Homosexuality in the Bible

Is the Bible meant to be taken literally in today's time? Or was it written in a historical framework of our holy ancestors and in some ways cannot still be taken literally by the modern bible reader? Religion and science do not pair together well all of the time. Christian biblical translators either respond to scientific findings in a positive or negative way, depending on the topic and issue at hand. Many studies of science seem to challenge a literal reading of the bible. This conflict is due moderately to confusion of what scientists are saying. Also, because it is an effort to parallel scientific declarations with biblical ones. (Bellis and Hufford 2002, 13) When the issue of Homosexuality in the bible comes up, many people are puzzled and don't know how to decipher right from wrong or a sin from a non-sin. For some communities, it's an equal rights movement and an overall issue to try and legalize same-sex marriage for homosexual couples. For many it is also a moral and religious topic because it is addressed in the bible multiple times. Unfortunately, debates, uproars, and even violence has occurred due to peoples opposing opinions. Human sexuality is determined in three general ways: the genetic makeup of the individual, learned behavior, and environmental influences (Bellis and Hufford 2002, 8). Homosexuality has created a vast emotional reaction from particular individuals, primarily from those that claim to be religious peoples. All or many refer to the Leviticus text You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination Leviticus 18:22 (NIV). The reaction towards that passage of the Bible has fundamentally been negative, portraying homosexuality as unethical, an abomination, and immoral. On the other hand, some feel it is fully natural and a present from God. From the faith perspective, statements from the bible point to entire truths that must be followed then and still need to be followed today, biblical scholars on the other hand argue that these testimonies are still open to decode. A few texts from the bible say that same-sex sexual relationships are wrong, and this alone settles it for some people (Borg 2014, 82). In early Christianity, Judaism, and some religious people still today believe that the decency of marriage and the main purpose of marriage is to procreate and feed the earth with new offspring. This is a valid argument due to the fact that God sent Adam and Eve to the Garden of Eden and that is how humankind all began. God made woman for man and they fit divinely in such a way that they can populate the world and therefore we will not become extinct. The unification of family created by God was that a man and his wife would come together and become one flesh Genesis 2:4-3:24 (NIV). To establish a sexual bond with a partner with no intent to create a new life is differing to what the bible tells us. This is one of the main points that comes up when speaking against homosexuality. Many of these individuals believe that homosexuality is a choice made by the person and they are willingly acting against God in this way. Conservatives are often even uncomfortable just hearing the word gay or homosexual due to their opinion that homosexual relations are wrong and an outright rebellion. Some believe in this so strongly that if they are a person of power in the church, often they try and heal or fix the same-sex attraction to meet the divine law of God. Another common belief people take very literally from the bible is Romans 1:24-25 (NIV) 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 about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the creator who is forever praised. From this, it is clear that literal readers of the bible believe any homosexual person is ignoring God and choosing to worship the created rather than the creator of all things. The bible is the words of God written by different human beings in historical periods of time. Back in that time period, the divine law was the only law. There was no other legal system or powerful structure of how life should be and how one is supposed to interpret right from wrong. Since Christians are taught to aim to be as alike to God as possible, many assume taking just about all things from the bible literally is still just as important today as it was back then. For those who believe this and whom are committed to literalism, faith includes believing in the facts of the bible regardless of what we might think on the basis of modern advances and knowledge. But is this what faith is truly about (Borg 103)? Paragraph 3 Homo is OK When Paul Wrote in Romans 1, he was attempting to evidently portray what the gospel faithfully means. The Goodness of God as well as the Wrath of God when one sins are both mentioned throughout Romans 1:20-32. This being said, an opposition has been projected against this text regarding homosexuality in the bible. Critics state that this passage merely refers to heterosexuals binding homosexual acts and that this would not be applicable if one's natural craving was for the same sex and that relationship carried out in a healthy monogamous manner with consent from both sides. Humankind changes drastically throughout time, specifically in the past 50 years. Things from human sexuality, to family roles, to so much more has evolved into modern normality structures depending on regions of the world, religious views, etc. The bible's negativity pointing towards homosexuality is based upon ancient beliefs and family structures, which modern pieces of knowledge is making somewhat out-of-date to how we live today. The bible is sometimes wrong for a certain period of time in certain aspects of scripture. Things like eating pork and wearing linen and wool (which is modernly absolutely acceptable) was prohibited by the authors of the bible. the authors of both Hebrew scripture and New Testament provide a model for adapting ancient scriptures to contemporary times- including the most extreme cases (Bellis and Hufford 2002, ). Because of this fact, it is confusing why homosexuality is still such a controversial topic especially in the religious world where we are supposed to accept all people regardless of their life choices and leaving the judgements up to God. When we judge others for their actions and sins, we ourselves are sinning and going against what God wants. It is not the job of humankind to play God. This being said, one does not have to let go of the fact that the bible forbids same-sex sexual relations, but the cultures fixation with the issue more likely says something about mankind rather than it being about the bible or our true devotion to God. We as people try to take power into our own hands to do good by God, when really we are being selfish and putting ourselves on an undeserving pedestal. From a mutual standpoint, Christians should hold back their outright negative opinions towards people's sexual preferences and instead focus on having a greater level of compassion for one another regardless of the circumstances. Love is patient,love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,it is not easily angered,it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evilbut rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,they will cease; where there are tongues,they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.For we know in partand we prophesy in part,but when completeness comes,what is in part disappears.1 Corinthians 13:4-12 (NIV) In attempt to illustrate a moral lesson, The notion that biblical stories are about facts and not meaning has created great distortion in modern times and in modern religion. Modern biblical

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