What makes homosexuality immoral?

Question

It's not uncommon to hear people claim that homosexual behaviour to be immoral. However, I fail to see any obvious basis for this claim (aside from "Such-and-such says it's immoral" or "It says in this text that it's immoral" or "I don't like it", none of which is a very convincing argument). So my question is aimed at those of you who do consider such behaviour immoral: why?

I'm not surprised to find lots of people quoting the Bible, but I don't see how it can be a good basis for such an argument: essentially all you're saying is "Homosexual behaviour is immoral because I have a book that says it is". So? I have a book that says it isn't. Big deal. How can you base a moral code purely on what one book says is right or wrong? Because it's the word of God? How do you know? Because the book says so? Oh come on.

Answer 1

I'm borderline bi and have tried sex once with another man. Up to the point of penetration itself (I was passive), it felt right. Beyond that point, I felt uncomfortable with the situation. My Christian upbringing may have had some influence over my feelings but mostly it was my reluctance to submit to another man, to hand over power to him. I don't think homosexuality is immoral but I have both an inside and outside perspective on it and I can understand why some people are afraid of it. Basically, they are not thinking of two gay men who love one another but of a predatory gay male putting them in an uncomfortable situation. It is the inability to equate gay love with the love between a man and a woman.

Answer 2

Oh heck, you know what, it's NOT immoral and I get so bored of having the bible (Leviticus 18:22 stating homosexuality is an abomination) quoted at me, when the old testament also says that:

1) it's okay to sell daughters into slavery (Exodus 21:7)
2) It's also okay to possess slaves - male and female (Lev 25:44)
2) It's 'immoral' to have any contact with a woman during her period (Lev 15)
3) People with imperfect eyesight can't approach the altar of God (Lev 21:20)
4) Every time someone wears a polyester/cotton mix or grows two crops in one field, they're violating Lev 19:19 and apparently the only way to deal with them is to get the whole town together to stone them (Lev 24:10-16)

You may disagree but this seems a right old faff to me and I'd prefer to just live and let live. However, if God's word is indeed eternal and unchanging, then frankly that's one hell of a lot of smiting to do and we really need to get wriggle on with it.

Answer 3

Finally someone who thinks the same as me. I've said this in many answers that the Bible is written by man not god and so is full of morals of the time or biased texts to get people to follow certain ideas.

If people don't like me for what I do then basically I don't care, my view is if people don't accept me for who I am then that's their choice. Being gay does not define me, I have other qualities and being gay just is the sum of my parts.

I can however understand if some people feel that it's beging thrown at them but not everyone is the same.

I agree with you, the Bible may say homosexuality is wrong but modern day living promotes that it is not so I think we'll constantly have this thing between religion and homosexuality.

Thankfully though it's turning around. I always thought it was mainly the older generation like this but my grandmother of 89 is fully accepting of me and she's said it doesn't bother her. I was surprised to hear that but I'm glad that I was wrong about my generalisation.

Answer 4

it is because they are confusing immorality with sexuality. There is nothing basically immoral about homosexuality. Immorality is when you do something that causes unnecessary harm or unhappiness to somebody.
I see a lot of people are try to justify their stance about homosexuality being immoral by quoting the bible but of course the bible was written by men who had no more idea of what god was or wanted than you do. So using the bible to try and make people feel guilty about something they have done which has caused no harm is in itself an immoral act

Answer 5

Morals are largely shaped by religion, and religion speaks out selectively against homosexuality. I say "selectively" because there are other "immoral" things which people do that are generally ignored.

One's belief in God is a spiritual thing. However, the need to practice rituals or beliefs constitutes religion, which is purely man made. If you separate God from religion, you begin to see how futile religion sounds.

There are a lot of sexual activities which are considered "immoral" by moralists. One example is masturbation. Moralists used to spread scare stories suggesting that one could go blind or suffer ill health - all of which are now disproved by modern science.

Modern science also declares homosexuality to be perfectly normal, and it has been observed in the animal kingdom as well.

Answer 6

if people quote the bible and really live it, then maybe i should do the same, maybe you should go around and kill people that say a bad word about their parents (in the bible) or commit adultery ( in the bible) and i wonder how many christians eat shell fish ( forbidden in the bible). why dont you go around and kill spiritist's / psychics? ( in the bible).

they are all quotable under levictus in the bible, cant remember where.

also, i wonder how many people here observe the sabbath? no-one? nobody observes the holy sabbath ( saturday) ? do you know why nobody observes it? because jesus's sacrifice freed us from that obligation, if it applies to the sabbath, why not to some of the older, outdated parts of the bible?

and before anyone says anything, maybe i should start quoting the parts about selling slaves, which you just dont get in decent society anymore?

beating a slave is ok.. unles i take his eyes out?.. hmm.. very humane.. that just fits in perfectly with our modern morals and ethics doesn't it?

and sexually immoral probably means adultery, its immoral to be sexual with someone if you're married to another.

Answer 7

Morality refers to the concept of human ethics which pertains to matters of right and wrong - therefore people will often base values of morality on a religious basis which will often be backed up by 'the bible says this or that' Morality can often be said to be based on religious or ethical beliefs.
Tied into this is the Christian (in particular) hang ups about sex outside of marriage. The Church does not believe in people of the same sex being able to marry, therefore leaving (by default) any same sex relationships to be outside (christian recognised) marriage and therefore morally wrong.
Personally I believe this to have no rational or reasonable proof to back it up other than 'it has always been that way' which (to me) doesn't make something right. Some Pagans used to perform human sacrifice, that doesn't mean because it was practiced that makes it right. Same with outdated moral beliefs on sexuality that no longer have a rational standing in 21st century!

Answer 8

The vast majority of people who declare homosexuality as immoral are Christians, and their basis for declaring it immoral is The Bible. In the Old Testament, homosexual conduct was punishable by death (stoning). The New Testament did away with the laws and traditions of the Old Testament, but there is still a passage written by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans declaring that homosexuality is unnatural and sinful. So what you have is a large group of people who believe in a supreme being who loves us, made every one of us, and as such knows what is best for us. If you believe in the God of The Bible then you believe that homosexuality is immoral because The Bible says so.

Answer 9

People say it's immoral because it doesnt go with the majority. Most of the people that make up society is straight so because it goes against society it is said to be immoral

Answer 10

Okay it is not immoral the people that believe this use outdated bible text as proof (ie: Leviticus) But when Jesus came and died he wiped out that entire book it has no relevance.

John 3:16 For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

People are afraid of things they do not understand.