sodom and gomorah, homosexuality?

Question

can someone debate me here.

i think that the story of s&g is severly damaging to the credibilty of the bible because it would seem unjust to for god to kill two cities of people because of that particular sin.

it seems that one way to argue against that is to try to highlight that it was not just that one sin they had committed as a whole, but others sin in combination, and so forth.

to which I say that the bible just too clearly presents homosexuality as the most dire sin in the story. I'm not sure, but i think that the bible described it as (paraphrasing) "homosexuality and other wickedness"
it presents it as the thing these people did that was most unpleasing to god.

I think it is a stretch to rationalize that it was the other sins that made god actions morally just.

what do y'all think?

Answer 1

These are most probably a reference to the present day homosexuality, a phrase which was not in use during those days. The concept of sin associated with sexual activities has certainly perverted the Christian mind and instead of reforming them it has only turned them to hypocrites, sinners against themselves. The whole thing warrants an immediate reform.

Answer 2

Most people get this story wrong. Lot is being compared with his uncle Abraham. In the previous chapter, Abraham, a man of the country, welcomes his divine guests and treats them to a feast. When he argues, it's on behalf of other people. Lot, a city dweller, invites his visitors home but only offers them unleavened bread, and when the neighbors misbehave, he makes poor choices. When Lot argues with the angels, it's for the sake of his own convenience. He tries to be hospitable but can't quite get it right. The neighbors are just an illustration of the hostility.

Lot doesn't really HAVE any good choices. It's city life that's on trial. The Hebrew Bible has a bias against cities, showing them to be inhospitable, dehumanizing and godless. (After Cain was exiled, what did he do? Built the first city (Gen 4:17).) Lot chooses poorly because that's what cities do to you. So does his wife. So do his daughters.

The story of the Levite beginning in Judges 19 provides a variation on the theme, although the point there is the hazards of weak government. But homosexuality is not the issue, it's just an example of mistreatment of strangers. Note that no direct references to homosexuality are made, not in God's condemnation of Sodom before Abraham, not even in the inhospitality incident. "Bring them out to us that we may know them," is what the bad actors say, a euphemism surely, but the implication is violence, not lust. What if the angels had appeared as women? (Lot's daughters, considered chattel by the men of the day, were offered, but that was Lot's mistake.) Would the threat of heterosexual rape be as galvanizing to a fundamentalist preacher as this story?

Was God justified in destroying S&G? That's what Abraham's argument was about. God would not destroy a city if there were ANY innocent people living in it, even someone as clueless as Lot. A city would have to be absolutely evil to merit apocalyptic destruction. The point was that God's mercy prevents the destruction of evildoers for the sake of the innocent, a lesson that still needed teaching in a primitive culture that thought of people as tribes, not individuals. Maybe some stories do get too old to tell.

Answer 3

Sodom and Gomorah was destroyed as a result of total rebellion against God. The people(except for Lot) just didn't do for God but rather did for their own selfish lusts. However this does not at all mean homosexuality is ok. It still is considered a sin. Along with fornication,drunkedness,beastiality etc. If I'm not mistaken the Mosaic laws had homosexuals put to death. That should sum down how God looks at it.

Answer 4

Nope.

If you read the whole story, it's easy to recognize that the major sin was attempted rape of the two angels. Even stranger to note is that Lot actually offered up his dauhters in thier stead.

Whatever the case, there is no reason to assume that homosexuality was a worse sin than rape. Which makes more sense as a terrible crime? Two consenting people having sex, or one forcing themselves on an unwilling other? Many would have you believe that homosexuality is worse but I find that hard to believe.

Answer 5

Hi...

Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities known for their disobedience, immoral acts, and homosexuality.

God hates sin (we both know that) and because of their sins, and because he is a JUST God, He had to destroy the two cities.

There is no such thing as not-so-bad sin or worst-sin... A small sin or a big sin is still a SIN.

There are many cases wherein God (in the OLD TESTAMENT) punished those who sin (for example, the great flood, the tower of Babel, etc.)...

So Sodom and Gomorrah wasn't the only time God punished people because of Sin.

(i hope i've helped you in some way... I don't really want a debate.. hehehe)

Answer 6

that is an elementary one. look in any Bible Genesis financial ruin 19:a million-38, specifically have a glance at verse 5. Verse 5 says that the adult males of the city had to have sex with the adult males that were interior the residing house of Lot. the adult males of the city had no clue that they were angels. So Homosexuality did exist in the course of the time of Sodom and Gomorrah. although the reason behind this is destruction replaced into not by way of homosexuality yet for the gross sin that replaced into there on the time.

Answer 7

If it had been the "other sins" that caused God to destroy them they would have been mentioned in the Bible. Lot plead with God to spare the city and God told him if he could find only 50 righteous men in the city He would spare it. Well, we all know the outcome of that.

These verses indicates that homosexuality was RAMPANT in the city:

Genesis 19:4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 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."

ALL THE MEN FROM EVERY PART OF THE CITY - YOUNG & OLD at this man's door demanding to have sex with the male strangers.

I don't think it's a stretch to figure out that homosexuality caused the demise of these cities.

Answer 8

God did not destroy Somodom and Gomorrah for just homosexuality. It is in the book of Ezekiel chapters 15-17. The Lord says this was the sin of S&G, they were prideful, overfed, unconcerned, and did not look after the poor. The Lord mentions these things concerning the judgement of S&G.

Answer 9

The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

God does rate sin. Sin is sin. What we do not understand is Sodom and Gomorrah actually shows God's grace. YES God destroyed a sinful city-- as demonstration and a lesson. But really we all deserve be destroyed because of our sins. But God has grace on us.We have to realize that God is just. Being perfect, he is just on punishing for our sins. He was just in the punishing Sodom and Gomarrah. He would be just in punishing us,however, He is graceful. WE to deserve to be punished and destroyed, but because of God's grace, we do not get what we deserved. We should look at Sodom and Gomarrah and realize God's justice and grace towards us in that story.

Answer 10

I find that in s&g there is an orgy, or gang bang, coz the man in cities want to rape the angel that visited Lot. So I think its because the moral of the city is already broken down very deep. And Why it is a sin in god's eye, maybe because doing orgy, male to male, or with animal is not God's plan for humanity, since God ask adam and the descendant to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and have dominion on earth. So being homosex and male to male sex it is not a god plan.

Answer 11

How was it unjust? The Bible says that the complaint was loud and their sin very heavy against them. Additionally, God told Lot that he'd spare the cities if there could even be found 10 righteous people in them. 10 PEOPLE! If you can't find 10 good people in a town, how bad does it have to be? Not to mention the fact that the residents "from boy to old man" came to Lots house and demanded that he hand over Lot's two male guests who were actually God's angels so they could have immoral sex with them. I'd say that would be something VERY displeasing to God, and it shouldn't be a surprise that he'd list it as the most prominent reason.