Have you actually studied Homosexuality in the Bible?

Question

Or were you simply taught that it is wrong? Please read:

There are two Hebrew words which are often associated with homosexual passages and which are mistranslated in many English versions of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament):

qadesh means a male prostitute who engaged in ritual sex in a Pagan temple . This was a common profession both in ancient Israel and in the surrounding countries. it is often mistranslated simply as "sodomite" or "homosexual." (e.g. the King James Version of the Bible, Deuteronomy 23:17). The companion word quedeshaw means female temple prostitute. It is frequently mistranslated simply as "whore" or "prostitute." A qadesh and quedeshaw were not simply prostitutes. They had a specific role to play in the temple. They represented a God and Goddess, and engaged in sexual intercourse in that capacity with members of the temple. to'ebah means a condemned, foreign, Pagan, religious, cult practice, but often simply translated s "abomination.

There is no term that means homosexual orientation in the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts of the Bible.

The authors of the Bible did not understand sexual orientation and thus did not write about it. Biblical authors had little or no understanding of same-sex committed relationships. Rather, they assumed that everyone was heterosexual, but that some heterosexuals engaged in sex with persons of the same gender. Thus, when you see one of these words in an English translation of the Bible, it is important to dig deeper and find what the original Hebrew or Greek text really means.

Answer 1

No matter how simply you put it and by even offering a translation of the original texts, people are going to believe in their extremely religious points of view.
They rely on a book to tell them how to live their lives. They rely on judgemental people to tell them how to view other people.
To them, it does not matter that the translation got misinterpreted or was rewritten to give power to some and oppress others.
All that matters to them is who will inherit the earth and the "kingdom of God". As if the earth belongs only to some and not to others. As if the "kingdom of God" belongs only to some and not to others. They don't realize how their beliefs hold a "divide and conquer" about it. They don't realize how their beliefs hold a "survival of the fittest" about it. They don't preach love. They don't preach acceptance. All they do is preach about who are the sinners and who is without sin.

They don't EVEN REALIZE how they are mocking God by taking God's name and placing judgement in God's name.
Their fear of "eternal life" and "damnation" (what happens when one dies) is what keeps them in this extremeist point of view.
I don't believe in something that is called a "sin".
A person grows up having love for their mother and father. Love is not a sin just because you love your parents and one of them happens to be the same gender as yourself. A person grows up having love for their siblings. Love is not a sin just because you love your siblings and one or two of them happens to be the same gender as yourself.
A person grows up having love for their friends. Love is not a sin just because you love your friends and some of them happen to be the same gender as yourself.
People in your life have helped you to show affection and love regardless of gender. This is almost an unconscious act for love knows no boundaries.

Just because one defines platonic love as "godly" and intimate love as "ungodly" doesn't mean this is true. Love is Love. There is no wrong way to love and this more than includes people of the same gender.
If Homosexuality is a "sin" (as so many people seem to believe) then God would be a sinner for God is creator.
People need to stop mocking God and need to start taking some responsibility for the way they treat people. People need to stop using God's name for the reason they judge. God never forces your hand to do anything. It's called "Free Will".
They can sit here and quote the bible and scriptures and use God's name but all it comes down to is judgement.

Fearful People have made God into fear. Fear isn't the truth. This trivializes God. A God of fear is a falsehood spread by false prophets.
God is Love. Plain and Simple. Regardless if you are on your knees, asking for money in exchange for sex, lying with a woman or man, swearing, stealing or whatever else people consider a sin. God needs nothing. God is the alpha and omega. Do you think God cares if people are queer? Do you actually think God makes mistakes? God needs nothing because God is EVERYTHING! Everything meaning EVERYTHING and that also includes: straight, gay, lesbian, bi, trans, male, female, intersexed. There is nothing that God is not because God is everything. Those that sit in judgement of queers sit in judgement of God.
Those quoting the bible and speaking of sin are the ones who are making a mockery out of God and are the false prophets.
We see right through you.

Answer 2

Thank you, very informative. So if we eliminate homosexual orientation as sin, and simply admit that pre-marital sex and adultery are the real issue. I wonder how many among those that have and will answer you would be willing to cast the first stone?

And if we legalize gay marriage would that solve the problem of pre-marital sex? Something to ponder.

And before someone goes calling me a lesbian pagan (because they're ignorant), I would like to point out that I am a straight Christian woman...with an open mind when it comes to the mysteries of the Bible. The only thing I know for sure is that I am saved.

Answer 3

The phrase sexually immoral holds a lot of weight when determining if a person is out of bounds. If homosexuality is considered outright sexually immorality then it would be safe to assume that it is out of bounds. Because homosexuality is closely related to the pagan practices of the temple prostitutes, it is also safe to assume that if one is a homosexual, they are practicing pagan worship with their bodies. Just because the Bible as translated by some does not come right out and say homosexuality as an alternate lifestyle apart from pagan worship is OK, you need to take the spirit of the text into account. This will undoubtedly convince you that homosexuality is indeed sinful behavior because of the relation to pagan worship. It is not part of the design but is a perversion of God's good creation.

Answer 4

Qadesh was Middle-Eastern goddess of sacred ecstasy and sexual pleasure. OK let say that you are wright with your meaning of word qadesh: is a male prostitute, so that means that in Leviticus warns about is a man leis with qadesh as he leis with a woman both have to be put to death. Hummm, isn't it that talking about a homosexual act according to your definition?

Answer 5

Well, that is fine but Romans 2 is pretty clear, I'm not going to quote it, and there are other passages.

I do not understand why people would wish to be defined by what particular sexual perversions they prefer. I do not go around callingmyself a heterosexual, I'm married, I think my wife is real cute, but I try not to obsess about it or think about it much at all.

The Christian Gospel is about purity and godliness, you can say what you want about those words from the hebrew but you miss the culturally relevant fact that such people have been frequently put to death throughout all time.

So your 21st century interpretation rings hollow. Believe me, the ancient hebrews did not see it that way.

Sexual immorality feels good and people like to do it, I sure did, but God has set these things in the world in order to destroy people. If you don't agree, fine, but if you want to know the biblical God you ought to know that God created evil to serve his purpose; God created sin to destroy people. Examine Eden.

Answer 6

Answer to your first question: I have.
Further answers (remain provisional as everything else in this world):
I'm with you that there's not enough textual evidence against homosexuality in the Bible. One explanation could be that homosexuality, although is and has been present in virtually every culture, was quite rare in the Semitic world, mostly among Hebrews. Therefore it might not be a big issue.
However, the Hebrews were surely confronted by homosexuality since they didn't live in bubble, which is what I believe. Therefore my understanding is that the Bible takes for granted that sexual orientation is a given and not a deliberate decision. Therefore there are no grounds to morally sanction sexual orientation. in other words: I didn't sit down to choose to be guy from tomorrow and on, nor I sat down to decide to be straight from tonight and on until 2010.

Answer 7

This is something that us younger Christians struggle with. There are very few lines in the Bible that deal with homosexuality specifically. Even if it is a sin, so is thinking impure thoughts, and all sins can be forgiven through Christ. Also Jesus said love your neighbor, which to me means love everyone or treat everyone right. He didn't use the word "except" in that statement. So, even if people are sinners of any kind, we are to love them and treat them right. God will be the judge in any situation. So, it's between each of us and HIm.

Great question. Great research on your part. Keep it up. We need more enlightened peope in this world.

Answer 8

I've never seen the word homosexual in the scripture, but I do recall reading that a man laying with another man is an abomination.Right ? If the word abomination translates pagan condemned, foreign ,that sounds unacceptable .I don't know.

Answer 9

You are so lost.
A Pagan temple, those weren't Gods children.
Those people were sinning, doing bad (the sex)
like it was nothing. Just like now.
All through the Bible God separates His children
from this wickedness.
You need to read the King James version of the
Bible. Get the revised version.
I prayed that your eyes become open to Gods Word.
A good Bible study would help.

Answer 10

Either way, homosexuality is a sin. Whether in Hebrew it said "sodomite" or not, its still wrong. B/c either way, it says that if a man lays w/ a man it is an abomination.

It doesn't need to say the word 'homosexual' specifically for it to make the point across.