What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality, and Why Does it Matter?

Phil Robertson, a star of the reality TV show Duck Dynasty, was recently asked what he would define as sin. He responded that homosexuality was a sin and proceeded to paraphrase the Bible. I was asked to respond to an article with the title, “Does the Bible Say What Phil Robertson Thinks It Says About Homosexuality.” which was published December 23, 2013, in Slate Magazine. My intent is to respond respectfully, tactfully, and clearly. I don't desire to offend, but I realize some may feel offended.

I will address each of the following claims made in the article. 1. The Bible contains very few passages about homosexuality and it is never mentioned by Jesus. 2. In Romans chapter 1, Homosexuality is not a sin, but a punishment given by God to men for not believing in him. 3. The sin of Sodom was not homosexuality. 4. Homosexuality wasn't considered a major sin until 500 AD in Rome. 5. Sin has no meaning or relevance to someone who doesn't believe in God. 6. Homosexuality may be a minor sin, but it is not morally wrong. 7. Something is morally wrong only if it hurts other people. 8. If you support freedom of religion you must also support freedom of sexual orientation.

In addition to the points raised in the Slate article, I will also address some of the arguments surrounding same sex marriage. When quoting the Bible I have used the New International Version which uses more modern language than the King James Version, and is in harmony with it.

The Bible Teaches Homosexuality is Wrong and Men and Women Should Marry and Have Children

The Bible consistently condemns homosexuality in the Old and New Testaments. For example in the Old Testament it says, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” (Leviticus 18:22 NIV) and in the New Testament, “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NIV). There is no verse in the Bible that says or implies homosexuality is acceptable to God.

In addition, the Bible teaches the kind of sexual relationship God wants us to have, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:27-28 NIV). Jesus Christ also personally taught, “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mathew 19:4-6 NIV) We cannot follow God's teachings about sexual relations by living a homosexual lifestyle.

Romans Chapter 1 – Homosexuality is a sin, not a punishment

In Romans 1:16-32, Paul writes about wickedness, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness" (Romans 1:18 NIV). He explains, "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.... Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. Theyexchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator" (Romans 1:21-25 NIV) He then goes on to describe "shameful" and "unnatural" homosexual relations of men and women.

The style that Paul speaks in is awkward to us, but similar to other passages in the Bible. Saying that God “gave them over” does not mean that God punished them with sinful desires. It is clear the sinful desires were already in their hearts. "Gave them over" means God let them follow their desires and they did not seek or receive any help in overcoming the temptations.

Paul ends this chapter with a lament that applies to our society today, "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." (Romans 1:32 NIV)

Sodom Was Thoroughly Wicked and Sexual Immorality and Homosexuality Were Rampant

The Bible says, “Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion”.(Jude 1:7 NIV). Homosexuality was not Sodom's only wickedness, but it was a major portion of it.

The story of Sodom's destruction begins in Genesis 18. The Lord tells Abraham that Sodom's sin is grievous and he is going to destroy it. Abraham bargains for the city, eventually getting the assurance from the Lord that if there are even ten righteous people that it will be spared.

In Genesis 19, Angels go to Sodom to determine its fate. They meet up with Lot, a righteous man, and go to his home. The Bible records, “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.” (Genesis 19:4-5 NIV). The angels disbursed the mob before anything further happened, but apparently this incident was enough to convince the angels that there were not ten righteous people in the city because they told Lot to leave the city before they destroyed it in the morning.

Homosexuality was a Major Sin to Jews and Early Christians

In Jewish society, where Jesus was born,homosexuality was punishable by death, as written in the Torah (Jewish law), “If a man also lies with men, as he lies with a women, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:13 )

Rome was not Christian at the time of Christ. In fact, Christians were actively persecuted and killed in Rome. Gradually Christians became more common and had more influence. In AD 313, Christianity was first legalized, and in AD 380, Christianity became the official state religion of Rome. Homosexuality was very common in earlier Roman society, but by the sixth century, perhaps due to the rising Christian influences, homosexuality became punishable by death under Roman law too.

Christians Are to Love Others Whether They Believe or Act the Same Way or Not

Not everyone believes in the Bible, and even among those who profess belief, there are widely different ways of applying the teachings. Christians should not try to force others to behave a certain way. The two great commandments are to love God, and to love our neighbor. (Mathew 22:36-40). This commandment applies even to enemies, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. (Mathew 5:43-45 NIV).

There is no excuse or justification for believers to hate, persecute, oppress or force homosexuals or any other non-believer. However, loving those who practice homosexuality does not require agreeing with their viewpoint, or abdicating the truth. Instead believers are told to “[speak] the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15 NIV). Publicly saying that homosexuality is a sin, or that it is bad for society, is not forcing anyone to do anything nor is it persecution. It is expressing a viewpoint and contributing to the formation of the larger societal moral code.

Morality Encompasses More than Harm to Others—Homosexuality is Morally Wrong to Bible Believers

The idea that morality only applies to actions that harm others is a very limited view of morality, likely part of stage 3 of Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development. “Morality is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are "good" (or right) and those that are "bad" (or wrong). A moral code is a system of morality (according to a particular philosophy, religion, culture, etc.).” (Wikipedia) Thus it is natural that many believers in the Bible consider homosexuality morally wrong. Of course, there are those who have a different moral code and do not consider homosexuality morally wrong.

It is important for people with different beliefs to respectfully acknowledge those differences and find ways to live together in peace. (see Romans 12:18). But that does not mean that those with high moral standards must abandon their morals or leave morals out of public discourse. John Adams, who helped draft the declaration of independence and served as the second President of the United States stated, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Dallin H. Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court Justice, explains why moral issues should be included in law, "Law has at least two roles: one is to define and regulate the limits of acceptable behavior. The other is to teach principles for individuals to make individual choices. The law declares unacceptable some things that are simply not enforceable, and there’s no prosecutor who tries to enforce them. We refer to that as the teaching function of the law."

Society is Affected by Homosexual Behavior

The claim that what two consenting adults do in private does not harm or affect others is false. We live in a very connected and integrated world. We are a village. The actions of one member of the village have an impact on other members of the village. As one example, think of the societal costs of HIV. First of all, many good people (homosexual and not) have died from AIDS and that loss has a huge impact on society as a whole and especially on people who know and love those who have died. In addition, as a US society, in 2012 we expended over $34 billion dollars on various HIV and AIDS programs and research. According to the Centers for Disease Control , “Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) of all races and ethnicities remain the population most profoundly affected by HIV.”

Same Sex Marriage is About Societal Approval, not Rights

There is currently a lot of disagreement over same sex marriage. Some people claim it is a civil rights issue. However, it has become clear that “rights” aren't really the issue. In California, two people of the same gender can form a Domestic Partnership that provides the same rights that marriage provides. However, LGBT proponents in California have continued to fight to change the definition of marriage to include homosexual relationships. Evan Wolfsom explains the LGBT desire to use the word marriage as follows: the "clarity, security, and dignity [of the word marriage] is precious and irreplaceable." That is precisely the point for believers as well. To believers, the word marriage signifies a sacred covenant to strive to follow God's commandment for a man to leave his father and mother and be united with his wife as one flesh. A homosexual relationship does not fit that definition.

In addition, marriage is an endorsement of the relationship by society. LGBT proponents want that societal endorsement. Believers do not want to give that endorsement. Yes, believers can be tolerant and loving towards those who choose to have homosexual relationships and believers must not persecute or hate those who are following that path, but believers do not need to endorse homosexual relationships by approving them as “marriage.” Withholding approval is not hate or persecution!

Opposing Changes to Marriage Does not Limit “Freedom of Sexual Orientation”

Homosexual relationships exist. Individuals choose to have sexual relationships or not. We clearly have “Freedom of Sexual Orientation” and even freedom of sexual activity in the US. That is not the current issue. The issue is whether society is going to endorse those choices with the “clarity, security, and dignity” of the word marriage.

With freedom comes responsibility and consequences. In societies throughout the history of the world, one of the consequences of choosing to live in a homosexual relationship is that the relationship is not endorsed by society as marriage. As a society, we must decide whether to change that or not.

Believers in the Bible have every right to draw upon their moral code and publicly advocate that society not endorse homosexual relationships as marriage. This is not a unique situation. There are many immoral behaviors that are not endorsed by US society. One example is having a mistress. There are also many immoral behaviors that are not allowed. One example is having sex with a minor.

Civil society and laws have an inherent purpose to define what is allowed but not endorsed, and what is not allowed at all. Our society has already moved from not allowing homosexuality, to allowing it. The question now is whether we are going to move from not endorsing it to endorsing it.

Same Gender Attraction is Not the Same as Homosexual Behavior—Characteristics are not Actions

Same gender attraction is a characteristic of some portion of the members of our society. Sometimes it is exclusive and permanent,other times it is not. There are many other examples of differing human characteristics: skin color, sweet tooth, hot temper, disabilities, etc. We don't all like or dislike the same things. We don't all have the same strengths and weaknesses. Some of these characteristics change over time, some do not. However, as a society we are striving to be accepting and loving to everyone, regardless of their differences. That makes us a stronger, more vibrant society.

However, accepting differences and loving those with differences does not require us to be accepting of actions. For instance, we love and accept people with a hot temper, but we do not accept spouse or child abuse or assault and battery from someone with a hot temper – even though those laws may be harder for a hot tempered person to obey. Universally limiting the action of marriage to particular ages, to opposite genders, and to people not closely related, is not discriminating against personal characteristics.

Christ Offers Hope to All

Whatever our circumstances, whatever our personal characteristics, whatever our weaknesses, whatever our actions, Jesus Christ offers the same invitation to all of us. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mathew 11:28-30 NIV) He knows us and loves us. He knows what we are struggling with. He will help us endure our challenges. He will help us overcome our weaknesses. He will help us become better people. Not everyone will accept his help, but it is available to all who turn to him.

Resources

Read how one very religious gay man lives his life Club Unicorn: In which I come out of the closet on our ten year anniversary

Evergreen International - Evergreen is a nonprofit organization that helps people who want to diminish same-sex attractions and overcome homosexual behavior.

National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality - NARTH is a professional, scientific organization that offers hope to those who struggle with unwanted homosexuality.