘the majority’ of discussions today surrounding this act present it as an act, let alone a sin.....not only against God, but the individuals they choose to subject to this....and the outward affects on all who are friends or families.

What is being stated about the so called “homosexual lifestyle”....follows the same pattern as was taken for taking the life of the babies now killed in the womb.

Language is softened or changed to that which is palatable to the public...and it goes on from there. The “issue” is dissected and flooded with every conceivable argument one can give, and that from every resource of “Professionals” to the laymen.....until the true definition is completely lost in the shuffle.....then the general public gets tangled up in all the unnecessary details presented.

It's a sin....which needs forgiveness...and repentance from. As with any sexual “addiction”.

[Sherman Logan]

Last, not a single New Testament leader owned slaves..., even though many had the means to purchase them (cf. Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Barnabas).

The Bible says no such thing. It is silent on whether any of these men owned slaves. FTM it doesn't even say Christ and the apostles did not own slaves.

I very much doubt they did, but the NT just does not say so.

...or condoned such...

That's just nonsense. The Apostle Paul wrote an entire book of the Bible that neither approves nor disapproves of the institution. It just takes it for granted.

Christ himself used the institution in many of his parables. There is not a trace in any of them of a presumption that slavery is itself evil or immoral. As with Paul, Christ's parables just take slavery for granted as a fact of life.

That said, I believe the eventual abolition of slavery was a consequence of the gradual working out of the Bible principle that we are all equally children of God.

But the Bible, both OT and NT, take the institution for granted.

[Sherman Logan]

The old law also provided for a release of slaves every sabbath year (seventh year) and at the year of Jubilee (Every 50 years) and even provided a provision for those slaves that did not wish to leave their masters.

This law was for Hebrew slaves. Slaves purchased from the nations around them were not covered by these provisions.