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Passages in the Old Testament book Leviticus that prohibit "lying with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination" and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah have historically been interpreted as condemning homosexual acts, as have several Pauline passages. Today too some interpreters uphold that understanding of these passages, while other interpreters maintain that they do not condemn homosexuality, saying that historical context suggests other interpretations or that rare or unusual words in the passages may not be referring to homosexuality.


Contents  [hide]
1 Hebrew Bible 1.1 Leviticus 18 and 20
1.2 Sodom and Gomorrah
1.3 David and Jonathan and Ruth and Naomi
2 New Testament 2.1 Romans 1
2.2 Other epistles
2.3 Jesus' discussion of marriage
2.4 Matthew 8; Luke 7
2.5 Matthew 19:12
2.6 Acts 8
3 See also
4 References
5 Literature

Hebrew Bible[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality in the Hebrew Bible

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Leviticus 18 and 20[edit]
Main article: Leviticus 18
See also: Abomination (Bible)
Chapters 18 and 20 of Leviticus, which form part of the Holiness code and list prohibited forms of intercourse, contain the following verses:
"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination."[1]
"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them."[2]
The two verses have historically been interpreted by Jews and Christians as clear blanket prohibitions against homosexual acts. More recent interpretations focus on its context as part of the Holiness Code, a code of purity meant to distinguish the behavior of Israelites from the Canaanites.[3]
Sodom and Gomorrah[edit]
Main article: Sodom and Gomorrah



Lot prevents sodomites from raping the angels, Heinrich Aldegrever, 1555
The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis does not explicitly identify homosexuality as the sin for which they were destroyed. Most interpreters find the story of Sodom and a similar one in Judges 19 to condemn the violent rape of guests, rather than homosexuality,[4] but the passage has historically been interpreted within Judaism and Christianity as a punishment for homosexuality due to the interpretation that the men of Sodom wished to rape the angels who retrieved Lot.[4]
While the Jewish prophets spoke only of lack of charity as the sin of Sodom,[5] the exclusively sexual interpretation became so prevalent that the name "Sodom" became the basis of the word sodomy, still a legal synonym for homosexual and non-procreative sexual acts, particularly anal or oral sex.[6]
While the Jewish prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Zephaniah refer vaguely to the sin of Sodom,[5] Ezekiel specifies that the city was destroyed because of its commission of social injustice:[4]

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.[7]
The Talmudic tradition of between c. 370 and 500 also interprets the sin of Sodom as lack of charity, with the attempted rape of the angels being a manifestation of the city's violation of the social order of hospitality;[8] as does Jesus in the New Testament, for instance in Matthew 10:14–15 when he tells his disciples that the punishment for houses or towns that will not welcome them will be worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah.[5][9]
Later traditions on Sodom's sin, such as Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, considered it to be an illicit form of heterosexual intercourse.[10] In Jude 1:7 the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah are stated to have been "giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh,"[11] which may refer to homosexuality or to the lust of mortals after angels.[4] Jewish writers Philo (d. AD 50) and Josephus (37 – c. 100) were the first to assert unambiguously that homosexuality was among the sins of Sodom.[10] By the end of the 1st century Jews commonly identified the sin of Sodom with homosexual practices.[12]
David and Jonathan and Ruth and Naomi[edit]
Main article: David and Jonathan § Homoeroticism
The account of the friendship between David and Jonathan in the Books of Samuel has been interpreted by traditional and mainstream Christians as a relationship only of affectionate regard, but has been interpreted by some authors as of a sexual nature.[13][14]
One relevant Bible passage in this respect is 1 Samuel 18:1:
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. (KJV)[15]
Another relevant passage is 2 Samuel 1:26, where David says:
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. (KJV)[16]
The story of Ruth and Naomi in the Book of Ruth is also occasionally interpreted as the story of a lesbian couple.[17] For example, see “Finding Our Past: A Lesbian Interpretation of the Book of Ruth,” by Rebecca Alpert, which was included in Reading Ruth: Contemporary Women Reclaim a Sacred Story, edited by J. A. Kates and G.T. Reimer (1994). [18]
New Testament[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality in the New Testament
Romans 1[edit]
“ For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.[19] ”
This passage has been debated by some 20th and 21st-century interpreters both in terms of its relevance today and in terms of its actual prohibition: while Christians of several denominations have historically maintained that this verse is a complete prohibition of all forms of homosexual activity,[20] some 20th and 21st-century authors contend the passage is not a blanket condemnation of homosexual acts, suggesting, among other interpretations, that the passage condemned heterosexuals who experimented with homosexual activity[5][21] or that Paul's condemnation was relative to his own culture, in which homosexuality was not understood as an orientation and in which being penetrated was seen as shameful.[21] These interpretations are in a minority.[5][21]
Other epistles[edit]
In the context of the broader immorality of his audience, Paul the Apostle wrote in the First Epistle to the Corinthians,
“ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.[22] ”
The Greek word arsenokoitai (ἀρσενοκοῖται) in verse 9 has challenged scholars for centuries, and has been variously rendered as "abusers of themselves with mankind" (KJV), "sodomites" (YLT), or "men who have sex with men" (NIV). Greek ἄῤῥην / ἄρσην [arrhēn / arsēn] means "male", and κοίτην [koitēn] "bed," with a sexual connotation.[23] Paul's use of the word in 1 Corinthians is the earliest example of the term; its only other use is in a similar list of wrongdoers given (possibly by the same author) in 1 Timothy 1:8–11: In the letter to the Corinthians, amid the list of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God, Paul uses two Greek words: malakoi and arsenokoitai. Malakoi is a common Greek word meaning, of things subject to touch, "soft" (used in Matthew 11:8 and Luke 7:25 to describe a garment); of things not subject to touch, "gentle"; and, of persons or modes of life, a number of meanings that include "pathic".[24] Nowhere else in scripture is it used to describe a person. Bishop Gene Robinson says the early church seemed to have understood it as a person with a "soft" or weak morality; later, it would come to denote (and be translated as) those who engage in masturbation, or "those who abuse themselves"; all we actually, factually, know about the word is that it means soft.[25]
“ But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.[26] ”
Most scholars hold that Paul had two passages of the Book of Leviticus, 18:22 and 20:13, in mind when he used the word ἀρσενοκοῖται, which may be of his coinage.[4] with most commentators and translators interpreting it as a reference to male same-sex intercourse.[27] However, John Boswell states that it "did not connote homosexuality to Paul or his early readers", and that in later Christian literature the word is used, for instance, by Aristides of Athens (c. 138) clearly not for homosexuality and possibly for prostitution, Eusebius (d. c. 340) who evidently used it in reference to women, and in the writings of 6th-century Patriarch John IV of Constantinople, known as John the Faster. In a passage dealing with sexual misconduct, John speaks of arsenokoitia as active or passive and says that "many men even commit the sin of arsenokoitia with their wives".[28] Although the constituent elements of the compound word refer to sleeping with men, he obviously does not use it to mean homosexual intercourse and appears to employ it for anal intercourse, not generic homosexual activity.[29] Particulars of Boswell's arguments are rejected by several scholars in a way qualified as persuasive by David F. Greenberg, who declares usage of the term arsenokoites by writers such as Aristides of Athens and Eusebius, and in the Sibylline Oracles, to be "consistent with a homosexual meaning".[30] A discussion document issued by the House of Bishops of the Church of England states that most scholars still hold that the word arsenokoites relates to homosexuality.[31] Another work attributed to John the Faster, a series of canons that for various sins provided shorter though stricter penances in place of the previous longer penances, applies a penance of eighty days for "intercourse of men with one another" (canon 9), explained in the Pedalion as mutual masturbation - double the penalty for solitary masturbation (canon 8) - and three years with xerophagy or, in accordance with the older canon of Basil the Great, fifteen without (canon 18) for being "so mad as to copulate with another man" – ἀρρενομανήσαντα in the original – explained in the Pedalion as "guilty of arsenocoetia (i.e., sexual intercourse between males)" – ἀρσενοκοίτην in the original. According to the same work, ordination is not to be conferred on someone who as a boy has been the victim of anal intercourse, but this is not the case if the semen was ejaculated between his thighs (canon 19). These canons are included, with commentary, in the Pedalion, the most widely used collection of canons of the Greek Orthodox Church,[32] an English translation of which was produced by Denver Cummings and published by the Orthodox Christian Educational Society in 1957 under the title, The Rudder.[33][34][35]
Some scholars consider that the term was not used to refer to a homosexual orientation, but see it as referred instead to activities.[36][37]
Other scholars have interpreted arsenokoitai and malakoi (another word that appears in 1 Corinthians 6:9) as referring to weakness and effeminacy or to the practice of exploitative pederasty.[38][39]
Jesus' discussion of marriage[edit]
In Matthew 19:3, Jesus is asked about the permissibility of divorce "for any cause."
“ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning “made them male and female” [Genesis 1:27], and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” [Genesis 2:24]? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ ”
(Matthew 19:4-6, NRSV translation; Mark 10:6-9 is a parallel text)
Rob Gagnon, an associate professor of New Testament studies, argues that Jesus' back-to-back references to Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 show that he "presupposed a two-sex requirement for marriage."[40] In interpreting Genesis, Jesus connects the creation of the two sexes together with them being joined in one flesh by God in marriage.
Matthew 8; Luke 7[edit]
Further information: Homosexuality in the New Testament § Pais and Healing the centurion's servant
In Matthew 8:5–13 and Luke 7:1–10, Jesus heals a centurion's servant who is dying. According to James Neill, the Greek term "pais" used for the servant in Matthew's account almost always had a sexual connotation.[41] In support of this view, he remarks that the word pais, along with the word "erasthai" (to love) is the root of the English word "pederasty".[41] He sees in the fact that, in Luke's parallel account, the centurion's servant is described as "valued highly"[42] by the centurion an indication of a homosexual relationship between the two, and says that the Greek word "doulos" (a slave) used of him in Luke's account suggests he may have been a sex slave.[41] Daniel A. Helminiak writes that the word pais was sometimes given a sexual meaning.[43] Donald Wold states that its normal meaning is "boy", "child" or "slave" and its application to a boy lover escapes notice in the standard lexica of Liddell and Scott and Bauer.[44] The Greek-English Lexicon of Liddell and Scott registers three meanings of the word παῖς (pais): a child in relation to descent (son or daughter); a child in relation to age (boy or girl); a slave or servant (male or female). In her detailed study of the episode in Matthew and Luke, Wendy Cotter dismisses as very unlikely the idea that the use of the Greek word "pais" indicated a sexual relationship between the centurion and the young slave.[45] Neill himself compares the meanings of Greek "pais" to those of French "garçon", which, though also used to mean "waiter", "most commonly means 'boy'".
Matthew's account has parallels in Luke 7:1–10 and John 4:46–53. There are major differences between John's account and those of the two synoptic writers, but such differences exist also between the two synoptic accounts, with next to nothing of the details in Luke 7:2–6 being present also in Matthew.[46] The Commentary of Craig A. Evans states that the word pais used by Matthew may be that used in the hypothetical source known as Q used by both Matthew and Luke and, since it can mean either son or slave, it became doulos (slave) in Luke and huios (son) in John.[46] Writers who admit John 4:46–53 as a parallel passage generally interpret Matthew's pais as "child" or "boy", while those who exclude it see it as meaning "servant" or "slave".[47]
Theodore W. Jennings Jr. and Tat-Siong Benny Liew write that Roman historical data about patron-client relationships and about same-sex relations among soldiers support the view that the pais in Matthew's account is the centurion's "boy-love" and that the centurion did not want Jesus to enter his house for fear the boy would be enamoured of Jesus instead. D.B. Saddington writes that while he does not exclude the possibility, the evidence the two put forward supports "neither of these interpretations",[48] with Stephen Voorwinde saying of their view that "the argument on which this understanding is based has already been soundly refuted in the scholarly literature"[47] and Wendy Cotter saying that they fail to take account of Jewish condemnation of pederasty.[45] Others interpret Matthew's pais merely as a boy servant, not a male lover, and read nothing sexual into Luke's "valued highly".
Matthew 19:12[edit]
In Matthew 19:12, Jesus speaks of eunuchs who were born as such, eunuchs who were made so by others, and eunuchs who choose to live as such for the kingdom of heaven.[49] Jesus' reference to eunuchs who were born as such has been interpreted as having to do with homosexual orientation; Clement of Alexandria, for instance, is citing in his book "Stromata" (chapter III,1,1[50]) an earlier interpretation from Basilides on it that some men, from birth, are naturally averse to women and should not marry.[51] "The first category - those eunuchs who have been so from birth - is the closest description we have in the Bible of what we understand today as homosexual."[52]
Acts 8[edit]
Main article: Ethiopian eunuch
The Ethiopian eunuch, an early gentile convert encountered in Acts 8, has been described as an early gay Christian, based on the fact that the word "eunuch" in the Bible was not always used literally, as in Matthew 19:12.[52][53] Commentators generally suggest that the combination of "eunuch" together with the title "court official" indicates a literal eunuch—not a homosexual—who would have been excluded from the Temple by the restriction in Deuteronomy 23:1.[54][55]
See also[edit]

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References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Leviticus 18:22 Bible Gateway provides 42 other English translations of the verse.
2.Jump up ^ Leviticus 20:13. Bible Gateway provides 42 other English translations of the verse.
3.Jump up ^ Jeffrey S. Siker, ''Homosexuality and Religion'' (Greenwood Publishing Group 2007 ISBN 978-0-31333088-9), p. 67. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Mark Allan Powell, ''HarperCollins Bible Dictionary'' (HarperCollins 2011 ISBN 978-0-06207859-9), entry "homosexuality". Books.google.com. 2011-10-25. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Crompton, Louis (2006). Homosexuality & Civilization. Harvard University Press. pp. 37–39.
6.Jump up ^ "Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
7.Jump up ^ Ezekiel 16:49–50
8.Jump up ^ J.A. Loader, ''A Tale of Two Cities: Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament, Early Jewish and Early Christian Traditions''. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
9.Jump up ^ Matthew 10:14–15
10.^ Jump up to: a b David F. Greenberg, ''The Construction of Homosexuality'' (University of Chicago Press 1990 ISBN 978-0-22630628-5), p. 201. Books.google.com. 1990-08-15. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
11.Jump up ^ Jude 1:7
12.Jump up ^ J. Harold Ellins, ''Sex in the Bible'' (Greenwood Publishing 2006 ISBN 0-275-98767-1), p. 117. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
13.Jump up ^ Boswell, John. Same-sex Unions in Premodern Europe. New York: Vintage, 1994. (pp. 135–137)
14.Jump up ^ Halperin, David M. One Hundred Years of Homosexuality. New York: Routledge, 1990. (p. 83)
15.Jump up ^ 1 Samuel 18:1, King James version.
16.Jump up ^ 2 Samuel 1:26, King James version.
17.Jump up ^ ''Soliciting Interpretation''. Books.google.com. 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
18.Jump up ^ "Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings". google.com.
19.Jump up ^ Romans 1:26–27
20.Jump up ^ Mark Hertzog (1996). The lavender vote: Lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals in American electoral politics. NYU Press. p. 58. ISBN 0-8147-3530-4.
21.^ Jump up to: a b c Kruse, Colin (2012). Paul Letter to the Romans. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. p. 111.
22.Jump up ^ 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
23.Jump up ^ Russell Pregeant (2008). Stefan Koenemann & Ronald A. Jenner, ed. Knowing truth, doing good: engaging New Testament ethics. Fortress Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-8006-3846-7.
24.Jump up ^ "Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', entry μαλακός". Perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
25.Jump up ^ Robinson 2012
26.Jump up ^ 1 Timothy 1:8–11
27.Jump up ^ Geoffrey W. Bromiley, ''The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' (Eerdmans 1995 ISBN 978-0-80283784-4) Q-Z, p. 437. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
28.Jump up ^ Τὸ μέντοι τῆς ἀρσενοκοιτίας μῦσος πολλοὶ καὶ μετὰ τῶν γυναικῶν αὐτῶν ἐκτελοῦσιν (Migne PG 88, col. 1896).
29.Jump up ^ Boswell, John (1981). Christianity, social tolerance, and homosexuality: gay people in Western Europe from the beginning of the Christian era to the fourteenth century. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-06711-7.
30.Jump up ^ David F. Greenberg, ''The Construction of Homosexuality'' (University of Chicago Press 1990 ISBN 978-0-22630628-5), pp. 213–214. Books.google.com. 1990-08-15. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
31.Jump up ^ ''Some Issues in Human Sexuality: A Guide to the Debate'' (Church House Publishing 2003 ISBN 978-0-71513868-7), pp. 137, 139. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
32.Jump up ^ "Christian Law". google.com.
33.Jump up ^ Cummings translation, pp. 1678–1697
34.Jump up ^ "Canons of the Holy Fathers". holytrinitymission.org.
35.Jump up ^ Text in the original Greek language, pp. 562–578
36.Jump up ^ Jeffrey S. Siker, ''Homosexuality and Religion'' (Greenwood 2007 ISBN 978-0-31333088-9), p. 70. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
37.Jump up ^ James D.G. Dunn, ''The Theology of Paul the Apostle'' (Eerdmans 2006 ISBN 978-0-80284423-1), pp. 121–122. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
38.Jump up ^ Scroggs, Robin (1983). The New Testament and homosexuality: contextual background for contemporary debate. Fortress Press. pp. 62–65; 106–109. ISBN 978-0-8006-1854-4.
39.Jump up ^ Berlinerblau, Jacques (2005). The secular Bible: why nonbelievers must take religion seriously. Cambridge University Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-521-85314-9.
40.Jump up ^ Robert A. J. Gagnon, "Why the Disagreement over the Biblical Witness on Homosexual Practice?: A Response to David G. Myers and Letha Dawson Scanzoni, What God Has Joined Together?" Reformed Review 59.1 (Autumn 2005): 19-130, 56. Available online at http://www.robgagnon.net/articles/ReformedReviewArticleWhyTheDisagreement.pdf
41.^ Jump up to: a b c Neill, James (2009). The Origins and Role of Same-Sex Relations In Human Societies. McFarland. p. 216.
42.Jump up ^ Luke 7:2
43.Jump up ^ Daniel A. Helminiak, ''Sex and the Sacred'' (Routledge 2012 ISBN 978-1-13657075-9), p. 192. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
44.Jump up ^ Stephen D. Moore, ''God's Beauty Parlor'' Stanford University Press 2001 ISBN 978-0-80474332-7, p. 257. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
45.^ Jump up to: a b Wendy Cotter, ''The Christ of the Miracle Stories'' (Baker Academic 2010 ISBN 978-0-80103950-8), p. 125. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
46.^ Jump up to: a b Craig A. Evans (editor), ''The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Matthew-Luke'' (David C. Cook 2003 ISBN 978-0-78143868-1), p. 169. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
47.^ Jump up to: a b Stephen Voorwinde, ''Jesus' Emotions in the Gospels'' (Continuum 2011 ISBN 978-0-56743061-8), p. 18. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
48.Jump up ^ "The Centurion in Matthew 8:5–13: Consideration of the Proposal of Theodore W. Jennings, Jr., and Tat-Siong Benny Liew". jstor.org.
49.Jump up ^ Matthew 19:12
50.Jump up ^ Clemente de Alejandria: Stromata II-III, Fuentes Patristicas, vol.10 (Marcelo Merino Rodriguez ed.), Madrid 1998, p. 315
51.Jump up ^ "Those who are naturally so constituted do well not to marry.
52.^ Jump up to: a b McNeill, John J. (1993). The Church and the homosexual (4 ed.). Beacon Press. pp. 64–65.
53.Jump up ^ McNeill, John J. (2010). Freedom, Glorious Freedom: The Spiritual Journey to the Fullness of Life for Gays, Lesbians, and Everybody Else. Lethe. p. 211.
54.Jump up ^ MacArthur, John (1994). New Testament Commentary, Volume 6: Acts 1–12. Moody. p. 254. ISBN 0-8024-0759-5.
55.Jump up ^ Johnson, Luke T.; Harrington, Daniel J. (1992). The Acts of the Apostles. Liturgical Press. p. 155. ISBN 0-8146-5807-5.
Literature[edit]
Amsel, Nachum. Homosexuality in Orthodox Judaism.
Boswell, John. 1980 Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-06711-4
Brooten, Bernadette. 1998 Love Between Women: Early Christian Responses to Female Homoeroticism University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-07592-3
Brown, Driver, Briggs and Gesenius. Hebrew Lexicon entry for Dabaq. The Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon.
Brunson, Hal. 2007 Lesbos, Narcissus, and Paulos: Homosexual Myth and Christian Truth. ISBN 0-595-40596-7
Dover, Kenneth (1978). Greek Homosexuality. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-36270-5.
Durns, John Barclay (2002). "Lot’s Wife Looked Back" (PDF) 4. Journal of Religion and Society. p. 1–16.
Crompton, Louis, et al. 2003 Homosexuality and Civilization. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press ISBN 0-674-01197-X
Elliott, John H. 2004 "No kingdom of God for softies? or, what was Paul really saying? 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 in context'" Biblical Theology Bulletin, Spring 2004.
Gagnon, Robert A. J. 2001 The Bible and Homosexual Practice. Abingdon Press. ISBN 0-687-08413-X
Greenberg, David 1988 The construction of homosexuality. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-30628-3
Halsall, Paul. Homosexuality and Catholicism: A Partially Annotated Bibliography
Helminiak, Daniel 2000 What the Bible really says about homosexuality. Alamo Square Press. ISBN 1-886360-09-X
Horner, Tom. 1978 Jonathan Loved David. Westminster Press. ISBN 0-664-24185-9
House of Bishops 1991 Issues in Human Sexuality. Church of England. ISBN 0-7151-3745-X
Jennings, Theodore 2003 The Man Jesus Loved: Homoerotic Narratives From the New Testament. Pilgrim Press. ISBN 0-8298-1535-X
Johns, Loren 2004 "Homosexuality and the Bible: A Case Study in the Use of the Bible for Ethics" Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
Koch, Timothy R 2001 "Cruising as methodology: homoeroticism and the scriptures", in Queer Commentary and the Hebrew Bible, Ken Stone, ed. Pilgrim Press. ISBN 0-8298-1447-7
Martin, Dale. 1996 "Arsenokoites and malakos: Meanings and Consequences", pp. 117–136. in Biblical Ethics and Homosexuality. Robert Brawley, ed. Westminster Press ISBN 0-664-25638-4.
McNeill, J. J. 1993 The Church and the Homosexual. Beacon Press. (4th edn.). ISBN 0-8070-7931-6
Nissinen, Martti. 1998 Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective. Augsburg Fortress Publishers. ISBN 0-8006-2985-X
Ostling, R. N. 2003 Book claims Jesus had homosexual relationship Chicago Sun-Times 29 May 2003.
Robinson, B. A. 1996–2005 What the Bible says about homosexuality. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
Robinson, Gene. 2012 God Believes in Love. Straight talk about gay marriage. Vintage Press. ISBN 978-0-307-94809-0
Satlow, Michael 1995 Tasting the Dish: Rabbinic Rhetorics of Sexuality. Scholars Press. ISBN 0-7885-0159-3
Townsley, Jeramy 2003 All known references to arsenokoit*
Walsh, Jerome T. 2001 “Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13: Who Is Doing What To Whom?” Journal of Biblical Literature 120/2, p. 201–209.
Williams, Rowan 2002 ’The Body’s Grace’, in Eugene F. Rogers (ed.), Theology and Sexuality: Classic and Contemporary Readings, Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-21277-9


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The Bible and homosexuality

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 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2015)
Passages in the Old Testament book Leviticus that prohibit "lying with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination" and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah have historically been interpreted as condemning homosexual acts, as have several Pauline passages. Today too some interpreters uphold that understanding of these passages, while other interpreters maintain that they do not condemn homosexuality, saying that historical context suggests other interpretations or that rare or unusual words in the passages may not be referring to homosexuality.


Contents  [hide]
1 Hebrew Bible 1.1 Leviticus 18 and 20
1.2 Sodom and Gomorrah
1.3 David and Jonathan and Ruth and Naomi
2 New Testament 2.1 Romans 1
2.2 Other epistles
2.3 Jesus' discussion of marriage
2.4 Matthew 8; Luke 7
2.5 Matthew 19:12
2.6 Acts 8
3 See also
4 References
5 Literature

Hebrew Bible[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality in the Hebrew Bible

Question book-new.svg
 This article relies too much on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. (January 2015)
Leviticus 18 and 20[edit]
Main article: Leviticus 18
See also: Abomination (Bible)
Chapters 18 and 20 of Leviticus, which form part of the Holiness code and list prohibited forms of intercourse, contain the following verses:
"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination."[1]
"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them."[2]
The two verses have historically been interpreted by Jews and Christians as clear blanket prohibitions against homosexual acts. More recent interpretations focus on its context as part of the Holiness Code, a code of purity meant to distinguish the behavior of Israelites from the Canaanites.[3]
Sodom and Gomorrah[edit]
Main article: Sodom and Gomorrah



Lot prevents sodomites from raping the angels, Heinrich Aldegrever, 1555
The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis does not explicitly identify homosexuality as the sin for which they were destroyed. Most interpreters find the story of Sodom and a similar one in Judges 19 to condemn the violent rape of guests, rather than homosexuality,[4] but the passage has historically been interpreted within Judaism and Christianity as a punishment for homosexuality due to the interpretation that the men of Sodom wished to rape the angels who retrieved Lot.[4]
While the Jewish prophets spoke only of lack of charity as the sin of Sodom,[5] the exclusively sexual interpretation became so prevalent that the name "Sodom" became the basis of the word sodomy, still a legal synonym for homosexual and non-procreative sexual acts, particularly anal or oral sex.[6]
While the Jewish prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Zephaniah refer vaguely to the sin of Sodom,[5] Ezekiel specifies that the city was destroyed because of its commission of social injustice:[4]

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.[7]
The Talmudic tradition of between c. 370 and 500 also interprets the sin of Sodom as lack of charity, with the attempted rape of the angels being a manifestation of the city's violation of the social order of hospitality;[8] as does Jesus in the New Testament, for instance in Matthew 10:14–15 when he tells his disciples that the punishment for houses or towns that will not welcome them will be worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah.[5][9]
Later traditions on Sodom's sin, such as Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, considered it to be an illicit form of heterosexual intercourse.[10] In Jude 1:7 the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah are stated to have been "giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh,"[11] which may refer to homosexuality or to the lust of mortals after angels.[4] Jewish writers Philo (d. AD 50) and Josephus (37 – c. 100) were the first to assert unambiguously that homosexuality was among the sins of Sodom.[10] By the end of the 1st century Jews commonly identified the sin of Sodom with homosexual practices.[12]
David and Jonathan and Ruth and Naomi[edit]
Main article: David and Jonathan § Homoeroticism
The account of the friendship between David and Jonathan in the Books of Samuel has been interpreted by traditional and mainstream Christians as a relationship only of affectionate regard, but has been interpreted by some authors as of a sexual nature.[13][14]
One relevant Bible passage in this respect is 1 Samuel 18:1:
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. (KJV)[15]
Another relevant passage is 2 Samuel 1:26, where David says:
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. (KJV)[16]
The story of Ruth and Naomi in the Book of Ruth is also occasionally interpreted as the story of a lesbian couple.[17] For example, see “Finding Our Past: A Lesbian Interpretation of the Book of Ruth,” by Rebecca Alpert, which was included in Reading Ruth: Contemporary Women Reclaim a Sacred Story, edited by J. A. Kates and G.T. Reimer (1994). [18]
New Testament[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality in the New Testament
Romans 1[edit]
“ For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.[19] ”
This passage has been debated by some 20th and 21st-century interpreters both in terms of its relevance today and in terms of its actual prohibition: while Christians of several denominations have historically maintained that this verse is a complete prohibition of all forms of homosexual activity,[20] some 20th and 21st-century authors contend the passage is not a blanket condemnation of homosexual acts, suggesting, among other interpretations, that the passage condemned heterosexuals who experimented with homosexual activity[5][21] or that Paul's condemnation was relative to his own culture, in which homosexuality was not understood as an orientation and in which being penetrated was seen as shameful.[21] These interpretations are in a minority.[5][21]
Other epistles[edit]
In the context of the broader immorality of his audience, Paul the Apostle wrote in the First Epistle to the Corinthians,
“ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.[22] ”
The Greek word arsenokoitai (ἀρσενοκοῖται) in verse 9 has challenged scholars for centuries, and has been variously rendered as "abusers of themselves with mankind" (KJV), "sodomites" (YLT), or "men who have sex with men" (NIV). Greek ἄῤῥην / ἄρσην [arrhēn / arsēn] means "male", and κοίτην [koitēn] "bed," with a sexual connotation.[23] Paul's use of the word in 1 Corinthians is the earliest example of the term; its only other use is in a similar list of wrongdoers given (possibly by the same author) in 1 Timothy 1:8–11: In the letter to the Corinthians, amid the list of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God, Paul uses two Greek words: malakoi and arsenokoitai. Malakoi is a common Greek word meaning, of things subject to touch, "soft" (used in Matthew 11:8 and Luke 7:25 to describe a garment); of things not subject to touch, "gentle"; and, of persons or modes of life, a number of meanings that include "pathic".[24] Nowhere else in scripture is it used to describe a person. Bishop Gene Robinson says the early church seemed to have understood it as a person with a "soft" or weak morality; later, it would come to denote (and be translated as) those who engage in masturbation, or "those who abuse themselves"; all we actually, factually, know about the word is that it means soft.[25]
“ But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.[26] ”
Most scholars hold that Paul had two passages of the Book of Leviticus, 18:22 and 20:13, in mind when he used the word ἀρσενοκοῖται, which may be of his coinage.[4] with most commentators and translators interpreting it as a reference to male same-sex intercourse.[27] However, John Boswell states that it "did not connote homosexuality to Paul or his early readers", and that in later Christian literature the word is used, for instance, by Aristides of Athens (c. 138) clearly not for homosexuality and possibly for prostitution, Eusebius (d. c. 340) who evidently used it in reference to women, and in the writings of 6th-century Patriarch John IV of Constantinople, known as John the Faster. In a passage dealing with sexual misconduct, John speaks of arsenokoitia as active or passive and says that "many men even commit the sin of arsenokoitia with their wives".[28] Although the constituent elements of the compound word refer to sleeping with men, he obviously does not use it to mean homosexual intercourse and appears to employ it for anal intercourse, not generic homosexual activity.[29] Particulars of Boswell's arguments are rejected by several scholars in a way qualified as persuasive by David F. Greenberg, who declares usage of the term arsenokoites by writers such as Aristides of Athens and Eusebius, and in the Sibylline Oracles, to be "consistent with a homosexual meaning".[30] A discussion document issued by the House of Bishops of the Church of England states that most scholars still hold that the word arsenokoites relates to homosexuality.[31] Another work attributed to John the Faster, a series of canons that for various sins provided shorter though stricter penances in place of the previous longer penances, applies a penance of eighty days for "intercourse of men with one another" (canon 9), explained in the Pedalion as mutual masturbation - double the penalty for solitary masturbation (canon 8) - and three years with xerophagy or, in accordance with the older canon of Basil the Great, fifteen without (canon 18) for being "so mad as to copulate with another man" – ἀρρενομανήσαντα in the original – explained in the Pedalion as "guilty of arsenocoetia (i.e., sexual intercourse between males)" – ἀρσενοκοίτην in the original. According to the same work, ordination is not to be conferred on someone who as a boy has been the victim of anal intercourse, but this is not the case if the semen was ejaculated between his thighs (canon 19). These canons are included, with commentary, in the Pedalion, the most widely used collection of canons of the Greek Orthodox Church,[32] an English translation of which was produced by Denver Cummings and published by the Orthodox Christian Educational Society in 1957 under the title, The Rudder.[33][34][35]
Some scholars consider that the term was not used to refer to a homosexual orientation, but see it as referred instead to activities.[36][37]
Other scholars have interpreted arsenokoitai and malakoi (another word that appears in 1 Corinthians 6:9) as referring to weakness and effeminacy or to the practice of exploitative pederasty.[38][39]
Jesus' discussion of marriage[edit]
In Matthew 19:3, Jesus is asked about the permissibility of divorce "for any cause."
“ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning “made them male and female” [Genesis 1:27], and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” [Genesis 2:24]? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ ”
(Matthew 19:4-6, NRSV translation; Mark 10:6-9 is a parallel text)
Rob Gagnon, an associate professor of New Testament studies, argues that Jesus' back-to-back references to Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 show that he "presupposed a two-sex requirement for marriage."[40] In interpreting Genesis, Jesus connects the creation of the two sexes together with them being joined in one flesh by God in marriage.
Matthew 8; Luke 7[edit]
Further information: Homosexuality in the New Testament § Pais and Healing the centurion's servant
In Matthew 8:5–13 and Luke 7:1–10, Jesus heals a centurion's servant who is dying. According to James Neill, the Greek term "pais" used for the servant in Matthew's account almost always had a sexual connotation.[41] In support of this view, he remarks that the word pais, along with the word "erasthai" (to love) is the root of the English word "pederasty".[41] He sees in the fact that, in Luke's parallel account, the centurion's servant is described as "valued highly"[42] by the centurion an indication of a homosexual relationship between the two, and says that the Greek word "doulos" (a slave) used of him in Luke's account suggests he may have been a sex slave.[41] Daniel A. Helminiak writes that the word pais was sometimes given a sexual meaning.[43] Donald Wold states that its normal meaning is "boy", "child" or "slave" and its application to a boy lover escapes notice in the standard lexica of Liddell and Scott and Bauer.[44] The Greek-English Lexicon of Liddell and Scott registers three meanings of the word παῖς (pais): a child in relation to descent (son or daughter); a child in relation to age (boy or girl); a slave or servant (male or female). In her detailed study of the episode in Matthew and Luke, Wendy Cotter dismisses as very unlikely the idea that the use of the Greek word "pais" indicated a sexual relationship between the centurion and the young slave.[45] Neill himself compares the meanings of Greek "pais" to those of French "garçon", which, though also used to mean "waiter", "most commonly means 'boy'".
Matthew's account has parallels in Luke 7:1–10 and John 4:46–53. There are major differences between John's account and those of the two synoptic writers, but such differences exist also between the two synoptic accounts, with next to nothing of the details in Luke 7:2–6 being present also in Matthew.[46] The Commentary of Craig A. Evans states that the word pais used by Matthew may be that used in the hypothetical source known as Q used by both Matthew and Luke and, since it can mean either son or slave, it became doulos (slave) in Luke and huios (son) in John.[46] Writers who admit John 4:46–53 as a parallel passage generally interpret Matthew's pais as "child" or "boy", while those who exclude it see it as meaning "servant" or "slave".[47]
Theodore W. Jennings Jr. and Tat-Siong Benny Liew write that Roman historical data about patron-client relationships and about same-sex relations among soldiers support the view that the pais in Matthew's account is the centurion's "boy-love" and that the centurion did not want Jesus to enter his house for fear the boy would be enamoured of Jesus instead. D.B. Saddington writes that while he does not exclude the possibility, the evidence the two put forward supports "neither of these interpretations",[48] with Stephen Voorwinde saying of their view that "the argument on which this understanding is based has already been soundly refuted in the scholarly literature"[47] and Wendy Cotter saying that they fail to take account of Jewish condemnation of pederasty.[45] Others interpret Matthew's pais merely as a boy servant, not a male lover, and read nothing sexual into Luke's "valued highly".
Matthew 19:12[edit]
In Matthew 19:12, Jesus speaks of eunuchs who were born as such, eunuchs who were made so by others, and eunuchs who choose to live as such for the kingdom of heaven.[49] Jesus' reference to eunuchs who were born as such has been interpreted as having to do with homosexual orientation; Clement of Alexandria, for instance, is citing in his book "Stromata" (chapter III,1,1[50]) an earlier interpretation from Basilides on it that some men, from birth, are naturally averse to women and should not marry.[51] "The first category - those eunuchs who have been so from birth - is the closest description we have in the Bible of what we understand today as homosexual."[52]
Acts 8[edit]
Main article: Ethiopian eunuch
The Ethiopian eunuch, an early gentile convert encountered in Acts 8, has been described as an early gay Christian, based on the fact that the word "eunuch" in the Bible was not always used literally, as in Matthew 19:12.[52][53] Commentators generally suggest that the combination of "eunuch" together with the title "court official" indicates a literal eunuch—not a homosexual—who would have been excluded from the Temple by the restriction in Deuteronomy 23:1.[54][55]
See also[edit]

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Homosexuality and Christianity
Homosexuality and Judaism
Homosexuality in ancient Greece
Malakia
Religion and homosexuality
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References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Leviticus 18:22 Bible Gateway provides 42 other English translations of the verse.
2.Jump up ^ Leviticus 20:13. Bible Gateway provides 42 other English translations of the verse.
3.Jump up ^ Jeffrey S. Siker, ''Homosexuality and Religion'' (Greenwood Publishing Group 2007 ISBN 978-0-31333088-9), p. 67. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Mark Allan Powell, ''HarperCollins Bible Dictionary'' (HarperCollins 2011 ISBN 978-0-06207859-9), entry "homosexuality". Books.google.com. 2011-10-25. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Crompton, Louis (2006). Homosexuality & Civilization. Harvard University Press. pp. 37–39.
6.Jump up ^ "Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
7.Jump up ^ Ezekiel 16:49–50
8.Jump up ^ J.A. Loader, ''A Tale of Two Cities: Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament, Early Jewish and Early Christian Traditions''. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
9.Jump up ^ Matthew 10:14–15
10.^ Jump up to: a b David F. Greenberg, ''The Construction of Homosexuality'' (University of Chicago Press 1990 ISBN 978-0-22630628-5), p. 201. Books.google.com. 1990-08-15. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
11.Jump up ^ Jude 1:7
12.Jump up ^ J. Harold Ellins, ''Sex in the Bible'' (Greenwood Publishing 2006 ISBN 0-275-98767-1), p. 117. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
13.Jump up ^ Boswell, John. Same-sex Unions in Premodern Europe. New York: Vintage, 1994. (pp. 135–137)
14.Jump up ^ Halperin, David M. One Hundred Years of Homosexuality. New York: Routledge, 1990. (p. 83)
15.Jump up ^ 1 Samuel 18:1, King James version.
16.Jump up ^ 2 Samuel 1:26, King James version.
17.Jump up ^ ''Soliciting Interpretation''. Books.google.com. 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
18.Jump up ^ "Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings". google.com.
19.Jump up ^ Romans 1:26–27
20.Jump up ^ Mark Hertzog (1996). The lavender vote: Lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals in American electoral politics. NYU Press. p. 58. ISBN 0-8147-3530-4.
21.^ Jump up to: a b c Kruse, Colin (2012). Paul Letter to the Romans. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. p. 111.
22.Jump up ^ 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
23.Jump up ^ Russell Pregeant (2008). Stefan Koenemann & Ronald A. Jenner, ed. Knowing truth, doing good: engaging New Testament ethics. Fortress Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-8006-3846-7.
24.Jump up ^ "Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', entry μαλακός". Perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
25.Jump up ^ Robinson 2012
26.Jump up ^ 1 Timothy 1:8–11
27.Jump up ^ Geoffrey W. Bromiley, ''The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' (Eerdmans 1995 ISBN 978-0-80283784-4) Q-Z, p. 437. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
28.Jump up ^ Τὸ μέντοι τῆς ἀρσενοκοιτίας μῦσος πολλοὶ καὶ μετὰ τῶν γυναικῶν αὐτῶν ἐκτελοῦσιν (Migne PG 88, col. 1896).
29.Jump up ^ Boswell, John (1981). Christianity, social tolerance, and homosexuality: gay people in Western Europe from the beginning of the Christian era to the fourteenth century. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-06711-7.
30.Jump up ^ David F. Greenberg, ''The Construction of Homosexuality'' (University of Chicago Press 1990 ISBN 978-0-22630628-5), pp. 213–214. Books.google.com. 1990-08-15. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
31.Jump up ^ ''Some Issues in Human Sexuality: A Guide to the Debate'' (Church House Publishing 2003 ISBN 978-0-71513868-7), pp. 137, 139. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
32.Jump up ^ "Christian Law". google.com.
33.Jump up ^ Cummings translation, pp. 1678–1697
34.Jump up ^ "Canons of the Holy Fathers". holytrinitymission.org.
35.Jump up ^ Text in the original Greek language, pp. 562–578
36.Jump up ^ Jeffrey S. Siker, ''Homosexuality and Religion'' (Greenwood 2007 ISBN 978-0-31333088-9), p. 70. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
37.Jump up ^ James D.G. Dunn, ''The Theology of Paul the Apostle'' (Eerdmans 2006 ISBN 978-0-80284423-1), pp. 121–122. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
38.Jump up ^ Scroggs, Robin (1983). The New Testament and homosexuality: contextual background for contemporary debate. Fortress Press. pp. 62–65; 106–109. ISBN 978-0-8006-1854-4.
39.Jump up ^ Berlinerblau, Jacques (2005). The secular Bible: why nonbelievers must take religion seriously. Cambridge University Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-521-85314-9.
40.Jump up ^ Robert A. J. Gagnon, "Why the Disagreement over the Biblical Witness on Homosexual Practice?: A Response to David G. Myers and Letha Dawson Scanzoni, What God Has Joined Together?" Reformed Review 59.1 (Autumn 2005): 19-130, 56. Available online at http://www.robgagnon.net/articles/ReformedReviewArticleWhyTheDisagreement.pdf
41.^ Jump up to: a b c Neill, James (2009). The Origins and Role of Same-Sex Relations In Human Societies. McFarland. p. 216.
42.Jump up ^ Luke 7:2
43.Jump up ^ Daniel A. Helminiak, ''Sex and the Sacred'' (Routledge 2012 ISBN 978-1-13657075-9), p. 192. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
44.Jump up ^ Stephen D. Moore, ''God's Beauty Parlor'' Stanford University Press 2001 ISBN 978-0-80474332-7, p. 257. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
45.^ Jump up to: a b Wendy Cotter, ''The Christ of the Miracle Stories'' (Baker Academic 2010 ISBN 978-0-80103950-8), p. 125. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
46.^ Jump up to: a b Craig A. Evans (editor), ''The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Matthew-Luke'' (David C. Cook 2003 ISBN 978-0-78143868-1), p. 169. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
47.^ Jump up to: a b Stephen Voorwinde, ''Jesus' Emotions in the Gospels'' (Continuum 2011 ISBN 978-0-56743061-8), p. 18. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
48.Jump up ^ "The Centurion in Matthew 8:5–13: Consideration of the Proposal of Theodore W. Jennings, Jr., and Tat-Siong Benny Liew". jstor.org.
49.Jump up ^ Matthew 19:12
50.Jump up ^ Clemente de Alejandria: Stromata II-III, Fuentes Patristicas, vol.10 (Marcelo Merino Rodriguez ed.), Madrid 1998, p. 315
51.Jump up ^ "Those who are naturally so constituted do well not to marry.
52.^ Jump up to: a b McNeill, John J. (1993). The Church and the homosexual (4 ed.). Beacon Press. pp. 64–65.
53.Jump up ^ McNeill, John J. (2010). Freedom, Glorious Freedom: The Spiritual Journey to the Fullness of Life for Gays, Lesbians, and Everybody Else. Lethe. p. 211.
54.Jump up ^ MacArthur, John (1994). New Testament Commentary, Volume 6: Acts 1–12. Moody. p. 254. ISBN 0-8024-0759-5.
55.Jump up ^ Johnson, Luke T.; Harrington, Daniel J. (1992). The Acts of the Apostles. Liturgical Press. p. 155. ISBN 0-8146-5807-5.
Literature[edit]
Amsel, Nachum. Homosexuality in Orthodox Judaism.
Boswell, John. 1980 Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-06711-4
Brooten, Bernadette. 1998 Love Between Women: Early Christian Responses to Female Homoeroticism University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-07592-3
Brown, Driver, Briggs and Gesenius. Hebrew Lexicon entry for Dabaq. The Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon.
Brunson, Hal. 2007 Lesbos, Narcissus, and Paulos: Homosexual Myth and Christian Truth. ISBN 0-595-40596-7
Dover, Kenneth (1978). Greek Homosexuality. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-36270-5.
Durns, John Barclay (2002). "Lot’s Wife Looked Back" (PDF) 4. Journal of Religion and Society. p. 1–16.
Crompton, Louis, et al. 2003 Homosexuality and Civilization. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press ISBN 0-674-01197-X
Elliott, John H. 2004 "No kingdom of God for softies? or, what was Paul really saying? 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 in context'" Biblical Theology Bulletin, Spring 2004.
Gagnon, Robert A. J. 2001 The Bible and Homosexual Practice. Abingdon Press. ISBN 0-687-08413-X
Greenberg, David 1988 The construction of homosexuality. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-30628-3
Halsall, Paul. Homosexuality and Catholicism: A Partially Annotated Bibliography
Helminiak, Daniel 2000 What the Bible really says about homosexuality. Alamo Square Press. ISBN 1-886360-09-X
Horner, Tom. 1978 Jonathan Loved David. Westminster Press. ISBN 0-664-24185-9
House of Bishops 1991 Issues in Human Sexuality. Church of England. ISBN 0-7151-3745-X
Jennings, Theodore 2003 The Man Jesus Loved: Homoerotic Narratives From the New Testament. Pilgrim Press. ISBN 0-8298-1535-X
Johns, Loren 2004 "Homosexuality and the Bible: A Case Study in the Use of the Bible for Ethics" Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
Koch, Timothy R 2001 "Cruising as methodology: homoeroticism and the scriptures", in Queer Commentary and the Hebrew Bible, Ken Stone, ed. Pilgrim Press. ISBN 0-8298-1447-7
Martin, Dale. 1996 "Arsenokoites and malakos: Meanings and Consequences", pp. 117–136. in Biblical Ethics and Homosexuality. Robert Brawley, ed. Westminster Press ISBN 0-664-25638-4.
McNeill, J. J. 1993 The Church and the Homosexual. Beacon Press. (4th edn.). ISBN 0-8070-7931-6
Nissinen, Martti. 1998 Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective. Augsburg Fortress Publishers. ISBN 0-8006-2985-X
Ostling, R. N. 2003 Book claims Jesus had homosexual relationship Chicago Sun-Times 29 May 2003.
Robinson, B. A. 1996–2005 What the Bible says about homosexuality. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
Robinson, Gene. 2012 God Believes in Love. Straight talk about gay marriage. Vintage Press. ISBN 978-0-307-94809-0
Satlow, Michael 1995 Tasting the Dish: Rabbinic Rhetorics of Sexuality. Scholars Press. ISBN 0-7885-0159-3
Townsley, Jeramy 2003 All known references to arsenokoit*
Walsh, Jerome T. 2001 “Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13: Who Is Doing What To Whom?” Journal of Biblical Literature 120/2, p. 201–209.
Williams, Rowan 2002 ’The Body’s Grace’, in Eugene F. Rogers (ed.), Theology and Sexuality: Classic and Contemporary Readings, Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-21277-9


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Homosexuality in the New Testament

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 Jesus teaching in the Temple. (from Standard Bible Story Readers, 1928)
In the New Testament (NT) there are at least three passages that may refer to homosexual activity: Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, and 1 Timothy 1:9–10. A fourth passage, Jude 1:7, is often interpreted as referring to homosexuality. None of the four gospels mentions the subject directly, and there is nothing about homosexuality in the Book of Acts, in Hebrews, in Revelation, or in the letters attributed to James, Peter, and John. Jesus may be restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples when he cites Genesis during a discussion of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6 and Mark 10:6-9).
The presumed references to 'homosexuality' itself in the New Testament hinge on the interpretation of three specific Greek words, arsenokoitēs (ἀρσενοκοίτης), malakos (μαλακός), and porneia.[1][2] While it is not disputed that the three Greek words concern sexual relations between men (and possibly between women), some academics interpret the relevant passages as a prohibition against pederasty or prostitution rather than homosexuality per se, while other scholars have presented counter arguments.[3][4][5] The historical context of the passages has also been a subject of debate.


Contents  [hide]
1 Homosexuality in the Pauline epistles 1.1 Romans 1:26-27
1.2 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
1.3 1 Timothy 1:9-10
2 Jude 1:7 2.1 Variation in translation
2.2 Interpretation
3 Book of Revelation
4 Jesus' discussion of marriage
5 Words with disputed or ambiguous meanings 5.1 Arsenokoitēs 5.1.1 Arguments against a reference to homosexual behaviour
5.1.2 Arguments for a reference to homosexual behaviour
5.2 Malakos 5.2.1 Arguments against a reference to homosexual behaviour
5.2.2 Arguments for a reference to homosexual behaviour
5.3 Porneia
5.4 Pais
6 Other issues of sexuality 6.1 Eunuchs
6.2 Female homosexuality
7 Historical and cultural issues
8 Notes
9 References

Homosexuality in the Pauline epistles[edit]
Romans 1:26-27[edit]



 Saint Paul writing his Epistles
In the Epistle to the Romans 1:26-27 (English Majority Text Version, EMTV), Paul writes
“ For this reason [idolatry] God gave them up to passions of dishonor; for even their females exchanged the natural use for that which is contrary to nature, and likewise also the males, having left the natural use of the female, were inflamed by their lust for one another, males with males, committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was fitting for their error. ”
This has been described by Hilborn as "the most important biblical reference for the homosexuality debate".[6] It is also the only known specific reference in the Bible to female homosexuality, though some maintain that this prohibition applies only to male homosexuals.[citation needed] Hilborn (op cit) argues that in the wider passage (Romans 1:18-32) Paul writes that the "global scope of salvation history has been made manifest not only in ‘the gospel of God's Son’ (cf. v.9), but also in the very ‘creation of the world’ (v.20)." In common with many traditional commentators, Hilborn (op cit) goes on to argue that condemnation of homosexual activity is derived from the "broad contours" of Paul's argument, in addition to the selective reading of individual words or phrases.
Some scholars speculate that the text does not condemn homosexual acts by homosexuals, rather "homosexual acts committed by heterosexual persons",[7] or heterosexuals who "abandoned" or "exchanged" heterosexuality for homosexuality.[8] Boswell argues that the conceptual modality (natural laws) which would provide the basis for the blanket condemnation of homosexuality did not exist prior to the Enlightenment era.[clarification needed] In contrast, Joe Dallas (who opposes what he sees as the "gay agenda") contends that the apostle Paul is condemning changing "the natural use into that which is against nature" (Romans 1:26-27), and to suggest that Paul is referring to "heterosexuals indulging in homosexual behavior requires unreasonable mental gymnastics".[9]
Dr. Mona West (of the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual Religious Archives Network) argues that Paul is condemning specific types of homosexual activity (such as temple prostitution or pederasty) rather than a broader interpretation.[10] West argues that Paul is speaking to a Gentile audience in terms that they would understand to show that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
A more conservative biblical interpretation contends "the most authentic reading of Rom 1:26-7 is that which sees it prohibiting homosexual activity in the most general of terms, rather than in respect of more culturally and historically specific forms of such activity".[6][11] That "nature" in Rm 1:26 refers to acting contrary to design and man's normality is seen as evidenced by its use in Romans 11:21,24. Hays argues that Romans 1:26,27 is part of a general condemnation of humans, in which males and females, have rejected their creational (as in Genesis) distinctions, with homoeroticism being intrinsically wrong.[12]
Early church commentary on these verses does little to support the modern interpretation that Paul here intends to condemn all homosexuality, as such. For example, contemporary English translations imply that Rom 1:26b condemns lesbian sex, while 1:27 condemns sex between men.[citation needed] However, several early church writers clearly state that Rom 1:26b is a condemnation of men having unnatural sex with women. Brooten cites both Anastasios and Augustine as explicitly rejecting the 'lesbian hypothesis' (p. 337).[13] Hanks asserts that "not until John Chrysostom (ca 400 CE) does anyone (mis)interpret Romans 1:26 as referring to relations between two women" (p. 90).[14] Townsley notes that other early writers, possibly including Chrysostom, reject the 'lesbian' hypothesis, specifically, Ambrosiaster, Didymus the Blind and Clement of Alexandria.[15] Townsley goes on to specify the context of Rom 1:26-27 as the continuation of Paul's condemnation of the worship of pagan gods from earlier in the chapter, linking the 'homosexuality' implied in Rom 1:27 to the practice of temple prostitution with castrated priests of Cybele, practices condemned more explicitly in the Old Testament (1 Kings 15:12, 2 Kings 23:7), the same religious group that violently attacked Paul in Ephesus, driving him from the city (Acts 19). The implication is that the goddess religions, the castrated priests and temple prostitution had a wide impact in ancient Mediterranean culture (similar to the devadasi system in India today) so would immediately evoke an image for the 1st century audience of non-Yahwistic religious idolatry, practices not familiar to the modern reader, which makes it easy to misinterpret these verses.
If taken in context with the verses before it, it may also be interpreted that the homosexual behavior described is a punishment for the greater sins committed by the people. "For this reason (idolatry) God gave them up to passions of dishonor" implies that God caused the people to carry out homosexual acts because of the sins they committed.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10[edit]
Wycliffe Bible (1382): "Whether ye know not, that wicked men shall not wield the kingdom of God? Do not ye err; neither lechers, neither men that serve maumets [neither men serving to idols], neither adulterers, neither lechers against kind, neither they that do lechery with men"
King James Version (1611): "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind"
Amplified Version (1987): "Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality"
1 Timothy 1:9-10[edit]
Wycliffe Bible (1382): "..and witting this thing, that the law is not set to a just man, but to unjust men and not subject, to wicked men and to sinners, to cursed men and defouled, to slayers of father, and slayers of mother, to manslayers [witting this thing, that the law is not put to a just man, but to an unjust and not subject, to unpious men and sinners, to cursed men and defouled, to slayers of fathers, and slayers of mothers, to menslayers] and lechers, to them that do lechery with men, lying-mongers and forsworn, and if any other thing is contrary to the wholesome teaching."
King James Version (1611): "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine"
Amplified Version (1987): Knowing and understanding this: that the Law is not enacted for the righteous (the upright and just, who are in right standing with God), but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who strike and beat and [even] murder fathers and strike and beat and [even] murder mothers, for manslayers,[For] impure and immoral persons, those who abuse themselves with men, kidnapers, liars, perjurers--and whatever else is opposed to wholesome teaching and sound doctrine
Since the nineteenth century many scholars have suggested that First Timothy, along with Second Timothy and Titus, are not original to Paul, but rather an unknown Christian writing some time in the late-first-to-mid-2nd century.[16] Most scholars now affirm this view.[17]
Jude 1:7[edit]
Variation in translation[edit]
King James Version: Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
New International Version: In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
English Standard Version: Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Interpretation[edit]
Simon J. Kistemaker notes that "strange flesh" (KJV) is often interpreted as the desire on the part of the Sodomites to have sexual relations with angels. Kistemaker, however, argues that it means they were "interested in sexual relations with men."[18]
Book of Revelation[edit]
The final book of the Bible, Book of Revelation, in Rev 22:15 contains a likely reference to homosexuals in the final sin catalog of the ungodly. The Good News Translation uses the word 'perverts' and other paraphrases such as J.B. Phillips and The Living Bible respectively use 'depraved' or 'those who have strayed away from God'. The "Complete Jewish Bible" uses the word 'homosexuals' while the KJV, the Revised Standard, Arabic, and Holman Broadman simply use 'dogs' to refer to souls completely outside the Holy City and Book of Life. David H. Stern[19] translates 'Outside are the homosexuals, those involved with the occult and with drugs, the sexually immoral, murders, idol-worshippers, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.' The use of the Hebrew word, kelev, (dogs) is a reference to the slumbering watchmen of Israel who by their greed and sloth have become dogs or false teachers as in Isaiah 56 or earlier in Isaiah 4:9 where Sodom is mentioned in a catalog of sins. The Greek (Kyron) has other meanings outside the Jewish references to the unclean or the fallen teachers which might include the demonic or half human creatures on the margins of the known world or magic.[20]
Jesus' discussion of marriage[edit]
In Matthew 19:3, Jesus is asked “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” This provides clear context for his answer, which is as follows:
“ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning “made them male and female” [Genesis 1:27], and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” [Genesis 2:24]? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ ”
(Matthew 19:4-6, NRSV translation; Mark 10:6-9 is a parallel text)
Despite the passage being clearly about divorce, Rob Gagnon, an associate professor of New Testament studies, argues that Jesus' back-to-back references to Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 show that he "presupposed a two-sex requirement for marriage."[21] In interpreting Genesis, Jesus connects the creation of the two sexes together with them being joined in one flesh by God in marriage. Leroy Huizenga, a theology professor, argues that Jesus' reference to Genesis is meant to be understood in its context, including the command in Genesis 1:28 to "Be fruitful and multiply." Thus for Huizenga, Jesus is affirming that marriage is a union meant to be fruitful, ideally to result in children.[22] Huizenga also mentions the importance of interpreting Jesus in the context of the Jewish tradition he lived in, including its prohibition of homosexual practice. Jesus' teaching about marriage here does modify the position held by his Jewish contemporaries, but in drawing on the creation accounts it is more radical and less permissive.
Words with disputed or ambiguous meanings[edit]
Arsenokoitēs[edit]
The Greek word arsenokoitēs appears in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (TNIV), Paul says:
“ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ”
The word translated as "practicing homosexuals" has been alternately rendered as "abusers of themselves with mankind" (King James Version, 21st Century King James Version), "sodomites" (Young's Literal Translation), or "homosexuals" (New American Standard Bible), or "men who practice homosexuality" (English Standard Version) or "those who abuse themselves with men" (Amplified Bible) or "for those who have a twisted view of sex" (New International Readers Version) or "for sexual perverts" (Good News Translation) or "for abusers of themselves with men" (American Standard Version). The original term is unknown before Paul. ἀρσενοκοίτης (arsenokoitēs), thought to mean "one who has sexual intercourse with a male" (Greek ἄῤῥην / ἄρσην [arrhēn / arsēn] "male"; κοίτης [koitēs] "bed", rather than the normal terms from the Greek culture. Within the Bible, it only occurs in this passage and in a similar list in 1 Timothy 1:9-10.
The term is thought to be either a Jewish coinage from the Greek (Septuagint) translation of Leviticus 20:13,[23] or even Paul's own coinage:[24]
“ "If a man lies with a man (arsenos koiten) as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." Leviticus 20:13 ”
Arguments against a reference to homosexual behaviour[edit]
In contrast, Boswell (1980) argues that this is a term specifically created by Paul, and that given its unusual nature, the fact that Paul did not use one of the more common pagan Greek terms, and given its direct reference to the Levitical laws, it is a matter of debate whether Paul was referring generally to any person having homosexual sex, or whether (as discussed below) it referred only to anal sex of any form (cf. Elliott 2004). Other translations of the word, based on examinations of the context of its subsequent uses, include Martin's (1996), who argued it meant "homosexual slave trader" and Boswell's (1980) who argued it referred to "homosexual rape" or homosexual prostitutes. Scroggs perceives it as referring to exploitative pederasty.[25]
The term arsenokoitai was rarely used in Church writings (Elliott 1994), with Townsley (2003) counting a total of 73 references. Most are ambiguous in nature,[citation needed] although St. John Chrysostom, in the 4th century, seems to use the term arsenokoitai to refer to pederasty common in the Greco-Roman culture of the time and Patriarch John IV of Constantinople in the 6th century used it to refer to anal sex: "some men even commit the sin of arsenokoitai with their wives" (Townsley 2003). Moreover, Hippolytus of Rome in his Refutation of all Heresies describes a Gnostic teaching, according to which an evil angel Naas committed adultery with Eve and arsenokoitēs with Adam.[26] The context suggests the translation of arsenokoitēs as pederasty,[27] although it might have a different meaning.[28]
Arguments for a reference to homosexual behaviour[edit]
Some scholars argue against the restriction of the word to pederasty. For example, Scobie states that "there is no evidence that the term was restricted to pederasty; beyond doubt, the NT here repeats the Leviticus condemnation of all same-sex relations".[29] Similarly, Campbell writes, "it must be pointed out, first, that arsenokoitēs is a broad term that cannot be confined to specific instances of homosexual activity such as male prostitution or pederasty. This is in keeping with the term's Old Testament background where lying with a 'male' (a very general term) is proscribed, relating to every kind of male-male intercourse." Campbell (quoting from Wenham) goes on to say that, "in fact, the Old Testament bans every type of homosexual intercourse, not just male prostitution or intercourse with youths."[30]
Others have pointed out that the meaning of arsenokoitēs is identified by its derivation from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, where the component words "with a man (arsenos) do not copulate coitus (koites) as with a woman" refer to homosexual conduct. For example, according to Hays, although the word arsenokoitēs appears nowhere in Greek literature prior to Paul's use of it, it is evidently a rendering into Greek of the standard rabbinic term for "one who lies with a male [as with a woman]" (Lev. 18:22; 20:13). Moreover, despite recent challenges to this interpretation, the meaning is confirmed by the evidence of Sybilline Oracles 2.73. Paul here repeats the standard Jewish condemnation of homosexual conduct.[31] Malick (op cit) writes, "it is significant that of all the terms available in the Greek language, Paul chose a compound from the Septuagint that in the broadest sense described men lying with men as they would lie with women."[4] According to Scobie, "it clearly echoes the Greek of Lev 18:22 and 20:13 in the LXX (arsen = "male," and koite = "bed"), so that arsenokoitēs literally means "one who goes to bed with a male".[29]
David Wright argues that the compound word refers to those who sleep with males, and denotes “‘male homosexual activity’ without qualification.”[32][33] Haas, reviewing the various arguments on both sides, concluded that "an examination of the biblical passages from linguistic, historical and ethical-theological perspectives fails to support the revisionist ethic and reinforces the traditional Christian teaching that homosexual practice is morally wrong."[34] Via also agrees arsenokoitēs refers to homosexual activity.[35] James B. De Young presents similar arguments.[3]
Standard Greek lexicons and dictionaries understand this word as a reference to homosexual behavior.[36][37][38][39][40][note 1]
Malakos[edit]
This word is translated as "male prostitutes" (TNIV), "effeminate" (NASB), or "catamites" (TJB; in the footnotes of the NKJV), in 1 Corinthians 6:9.
Arguments against a reference to homosexual behaviour[edit]
The Greek word μαλακός; malakos carries a root meaning of soft, luxurious or dainty, but here, G. Fee argues, it is used in a much darker way, possibly referring to the more passive partner in a homosexual relationship.[41] According to Scroggs (op cit), the word malakos in Paul’s list refers specifically to this category of person, the effeminate call-boy.[25] Others, for example Olson,[42] based on previous and subsequent uses of the term, interprets malakos to mean an effeminate but not necessarily homosexual man. Olson argues that the μαλακοί in Paul’s time, "almost always referred in a negative, pejorative way to a widely despised group of people who functioned as effeminate 'call boys'." Some theologians have argued that, when read in historical context, the Jewish Platonist philosopher Philo of Alexandria used the term in reference to temple prostitution.[43]
According to Roy Ward, malakos was used to describe an item soft to the touch, such as a soft pillow or cloth. When used negatively, the term meant faint-hearted, lacking in self-control, weak or morally weak with no link to same-gender sexual behaviour. [44]
Arguments for a reference to homosexual behaviour[edit]
Lexical evidence from Greek texts indicates the word was used to refer to the passive partner in a male homosexual act. For example, Malick (op cit) writes that a significant expression of this usage is found in a letter[note 2] from Demophon, a wealthy Egyptian, to Ptolemaeus, a police official, concerning needed provisions for a coming festival.[4] According to Ukleja, "a strong possible translation of both malakos (and arsenokoitēs) is the morally loose (effeminate) who allow themselves to be used homosexually and the person who is a practicing homosexual."[45] Ukleja cites a number of classical Greek sources in support his assertion.[note 3]
The meaning of the word is not confined to male prostitutes. According to Malick (op cit), when malakos is employed in reference to sexual relationships of men with men, it is not a technical term for male call-boys in a pederastic setting. The term may mean effeminate with respect to boys or men who take the role of a woman in homosexual relationships.[4] Nor is the meaning of the word confined to sexually exploited males.[note 4]
Standard Greek lexicons and dictionaries understand this word as a reference to the passive partner in a male homosexual act.[note 5][note 6][note 7][note 8][46][note 9]
Porneia[edit]
Main article: Porneia
In Matthew 15: 19-20 (KJV) Jesus says:
“ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. ”
In Mark 7: 20-23 (KJV) it says:
“ And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual impurities, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. ”
Whether these lists include homosexuality depends on the translation of porneia (sexual impurity). Translations of these passages generally translate porneia as fornication rather than sexual impurity (see Leviticus). Some[who?] interpret the translation of porneia more broadly, to encompass sexual immorality in general, though there is disagreement over whether such an interpretation is supported by the writings of the Church Fathers.
Porneia appears a number of times in Paul's letters, always with arsenokoitais. Yale University professor John Boswell argues that 'arsenokoitai' in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10 refers specifically to male prostitution;[7] various conservative scholars have presented countering arguments.[3][4][5]
Pais[edit]
Further information: Healing the centurion's servant



 Healing the Centurion's servant by Paolo Veronese, 16th century.
This event is referred to in both Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 and tells of Jesus healing a centurion's servant. Luke 7:2 (TNIV) says: "There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die." The term translated from the Greek as "servant" in this verse is doulos. Elsewhere in the two accounts, the term used for the ill person is pais, a term that can be translated in a number of different ways including "child" (e.g., Matthew 2:16; Lk 2:43, 8:51-54 where it refers to a girl), "son" (John 4:51) or "servant" (Lk 15:26, Acts 4:25); elsewhere it is unclear whether "son" or "servant" is meant (Acts 3:13, 3:26, 4:27, 4:30).
Horner[47] and Daniel A. Helminiak[48] both suggest a homosexual theme to this text. Helminiak argues that this is implied by the broader context of the narrative suggesting an unusual level of concern about the servant, whereas Horner suggests that use of the term "valued highly" implies a sexual relationship. Horner goes on to argue that, as Jesus commended the centurion for his faith (Matthew 8:10; Luke 7:9), it shows that Jesus approved of their relationship, otherwise he would have condemned him. However, a contrasting viewpoint is that the term “highly valued” (Greek ἔντιμος, entimos)[49] simply suggests a genuine care for the person or, more archaically, that the centurion was fond of this slave,[50] and that the term entimos has no hint of sexual content in any of its various appearances in the Bible.[51] Jay Michaelson argues that the term pais is actually mistranslated as servant when its true meaning is lover.[52]
Other biblical scholars dismiss any suggestions of a homosexual theme as deliberately distorted interpretations of the text.[53][54] Marston argues that Jesus would not have condoned any homosexual relationship, in line with the weight of other scriptural evidence, while Chapman (2005) suggests that even if the relationship had been homosexual, his lack of condemnation does not necessarily equate to his approval of them.
Other issues of sexuality[edit]
Eunuchs[edit]
In Matthew 19:12, Jesus discusses eunuchs who were born as such, eunuchs who were made so by others, and eunuchs who choose to live as such for the kingdom of heaven.[55] Clement of Alexandria wrote in his commentary on it that "some men, from their birth, have a natural sense of repulsion from a woman; and those who are naturally so constituted do well not to marry".[56]
The First Council of Nicaea in 323 AD established 20 new laws called canons. The first of these was the prohibition of self castration.
Main article: Ethiopian eunuch
The Ethiopian eunuch, an early gentile convert encountered in Acts 8, has been described as an early gay Christian, based on the fact that the word "eunuch" in the Bible was not always used literally, as in Matthew 19:12.[8][57]
Female homosexuality[edit]
In the Epistle to the Romans 1:26-27 (ESV), Paul writes, "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature". Most interpreters assume that, due to the analogy with same-sex lust between males, Paul is referring to female same-sex behavior. This assumption is not conclusive, and it remains difficult to discern exactly what Paul meant by women exchanging natural intercourse for unnatural.[58]
Historical and cultural issues[edit]
Many commentators have argued that the references to homosexuality in the NT, or the Bible in general, have to be understood in their proper historical context. Indeed, most interpreters come to the text with a preconceived notion of what the Bible has to say about normative sexual behaviors, influencing subsequent interpretations.[59] For example, William Walker says that the very notion of “homosexuality” (or even “heterosexuality,” “bisexuality” and “sexual orientation”) is essentially a modern concept that would simply have been unintelligible to the New Testament writers.[60] The word “homosexuality” and the concept of sexual orientation as being separate from one's perceived masculinity or femininity (i.e. gender identity) did not take shape until the 19th century.[61] Moreover, although some ancient Romans (i.e. doctors, astrologers, etc.) discussed congenital inclinations to unconventional sexual activities such as homosexuality, this classification fails to correspond to a modern psychological, biological and genetic distinction between homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual orientations.[62] However, according to Gagnon, the concept of homosexual orientation was not wholly unknown in the Greco-Roman milieu. Moreover, he asserts that there is absolutely no evidence that modern orientation theory would have had any impact on Paul changing his strong negative valuation of homosexual practice.[63]
A statement by the Bishops of the Church of England (Issues in Human Sexuality) in 1991 illustrates a categorization and understanding of homosexuality, claiming that in ancient times "society recognized the existence of those, predominantly male, who appeared to be attracted entirely to members of their own sex." (Issues in Human Sexuality para 2.16, lines 8-9) which almost parallels that of modern ideation. The same study is careful to point out that "the modern concept of orientation has been developed against a background of genetic and psychological theory which was not available to the ancient world."
Sarah Ruden, in her Paul Among the People (2010) argues that the only form of homosexual sex that was apparent to the public in Paul's time was exploitative pederasty, in which slave boys were raped by adult males, often very violently. Paul's condemnation of homosexuality, Ruden argues, can be interpreted most plausibly as a criticism of this kind of brutally exploitative behavior.[64]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ ‘a male who engages in sexual activity w. a pers. of his own sex, pederast 1 Cor 6:9 (on the impropriety of RSV’s ‘homosexuals’ [altered to ‘sodomites’ NRSV] s. WPetersen, VigChr 40, ’86, 187–91; cp. DWright, ibid. 41, ’87, 396–98; REB’s rendering of μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται w. the single term ‘sexual pervert’ is lexically unacceptable), of one who assumes the dominant role in same-sex activity, opp. μαλακός (difft. DMartin, in Biblical Ethics and Homosexuality, ed. RBrawley, ’96, 117–36); 1 Ti 1:10; Pol 5:3. Cp. Ro 1:27. Romans forbade pederasty w. free boys in the Lex Scantinia, pre-Cicero (JBremmer, Arethusa 13, ’80, 288 and notes); Paul’s strictures against same-sex activity cannot be satisfactorily explained on the basis of alleged temple prostitution (on its rarity, but w. some evidence concerning women used for sacred prostitution at Corinth s. LWoodbury, TAPA 108, ’78, 290f, esp. note 18 [lit.]), or limited to contract w. boys for homoerotic service (s. Wright, VigChr 38, ’84, 125–53).’, Arndt, Danker, & Bauer (eds.), ‘A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature’, p. 135 (3rd ed. 2000).
2.Jump up ^ “Demophon to Ptolemaeus, greeting. Make every effort to send me the flute-player Petoüs with both the Phrygian flutes and the rest; and if any expense is necessary, pay it, and you shall recover it from me. Send me also Zenobius the effeminate [μαλακόν] with a drum and cymbals and castanets, for he is wanted by the women for the sacrifice; and let him wear as fine clothes as possible” (“Letter of Demophon to Ptolemaeus” [from mummy wrappings found in the necropolis of El-Hibeh about 245 B.C.], The Hibeh Papyri: Part I, no. 54, 200–201).
3.Jump up ^ In classical Greek, μαλακός was also used to refer to boys and men who allowed themselves to be used homosexually. It was also applied to a man taking the female or passive role in homosexuality. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, who wrote Roman Antiquities around 7 B.C., described Aristodemus of Cumae as μαλακός because he had been “effeminate” (θηλυδρίας) as a child and had undergone the things associated with women. In classical literature the word μαλακός is sometimes applied to obviously gay persons. Lucian describes the blood of some priests he condemns for passive homosexual behavior as μαλακός. This cannot be dismissed as not indicating anything about the sexuality of the individuals in question. These were priests who spent their time seeking group sexual encounters. While there is some ambiguity with regard to μαλακός, it is not beyond reason to see the word representing the passive parties in homosexual intercourse. This is even more reasonable when it is in juxtaposition with ἀρσενοκοιτής which does imply an active homosexual role. It is interesting that in Aristotle’s Problems, a lengthy discussion of the origins of homosexual passivity, he employs the word μαλακός. In its general sense the word does mean “unrestrained,” but not without any particularly homosexual context (Ukleja, op cit).
4.Jump up ^ ‘The terms malakoi and molles could be used broadly to refer to effeminate or unmanly men. But in specific contexts it could be used in ways similar to the more specific terms cinaedi (lit., “butt-shakers”) and pathici (“those who undergo [penetration]”) to denote effeminate adult males who are biologically and/or psychologically disposed to desire penetration by men. For example, in Soranus’s work On Chronic Diseases (early 2nd century A.D.) the section on men who desire to be penetrated (4.9.131-37) is entitled “On the molles or subacti (subjugated or penetrated partners, pathics) whom the Greeks call malthakoi.” An Aristotelian text similarly refers to those who are anatomically inclined toward the receptive role as malakoi (Pseudo-Aristotle, Problems 4.26). Astrological texts that speak of males desirous of playing the penetrated female role also use the term malakoi (Ptolemy, Four Books 3.14 §172; Vettius Valens, Anthologies 2.37.54; 2.38.82; cf. Brooten, 126 n. 41, 260 n. 132). The complaint about such figures in the ancient world generally, and certainly by Philo, centers around their attempted erasure of the masculine stamp given them by God/nature, not their exploitation of others, age difference, or acts of prostitution.’, Gagnon, ‘Dale Martin and the Myth of Total Textual Indeterminacy’ (2007); http://www.robgagnon.net/DaleMartinResponse.htm.
5.Jump up ^ ‘pert. to being passive in a same-sex relationship, effeminate esp. of catamites, of men and boys who are sodomized by other males in such a relationship, opp. ἀρσενοκοίτης (Dionys. Hal. 7, 2, 4; Dio Chrys. 49 [66], 25; Ptolem., Apotel. 3, 15, 10; Vett. Val. 113, 22; Diog. L. 7, 173; PHib 54, 11 [c. 245 B.C.] may have this mng.: a musician called Zenobius ὁ μαλακός [prob. with a sideline, according to Dssm., LO 131, 4—LAE 164, 4]. S. also a Macedon. ins in LDuchesne and CBayet, Mémoire sur une Mission au Mont Athos 1876 no. 66 p. 46; Plautus, Miles 668 cinaedus [Gk. κίναιδος] malacus; cp. the attack on the morality of submissive homoeroticism Aeschin. 1, 188; DCohen, Greece and Rome 23, ’76, 181f) 1 Cor 6:9 (‘male prostitutes’ NRSV is too narrow a rendering; ‘sexual pervert’ REB is too broad)=Pol 5:3.—S. lit. s.v. ἀρσενοκοίτης. B. 1065. DELG. M-M.’, Arndt, Danker, & Bauer (eds.), ‘A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature’, p. 613 (3rd ed. 2000).
6.Jump up ^ The vice catalog of 1 Cor 6:9 mentions the μαλακοί, soft people / weaklings, as reprehensible examples of passive homosexuality (cf. Rom 1:27; Lev 20:13; Ep. Arist. 152; Sib. Or. 3:184ff., 584ff.; see Billerbeck III, 70; H. Conzelmann, 1 Cor [Hermeneia] ad loc. [bibliography]).’, Balz & Schneider, ‘Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament’, volume 2, p. 381 (1990).
7.Jump up ^ 'figuratively, in a bad sense of men effeminate, unmanly; substantivally ὁ μ. especially of a man or boy who submits his body to homosexual lewdness catamite, homosexual pervert (1C 6.9)’, Friberg, Friberg, & Miller, ‘Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament’, p. 252 (2000).
8.Jump up ^ ‘88.281 μαλακόςb, οῦ m: the passive male partner in homosexual intercourse—‘homosexual.’ For a context of μαλακόςb, see 1 Cor 6:9–10 in 88.280. As in Greek, a number of other languages also have entirely distinct terms for the active and passive roles in homosexual intercourse.’, Louw & Nida, ‘Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains’, volume 1, p. 771-772 (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition 1996).
9.Jump up ^ ‘3120. μαλακός malakós; fem. malakḗ, neut. malakón, adj. Soft to the touch, spoken of clothing made of soft materials, fine texture (Matt. 11:8; Luke 7:25). Figuratively it means effeminate or a person who allows himself to be sexually abused contrary to nature. Paul, in 1 Cor. 6:9, joins the malakoí, the effeminate, with arsenokoítai (733), homosexuals, Sodomites.’, Zodhiates, ‘The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament’ (electronic ed. 2000).
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Berlinerblau, Jacques (2005). The secular Bible: why nonbelievers must take religion seriously. Cambridge University Press. p. 108.
2.Jump up ^ Countryman, L. William (2007). Dirt, Greed, & Sex: Sexual Ethics in the New Testament and Their Implications for Today. Fortress Press. pp. 116–118.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c The source and NT meaning of Arsenokoitai, with implications or Christian ethics and ministry James B. De Young
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e The Condemnation of Homosexuality in 1 Corinthians 6:9 David E. Malick
5.^ Jump up to: a b Homosexuality Revisited in Light of the Current Climate, by Calvin Smith
6.^ Jump up to: a b Hilborn, D. (2002) Homosexuality and Scripture. Evangelical Alliance.
7.^ Jump up to: a b Boswell, J. (1980) Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century. The University of Chicago Press.
8.^ Jump up to: a b McNeill, John J. (1993). The Church and the homosexual (4 ed.). Beacon Press. pp. 63–65.
9.Jump up ^ Dallas, J. Responding to Pro-Gay Theology, Part III: Scriptural Arguments
10.Jump up ^ Mona West The Bible and Homosexuality Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC).
11.Jump up ^ Howard, K. L. (1996) Paul's View of Male Homosexuality: An Exegetical Study. M.A. thesis (unpublished). Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Deerfield, Illinois.
12.Jump up ^ Hays, R.B. (1986) Relations Natural and Unnatural: A Response to John Boswell's Exegesis of Romans I. Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 14, 199-201.
13.Jump up ^ Brooten (1996). Love Between Women. Univ Chicago Press
14.Jump up ^ Hanks (2000) The Subversive Gospel. Pilgrim Press
15.Jump up ^ Townsley (2011) "Paul, the Goddess Religions, and Queer Sects." Journal of Biblical Literature 130:707-727.
16.Jump up ^ Ehrman, Bart. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. Oxford University Press. 2003. p. 393 ISBN 0-19-515462-2
 "when we come to the Pastoral epistles, there is greater scholarly unanimity. These three letters are widely regarded by scholars as non-Pauline."
17.Jump up ^ Collins, Raymond F. 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. 2004. p. 4 ISBN 0-664-22247-1
 "By the end of the twentieth century New Testament scholarship was virtually unanimous in affirming that the Pastoral Epistles were written some time after Paul's death. ... As always some scholars dissent from the consensus view."
18.Jump up ^ Kistemaker, Simon J. (1987). Peter and Jude. Evangelical Press. p. 381.
19.Jump up ^ David H. Stern (1998) Complete Jewish Bible: An English Version of the Tanakh and B'rit Hadashah. Clarksville, Maryland: Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. p. 1555. ISBN 978-965-359-018-2
20.Jump up ^ The Skeptic's Annotated Bible Discussion Board http://sabdiscussionboard.yuku.com/topic/4306#.UsA2i_RDt8E Retrieved: 29 December 2013.
21.Jump up ^ Robert A. J. Gagnon, "Why the Disagreement over the Biblical Witness on Homosexual Practice?: A Response to David G. Myers and Letha Dawson Scanzoni, What God Has Joined Together?" Reformed Review 59.1 (Autumn 2005): 19-130, 56. Available online at http://www.robgagnon.net/articles/ReformedReviewArticleWhyTheDisagreement.pdf
22.Jump up ^ http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/2381/jesus_marriage_and_homosexuality.aspx#.UssPNvRDt8E
23.Jump up ^ καὶ ὃς ἂν κοιμηθῇ μετὰ ἄρσενος κοίτην γυναικός βδέλυγμα ἐποίησαν ἀμφότεροι θανατούσθωσαν ἔνοχοί εἰσιν
24.Jump up ^ David F. Greenberg, The Construction of Homosexuality, 1990. Page 213: "The details of Boswell's argument have been challenged by several scholars — to this nonspecialist, persuasively.166 These challengers suggest that arsenokoites was coined in an attempt to render the awkward [Page 214]phrasing of the Hebrew in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 into Greek,167 or that it derives from an almost identical construction in the Septuagint translation of the Leviticus prohibitions.168 A neologism was needed precisely because the Greeks did not have a word for homosexuality, only for specific homosexual relations (pederasty) and roles ..."
166 G. R. Edwards (1984:82), D. F. Wright (1984), Johansson (1985). The arguments are technical and cannot be summarized here.
25.^ Jump up to: a b Scroggs, Robin (1983). The New Testament and homosexuality: contextual background for contemporary debate. Fortress Press. pp. 62–65; 106–109.
26.Jump up ^ Hippolytus. Refutation of all Heresies. Book V, Ch 21
27.Jump up ^ See, e.g., Pearson, B. A. Ancient Gnosticism (Fortress Press, 2007), Ch. 6, p. 44. ISBN 0-8006-3258-3
28.Jump up ^ Martin, D. B. Arsenokoités and Malakos: Meanings and Consequences
29.^ Jump up to: a b Scobie, C.H.H. (2003) The Ways of Our God: An approach to Biblical Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (Google eBook)
30.Jump up ^ Campbell, K.M. (2003) Marriage and Family in the Biblical World. InterVarsity Press. (Google eBook)
31.Jump up ^ Hays, R.B. (2011) Interpretation. A Bible Commentary for Teaching & Preaching. First Corinthians. Westminster John Knox Press. (Google eBook)
32.Jump up ^ Wright, D.F. (1984) Homosexuals or Prostitutes: The Meaning of arsenokoitai (I Cor. 6:9; I Tim. 1:10). Vigiliae Christianae 38 (June): 13.
33.Jump up ^ Wright, D.F. (1987) Translating arsenokoitai I Cor. 6:9; I Tim. 1:10. "Vigiliae Christianae 41 (December): 398.
34.Jump up ^ Haas, G. (1999) Hermeneutical Issues In The Use Of The Bible To Justify The Acceptance Of Homosexual Practice. Global Journal of Classical Theology 01:2 (Feb).
35.Jump up ^ 'True the meaning of a compound word does not necessarily add up to the sum of its parts (Martin 119). But in this case I believe the evidence suggests that it does.', Via, 'Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views', p. 13 (2003).
36.Jump up ^ ‘ἀρσενοκοίτης, ου, ὁ arsenokoitēs male homosexual* Referring to a male who engages in sexual activity with men or boys: 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10; Pol. Phil. 5:3; W. L. PETERSEN, “Can ἀρσενοκοῖται be translated by ‘Homosexuals’?” Vigiliae Christianae 40 (1986) 187-91. — D. F. WRIGHT, Translating ΑΡΣΕΝΟΚΟΙΤΑΙ,” Vigiliae Christianae 41 (1987) 396-98.’, Balz & Schneider, ‘Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament’, p. 158 (1990).
37.Jump up ^ ‘ἀρρενοκοίτης, ου, ὁ, sodomite, AP9.686, (Maced. iv/vi A.D., v. BCHsuppl. 8 no. 87); (ἀρσ-) 1Ep.Cor.6.9.’, Liddell, Scott, Jones, & McKenzie, ‘A Greek-English Lexicon’, p. 246 (rev. and augm. throughout, 1996).
38.Jump up ^ ‘ἄρσην G781 (arsēn), male; θῆλυς G2559 (thēlys), female; ἀρσενοκοίτης G780 (arsenokoitēs), male homosexual, pederast, sodomite.’, Brown, ‘New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology’, volume 2, p. 562 (1986).
39.Jump up ^ ‘88.280 ἀρσενοκοίτης, ου m: a male partner in homosexual intercourse—‘homosexual.’’, Louw & Nida, ‘Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains’, volume 1, p. 771 (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition 1996).
40.Jump up ^ ‘733. ἀρσενοκοίτης arsenokoítēs; gen. arsenokoítou, masc. noun, from ársēn (730), a male, and koítē (2845), a bed. A man who lies in bed with another male, a homosexual (1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 1:10 [cf. Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:27]).’, Zodhiates, ‘The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament’ (electronic ed. 2000).
41.Jump up ^ Fee, G. (1987). The First Epistle to the Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, p. 243
42.Jump up ^ Olson, M. (1984) Untangling the Web: A Look at What Scripture Does and Does Not Say about Homosexual Behavior. The Other Side, April, pp.24-29.
43.Jump up ^ In the New American Bible, there is a footnote which reads: "The Greek word translated as boy prostitutes may refer to catamites,i.e., boys or young men kept for purposes of prostitution, a practice not uncommon in the Greco-Roman world. In Greek mythology,this was the function of Ganymeade, the "cupbearer of the gods," whose Latin name was Cataminus. The term translated sodomites refers to adult males who indulged in homosexual practices with such boys." <http://www.usccb.org/bible/1cor/6:9#54009-2/> id=F0XCGyJ2YUcC&lpg=PA64&dq=Philo%20of%20Alexandria%20arsenokoites&pg=PA68#v=snippet&q=philo%20prostitution&f=false God Is Not a Homophobe: An Unbiased Look at Homosexuality in the Bible by Philo Thelos, p.68-69, Trafford Publishing, 2004, esp. "...when Philo reads the Biblical laws against homosexuality, he interprets them as a reference to the expression of that act prevailing in his day - pederastry - in both secular form and in prostitution, especially as performed by the womanized malakos [...] Young boys were commonly forced to serve as homosexual prostitutes in the gates of idol temples."
44.Jump up ^ "Restoring the First-century Church in the Twenty-first Century: Essays on the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement in Honor of Don Haymes" (W. Lewis and H. Rollman, p. 98)
45.Jump up ^ Ukleja, M. (1983) The Bible and Homosexuality, Part 2: Homosexuality in the New Testament. Bibliotheca Sacra 140 (October–December 1983): 351.
46.Jump up ^ ‘μαλακός , ή, όν soft, fancy, luxurious; homosexual pervert (1 Cor 6:9)’, Newman, ‘A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament’, p. 110 (1993).
47.Jump up ^ Horner, T. (1978) The Centurion's Servant. Insight: A Quarterly of Gay Catholic Opinion, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Summer).
48.Jump up ^ Helminiak, D.A. (2000) What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality. Alamo Square Press.
49.Jump up ^ Liddell and Scott ἔντιμος
50.Jump up ^ Luke 7 NET Bible.
51.Jump up ^ Derrick K. Olliff and Dewey H. Hodges, "A Reformed Response to Daniel Helminiak's Gay Theology
52.Jump up ^ When Jesus Healed a Same-Sex Partner
53.Jump up ^ Marston, P. (1995) Dear Peter Tatchell The Independent, Tuesday 21 March 1995.
54.Jump up ^ Marston, P. (2003) Christians, Gays and Gay Christians. Free Methodists.
55.Jump up ^ Matthew 19:12
56.Jump up ^ Clement of Alexandria: The Stromata, or Miscellanies. Book III, Chapter I. The Gnostic Society Library.
57.Jump up ^ McNeill, John J. (2010). Freedom, Glorious Freedom: The Spiritual Journey to the Fullness of Life for Gays, Lesbians, and Everybody Else. Lethe. p. 211.
58.Jump up ^ Nissinen, M. (1998) Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective. Augsburg Fortress Publishers. ISBN 0-8006-2985-X.
59.Jump up ^ Robert J. Myles, Dandy Discipleship: A Queering of Mark’s Male Disciples JMMS 4:2 (2010), p. 66-81. http://www.jmmsweb.org/issues/volume4/number2/pp66-81
60.Jump up ^ What the New Testament Says about Homosexuality Westar Institute, 2008.
61.Jump up ^ Halperin, D. M. (1990) One Hundred Years of Homosexuality. New York: Routledge.
62.Jump up ^ Brooten, B. (1998) Love Between Women: Early Christian Responses to Female Homoeroticism (Chicago Series on Sexuality, History & Society). University of Chicago Press.
63.Jump up ^ Gagnon, R.B. (2008) The Faulty Orientation Argument of Anglican Archbishop Harper of Ireland. Fulcrum.
64.Jump up ^ Sarah Ruden, Paul Among the People (2010), p. 54-55, .
  


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Homosexuality in the New Testament

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 Jesus teaching in the Temple. (from Standard Bible Story Readers, 1928)
In the New Testament (NT) there are at least three passages that may refer to homosexual activity: Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, and 1 Timothy 1:9–10. A fourth passage, Jude 1:7, is often interpreted as referring to homosexuality. None of the four gospels mentions the subject directly, and there is nothing about homosexuality in the Book of Acts, in Hebrews, in Revelation, or in the letters attributed to James, Peter, and John. Jesus may be restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples when he cites Genesis during a discussion of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6 and Mark 10:6-9).
The presumed references to 'homosexuality' itself in the New Testament hinge on the interpretation of three specific Greek words, arsenokoitēs (ἀρσενοκοίτης), malakos (μαλακός), and porneia.[1][2] While it is not disputed that the three Greek words concern sexual relations between men (and possibly between women), some academics interpret the relevant passages as a prohibition against pederasty or prostitution rather than homosexuality per se, while other scholars have presented counter arguments.[3][4][5] The historical context of the passages has also been a subject of debate.


Contents  [hide]
1 Homosexuality in the Pauline epistles 1.1 Romans 1:26-27
1.2 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
1.3 1 Timothy 1:9-10
2 Jude 1:7 2.1 Variation in translation
2.2 Interpretation
3 Book of Revelation
4 Jesus' discussion of marriage
5 Words with disputed or ambiguous meanings 5.1 Arsenokoitēs 5.1.1 Arguments against a reference to homosexual behaviour
5.1.2 Arguments for a reference to homosexual behaviour
5.2 Malakos 5.2.1 Arguments against a reference to homosexual behaviour
5.2.2 Arguments for a reference to homosexual behaviour
5.3 Porneia
5.4 Pais
6 Other issues of sexuality 6.1 Eunuchs
6.2 Female homosexuality
7 Historical and cultural issues
8 Notes
9 References

Homosexuality in the Pauline epistles[edit]
Romans 1:26-27[edit]



 Saint Paul writing his Epistles
In the Epistle to the Romans 1:26-27 (English Majority Text Version, EMTV), Paul writes
“ For this reason [idolatry] God gave them up to passions of dishonor; for even their females exchanged the natural use for that which is contrary to nature, and likewise also the males, having left the natural use of the female, were inflamed by their lust for one another, males with males, committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was fitting for their error. ”
This has been described by Hilborn as "the most important biblical reference for the homosexuality debate".[6] It is also the only known specific reference in the Bible to female homosexuality, though some maintain that this prohibition applies only to male homosexuals.[citation needed] Hilborn (op cit) argues that in the wider passage (Romans 1:18-32) Paul writes that the "global scope of salvation history has been made manifest not only in ‘the gospel of God's Son’ (cf. v.9), but also in the very ‘creation of the world’ (v.20)." In common with many traditional commentators, Hilborn (op cit) goes on to argue that condemnation of homosexual activity is derived from the "broad contours" of Paul's argument, in addition to the selective reading of individual words or phrases.
Some scholars speculate that the text does not condemn homosexual acts by homosexuals, rather "homosexual acts committed by heterosexual persons",[7] or heterosexuals who "abandoned" or "exchanged" heterosexuality for homosexuality.[8] Boswell argues that the conceptual modality (natural laws) which would provide the basis for the blanket condemnation of homosexuality did not exist prior to the Enlightenment era.[clarification needed] In contrast, Joe Dallas (who opposes what he sees as the "gay agenda") contends that the apostle Paul is condemning changing "the natural use into that which is against nature" (Romans 1:26-27), and to suggest that Paul is referring to "heterosexuals indulging in homosexual behavior requires unreasonable mental gymnastics".[9]
Dr. Mona West (of the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual Religious Archives Network) argues that Paul is condemning specific types of homosexual activity (such as temple prostitution or pederasty) rather than a broader interpretation.[10] West argues that Paul is speaking to a Gentile audience in terms that they would understand to show that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
A more conservative biblical interpretation contends "the most authentic reading of Rom 1:26-7 is that which sees it prohibiting homosexual activity in the most general of terms, rather than in respect of more culturally and historically specific forms of such activity".[6][11] That "nature" in Rm 1:26 refers to acting contrary to design and man's normality is seen as evidenced by its use in Romans 11:21,24. Hays argues that Romans 1:26,27 is part of a general condemnation of humans, in which males and females, have rejected their creational (as in Genesis) distinctions, with homoeroticism being intrinsically wrong.[12]
Early church commentary on these verses does little to support the modern interpretation that Paul here intends to condemn all homosexuality, as such. For example, contemporary English translations imply that Rom 1:26b condemns lesbian sex, while 1:27 condemns sex between men.[citation needed] However, several early church writers clearly state that Rom 1:26b is a condemnation of men having unnatural sex with women. Brooten cites both Anastasios and Augustine as explicitly rejecting the 'lesbian hypothesis' (p. 337).[13] Hanks asserts that "not until John Chrysostom (ca 400 CE) does anyone (mis)interpret Romans 1:26 as referring to relations between two women" (p. 90).[14] Townsley notes that other early writers, possibly including Chrysostom, reject the 'lesbian' hypothesis, specifically, Ambrosiaster, Didymus the Blind and Clement of Alexandria.[15] Townsley goes on to specify the context of Rom 1:26-27 as the continuation of Paul's condemnation of the worship of pagan gods from earlier in the chapter, linking the 'homosexuality' implied in Rom 1:27 to the practice of temple prostitution with castrated priests of Cybele, practices condemned more explicitly in the Old Testament (1 Kings 15:12, 2 Kings 23:7), the same religious group that violently attacked Paul in Ephesus, driving him from the city (Acts 19). The implication is that the goddess religions, the castrated priests and temple prostitution had a wide impact in ancient Mediterranean culture (similar to the devadasi system in India today) so would immediately evoke an image for the 1st century audience of non-Yahwistic religious idolatry, practices not familiar to the modern reader, which makes it easy to misinterpret these verses.
If taken in context with the verses before it, it may also be interpreted that the homosexual behavior described is a punishment for the greater sins committed by the people. "For this reason (idolatry) God gave them up to passions of dishonor" implies that God caused the people to carry out homosexual acts because of the sins they committed.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10[edit]
Wycliffe Bible (1382): "Whether ye know not, that wicked men shall not wield the kingdom of God? Do not ye err; neither lechers, neither men that serve maumets [neither men serving to idols], neither adulterers, neither lechers against kind, neither they that do lechery with men"
King James Version (1611): "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind"
Amplified Version (1987): "Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality"
1 Timothy 1:9-10[edit]
Wycliffe Bible (1382): "..and witting this thing, that the law is not set to a just man, but to unjust men and not subject, to wicked men and to sinners, to cursed men and defouled, to slayers of father, and slayers of mother, to manslayers [witting this thing, that the law is not put to a just man, but to an unjust and not subject, to unpious men and sinners, to cursed men and defouled, to slayers of fathers, and slayers of mothers, to menslayers] and lechers, to them that do lechery with men, lying-mongers and forsworn, and if any other thing is contrary to the wholesome teaching."
King James Version (1611): "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine"
Amplified Version (1987): Knowing and understanding this: that the Law is not enacted for the righteous (the upright and just, who are in right standing with God), but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who strike and beat and [even] murder fathers and strike and beat and [even] murder mothers, for manslayers,[For] impure and immoral persons, those who abuse themselves with men, kidnapers, liars, perjurers--and whatever else is opposed to wholesome teaching and sound doctrine
Since the nineteenth century many scholars have suggested that First Timothy, along with Second Timothy and Titus, are not original to Paul, but rather an unknown Christian writing some time in the late-first-to-mid-2nd century.[16] Most scholars now affirm this view.[17]
Jude 1:7[edit]
Variation in translation[edit]
King James Version: Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
New International Version: In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
English Standard Version: Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Interpretation[edit]
Simon J. Kistemaker notes that "strange flesh" (KJV) is often interpreted as the desire on the part of the Sodomites to have sexual relations with angels. Kistemaker, however, argues that it means they were "interested in sexual relations with men."[18]
Book of Revelation[edit]
The final book of the Bible, Book of Revelation, in Rev 22:15 contains a likely reference to homosexuals in the final sin catalog of the ungodly. The Good News Translation uses the word 'perverts' and other paraphrases such as J.B. Phillips and The Living Bible respectively use 'depraved' or 'those who have strayed away from God'. The "Complete Jewish Bible" uses the word 'homosexuals' while the KJV, the Revised Standard, Arabic, and Holman Broadman simply use 'dogs' to refer to souls completely outside the Holy City and Book of Life. David H. Stern[19] translates 'Outside are the homosexuals, those involved with the occult and with drugs, the sexually immoral, murders, idol-worshippers, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.' The use of the Hebrew word, kelev, (dogs) is a reference to the slumbering watchmen of Israel who by their greed and sloth have become dogs or false teachers as in Isaiah 56 or earlier in Isaiah 4:9 where Sodom is mentioned in a catalog of sins. The Greek (Kyron) has other meanings outside the Jewish references to the unclean or the fallen teachers which might include the demonic or half human creatures on the margins of the known world or magic.[20]
Jesus' discussion of marriage[edit]
In Matthew 19:3, Jesus is asked “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” This provides clear context for his answer, which is as follows:
“ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning “made them male and female” [Genesis 1:27], and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” [Genesis 2:24]? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ ”
(Matthew 19:4-6, NRSV translation; Mark 10:6-9 is a parallel text)
Despite the passage being clearly about divorce, Rob Gagnon, an associate professor of New Testament studies, argues that Jesus' back-to-back references to Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 show that he "presupposed a two-sex requirement for marriage."[21] In interpreting Genesis, Jesus connects the creation of the two sexes together with them being joined in one flesh by God in marriage. Leroy Huizenga, a theology professor, argues that Jesus' reference to Genesis is meant to be understood in its context, including the command in Genesis 1:28 to "Be fruitful and multiply." Thus for Huizenga, Jesus is affirming that marriage is a union meant to be fruitful, ideally to result in children.[22] Huizenga also mentions the importance of interpreting Jesus in the context of the Jewish tradition he lived in, including its prohibition of homosexual practice. Jesus' teaching about marriage here does modify the position held by his Jewish contemporaries, but in drawing on the creation accounts it is more radical and less permissive.
Words with disputed or ambiguous meanings[edit]
Arsenokoitēs[edit]
The Greek word arsenokoitēs appears in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (TNIV), Paul says:
“ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ”
The word translated as "practicing homosexuals" has been alternately rendered as "abusers of themselves with mankind" (King James Version, 21st Century King James Version), "sodomites" (Young's Literal Translation), or "homosexuals" (New American Standard Bible), or "men who practice homosexuality" (English Standard Version) or "those who abuse themselves with men" (Amplified Bible) or "for those who have a twisted view of sex" (New International Readers Version) or "for sexual perverts" (Good News Translation) or "for abusers of themselves with men" (American Standard Version). The original term is unknown before Paul. ἀρσενοκοίτης (arsenokoitēs), thought to mean "one who has sexual intercourse with a male" (Greek ἄῤῥην / ἄρσην [arrhēn / arsēn] "male"; κοίτης [koitēs] "bed", rather than the normal terms from the Greek culture. Within the Bible, it only occurs in this passage and in a similar list in 1 Timothy 1:9-10.
The term is thought to be either a Jewish coinage from the Greek (Septuagint) translation of Leviticus 20:13,[23] or even Paul's own coinage:[24]
“ "If a man lies with a man (arsenos koiten) as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." Leviticus 20:13 ”
Arguments against a reference to homosexual behaviour[edit]
In contrast, Boswell (1980) argues that this is a term specifically created by Paul, and that given its unusual nature, the fact that Paul did not use one of the more common pagan Greek terms, and given its direct reference to the Levitical laws, it is a matter of debate whether Paul was referring generally to any person having homosexual sex, or whether (as discussed below) it referred only to anal sex of any form (cf. Elliott 2004). Other translations of the word, based on examinations of the context of its subsequent uses, include Martin's (1996), who argued it meant "homosexual slave trader" and Boswell's (1980) who argued it referred to "homosexual rape" or homosexual prostitutes. Scroggs perceives it as referring to exploitative pederasty.[25]
The term arsenokoitai was rarely used in Church writings (Elliott 1994), with Townsley (2003) counting a total of 73 references. Most are ambiguous in nature,[citation needed] although St. John Chrysostom, in the 4th century, seems to use the term arsenokoitai to refer to pederasty common in the Greco-Roman culture of the time and Patriarch John IV of Constantinople in the 6th century used it to refer to anal sex: "some men even commit the sin of arsenokoitai with their wives" (Townsley 2003). Moreover, Hippolytus of Rome in his Refutation of all Heresies describes a Gnostic teaching, according to which an evil angel Naas committed adultery with Eve and arsenokoitēs with Adam.[26] The context suggests the translation of arsenokoitēs as pederasty,[27] although it might have a different meaning.[28]
Arguments for a reference to homosexual behaviour[edit]
Some scholars argue against the restriction of the word to pederasty. For example, Scobie states that "there is no evidence that the term was restricted to pederasty; beyond doubt, the NT here repeats the Leviticus condemnation of all same-sex relations".[29] Similarly, Campbell writes, "it must be pointed out, first, that arsenokoitēs is a broad term that cannot be confined to specific instances of homosexual activity such as male prostitution or pederasty. This is in keeping with the term's Old Testament background where lying with a 'male' (a very general term) is proscribed, relating to every kind of male-male intercourse." Campbell (quoting from Wenham) goes on to say that, "in fact, the Old Testament bans every type of homosexual intercourse, not just male prostitution or intercourse with youths."[30]
Others have pointed out that the meaning of arsenokoitēs is identified by its derivation from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, where the component words "with a man (arsenos) do not copulate coitus (koites) as with a woman" refer to homosexual conduct. For example, according to Hays, although the word arsenokoitēs appears nowhere in Greek literature prior to Paul's use of it, it is evidently a rendering into Greek of the standard rabbinic term for "one who lies with a male [as with a woman]" (Lev. 18:22; 20:13). Moreover, despite recent challenges to this interpretation, the meaning is confirmed by the evidence of Sybilline Oracles 2.73. Paul here repeats the standard Jewish condemnation of homosexual conduct.[31] Malick (op cit) writes, "it is significant that of all the terms available in the Greek language, Paul chose a compound from the Septuagint that in the broadest sense described men lying with men as they would lie with women."[4] According to Scobie, "it clearly echoes the Greek of Lev 18:22 and 20:13 in the LXX (arsen = "male," and koite = "bed"), so that arsenokoitēs literally means "one who goes to bed with a male".[29]
David Wright argues that the compound word refers to those who sleep with males, and denotes “‘male homosexual activity’ without qualification.”[32][33] Haas, reviewing the various arguments on both sides, concluded that "an examination of the biblical passages from linguistic, historical and ethical-theological perspectives fails to support the revisionist ethic and reinforces the traditional Christian teaching that homosexual practice is morally wrong."[34] Via also agrees arsenokoitēs refers to homosexual activity.[35] James B. De Young presents similar arguments.[3]
Standard Greek lexicons and dictionaries understand this word as a reference to homosexual behavior.[36][37][38][39][40][note 1]
Malakos[edit]
This word is translated as "male prostitutes" (TNIV), "effeminate" (NASB), or "catamites" (TJB; in the footnotes of the NKJV), in 1 Corinthians 6:9.
Arguments against a reference to homosexual behaviour[edit]
The Greek word μαλακός; malakos carries a root meaning of soft, luxurious or dainty, but here, G. Fee argues, it is used in a much darker way, possibly referring to the more passive partner in a homosexual relationship.[41] According to Scroggs (op cit), the word malakos in Paul’s list refers specifically to this category of person, the effeminate call-boy.[25] Others, for example Olson,[42] based on previous and subsequent uses of the term, interprets malakos to mean an effeminate but not necessarily homosexual man. Olson argues that the μαλακοί in Paul’s time, "almost always referred in a negative, pejorative way to a widely despised group of people who functioned as effeminate 'call boys'." Some theologians have argued that, when read in historical context, the Jewish Platonist philosopher Philo of Alexandria used the term in reference to temple prostitution.[43]
According to Roy Ward, malakos was used to describe an item soft to the touch, such as a soft pillow or cloth. When used negatively, the term meant faint-hearted, lacking in self-control, weak or morally weak with no link to same-gender sexual behaviour. [44]
Arguments for a reference to homosexual behaviour[edit]
Lexical evidence from Greek texts indicates the word was used to refer to the passive partner in a male homosexual act. For example, Malick (op cit) writes that a significant expression of this usage is found in a letter[note 2] from Demophon, a wealthy Egyptian, to Ptolemaeus, a police official, concerning needed provisions for a coming festival.[4] According to Ukleja, "a strong possible translation of both malakos (and arsenokoitēs) is the morally loose (effeminate) who allow themselves to be used homosexually and the person who is a practicing homosexual."[45] Ukleja cites a number of classical Greek sources in support his assertion.[note 3]
The meaning of the word is not confined to male prostitutes. According to Malick (op cit), when malakos is employed in reference to sexual relationships of men with men, it is not a technical term for male call-boys in a pederastic setting. The term may mean effeminate with respect to boys or men who take the role of a woman in homosexual relationships.[4] Nor is the meaning of the word confined to sexually exploited males.[note 4]
Standard Greek lexicons and dictionaries understand this word as a reference to the passive partner in a male homosexual act.[note 5][note 6][note 7][note 8][46][note 9]
Porneia[edit]
Main article: Porneia
In Matthew 15: 19-20 (KJV) Jesus says:
“ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. ”
In Mark 7: 20-23 (KJV) it says:
“ And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual impurities, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. ”
Whether these lists include homosexuality depends on the translation of porneia (sexual impurity). Translations of these passages generally translate porneia as fornication rather than sexual impurity (see Leviticus). Some[who?] interpret the translation of porneia more broadly, to encompass sexual immorality in general, though there is disagreement over whether such an interpretation is supported by the writings of the Church Fathers.
Porneia appears a number of times in Paul's letters, always with arsenokoitais. Yale University professor John Boswell argues that 'arsenokoitai' in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10 refers specifically to male prostitution;[7] various conservative scholars have presented countering arguments.[3][4][5]
Pais[edit]
Further information: Healing the centurion's servant



 Healing the Centurion's servant by Paolo Veronese, 16th century.
This event is referred to in both Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 and tells of Jesus healing a centurion's servant. Luke 7:2 (TNIV) says: "There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die." The term translated from the Greek as "servant" in this verse is doulos. Elsewhere in the two accounts, the term used for the ill person is pais, a term that can be translated in a number of different ways including "child" (e.g., Matthew 2:16; Lk 2:43, 8:51-54 where it refers to a girl), "son" (John 4:51) or "servant" (Lk 15:26, Acts 4:25); elsewhere it is unclear whether "son" or "servant" is meant (Acts 3:13, 3:26, 4:27, 4:30).
Horner[47] and Daniel A. Helminiak[48] both suggest a homosexual theme to this text. Helminiak argues that this is implied by the broader context of the narrative suggesting an unusual level of concern about the servant, whereas Horner suggests that use of the term "valued highly" implies a sexual relationship. Horner goes on to argue that, as Jesus commended the centurion for his faith (Matthew 8:10; Luke 7:9), it shows that Jesus approved of their relationship, otherwise he would have condemned him. However, a contrasting viewpoint is that the term “highly valued” (Greek ἔντιμος, entimos)[49] simply suggests a genuine care for the person or, more archaically, that the centurion was fond of this slave,[50] and that the term entimos has no hint of sexual content in any of its various appearances in the Bible.[51] Jay Michaelson argues that the term pais is actually mistranslated as servant when its true meaning is lover.[52]
Other biblical scholars dismiss any suggestions of a homosexual theme as deliberately distorted interpretations of the text.[53][54] Marston argues that Jesus would not have condoned any homosexual relationship, in line with the weight of other scriptural evidence, while Chapman (2005) suggests that even if the relationship had been homosexual, his lack of condemnation does not necessarily equate to his approval of them.
Other issues of sexuality[edit]
Eunuchs[edit]
In Matthew 19:12, Jesus discusses eunuchs who were born as such, eunuchs who were made so by others, and eunuchs who choose to live as such for the kingdom of heaven.[55] Clement of Alexandria wrote in his commentary on it that "some men, from their birth, have a natural sense of repulsion from a woman; and those who are naturally so constituted do well not to marry".[56]
The First Council of Nicaea in 323 AD established 20 new laws called canons. The first of these was the prohibition of self castration.
Main article: Ethiopian eunuch
The Ethiopian eunuch, an early gentile convert encountered in Acts 8, has been described as an early gay Christian, based on the fact that the word "eunuch" in the Bible was not always used literally, as in Matthew 19:12.[8][57]
Female homosexuality[edit]
In the Epistle to the Romans 1:26-27 (ESV), Paul writes, "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature". Most interpreters assume that, due to the analogy with same-sex lust between males, Paul is referring to female same-sex behavior. This assumption is not conclusive, and it remains difficult to discern exactly what Paul meant by women exchanging natural intercourse for unnatural.[58]
Historical and cultural issues[edit]
Many commentators have argued that the references to homosexuality in the NT, or the Bible in general, have to be understood in their proper historical context. Indeed, most interpreters come to the text with a preconceived notion of what the Bible has to say about normative sexual behaviors, influencing subsequent interpretations.[59] For example, William Walker says that the very notion of “homosexuality” (or even “heterosexuality,” “bisexuality” and “sexual orientation”) is essentially a modern concept that would simply have been unintelligible to the New Testament writers.[60] The word “homosexuality” and the concept of sexual orientation as being separate from one's perceived masculinity or femininity (i.e. gender identity) did not take shape until the 19th century.[61] Moreover, although some ancient Romans (i.e. doctors, astrologers, etc.) discussed congenital inclinations to unconventional sexual activities such as homosexuality, this classification fails to correspond to a modern psychological, biological and genetic distinction between homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual orientations.[62] However, according to Gagnon, the concept of homosexual orientation was not wholly unknown in the Greco-Roman milieu. Moreover, he asserts that there is absolutely no evidence that modern orientation theory would have had any impact on Paul changing his strong negative valuation of homosexual practice.[63]
A statement by the Bishops of the Church of England (Issues in Human Sexuality) in 1991 illustrates a categorization and understanding of homosexuality, claiming that in ancient times "society recognized the existence of those, predominantly male, who appeared to be attracted entirely to members of their own sex." (Issues in Human Sexuality para 2.16, lines 8-9) which almost parallels that of modern ideation. The same study is careful to point out that "the modern concept of orientation has been developed against a background of genetic and psychological theory which was not available to the ancient world."
Sarah Ruden, in her Paul Among the People (2010) argues that the only form of homosexual sex that was apparent to the public in Paul's time was exploitative pederasty, in which slave boys were raped by adult males, often very violently. Paul's condemnation of homosexuality, Ruden argues, can be interpreted most plausibly as a criticism of this kind of brutally exploitative behavior.[64]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ ‘a male who engages in sexual activity w. a pers. of his own sex, pederast 1 Cor 6:9 (on the impropriety of RSV’s ‘homosexuals’ [altered to ‘sodomites’ NRSV] s. WPetersen, VigChr 40, ’86, 187–91; cp. DWright, ibid. 41, ’87, 396–98; REB’s rendering of μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται w. the single term ‘sexual pervert’ is lexically unacceptable), of one who assumes the dominant role in same-sex activity, opp. μαλακός (difft. DMartin, in Biblical Ethics and Homosexuality, ed. RBrawley, ’96, 117–36); 1 Ti 1:10; Pol 5:3. Cp. Ro 1:27. Romans forbade pederasty w. free boys in the Lex Scantinia, pre-Cicero (JBremmer, Arethusa 13, ’80, 288 and notes); Paul’s strictures against same-sex activity cannot be satisfactorily explained on the basis of alleged temple prostitution (on its rarity, but w. some evidence concerning women used for sacred prostitution at Corinth s. LWoodbury, TAPA 108, ’78, 290f, esp. note 18 [lit.]), or limited to contract w. boys for homoerotic service (s. Wright, VigChr 38, ’84, 125–53).’, Arndt, Danker, & Bauer (eds.), ‘A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature’, p. 135 (3rd ed. 2000).
2.Jump up ^ “Demophon to Ptolemaeus, greeting. Make every effort to send me the flute-player Petoüs with both the Phrygian flutes and the rest; and if any expense is necessary, pay it, and you shall recover it from me. Send me also Zenobius the effeminate [μαλακόν] with a drum and cymbals and castanets, for he is wanted by the women for the sacrifice; and let him wear as fine clothes as possible” (“Letter of Demophon to Ptolemaeus” [from mummy wrappings found in the necropolis of El-Hibeh about 245 B.C.], The Hibeh Papyri: Part I, no. 54, 200–201).
3.Jump up ^ In classical Greek, μαλακός was also used to refer to boys and men who allowed themselves to be used homosexually. It was also applied to a man taking the female or passive role in homosexuality. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, who wrote Roman Antiquities around 7 B.C., described Aristodemus of Cumae as μαλακός because he had been “effeminate” (θηλυδρίας) as a child and had undergone the things associated with women. In classical literature the word μαλακός is sometimes applied to obviously gay persons. Lucian describes the blood of some priests he condemns for passive homosexual behavior as μαλακός. This cannot be dismissed as not indicating anything about the sexuality of the individuals in question. These were priests who spent their time seeking group sexual encounters. While there is some ambiguity with regard to μαλακός, it is not beyond reason to see the word representing the passive parties in homosexual intercourse. This is even more reasonable when it is in juxtaposition with ἀρσενοκοιτής which does imply an active homosexual role. It is interesting that in Aristotle’s Problems, a lengthy discussion of the origins of homosexual passivity, he employs the word μαλακός. In its general sense the word does mean “unrestrained,” but not without any particularly homosexual context (Ukleja, op cit).
4.Jump up ^ ‘The terms malakoi and molles could be used broadly to refer to effeminate or unmanly men. But in specific contexts it could be used in ways similar to the more specific terms cinaedi (lit., “butt-shakers”) and pathici (“those who undergo [penetration]”) to denote effeminate adult males who are biologically and/or psychologically disposed to desire penetration by men. For example, in Soranus’s work On Chronic Diseases (early 2nd century A.D.) the section on men who desire to be penetrated (4.9.131-37) is entitled “On the molles or subacti (subjugated or penetrated partners, pathics) whom the Greeks call malthakoi.” An Aristotelian text similarly refers to those who are anatomically inclined toward the receptive role as malakoi (Pseudo-Aristotle, Problems 4.26). Astrological texts that speak of males desirous of playing the penetrated female role also use the term malakoi (Ptolemy, Four Books 3.14 §172; Vettius Valens, Anthologies 2.37.54; 2.38.82; cf. Brooten, 126 n. 41, 260 n. 132). The complaint about such figures in the ancient world generally, and certainly by Philo, centers around their attempted erasure of the masculine stamp given them by God/nature, not their exploitation of others, age difference, or acts of prostitution.’, Gagnon, ‘Dale Martin and the Myth of Total Textual Indeterminacy’ (2007); http://www.robgagnon.net/DaleMartinResponse.htm.
5.Jump up ^ ‘pert. to being passive in a same-sex relationship, effeminate esp. of catamites, of men and boys who are sodomized by other males in such a relationship, opp. ἀρσενοκοίτης (Dionys. Hal. 7, 2, 4; Dio Chrys. 49 [66], 25; Ptolem., Apotel. 3, 15, 10; Vett. Val. 113, 22; Diog. L. 7, 173; PHib 54, 11 [c. 245 B.C.] may have this mng.: a musician called Zenobius ὁ μαλακός [prob. with a sideline, according to Dssm., LO 131, 4—LAE 164, 4]. S. also a Macedon. ins in LDuchesne and CBayet, Mémoire sur une Mission au Mont Athos 1876 no. 66 p. 46; Plautus, Miles 668 cinaedus [Gk. κίναιδος] malacus; cp. the attack on the morality of submissive homoeroticism Aeschin. 1, 188; DCohen, Greece and Rome 23, ’76, 181f) 1 Cor 6:9 (‘male prostitutes’ NRSV is too narrow a rendering; ‘sexual pervert’ REB is too broad)=Pol 5:3.—S. lit. s.v. ἀρσενοκοίτης. B. 1065. DELG. M-M.’, Arndt, Danker, & Bauer (eds.), ‘A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature’, p. 613 (3rd ed. 2000).
6.Jump up ^ The vice catalog of 1 Cor 6:9 mentions the μαλακοί, soft people / weaklings, as reprehensible examples of passive homosexuality (cf. Rom 1:27; Lev 20:13; Ep. Arist. 152; Sib. Or. 3:184ff., 584ff.; see Billerbeck III, 70; H. Conzelmann, 1 Cor [Hermeneia] ad loc. [bibliography]).’, Balz & Schneider, ‘Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament’, volume 2, p. 381 (1990).
7.Jump up ^ 'figuratively, in a bad sense of men effeminate, unmanly; substantivally ὁ μ. especially of a man or boy who submits his body to homosexual lewdness catamite, homosexual pervert (1C 6.9)’, Friberg, Friberg, & Miller, ‘Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament’, p. 252 (2000).
8.Jump up ^ ‘88.281 μαλακόςb, οῦ m: the passive male partner in homosexual intercourse—‘homosexual.’ For a context of μαλακόςb, see 1 Cor 6:9–10 in 88.280. As in Greek, a number of other languages also have entirely distinct terms for the active and passive roles in homosexual intercourse.’, Louw & Nida, ‘Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains’, volume 1, p. 771-772 (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition 1996).
9.Jump up ^ ‘3120. μαλακός malakós; fem. malakḗ, neut. malakón, adj. Soft to the touch, spoken of clothing made of soft materials, fine texture (Matt. 11:8; Luke 7:25). Figuratively it means effeminate or a person who allows himself to be sexually abused contrary to nature. Paul, in 1 Cor. 6:9, joins the malakoí, the effeminate, with arsenokoítai (733), homosexuals, Sodomites.’, Zodhiates, ‘The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament’ (electronic ed. 2000).
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Berlinerblau, Jacques (2005). The secular Bible: why nonbelievers must take religion seriously. Cambridge University Press. p. 108.
2.Jump up ^ Countryman, L. William (2007). Dirt, Greed, & Sex: Sexual Ethics in the New Testament and Their Implications for Today. Fortress Press. pp. 116–118.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c The source and NT meaning of Arsenokoitai, with implications or Christian ethics and ministry James B. De Young
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e The Condemnation of Homosexuality in 1 Corinthians 6:9 David E. Malick
5.^ Jump up to: a b Homosexuality Revisited in Light of the Current Climate, by Calvin Smith
6.^ Jump up to: a b Hilborn, D. (2002) Homosexuality and Scripture. Evangelical Alliance.
7.^ Jump up to: a b Boswell, J. (1980) Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century. The University of Chicago Press.
8.^ Jump up to: a b McNeill, John J. (1993). The Church and the homosexual (4 ed.). Beacon Press. pp. 63–65.
9.Jump up ^ Dallas, J. Responding to Pro-Gay Theology, Part III: Scriptural Arguments
10.Jump up ^ Mona West The Bible and Homosexuality Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC).
11.Jump up ^ Howard, K. L. (1996) Paul's View of Male Homosexuality: An Exegetical Study. M.A. thesis (unpublished). Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Deerfield, Illinois.
12.Jump up ^ Hays, R.B. (1986) Relations Natural and Unnatural: A Response to John Boswell's Exegesis of Romans I. Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 14, 199-201.
13.Jump up ^ Brooten (1996). Love Between Women. Univ Chicago Press
14.Jump up ^ Hanks (2000) The Subversive Gospel. Pilgrim Press
15.Jump up ^ Townsley (2011) "Paul, the Goddess Religions, and Queer Sects." Journal of Biblical Literature 130:707-727.
16.Jump up ^ Ehrman, Bart. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. Oxford University Press. 2003. p. 393 ISBN 0-19-515462-2
 "when we come to the Pastoral epistles, there is greater scholarly unanimity. These three letters are widely regarded by scholars as non-Pauline."
17.Jump up ^ Collins, Raymond F. 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. 2004. p. 4 ISBN 0-664-22247-1
 "By the end of the twentieth century New Testament scholarship was virtually unanimous in affirming that the Pastoral Epistles were written some time after Paul's death. ... As always some scholars dissent from the consensus view."
18.Jump up ^ Kistemaker, Simon J. (1987). Peter and Jude. Evangelical Press. p. 381.
19.Jump up ^ David H. Stern (1998) Complete Jewish Bible: An English Version of the Tanakh and B'rit Hadashah. Clarksville, Maryland: Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. p. 1555. ISBN 978-965-359-018-2
20.Jump up ^ The Skeptic's Annotated Bible Discussion Board http://sabdiscussionboard.yuku.com/topic/4306#.UsA2i_RDt8E Retrieved: 29 December 2013.
21.Jump up ^ Robert A. J. Gagnon, "Why the Disagreement over the Biblical Witness on Homosexual Practice?: A Response to David G. Myers and Letha Dawson Scanzoni, What God Has Joined Together?" Reformed Review 59.1 (Autumn 2005): 19-130, 56. Available online at http://www.robgagnon.net/articles/ReformedReviewArticleWhyTheDisagreement.pdf
22.Jump up ^ http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/2381/jesus_marriage_and_homosexuality.aspx#.UssPNvRDt8E
23.Jump up ^ καὶ ὃς ἂν κοιμηθῇ μετὰ ἄρσενος κοίτην γυναικός βδέλυγμα ἐποίησαν ἀμφότεροι θανατούσθωσαν ἔνοχοί εἰσιν
24.Jump up ^ David F. Greenberg, The Construction of Homosexuality, 1990. Page 213: "The details of Boswell's argument have been challenged by several scholars — to this nonspecialist, persuasively.166 These challengers suggest that arsenokoites was coined in an attempt to render the awkward [Page 214]phrasing of the Hebrew in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 into Greek,167 or that it derives from an almost identical construction in the Septuagint translation of the Leviticus prohibitions.168 A neologism was needed precisely because the Greeks did not have a word for homosexuality, only for specific homosexual relations (pederasty) and roles ..."
166 G. R. Edwards (1984:82), D. F. Wright (1984), Johansson (1985). The arguments are technical and cannot be summarized here.
25.^ Jump up to: a b Scroggs, Robin (1983). The New Testament and homosexuality: contextual background for contemporary debate. Fortress Press. pp. 62–65; 106–109.
26.Jump up ^ Hippolytus. Refutation of all Heresies. Book V, Ch 21
27.Jump up ^ See, e.g., Pearson, B. A. Ancient Gnosticism (Fortress Press, 2007), Ch. 6, p. 44. ISBN 0-8006-3258-3
28.Jump up ^ Martin, D. B. Arsenokoités and Malakos: Meanings and Consequences
29.^ Jump up to: a b Scobie, C.H.H. (2003) The Ways of Our God: An approach to Biblical Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (Google eBook)
30.Jump up ^ Campbell, K.M. (2003) Marriage and Family in the Biblical World. InterVarsity Press. (Google eBook)
31.Jump up ^ Hays, R.B. (2011) Interpretation. A Bible Commentary for Teaching & Preaching. First Corinthians. Westminster John Knox Press. (Google eBook)
32.Jump up ^ Wright, D.F. (1984) Homosexuals or Prostitutes: The Meaning of arsenokoitai (I Cor. 6:9; I Tim. 1:10). Vigiliae Christianae 38 (June): 13.
33.Jump up ^ Wright, D.F. (1987) Translating arsenokoitai I Cor. 6:9; I Tim. 1:10. "Vigiliae Christianae 41 (December): 398.
34.Jump up ^ Haas, G. (1999) Hermeneutical Issues In The Use Of The Bible To Justify The Acceptance Of Homosexual Practice. Global Journal of Classical Theology 01:2 (Feb).
35.Jump up ^ 'True the meaning of a compound word does not necessarily add up to the sum of its parts (Martin 119). But in this case I believe the evidence suggests that it does.', Via, 'Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views', p. 13 (2003).
36.Jump up ^ ‘ἀρσενοκοίτης, ου, ὁ arsenokoitēs male homosexual* Referring to a male who engages in sexual activity with men or boys: 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10; Pol. Phil. 5:3; W. L. PETERSEN, “Can ἀρσενοκοῖται be translated by ‘Homosexuals’?” Vigiliae Christianae 40 (1986) 187-91. — D. F. WRIGHT, Translating ΑΡΣΕΝΟΚΟΙΤΑΙ,” Vigiliae Christianae 41 (1987) 396-98.’, Balz & Schneider, ‘Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament’, p. 158 (1990).
37.Jump up ^ ‘ἀρρενοκοίτης, ου, ὁ, sodomite, AP9.686, (Maced. iv/vi A.D., v. BCHsuppl. 8 no. 87); (ἀρσ-) 1Ep.Cor.6.9.’, Liddell, Scott, Jones, & McKenzie, ‘A Greek-English Lexicon’, p. 246 (rev. and augm. throughout, 1996).
38.Jump up ^ ‘ἄρσην G781 (arsēn), male; θῆλυς G2559 (thēlys), female; ἀρσενοκοίτης G780 (arsenokoitēs), male homosexual, pederast, sodomite.’, Brown, ‘New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology’, volume 2, p. 562 (1986).
39.Jump up ^ ‘88.280 ἀρσενοκοίτης, ου m: a male partner in homosexual intercourse—‘homosexual.’’, Louw & Nida, ‘Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains’, volume 1, p. 771 (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition 1996).
40.Jump up ^ ‘733. ἀρσενοκοίτης arsenokoítēs; gen. arsenokoítou, masc. noun, from ársēn (730), a male, and koítē (2845), a bed. A man who lies in bed with another male, a homosexual (1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 1:10 [cf. Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:27]).’, Zodhiates, ‘The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament’ (electronic ed. 2000).
41.Jump up ^ Fee, G. (1987). The First Epistle to the Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, p. 243
42.Jump up ^ Olson, M. (1984) Untangling the Web: A Look at What Scripture Does and Does Not Say about Homosexual Behavior. The Other Side, April, pp.24-29.
43.Jump up ^ In the New American Bible, there is a footnote which reads: "The Greek word translated as boy prostitutes may refer to catamites,i.e., boys or young men kept for purposes of prostitution, a practice not uncommon in the Greco-Roman world. In Greek mythology,this was the function of Ganymeade, the "cupbearer of the gods," whose Latin name was Cataminus. The term translated sodomites refers to adult males who indulged in homosexual practices with such boys." <http://www.usccb.org/bible/1cor/6:9#54009-2/> id=F0XCGyJ2YUcC&lpg=PA64&dq=Philo%20of%20Alexandria%20arsenokoites&pg=PA68#v=snippet&q=philo%20prostitution&f=false God Is Not a Homophobe: An Unbiased Look at Homosexuality in the Bible by Philo Thelos, p.68-69, Trafford Publishing, 2004, esp. "...when Philo reads the Biblical laws against homosexuality, he interprets them as a reference to the expression of that act prevailing in his day - pederastry - in both secular form and in prostitution, especially as performed by the womanized malakos [...] Young boys were commonly forced to serve as homosexual prostitutes in the gates of idol temples."
44.Jump up ^ "Restoring the First-century Church in the Twenty-first Century: Essays on the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement in Honor of Don Haymes" (W. Lewis and H. Rollman, p. 98)
45.Jump up ^ Ukleja, M. (1983) The Bible and Homosexuality, Part 2: Homosexuality in the New Testament. Bibliotheca Sacra 140 (October–December 1983): 351.
46.Jump up ^ ‘μαλακός , ή, όν soft, fancy, luxurious; homosexual pervert (1 Cor 6:9)’, Newman, ‘A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament’, p. 110 (1993).
47.Jump up ^ Horner, T. (1978) The Centurion's Servant. Insight: A Quarterly of Gay Catholic Opinion, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Summer).
48.Jump up ^ Helminiak, D.A. (2000) What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality. Alamo Square Press.
49.Jump up ^ Liddell and Scott ἔντιμος
50.Jump up ^ Luke 7 NET Bible.
51.Jump up ^ Derrick K. Olliff and Dewey H. Hodges, "A Reformed Response to Daniel Helminiak's Gay Theology
52.Jump up ^ When Jesus Healed a Same-Sex Partner
53.Jump up ^ Marston, P. (1995) Dear Peter Tatchell The Independent, Tuesday 21 March 1995.
54.Jump up ^ Marston, P. (2003) Christians, Gays and Gay Christians. Free Methodists.
55.Jump up ^ Matthew 19:12
56.Jump up ^ Clement of Alexandria: The Stromata, or Miscellanies. Book III, Chapter I. The Gnostic Society Library.
57.Jump up ^ McNeill, John J. (2010). Freedom, Glorious Freedom: The Spiritual Journey to the Fullness of Life for Gays, Lesbians, and Everybody Else. Lethe. p. 211.
58.Jump up ^ Nissinen, M. (1998) Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective. Augsburg Fortress Publishers. ISBN 0-8006-2985-X.
59.Jump up ^ Robert J. Myles, Dandy Discipleship: A Queering of Mark’s Male Disciples JMMS 4:2 (2010), p. 66-81. http://www.jmmsweb.org/issues/volume4/number2/pp66-81
60.Jump up ^ What the New Testament Says about Homosexuality Westar Institute, 2008.
61.Jump up ^ Halperin, D. M. (1990) One Hundred Years of Homosexuality. New York: Routledge.
62.Jump up ^ Brooten, B. (1998) Love Between Women: Early Christian Responses to Female Homoeroticism (Chicago Series on Sexuality, History & Society). University of Chicago Press.
63.Jump up ^ Gagnon, R.B. (2008) The Faulty Orientation Argument of Anglican Archbishop Harper of Ireland. Fulcrum.
64.Jump up ^ Sarah Ruden, Paul Among the People (2010), p. 54-55, .
  


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Homosexuality in the Hebrew Bible

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 This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (March 2011)
The Hebrew Bible refers to certain male homosexual acts in some instances. The most harsh condemnation of male homosexuality - specifically, of anal-penetrative sexual behavior - is found in Leviticus, where it is listed as an "abomination".


Contents  [hide]
1 Genesis 19 1.1 Sodom and Gomorrah
1.2 Yada
1.3 Jewish views
1.4 Byzantine period
2 Leviticus 18 and 20
3 Books of Samuel: David and Jonathan 3.1 As romantic relationship
3.2 As platonic relationship
4 Books of Kings
5 Book of Ruth
6 References

Genesis 19[edit]
Main articles: Sodom and Gomorrah and Sodomy
Sodom and Gomorrah[edit]
Genesis chapters 18 and 19 are concerned with the immorality of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the judgement that must be imposed. The New International Version (NIV) of Genesis 19:4,5 states:

"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 meet with them.""
Yada[edit]
In Genesis 19:5 the Hebrew word "yada" translated "relations" in the New American Standard Bible and most often "know" in the KJV and many other translations, occurs frequently in the Old Testament, and usually simply means to know someone or something in a non-sexual way. About a dozen times it is used as a euphemism for knowing someone sexually, as in Genesis 4:1, and Genesis 38:26. The common interpretation is that Lot offered his virgin daughters to the crowd as a means to sexually appease the crowd and protect his visitors from sexual abuse. Most traditional commentators interpret this to refer to the homosexual nature of the people in the crowd, especially in the light of the parallel story in Judges 19.[1][2][3][4] However, others see it as referring to Sodom's inhospitable attitude in seeking to interrogate the visitors.[5][6]
Jewish views[edit]
Most Jewish views still regard the sins of Sodom to be "failing to practice hospitality", and even though same-sex activities are condemned most harshly in Leviticus, the opinion that Genesis 19 might refer to any other sexual act other than with Lot's daughters is alien to most ancient Jewish tradition. See documentation at Sodomy.
The Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo (20 BC - 50 AD) described the inhabitants of Sodom in an extra-biblical account:

"As men, being unable to bear discreetly a satiety of these things, get restive like cattle, and become stiff-necked, and discard the laws of nature, pursuing a great and intemperate indulgence of gluttony, and drinking, and unlawful connections; for not only did they go mad after other women, and defile the marriage bed of others, but also those who were men lusted after one another, doing unseemly things, and not regarding or respecting their common nature, and though eager for children, they were convicted by having only an abortive offspring; but the conviction produced no advantage, since they were overcome by violent desire; and so by degrees, the men became accustomed to be treated like women, and in this way engendered among themselves the disease of females, and intolerable evil; for they not only, as to effeminacy and delicacy, became like women in their persons, but they also made their souls most ignoble, corrupting in this way the whole race of men, as far as depended on them" (133-35; ET Jonge 422-23).[7]
The Jewish historian Josephus (AD 37 – c. 100) used the term “Sodomites” in summarizing the Genesis narrative:

“About this time the Sodomites grew proud, on account of their riches and great wealth; they became unjust towards men, and impious towards God, in so much that they did not call to mind the advantages they received from him: they hated strangers, and abused themselves with Sodomitical practices” "Now when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence; and when Lot exhorted them to sobriety, and not to offer any thing immodest to the strangers, but to have regard to their lodging in his house; and promised that if their inclinations could not be governed, he would expose his daughters to their lust, instead of these strangers; neither thus were they made ashamed." (Antiquities 1.11.1,3) [8] — c. AD 96)
The "Book of the Secrets of Enoch," evidently written by a Hellenistic Jew in Egypt before the middle of the 1st century, states (10:3) that the Sodomites committed "abominable lecheries, namely one with another" and "the sin against nature, which is child-corruption after the Sodomitic fashion, magic-making, enchantments and devilish witchcraft."
More obscure sources include the Testament of Benjamin, which warned, "that ye shall commit fornication with the fornication of Sodom", (Concerning a Pure Mind, 9:1) and references in the Testament of Naphtal, (3.5) and the Testament of Isaac. (5.27. Ch. I.909)
Byzantine period[edit]
It is argued that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah had never been interpreted as relating to one single particular sin, until Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great instituted two law novellizations, in the 6th century.[9][10][11] Regarding the Corpus iuris civilis, Justinian's novels no. 77 (dating 538) and no. 141 (dating 559) was the first to declare that Sodom's sin had been specifically same-sex activities. His agenda was to create homosexual scapegoats to blame for recent earthquakes and other disasters of his time, but most of all, to enact anti-homosexual laws against political opponents or people for whom he needed to prove as guilty. Regarding the death penalty, Justinian's legal novels heralded a change in the Roman legal paradigm by introducing the concept of not divine punishment for homosexual behavior. Individuals might escape mundane laws, however divine laws were inescapable if Justinian declared his novels to be such.
Justinian's interpretation of the story of Sodom would be forgotten today (as it had been along with his law novellizations regarding homosexual behavior immediately after his death) had it not been made use of in fake Charlemagnian capitularies, fabricated by a Frankish monk using the pseudonym Benedictus Levita ("Benedict the Levite") around 850 CE, as part of the Pseudo-Isidore where Benedictus utilized Justinian's interpretation as a justification for ecclesiastical supremacy over mundane institutions, thereby demanding burning at the stake for carnal sins in the name of Charlemagne himself (burning had been part of the standard penalty for homosexual behavior particularly common in Germanic antiquity, note that Benedictus most probably was Frankish), especially homosexuality, for the first time in ecclesiastical history in order to protect all Christianity from divine punishments such as natural disasters for carnal sins committed by individuals, but also for heresy, superstition and heathenry. According to Benedictus, this was why all mundane institutions had to be subjected to ecclesiastical power in order to prevent moral as well as religious laxity causing divine wrath.
During the Roman Republic and pre-Christian Roman Empire, homosexual behavior had been acceptable as long as the adult male citizen took the penetrative role with a passive partner of lower social status. Laws regulating homosexuality were directed primarily at protecting underage male citizens. Those who committed a sex crime (stuprum) against a freeborn male minor were penalized by death or a fine, depending on the circumstances. Letters written to Cicero suggest that the law was used primarily to harass political opponents, and may have been applied also to citizens who willingly took the passive role in sex acts (see Sexuality in ancient Rome and Lex Scantinia).
Leviticus 18 and 20[edit]
See also: Leviticus 18 § Sexuality
These chapters of Leviticus form part of the Holiness code. Leviticus 18:22 says:
“ Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination. ”
and Leviticus 20:13 states:
“ If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. ”
It is widely argued that the things condemned in these chapters are "deemed wrong not simply because pagan Canaanites indulged in them, but because God has pronounced them wrong as such."[12] (Hilborn 2002, p. 4; cf. Issues in human sexuality, para. 2.11; Amsel). This was also the interpretation taken in the rabbinic interpretations in the Mishnah and Talmud,[13] which also extended this to include female homosexual relations, although there are no explicit references in the Hebrew Bible to this.
Various counter-arguments have been suggested: Loren L. Johns writes that these texts were purity codes to keep Israel separate from the Canaanites and that as Jesus rejected the whole purity code they are no longer relevant.[14] Mona West argues that "These verses in no way prohibit, nor do they even speak, to loving, caring sexual relationships between people of the same gender", speculating that these laws were to prevent sexual abuse.[15] Also important to note is the fact that the passage comes at the end of a list of sexual acts prohibited to males, and is followed by a prohibition explicitly addressed to both males and females; since the Hebrew word in the passage for 'lie' is used mainly to refer to deviant sexual acts, the passage may actually be translated as "[And furthermore] if a man commits a deviant sexual act with a man that resembles any of the deviant sexual acts [described above] with a woman, [that too] is detestable," so that it only serves to broaden the category and prohibit incest etc. among two males.
Other Christian theologians hold that the New Testament classifies ceremonial and dietary laws as typological in nature and fulfilled in Christ (Galatians 4:10; Colossians 2:16; Hebrews 9:10), and thus abrogated as to their religious observance "according to the letter," while the moral law is seen as upheld. (Romans 13:9; 1Corithians 6:9-10) [16][17][18][19] Such theologians have said that this abrogation does not extend to homosexuality, which remains in their interpretation as one of the few sins unconditionally condemned. They believe there is no evident provision of marriage being given in the Bible to sanctify it.[20][21][22]
Books of Samuel: David and Jonathan[edit]



David and Jonathan,
 "La Somme le Roy", 1290; French illuminated ms (detail); British Museum
Main article: David and Jonathan
The account of the friendship between David and Jonathan was recorded favourably in the Books of Samuel (1 Samuel 18; 20; 2 Samuel 1) and although most scholars have always interpreted it as referring to platonic, some have argued that it refers to romantic or sexual love.
Two significant passages are 1 Samuel 18:3-4 (TNIV):
“ And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. ”
And 2 Samuel 1:26 (TNIV):
“ I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
 you were very dear to me.
 Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women.
 ”
As romantic relationship[edit]
Jonathan's gifts to David, David's comparison of Jonathan's love to the love of women, the "covenant" the two made, and Saul's reaction have led some scholars to suggest that their relationship was a romantic or possibly sexual one.[14][23][24][25][26]
As platonic relationship[edit]
Biblical scholars have widely and traditionally interpreted this as a very close but non-sexual relationship (cf. Issues in human sexuality, para. 2.17). Some opponents of the theory that David and Jonathan's relationship was romantic believe that the stripping of Jonathan has a clear Biblical precedent, that of the stripping of Aaron of his garments to put them upon Eleazar his son (Numbers 20:26) in transference of the office of the former upon the latter; in like manner, Jonathan would be symbolically and prophetically transferring the kingship of himself (as the normal heir) to David, which would come to pass.[27][28][29] They also say that "stripped himself...even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle" indicates a limit, that of his outer garments and ending with “girdle, which means armor in 2Kings 3:21.[30]
Those who assert the opposing interpretation agree that a sexual relationship is not made explicit, and for many scholars the relationship is a "classical Biblical example" (Hilborn 2002, p. 2) of close non-sexual friendship, such as the friendship eloquently described by Gregory of Nazianzus in Oration 43, 19-20 as existing between him and Basil of Caesarea, when they were students in Athens.
Books of Kings[edit]
Both Books of Kings (1 Kings 14:24, 15:12, 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7), refer to historical intervals when kadeshim ("consecrated ones") rose to some prominence in the Holy Land, until purged by Jahwist revivalist kings such as Jehoshaphat and Josiah.
The kadeshim were connected in some way with the rituals of the Canaanite religion. The Hebrew Bible consistently parallels the female equivalent, a kedeshah, with zanah, the word for a common prostitute. This has led to the inference that there may have been a sexual element to the rituals. The King James version systematically translates the word as "sodomites", while the Revised Standard version renders it, "male cult prostitutes". At 1 Kings 15:12 the Septuagint hellenises them as teletai - personifications of the presiding spirits at the initiation rites of the Bacchic orgies. There may have been a transvestite element too. Various classical authors assert this of male initiates of Eastern goddess cults, and in the Vulgate for all four of these references St. Jerome renders the kadeshim as "effeminati". The sons of Israel are forbidden from becoming kadeshim, and the daughters of Israel from becoming kadeshot, in Deuteronomy 23:17-18; their activities are identified as "abominations".
Book of Ruth[edit]
Main article: Book of Ruth
This book concerns the love between Naomi and her widowed daughter-in-law, Ruth. Naomi's husband and her two sons die and Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to return to their homes:
“ At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth clung to her. ”
(Ruth 1:14; TNIV).
Instead of leaving Naomi, Ruth pledges to stay with her (Ruth 1:16-18). This relationship has therefore long been commended as an example of self-sacrificing love and close friendship (e.g. Issues in Human Sexuality para. 2.7). However, some have interpreted this relationship as probably sexual in nature. For example, Thomas Horner argues: "Whether there existed a relationship of physical love between Ruth and Naomi cannot be demonstrated. However, the right words are there."[26]:20 The word Horner is primarily concerned with is the word translated as clung in Ruth 1:14, which is the Hebrew word "dabaq". This word is also translated in Genesis 2:24 as united "to his wife" and in Genesis 34:3 as drawn "to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman". The context of these passages is one of romantic or sexual attraction.
Text from the Book of Ruth, specifically Ruth's "whither thou goest, I will go" speech to Naomi, is used in Jewish heterosexual wedding ceremonies.[31]
Biblical scholars who reject homosexual advocacy interpretation in the Book of Ruth do so on the basis that it runs counter to accumulated semantic, syntactic, and intertextual literary evidence.[32]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Homosexuality, by James B. De Young
2.Jump up ^ Keil and Delitzsch, Gn. 19:6-11
3.Jump up ^ John Gill, Gn. 19:8
4.Jump up ^ "A Reformed Response to Daniel Helminiak's Gay Theology, by Derrick K. Olliff and Dewey H. Hodges". Reformed.org. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
5.Jump up ^ D S. Bailey, Homosexuality and the Western Tradition, p. 8
6.Jump up ^ John J. McNeil, the Church and the Homosexual, p. 50
7.Jump up ^ The works of Philo a contemporary of Josephius Page 528
8.Jump up ^ http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-1.htm
9.Jump up ^ Gisela Bleibtreu-Ehrenberg, Tabu Homosexualität - Die Geschichte eines Vorurteils ("The taboo of homosexuality: The history of a prejudice"), 1978, p. 188, 190-196, 202
10.Jump up ^ Deacon Maccubbin (1994): Sin and the Sodomites
11.Jump up ^ See also the extensive documentation at Sodomy
12.Jump up ^ Hasbany, Homosexuality and Religion, p. 50,51
13.Jump up ^ cf. Babylonian Talmud Yoma 67b
14.^ Jump up to: a b Homosexuality and the Bible: A Case Study in the Use of the Bible for Ethics, Loren L. Johns
15.Jump up ^ The Bible and Homosexuality, Mona West
16.Jump up ^ "Westminster Confession Of Fait Chapter Xix. Of The Law Of God". Reformed.org. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
17.Jump up ^ John Gill, Mt. 5:17; Col. 2:16
18.Jump up ^ Charles C. Ryrie, "The End of the Law," Bibliotheca Sacra 124 (July–September 1967):246
19.Jump up ^ Theonomic Ethics and the Westminster Confession by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.
20.Jump up ^ Gagnon, Why the disagreement over the Biblical witness on homosexual practice?[dead link]
21.Jump up ^ "Homosexuality and the Old Testament, P. Michael Ukleja". Faculty.gordon.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
22.Jump up ^ "That Which is Unnatural" Homosexuality in Society, the Church, and Scripture by Joseph P. Gudel -ICR
23.Jump up ^ Vasey, Michael (1995). Strangers and Friends. Hodder and Stoughton. p. ?. ISBN 0-340-60814-5.
24.Jump up ^ The construction of homosexuality, David Greenberg, p. 113
25.Jump up ^ Homosexuality and Civilization, Louis Crompton
26.^ Jump up to: a b Horner, Thomas Marland (1978). Jonathan loved David: homosexuality in biblical times. Westminster John Knox Press.
27.Jump up ^ The Bible and Homosexual Practice, 146-54; http://www.robgagnon.net/NewsweekMillerHomosexResp.htm, Prof. Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon
28.Jump up ^ Markus Zehnder, “Observations on the Relationship between David and Jonathan and the Debate on Homosexuality,” Westminster Theological Journal 69.1 [2007]: 127-74)
29.Jump up ^ Thomas E Schmidt, “Straight or Narrow?”
30.Jump up ^ Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
31.Jump up ^ Card, Claudia (1995). Lesbian choices. Columbia University Press. p. 26.
32.Jump up ^ Scott N. Callaham, "But Ruth Clung to Her: Textual Constraints on Ambiguity in Ruth 1:14," Tyndale Bulletin 63 (2012): 179-197.
  


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_in_the_Hebrew_Bible

















Homosexuality in the Hebrew Bible

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 This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (March 2011)
The Hebrew Bible refers to certain male homosexual acts in some instances. The most harsh condemnation of male homosexuality - specifically, of anal-penetrative sexual behavior - is found in Leviticus, where it is listed as an "abomination".


Contents  [hide]
1 Genesis 19 1.1 Sodom and Gomorrah
1.2 Yada
1.3 Jewish views
1.4 Byzantine period
2 Leviticus 18 and 20
3 Books of Samuel: David and Jonathan 3.1 As romantic relationship
3.2 As platonic relationship
4 Books of Kings
5 Book of Ruth
6 References

Genesis 19[edit]
Main articles: Sodom and Gomorrah and Sodomy
Sodom and Gomorrah[edit]
Genesis chapters 18 and 19 are concerned with the immorality of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the judgement that must be imposed. The New International Version (NIV) of Genesis 19:4,5 states:

"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 meet with them.""
Yada[edit]
In Genesis 19:5 the Hebrew word "yada" translated "relations" in the New American Standard Bible and most often "know" in the KJV and many other translations, occurs frequently in the Old Testament, and usually simply means to know someone or something in a non-sexual way. About a dozen times it is used as a euphemism for knowing someone sexually, as in Genesis 4:1, and Genesis 38:26. The common interpretation is that Lot offered his virgin daughters to the crowd as a means to sexually appease the crowd and protect his visitors from sexual abuse. Most traditional commentators interpret this to refer to the homosexual nature of the people in the crowd, especially in the light of the parallel story in Judges 19.[1][2][3][4] However, others see it as referring to Sodom's inhospitable attitude in seeking to interrogate the visitors.[5][6]
Jewish views[edit]
Most Jewish views still regard the sins of Sodom to be "failing to practice hospitality", and even though same-sex activities are condemned most harshly in Leviticus, the opinion that Genesis 19 might refer to any other sexual act other than with Lot's daughters is alien to most ancient Jewish tradition. See documentation at Sodomy.
The Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo (20 BC - 50 AD) described the inhabitants of Sodom in an extra-biblical account:

"As men, being unable to bear discreetly a satiety of these things, get restive like cattle, and become stiff-necked, and discard the laws of nature, pursuing a great and intemperate indulgence of gluttony, and drinking, and unlawful connections; for not only did they go mad after other women, and defile the marriage bed of others, but also those who were men lusted after one another, doing unseemly things, and not regarding or respecting their common nature, and though eager for children, they were convicted by having only an abortive offspring; but the conviction produced no advantage, since they were overcome by violent desire; and so by degrees, the men became accustomed to be treated like women, and in this way engendered among themselves the disease of females, and intolerable evil; for they not only, as to effeminacy and delicacy, became like women in their persons, but they also made their souls most ignoble, corrupting in this way the whole race of men, as far as depended on them" (133-35; ET Jonge 422-23).[7]
The Jewish historian Josephus (AD 37 – c. 100) used the term “Sodomites” in summarizing the Genesis narrative:

“About this time the Sodomites grew proud, on account of their riches and great wealth; they became unjust towards men, and impious towards God, in so much that they did not call to mind the advantages they received from him: they hated strangers, and abused themselves with Sodomitical practices” "Now when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence; and when Lot exhorted them to sobriety, and not to offer any thing immodest to the strangers, but to have regard to their lodging in his house; and promised that if their inclinations could not be governed, he would expose his daughters to their lust, instead of these strangers; neither thus were they made ashamed." (Antiquities 1.11.1,3) [8] — c. AD 96)
The "Book of the Secrets of Enoch," evidently written by a Hellenistic Jew in Egypt before the middle of the 1st century, states (10:3) that the Sodomites committed "abominable lecheries, namely one with another" and "the sin against nature, which is child-corruption after the Sodomitic fashion, magic-making, enchantments and devilish witchcraft."
More obscure sources include the Testament of Benjamin, which warned, "that ye shall commit fornication with the fornication of Sodom", (Concerning a Pure Mind, 9:1) and references in the Testament of Naphtal, (3.5) and the Testament of Isaac. (5.27. Ch. I.909)
Byzantine period[edit]
It is argued that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah had never been interpreted as relating to one single particular sin, until Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great instituted two law novellizations, in the 6th century.[9][10][11] Regarding the Corpus iuris civilis, Justinian's novels no. 77 (dating 538) and no. 141 (dating 559) was the first to declare that Sodom's sin had been specifically same-sex activities. His agenda was to create homosexual scapegoats to blame for recent earthquakes and other disasters of his time, but most of all, to enact anti-homosexual laws against political opponents or people for whom he needed to prove as guilty. Regarding the death penalty, Justinian's legal novels heralded a change in the Roman legal paradigm by introducing the concept of not divine punishment for homosexual behavior. Individuals might escape mundane laws, however divine laws were inescapable if Justinian declared his novels to be such.
Justinian's interpretation of the story of Sodom would be forgotten today (as it had been along with his law novellizations regarding homosexual behavior immediately after his death) had it not been made use of in fake Charlemagnian capitularies, fabricated by a Frankish monk using the pseudonym Benedictus Levita ("Benedict the Levite") around 850 CE, as part of the Pseudo-Isidore where Benedictus utilized Justinian's interpretation as a justification for ecclesiastical supremacy over mundane institutions, thereby demanding burning at the stake for carnal sins in the name of Charlemagne himself (burning had been part of the standard penalty for homosexual behavior particularly common in Germanic antiquity, note that Benedictus most probably was Frankish), especially homosexuality, for the first time in ecclesiastical history in order to protect all Christianity from divine punishments such as natural disasters for carnal sins committed by individuals, but also for heresy, superstition and heathenry. According to Benedictus, this was why all mundane institutions had to be subjected to ecclesiastical power in order to prevent moral as well as religious laxity causing divine wrath.
During the Roman Republic and pre-Christian Roman Empire, homosexual behavior had been acceptable as long as the adult male citizen took the penetrative role with a passive partner of lower social status. Laws regulating homosexuality were directed primarily at protecting underage male citizens. Those who committed a sex crime (stuprum) against a freeborn male minor were penalized by death or a fine, depending on the circumstances. Letters written to Cicero suggest that the law was used primarily to harass political opponents, and may have been applied also to citizens who willingly took the passive role in sex acts (see Sexuality in ancient Rome and Lex Scantinia).
Leviticus 18 and 20[edit]
See also: Leviticus 18 § Sexuality
These chapters of Leviticus form part of the Holiness code. Leviticus 18:22 says:
“ Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination. ”
and Leviticus 20:13 states:
“ If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. ”
It is widely argued that the things condemned in these chapters are "deemed wrong not simply because pagan Canaanites indulged in them, but because God has pronounced them wrong as such."[12] (Hilborn 2002, p. 4; cf. Issues in human sexuality, para. 2.11; Amsel). This was also the interpretation taken in the rabbinic interpretations in the Mishnah and Talmud,[13] which also extended this to include female homosexual relations, although there are no explicit references in the Hebrew Bible to this.
Various counter-arguments have been suggested: Loren L. Johns writes that these texts were purity codes to keep Israel separate from the Canaanites and that as Jesus rejected the whole purity code they are no longer relevant.[14] Mona West argues that "These verses in no way prohibit, nor do they even speak, to loving, caring sexual relationships between people of the same gender", speculating that these laws were to prevent sexual abuse.[15] Also important to note is the fact that the passage comes at the end of a list of sexual acts prohibited to males, and is followed by a prohibition explicitly addressed to both males and females; since the Hebrew word in the passage for 'lie' is used mainly to refer to deviant sexual acts, the passage may actually be translated as "[And furthermore] if a man commits a deviant sexual act with a man that resembles any of the deviant sexual acts [described above] with a woman, [that too] is detestable," so that it only serves to broaden the category and prohibit incest etc. among two males.
Other Christian theologians hold that the New Testament classifies ceremonial and dietary laws as typological in nature and fulfilled in Christ (Galatians 4:10; Colossians 2:16; Hebrews 9:10), and thus abrogated as to their religious observance "according to the letter," while the moral law is seen as upheld. (Romans 13:9; 1Corithians 6:9-10) [16][17][18][19] Such theologians have said that this abrogation does not extend to homosexuality, which remains in their interpretation as one of the few sins unconditionally condemned. They believe there is no evident provision of marriage being given in the Bible to sanctify it.[20][21][22]
Books of Samuel: David and Jonathan[edit]



David and Jonathan,
 "La Somme le Roy", 1290; French illuminated ms (detail); British Museum
Main article: David and Jonathan
The account of the friendship between David and Jonathan was recorded favourably in the Books of Samuel (1 Samuel 18; 20; 2 Samuel 1) and although most scholars have always interpreted it as referring to platonic, some have argued that it refers to romantic or sexual love.
Two significant passages are 1 Samuel 18:3-4 (TNIV):
“ And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. ”
And 2 Samuel 1:26 (TNIV):
“ I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
 you were very dear to me.
 Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women.
 ”
As romantic relationship[edit]
Jonathan's gifts to David, David's comparison of Jonathan's love to the love of women, the "covenant" the two made, and Saul's reaction have led some scholars to suggest that their relationship was a romantic or possibly sexual one.[14][23][24][25][26]
As platonic relationship[edit]
Biblical scholars have widely and traditionally interpreted this as a very close but non-sexual relationship (cf. Issues in human sexuality, para. 2.17). Some opponents of the theory that David and Jonathan's relationship was romantic believe that the stripping of Jonathan has a clear Biblical precedent, that of the stripping of Aaron of his garments to put them upon Eleazar his son (Numbers 20:26) in transference of the office of the former upon the latter; in like manner, Jonathan would be symbolically and prophetically transferring the kingship of himself (as the normal heir) to David, which would come to pass.[27][28][29] They also say that "stripped himself...even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle" indicates a limit, that of his outer garments and ending with “girdle, which means armor in 2Kings 3:21.[30]
Those who assert the opposing interpretation agree that a sexual relationship is not made explicit, and for many scholars the relationship is a "classical Biblical example" (Hilborn 2002, p. 2) of close non-sexual friendship, such as the friendship eloquently described by Gregory of Nazianzus in Oration 43, 19-20 as existing between him and Basil of Caesarea, when they were students in Athens.
Books of Kings[edit]
Both Books of Kings (1 Kings 14:24, 15:12, 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7), refer to historical intervals when kadeshim ("consecrated ones") rose to some prominence in the Holy Land, until purged by Jahwist revivalist kings such as Jehoshaphat and Josiah.
The kadeshim were connected in some way with the rituals of the Canaanite religion. The Hebrew Bible consistently parallels the female equivalent, a kedeshah, with zanah, the word for a common prostitute. This has led to the inference that there may have been a sexual element to the rituals. The King James version systematically translates the word as "sodomites", while the Revised Standard version renders it, "male cult prostitutes". At 1 Kings 15:12 the Septuagint hellenises them as teletai - personifications of the presiding spirits at the initiation rites of the Bacchic orgies. There may have been a transvestite element too. Various classical authors assert this of male initiates of Eastern goddess cults, and in the Vulgate for all four of these references St. Jerome renders the kadeshim as "effeminati". The sons of Israel are forbidden from becoming kadeshim, and the daughters of Israel from becoming kadeshot, in Deuteronomy 23:17-18; their activities are identified as "abominations".
Book of Ruth[edit]
Main article: Book of Ruth
This book concerns the love between Naomi and her widowed daughter-in-law, Ruth. Naomi's husband and her two sons die and Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to return to their homes:
“ At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth clung to her. ”
(Ruth 1:14; TNIV).
Instead of leaving Naomi, Ruth pledges to stay with her (Ruth 1:16-18). This relationship has therefore long been commended as an example of self-sacrificing love and close friendship (e.g. Issues in Human Sexuality para. 2.7). However, some have interpreted this relationship as probably sexual in nature. For example, Thomas Horner argues: "Whether there existed a relationship of physical love between Ruth and Naomi cannot be demonstrated. However, the right words are there."[26]:20 The word Horner is primarily concerned with is the word translated as clung in Ruth 1:14, which is the Hebrew word "dabaq". This word is also translated in Genesis 2:24 as united "to his wife" and in Genesis 34:3 as drawn "to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman". The context of these passages is one of romantic or sexual attraction.
Text from the Book of Ruth, specifically Ruth's "whither thou goest, I will go" speech to Naomi, is used in Jewish heterosexual wedding ceremonies.[31]
Biblical scholars who reject homosexual advocacy interpretation in the Book of Ruth do so on the basis that it runs counter to accumulated semantic, syntactic, and intertextual literary evidence.[32]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Homosexuality, by James B. De Young
2.Jump up ^ Keil and Delitzsch, Gn. 19:6-11
3.Jump up ^ John Gill, Gn. 19:8
4.Jump up ^ "A Reformed Response to Daniel Helminiak's Gay Theology, by Derrick K. Olliff and Dewey H. Hodges". Reformed.org. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
5.Jump up ^ D S. Bailey, Homosexuality and the Western Tradition, p. 8
6.Jump up ^ John J. McNeil, the Church and the Homosexual, p. 50
7.Jump up ^ The works of Philo a contemporary of Josephius Page 528
8.Jump up ^ http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-1.htm
9.Jump up ^ Gisela Bleibtreu-Ehrenberg, Tabu Homosexualität - Die Geschichte eines Vorurteils ("The taboo of homosexuality: The history of a prejudice"), 1978, p. 188, 190-196, 202
10.Jump up ^ Deacon Maccubbin (1994): Sin and the Sodomites
11.Jump up ^ See also the extensive documentation at Sodomy
12.Jump up ^ Hasbany, Homosexuality and Religion, p. 50,51
13.Jump up ^ cf. Babylonian Talmud Yoma 67b
14.^ Jump up to: a b Homosexuality and the Bible: A Case Study in the Use of the Bible for Ethics, Loren L. Johns
15.Jump up ^ The Bible and Homosexuality, Mona West
16.Jump up ^ "Westminster Confession Of Fait Chapter Xix. Of The Law Of God". Reformed.org. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
17.Jump up ^ John Gill, Mt. 5:17; Col. 2:16
18.Jump up ^ Charles C. Ryrie, "The End of the Law," Bibliotheca Sacra 124 (July–September 1967):246
19.Jump up ^ Theonomic Ethics and the Westminster Confession by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.
20.Jump up ^ Gagnon, Why the disagreement over the Biblical witness on homosexual practice?[dead link]
21.Jump up ^ "Homosexuality and the Old Testament, P. Michael Ukleja". Faculty.gordon.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
22.Jump up ^ "That Which is Unnatural" Homosexuality in Society, the Church, and Scripture by Joseph P. Gudel -ICR
23.Jump up ^ Vasey, Michael (1995). Strangers and Friends. Hodder and Stoughton. p. ?. ISBN 0-340-60814-5.
24.Jump up ^ The construction of homosexuality, David Greenberg, p. 113
25.Jump up ^ Homosexuality and Civilization, Louis Crompton
26.^ Jump up to: a b Horner, Thomas Marland (1978). Jonathan loved David: homosexuality in biblical times. Westminster John Knox Press.
27.Jump up ^ The Bible and Homosexual Practice, 146-54; http://www.robgagnon.net/NewsweekMillerHomosexResp.htm, Prof. Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon
28.Jump up ^ Markus Zehnder, “Observations on the Relationship between David and Jonathan and the Debate on Homosexuality,” Westminster Theological Journal 69.1 [2007]: 127-74)
29.Jump up ^ Thomas E Schmidt, “Straight or Narrow?”
30.Jump up ^ Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
31.Jump up ^ Card, Claudia (1995). Lesbian choices. Columbia University Press. p. 26.
32.Jump up ^ Scott N. Callaham, "But Ruth Clung to Her: Textual Constraints on Ambiguity in Ruth 1:14," Tyndale Bulletin 63 (2012): 179-197.
  


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LGBT-affirming Christian denominations

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 The LGBT flag at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston indicates that the church welcomes LGBT-identifying persons
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) affirming Christian denominations are Christian denominations that do not consider homosexuality or transgenderism to be sins. They include entire religious denominations, as well as individual churches and congregations. Some are composed mainly of non-LGBT members and also have specific programs to welcome LGBT people, while others are composed mainly of LGBT members.
Additionally, some denominations which are not LGBT-affirming have member-organized groups which are not officially sanctioned by the denomination. There are also ecumenical or para-church programmes that are explicitly outreaches to LGBT people, but do not identify with any particular faith tradition or denomination.


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Denominations 2.1 North America
2.2 Europe
2.3 Central and South America
3 Denomination-sanctioned programmes
4 Unofficial programmes
5 Programmes not affiliated with any particular denomination
6 See also
7 References
8 External links 8.1 Christian


History[edit]
While Christianity has traditionally forbidden sodomy, believing it to be parallel to homosexuality, some believe in the Hebrew text and history that the word sodomy literally means "male temple prostitute", and not a translation for homosexual. Thus, homosexuality is not thought of as an act of sin in a growing population of churches today.[1][2] Today some Christian denominations are accepting of homosexuality and transgenderism and inclusive of homosexual and transgender people, such as the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church. Formed in 1991, * The Evangelical Network is a network of evangelical churches, ministries and Christian Workers that are a part of the LGBT community. The Evangelical Network holds an annual conference and provides education, ministerial support, and networking capabilities.
One of the first churches established for gays was the Liberal Catholic Church, in Sydney, Australia in 1916. In 1946, Archbishop George Hyde of the Eucharistic Catholic Communion (a small denomination not in union with the Roman Catholic Church) celebrated mass for gay men in Atlanta. In 1956, the Church of ONE Brotherhood was founded in Los Angeles by a gay-rights activist.[3] In 1962, a Congregationalist pastor began an overt pastoral ministry to gay people in New York City. The first gay and transgender-specific denomination, as opposed to individual congregations, was the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in 1968.[3]
Some congregations are merely non-discriminatory and LGBT-affirming while others are specifically oriented toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons.[3] Some local congregations, especially those designated as "Welcoming churches" in the Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Methodist, Episcopal, and Brethren/Mennonite denominations, may consist of a majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members.[3]
While Unitarian Universalism is no longer explicitly a Christian religion, it does have Judeo-Christian roots. Both the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Canadian Unitarian Council have officially affirmed LGBT people and have openly advocated for gay rights.
Denominations[edit]
North America[edit]



MCCNY, a church in New York City.


 Grace Gospel Chapel, in Seattle.Affirming Pentecostal Church International
The Anthem Network
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
AXIOS - Eastern and Orthodox Gay and Lesbian Christians
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Community of Christ
Ecclesia Gnostica
Ecumenical Catholic Church
Ecumenical Catholic Communion
Episcopal Church (United States)
Evangelical Anglican Church In America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
The Evangelical Network
Friends General Conference
Friends of Jesus Fellowship
Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic Pentecostals
Inclusive Orthodox Church
Metropolitan Community Church
Old Catholic Church
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Progressive Christian Alliance
Reformed Anglican Catholic Church
Restoration Church of Jesus Christ (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) — a Latter Day Saint denomination
United Church of Christ
United Church of Canada
Unity Church
Europe[edit]
German Lutheran, reformed and united churches in Evangelical Church in Germany
German, Swiss, Austrian and Dutch Old Catholic Church
Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Ecumenical Catholic Communion
Swiss reformed churches in Swiss Reformed Church
Protestant Church in the Netherlands
Church of Denmark
Church of Norway
Church of Sweden
Church of Iceland
United Protestant Church in Belgium
Portugal - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
British Quakers
Wales - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
Albania - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy (CELI)[4]
Poland - Christian United Church in Poland
United Kingdom - United Ecumenical Catholic Church
Central and South America[edit]
Brazil - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
Brazil - Catholic Diversity
Colombia - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
AChurch4Me (Chicago,IL)
Anthem Phoenix (Phoenix, Arizona)
New Day Worship Center (Toccoa, Georgia)
Bethlehem Community, Faithful Companions of St. Francis – religious community within Ecumenical Catholic Church (Liverpool, England)
Broadway United Methodist Church (Indianapolis, IN)
Cathedral of Hope (Dallas, Texas, USA)
Christ Chapel of the Valley (North Hollywood (Los Angeles), CA) - a member of the evangelical Christ Chapel Association of Churches
Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany, Episcopal (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
Church of the Valley (Van Nuys, CA) - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Community Parish of St Bernadette Liverpool – congregation of Ecumenical Catholic Church (Liverpool, England)
Glendale City Seventh-day Adventist Church (Glendale, California, USA)
Glide Memorial Church (San Francisco, California, USA)
Lakeside Church (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church (San Francisco, California, USA)
New Covenant Church Sydney - A Pentecostal affirming church (Sydney, Australia)
Grace Gospel Chapel (Seattle, Washington, USA)
Seattle First Baptist Church (Seattle, Washington, USA)
Hagia Sophia Gnostic Church - Ecclesia Gnostica (Seattle, Washington, USA)
Light of Love Fellowship (St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)
Spirit of Joy Christian Church (Lakeville, Minnesota, USA) - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
St. Mark's Anglican Church - a bilingual congregation (Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico)
Tong-Kwang Light House Presbyterian Church (Taipei, Taiwan)
University Baptist Church (Austin, Texas, USA)
St. Paul's Anglican Church (Vancouver, BC)
Wake Forest Baptist Church (Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA)
Walnut Creek United Methodist Church (Walnut Creek, California, USA)
Living Spirit United Methodist Church (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
Greenland Hills United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX, USA)
Ekklesia Tou Theou (Church of God), (Cavite, Philippines)
[1] Olivet-Schwenkfelder United Church of Christ, (East Norriton, Pennsylvania, USA)
Remain Ministries Southwest Florida - Non-Denominational/Pentecostal Church (Cape Coral/Fort Myers, Florida, USA)
Open Doors Community Church, (Seoul, South Korea)
Trinity Episcopal Church (St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
Denomination-sanctioned programmes[edit]
The following denominations have LGBT-welcoming or affirming programmes, though not all churches within the denomination are necessarily members of the LGBT programme.
Integrity and the OASIS are parachurch ministries, but operate under the official roof of the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. There are also official programmes identifying parishes in some dioceses.
Supportive Communities Network — Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Church USA, and Mennonite Church Canada
Open and Affirming — Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): Open and Affirming.
Welcoming Community Network (WCN). — Community of Christ
Reconciling in Christ — Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
More Light — Presbyterian Church (USA)
Open & Affirming, All are Welcome — Reformed Catholic Church[disambiguation needed] (USA) (International):
Room for All — Reformed Church in America
Affirm United/S'affirmer Ensemble — United Church of Canada
Open and Affirming (ONA) — United Church of Christ
Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns
Unofficial programmes[edit]
Axios - an unofficial Orthodox-Christian association for LGBT Orthodox-Christians and same-sex-marriage activists working to promote recognition of same-sex marriage in the Church.
Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons — Latter-day Saints
Changing Attitude (International) – group working for LGBT affirmation within the Anglican Communion. Conducts worship, training and workshops.
Changing Attitude (UK)[5] – same as above but particularly for the Church of England.
DignityUSA - Roman Catholic Church. Works for inclusiveness but is not associated with particular congregations, nor is supported by the Church hierarchy. A separate organisation called Courage International promotes chastity amongst LGBT Catholics, and is supported by the Church hierarchy as it submits to the Church's official position on homosexuality.
Inclusive Church (multi-denominational, but principally Church of England/Anglican) – working for a range of inclusion within the Anglican Communion.
Nazarene Ally - Church of the Nazarene. Seeks to promote dialogue between the Nazarene Church and the LGBT community, address policy language, and promote inclusion of LGBT members in rhythms and life of the Church.[6]
Reconciling Ministries Network — United Methodist Church
SDA Kinship International — Seventh-day Adventist
Welcoming and Affirming — Baptist
Pink Menno Campaign — Mennonite Church USA
GALA (Gay and Lesbian Acceptance) - Community of Christ. An unofficial organization of LGBT members of the church.
Emergence International - Christian Science. An unofficial organization for LGBT members of the movement.
Programmes not affiliated with any particular denomination[edit]
Gay Christian Network (GCN) is a "nonprofit ministry supporting Christians worldwide who happen to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)". GCN is an ecumenical ministry, welcoming Christians from a wide variety of backgrounds. GCN was founded in 2001 by Justin Lee, and has sought to "build a supportive community to support fellow gay Christians in their Christian walks."
The Anthem Network (AN) is a "Sacramental, Evangelical and Charismatic network of Churches, Church Plants, Affiliated Congregations and Clergy. It was founded in 2014 in Los Angeles, California by the Rev. Drew Haywood. Visit http://www.TogetherAnthem.com for more information about this network."
Freedom2b is an Australian based organisation that assists LGBTI people from Christian backgrounds on their journey to reconciling their faith, sexuality and gender identity.
Institute for Welcoming Resources (a programme of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force)
Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (UK)
Accepting Evangelicals – Evangelical parishes accepting LGBT people www.acceptingevangelicals.org
Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians (UK)
European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups
Evangelicals Concerned: Gay and Transgender Christians
Sybils: UK group for transgender Christians
Nuntiare et Recreare: Russian multi-denominational organization
LGBT Christians (Russian: ЛГБТ-христиане Украины): Ukrainian multi-denominational organization
Believe Out Loud - an online network that empowers Christians to work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.
The Evangelical Network
Strength in Weakness Ministry [7]
See also[edit]

Portal icon LGBT portal
List of Christian denominational positions on homosexuality
List of LGBT-related organizations, including religious organizations
The Evangelical Network
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Bishop Soto tells NACDLGM: 'Homosexuality is Sinful' catholic.org, accessed 29 September 2008
2.Jump up ^ Help topics Assemblies of God (USA), accessed 6 July 2009
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d Gay and Lesbian Churches and Synagogues, GLBTQ
4.Jump up ^ "Italian Lutherans say Yes to the blessing of homosexual couples". European Protestant News Network. 2011-05-16. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
5.Jump up ^ http://www.changingattitude.org.uk
6.Jump up ^ Nazarene Ally Website
7.Jump up ^ http://www.strengthinweakness.org/0608/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
External links[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to LGBT or LGBT-friendly churches.
Christian[edit]
Affirming Pentecostal Church International
Beyond Ex-Gay Group for survivors of Ex-Gay ministries
Catholic Diversity
Changing Attitude (International)
Changing Attitude (UK) – group working for Gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender affirmation within the Anglican Communion
Christ Chapel of the Valley (Los Angeles) - a evangelical church welcoming Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgendered Christians
Christian Gays
ChristianLesbians.com
Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians (UK)
Evangelicals Concerned: Gay and Transgender Christians
European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups
Gay Christian Europe Largest welcoming Christian church directory in Europe, multilingual
The Gay Christian Network Interdenominational organization providing online support, community, and resources for LGBT Christians
GayChristianSurvivors - Refuting anti-gay doctrines & traditions with the Word of God.
gaychurch.org Largest welcoming Christian church directory in the world and much more
Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic Pentecostals Gay Apostolic Pentecostals
Homosexuals and Church (German Ecumenical Group)
Inclusive Church (Anglican)
Integrity (US Episcopal)
Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (UK)
SoulForce — non-denominational organization which promotes LGBT-inclusion in churches
The Evangelical Network
Whosoever: An Online Magazine for GLBT Christians
Christians Gay
King of Peace Church St. Petersburg (FL)
The Gathering Place Atlanta


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LGBT-affirming Christian denominations

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 This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (August 2014)
Part of a series on
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 The LGBT flag at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston indicates that the church welcomes LGBT-identifying persons
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) affirming Christian denominations are Christian denominations that do not consider homosexuality or transgenderism to be sins. They include entire religious denominations, as well as individual churches and congregations. Some are composed mainly of non-LGBT members and also have specific programs to welcome LGBT people, while others are composed mainly of LGBT members.
Additionally, some denominations which are not LGBT-affirming have member-organized groups which are not officially sanctioned by the denomination. There are also ecumenical or para-church programmes that are explicitly outreaches to LGBT people, but do not identify with any particular faith tradition or denomination.


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Denominations 2.1 North America
2.2 Europe
2.3 Central and South America
3 Denomination-sanctioned programmes
4 Unofficial programmes
5 Programmes not affiliated with any particular denomination
6 See also
7 References
8 External links 8.1 Christian


History[edit]
While Christianity has traditionally forbidden sodomy, believing it to be parallel to homosexuality, some believe in the Hebrew text and history that the word sodomy literally means "male temple prostitute", and not a translation for homosexual. Thus, homosexuality is not thought of as an act of sin in a growing population of churches today.[1][2] Today some Christian denominations are accepting of homosexuality and transgenderism and inclusive of homosexual and transgender people, such as the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church. Formed in 1991, * The Evangelical Network is a network of evangelical churches, ministries and Christian Workers that are a part of the LGBT community. The Evangelical Network holds an annual conference and provides education, ministerial support, and networking capabilities.
One of the first churches established for gays was the Liberal Catholic Church, in Sydney, Australia in 1916. In 1946, Archbishop George Hyde of the Eucharistic Catholic Communion (a small denomination not in union with the Roman Catholic Church) celebrated mass for gay men in Atlanta. In 1956, the Church of ONE Brotherhood was founded in Los Angeles by a gay-rights activist.[3] In 1962, a Congregationalist pastor began an overt pastoral ministry to gay people in New York City. The first gay and transgender-specific denomination, as opposed to individual congregations, was the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in 1968.[3]
Some congregations are merely non-discriminatory and LGBT-affirming while others are specifically oriented toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons.[3] Some local congregations, especially those designated as "Welcoming churches" in the Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Methodist, Episcopal, and Brethren/Mennonite denominations, may consist of a majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members.[3]
While Unitarian Universalism is no longer explicitly a Christian religion, it does have Judeo-Christian roots. Both the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Canadian Unitarian Council have officially affirmed LGBT people and have openly advocated for gay rights.
Denominations[edit]
North America[edit]



MCCNY, a church in New York City.


 Grace Gospel Chapel, in Seattle.Affirming Pentecostal Church International
The Anthem Network
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
AXIOS - Eastern and Orthodox Gay and Lesbian Christians
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Community of Christ
Ecclesia Gnostica
Ecumenical Catholic Church
Ecumenical Catholic Communion
Episcopal Church (United States)
Evangelical Anglican Church In America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
The Evangelical Network
Friends General Conference
Friends of Jesus Fellowship
Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic Pentecostals
Inclusive Orthodox Church
Metropolitan Community Church
Old Catholic Church
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Progressive Christian Alliance
Reformed Anglican Catholic Church
Restoration Church of Jesus Christ (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) — a Latter Day Saint denomination
United Church of Christ
United Church of Canada
Unity Church
Europe[edit]
German Lutheran, reformed and united churches in Evangelical Church in Germany
German, Swiss, Austrian and Dutch Old Catholic Church
Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Ecumenical Catholic Communion
Swiss reformed churches in Swiss Reformed Church
Protestant Church in the Netherlands
Church of Denmark
Church of Norway
Church of Sweden
Church of Iceland
United Protestant Church in Belgium
Portugal - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
British Quakers
Wales - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
Albania - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy (CELI)[4]
Poland - Christian United Church in Poland
United Kingdom - United Ecumenical Catholic Church
Central and South America[edit]
Brazil - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
Brazil - Catholic Diversity
Colombia - Affirming Pentecostal Church International
AChurch4Me (Chicago,IL)
Anthem Phoenix (Phoenix, Arizona)
New Day Worship Center (Toccoa, Georgia)
Bethlehem Community, Faithful Companions of St. Francis – religious community within Ecumenical Catholic Church (Liverpool, England)
Broadway United Methodist Church (Indianapolis, IN)
Cathedral of Hope (Dallas, Texas, USA)
Christ Chapel of the Valley (North Hollywood (Los Angeles), CA) - a member of the evangelical Christ Chapel Association of Churches
Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany, Episcopal (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
Church of the Valley (Van Nuys, CA) - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Community Parish of St Bernadette Liverpool – congregation of Ecumenical Catholic Church (Liverpool, England)
Glendale City Seventh-day Adventist Church (Glendale, California, USA)
Glide Memorial Church (San Francisco, California, USA)
Lakeside Church (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church (San Francisco, California, USA)
New Covenant Church Sydney - A Pentecostal affirming church (Sydney, Australia)
Grace Gospel Chapel (Seattle, Washington, USA)
Seattle First Baptist Church (Seattle, Washington, USA)
Hagia Sophia Gnostic Church - Ecclesia Gnostica (Seattle, Washington, USA)
Light of Love Fellowship (St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)
Spirit of Joy Christian Church (Lakeville, Minnesota, USA) - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
St. Mark's Anglican Church - a bilingual congregation (Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico)
Tong-Kwang Light House Presbyterian Church (Taipei, Taiwan)
University Baptist Church (Austin, Texas, USA)
St. Paul's Anglican Church (Vancouver, BC)
Wake Forest Baptist Church (Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA)
Walnut Creek United Methodist Church (Walnut Creek, California, USA)
Living Spirit United Methodist Church (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
Greenland Hills United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX, USA)
Ekklesia Tou Theou (Church of God), (Cavite, Philippines)
[1] Olivet-Schwenkfelder United Church of Christ, (East Norriton, Pennsylvania, USA)
Remain Ministries Southwest Florida - Non-Denominational/Pentecostal Church (Cape Coral/Fort Myers, Florida, USA)
Open Doors Community Church, (Seoul, South Korea)
Trinity Episcopal Church (St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
Denomination-sanctioned programmes[edit]
The following denominations have LGBT-welcoming or affirming programmes, though not all churches within the denomination are necessarily members of the LGBT programme.
Integrity and the OASIS are parachurch ministries, but operate under the official roof of the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. There are also official programmes identifying parishes in some dioceses.
Supportive Communities Network — Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Church USA, and Mennonite Church Canada
Open and Affirming — Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): Open and Affirming.
Welcoming Community Network (WCN). — Community of Christ
Reconciling in Christ — Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
More Light — Presbyterian Church (USA)
Open & Affirming, All are Welcome — Reformed Catholic Church[disambiguation needed] (USA) (International):
Room for All — Reformed Church in America
Affirm United/S'affirmer Ensemble — United Church of Canada
Open and Affirming (ONA) — United Church of Christ
Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns
Unofficial programmes[edit]
Axios - an unofficial Orthodox-Christian association for LGBT Orthodox-Christians and same-sex-marriage activists working to promote recognition of same-sex marriage in the Church.
Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons — Latter-day Saints
Changing Attitude (International) – group working for LGBT affirmation within the Anglican Communion. Conducts worship, training and workshops.
Changing Attitude (UK)[5] – same as above but particularly for the Church of England.
DignityUSA - Roman Catholic Church. Works for inclusiveness but is not associated with particular congregations, nor is supported by the Church hierarchy. A separate organisation called Courage International promotes chastity amongst LGBT Catholics, and is supported by the Church hierarchy as it submits to the Church's official position on homosexuality.
Inclusive Church (multi-denominational, but principally Church of England/Anglican) – working for a range of inclusion within the Anglican Communion.
Nazarene Ally - Church of the Nazarene. Seeks to promote dialogue between the Nazarene Church and the LGBT community, address policy language, and promote inclusion of LGBT members in rhythms and life of the Church.[6]
Reconciling Ministries Network — United Methodist Church
SDA Kinship International — Seventh-day Adventist
Welcoming and Affirming — Baptist
Pink Menno Campaign — Mennonite Church USA
GALA (Gay and Lesbian Acceptance) - Community of Christ. An unofficial organization of LGBT members of the church.
Emergence International - Christian Science. An unofficial organization for LGBT members of the movement.
Programmes not affiliated with any particular denomination[edit]
Gay Christian Network (GCN) is a "nonprofit ministry supporting Christians worldwide who happen to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)". GCN is an ecumenical ministry, welcoming Christians from a wide variety of backgrounds. GCN was founded in 2001 by Justin Lee, and has sought to "build a supportive community to support fellow gay Christians in their Christian walks."
The Anthem Network (AN) is a "Sacramental, Evangelical and Charismatic network of Churches, Church Plants, Affiliated Congregations and Clergy. It was founded in 2014 in Los Angeles, California by the Rev. Drew Haywood. Visit http://www.TogetherAnthem.com for more information about this network."
Freedom2b is an Australian based organisation that assists LGBTI people from Christian backgrounds on their journey to reconciling their faith, sexuality and gender identity.
Institute for Welcoming Resources (a programme of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force)
Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (UK)
Accepting Evangelicals – Evangelical parishes accepting LGBT people www.acceptingevangelicals.org
Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians (UK)
European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups
Evangelicals Concerned: Gay and Transgender Christians
Sybils: UK group for transgender Christians
Nuntiare et Recreare: Russian multi-denominational organization
LGBT Christians (Russian: ЛГБТ-христиане Украины): Ukrainian multi-denominational organization
Believe Out Loud - an online network that empowers Christians to work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.
The Evangelical Network
Strength in Weakness Ministry [7]
See also[edit]

Portal icon LGBT portal
List of Christian denominational positions on homosexuality
List of LGBT-related organizations, including religious organizations
The Evangelical Network
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Bishop Soto tells NACDLGM: 'Homosexuality is Sinful' catholic.org, accessed 29 September 2008
2.Jump up ^ Help topics Assemblies of God (USA), accessed 6 July 2009
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d Gay and Lesbian Churches and Synagogues, GLBTQ
4.Jump up ^ "Italian Lutherans say Yes to the blessing of homosexual couples". European Protestant News Network. 2011-05-16. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
5.Jump up ^ http://www.changingattitude.org.uk
6.Jump up ^ Nazarene Ally Website
7.Jump up ^ http://www.strengthinweakness.org/0608/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
External links[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to LGBT or LGBT-friendly churches.
Christian[edit]
Affirming Pentecostal Church International
Beyond Ex-Gay Group for survivors of Ex-Gay ministries
Catholic Diversity
Changing Attitude (International)
Changing Attitude (UK) – group working for Gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender affirmation within the Anglican Communion
Christ Chapel of the Valley (Los Angeles) - a evangelical church welcoming Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgendered Christians
Christian Gays
ChristianLesbians.com
Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians (UK)
Evangelicals Concerned: Gay and Transgender Christians
European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups
Gay Christian Europe Largest welcoming Christian church directory in Europe, multilingual
The Gay Christian Network Interdenominational organization providing online support, community, and resources for LGBT Christians
GayChristianSurvivors - Refuting anti-gay doctrines & traditions with the Word of God.
gaychurch.org Largest welcoming Christian church directory in the world and much more
Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic Pentecostals Gay Apostolic Pentecostals
Homosexuals and Church (German Ecumenical Group)
Inclusive Church (Anglican)
Integrity (US Episcopal)
Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (UK)
SoulForce — non-denominational organization which promotes LGBT-inclusion in churches
The Evangelical Network
Whosoever: An Online Magazine for GLBT Christians
Christians Gay
King of Peace Church St. Petersburg (FL)
The Gathering Place Atlanta


[show]
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LGBT pride flag




























































































































































  


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Restoration Church of Jesus Christ

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This article is about the Salt Lake City-based Latter Day Saint sect that broke from the LDS Church in 2010. For similarly named Latter Day Saint sects, see Restoration Church of Jesus Christ (disambiguation).

Restoration Church of Jesus Christ
Restoration Church of Jesus Christ Logo.jpg
Classification
Restorationist
Orientation
Latter Day Saint movement
Scripture
Bible
Book of Mormon (LDS Church)
Pearl of Great Price
Doctrine and Covenants (LDS Church)
Doctrine and Covenants (Community of Christ)
Hidden Treasures and Promises
Leader
Robert A. McIntier, president
Founder
Antonio A. Feliz and others (see article)
Origin
August 23, 1985
Los Angeles, California, United States
Separated from
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Congregations
1 (known as "families" in RCJC)
Members
500 (on rolls when denomination dissolved in 2010)
Temples
none
Official website
rcjc.org
The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ (RCJC), based in Salt Lake City, Utah, was a church in the Latter Day Saint movement that catered primarily to the spiritual needs of LGBT Latter Day Saints. The church was dissolved in 2010.
The RCJC was sometimes informally called the "Gay Mormon Church" because of its overwhelmingly homosexual membership, although people of any sexual orientation could join.


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Scripture 2.1 The Hidden Treasures and Promises
3 Beliefs and practices
4 Homosexual polygamy
5 Position on reincarnation
6 Membership
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links 10.1 Resources
10.2 News and articles


History[edit]
Founded by Antonio A. Feliz, Lamar Hamilton, John Crane, Pamela J. Calkins and other members of the Los Angeles Chapter of Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons on August 23, 1985, in Los Angeles, California.
Feliz is a former bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), who had been excommunicated for homosexual acts.[1] Feliz had also served as the Director of Church Welfare for what was then called the Andean Region (now called the South America West Area) of the LDS Church during the 1970s.
Feliz originally named the church the "Church of Jesus Christ of All Latter Day Saints", but when the LDS Church informed him of their intent to sue, he changed the name to the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ.[citation needed]
The RCJC had rotating general officers. At a church conference in Sacramento, California, in May 1987, Feliz resigned as president. He was succeeded by Robert McIntier, who served as president of the church since 1987 through at least 2009, except for a period from 1997 to 1999 when Douglas B. Madrid served as president.
Scripture[edit]
The scriptures of the church are the Bible (officially the King James Version, but others are accepted), the Book of Mormon (LDS Church edition), the Doctrine and Covenants (both the LDS Church and the Community of Christ versions, since the RCJC accepts that God can speak to different denominations), the Pearl of Great Price, and The Hidden Treasures and Promises, a book which members say consists of revelations given through the president of the church and other leaders.
The Hidden Treasures and Promises[edit]
The Hidden Treasures and Promises begins with a compilation of the Articles of Faith with insertions for inclusion of women (i.e., "2. We believe that men [and women] will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression....5. We believe that a man [or woman] must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands of those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.") and hymns composed by RCJC member John Crane. The second section of the work (attributed to Antonio Feliz) criticizes the LDS Church for refusing to "send the Restored Gospel to our people—to the gay and lesbian communities of the world." The section calls for the furtherance of the Restored Gospel to the LGBT populace through the "work of ordaining, calling, and setting-apart of missionaries". Altogether, the work consists of 58 sections of messages.
Beliefs and practices[edit]
Unlike in the LDS Church, RCJC women could hold the priesthood. The Heavenly Mother was regarded as an equal member of the Godhead along with the Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Thus, the church believed in a quadriune Godhead. The Heavenly Parents (i.e., the Heavenly Father and the Heavenly Mother) were worshiped in prayers given in the name of Jesus Christ.
The priesthood leaders of the church were called "general officers" as in the Community of Christ, not general authorities as in the LDS Church. Church conferences were held periodically.
Rebaptism was not required for anyone who has been previously baptized in a Latter Day Saint church that can trace its authority back to Joseph Smith, Jr. New members who had never previously been a member of a Latter Day Saint church, and those who chose to be rebaptized upon joining the RCJC, were baptized by immersion in the name of The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
When passing the sacrament, either water or grape juice was used.
The Word of Wisdom was regarded as good advice, but not as an absolute requirement. The church counseled that it is best to consume meat in moderation; however, use of alcohol or tobacco by the church membership was discouraged. As in the LDS Church (called the "Orthodox Mormon Church" by the RCJC), it was popular to serve Jell-O, cake, and milk (or fruit punch and cookies) at church gatherings.
Members were encouraged to store a one-year supply of food. Home teaching was practiced.
The church practiced endowments, the law of adoption, and celestial marriage. In addition to heterosexual marriage, the church also practiced same-sex marriage. The church believed in the practice of baptism for the dead but did not practice it.
Homosexual polygamy[edit]
In an 1986 interview with Sunstone magazine, Feliz stated he believed that it was good to practice The Principle (as polygamy is known by modern Mormon fundamentalists) and that he would be open to performing homosexual polygamous marriages if requested by any members.[1]
Pamela J. Calkins, of Sacramento, was the first woman to be ordained to the priesthood in the RCJC.[1] Later, she entered into a polygamous homosexual betrothal sealing in advance of a celestial marriage with three female partners, thus becoming the first women in Mormondom to do so. Calkins and Lynn R. LaMaster were the first lesbian couple to be sealed for time and eternity (celestial marriage). Later that same evening, Leanna R Anderson and Carole L. Dee were also sealed for time and eternity to each other and to Calkins. No other polygamous homosexual celestial marriages were performed for any other members of the church.
In theory it was conceivable that a heterosexual member of the church (someone who joined the church primarily because of its liberal principles, not primarily because of its compatibility with LGBT people) could ask to be sealed in a regular heterosexual marriage, but this did not happen.
Position on reincarnation[edit]
In the summer of 1986, Feliz gave a lecture at the Metropolitan Community Church in The Castro, a predominantly gay neighborhood in San Francisco, California, "Joseph Smith and the Concept of Multiple Lifetimes". In the lecture, he said that there was evidence that some early Mormons may have believed in reincarnation. In the question and answer period after the lecture, he stated that although reincarnation is not an official doctrine of the RCJC, individual members of the church may believe in the doctrine if they wish.
Membership[edit]
During the period 2000–10 the total membership of the church was about 500 on the rolls (of which approximately 25 were active members who attended services at the meetinghouse in Salt Lake City, Utah). The church had one congregation (known as a "family" in the RCJC) in Salt Lake City. There were members on the rolls in many U.S. states (mostly Utah and California), as well as several foreign countries. There was also an online "Internet Sunday School" in which members discussed gospel topics, shared ideas, and offered support to one another.
See also[edit]

Portal icon LGBT portal
Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
GALA (Gay and Lesbian Acceptance)
David and Jonathan
Homosexuality and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
John the Beloved
LGBT-affirming churches
Queer theology
Secret Gospel of Mark
Thealogy
United Order Family of Christ
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c Sunstone magazine. March 1986. Interview with Antonio A. Feliz. pp. 43-44.
Further reading[edit]
Feliz, Antonio A. (1988). Out of the Bishop's Closet — A Call to Heal Ourselves, Each Other, and Our World; A True Story. Aurora Press (San Francisco, California). ISBN 978-0-929582-00-9.
Quinn, Michael D. (1996). Same-Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans — A Mormon Example. University of Illinois Press (Urbana, Illinois). ISBN 978-0-252-02205-0.
External links[edit]
Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, official website
Blog in Spanish of the RCJC
Christ's Church A Reformation Community - one continuing pro-gay LDS church
Community Church of Christ (in Spanish)
Resources[edit]
Hidden Treasures and Promises (1990 Edition) (in PDF)
News and articles[edit]
Memoirs of a Utah gay activist 1986 (posted Dec. 23, 2006)—-details early proselytizing efforts of the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ:
Unto All Peoples (Official RCJC Publication) Christmas Issue--December 1997:
"Same Sex Temple Sealings: Did the Early LDS Church Embrace Homosexual Relationships?". Salt Lake Metro. September 2004.
History of “Homosexuality and Mormonism 1840-1980” (1994) by Connell O’Donovan:
"Private Pain, Public Purges: A History of Homosexuality at Brigham Young University (1940-1992)"—Address given by Connell O'Donovan on April 28, 1997 at UC Santa Cruz:
"Prologue—An Examination of the Mormon Attitude Towards Homosexuality" by Cloy Jenkins et al—1977 Pamphlet which led to the founding of "Affirmation—Gay & Lesbian Mormons":
"Restoration Church of Jesus Christ", written by JoSelle Vanderhooft for Salt Lake Metro
"Gay Mormons find acceptance in Restoration Church", Rosemary Winters, Salt Lake Tribune


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Latter Day Saint movement in California
Latter Day Saint movement in Utah
LGBT churches in the United States
LGBT in Utah
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Liberal Mormon sects in the Latter Day Saint movement
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Restoration Church of Jesus Christ

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This article is about the Salt Lake City-based Latter Day Saint sect that broke from the LDS Church in 2010. For similarly named Latter Day Saint sects, see Restoration Church of Jesus Christ (disambiguation).

Restoration Church of Jesus Christ
Restoration Church of Jesus Christ Logo.jpg
Classification
Restorationist
Orientation
Latter Day Saint movement
Scripture
Bible
Book of Mormon (LDS Church)
Pearl of Great Price
Doctrine and Covenants (LDS Church)
Doctrine and Covenants (Community of Christ)
Hidden Treasures and Promises
Leader
Robert A. McIntier, president
Founder
Antonio A. Feliz and others (see article)
Origin
August 23, 1985
Los Angeles, California, United States
Separated from
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Congregations
1 (known as "families" in RCJC)
Members
500 (on rolls when denomination dissolved in 2010)
Temples
none
Official website
rcjc.org
The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ (RCJC), based in Salt Lake City, Utah, was a church in the Latter Day Saint movement that catered primarily to the spiritual needs of LGBT Latter Day Saints. The church was dissolved in 2010.
The RCJC was sometimes informally called the "Gay Mormon Church" because of its overwhelmingly homosexual membership, although people of any sexual orientation could join.


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Scripture 2.1 The Hidden Treasures and Promises
3 Beliefs and practices
4 Homosexual polygamy
5 Position on reincarnation
6 Membership
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links 10.1 Resources
10.2 News and articles


History[edit]
Founded by Antonio A. Feliz, Lamar Hamilton, John Crane, Pamela J. Calkins and other members of the Los Angeles Chapter of Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons on August 23, 1985, in Los Angeles, California.
Feliz is a former bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), who had been excommunicated for homosexual acts.[1] Feliz had also served as the Director of Church Welfare for what was then called the Andean Region (now called the South America West Area) of the LDS Church during the 1970s.
Feliz originally named the church the "Church of Jesus Christ of All Latter Day Saints", but when the LDS Church informed him of their intent to sue, he changed the name to the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ.[citation needed]
The RCJC had rotating general officers. At a church conference in Sacramento, California, in May 1987, Feliz resigned as president. He was succeeded by Robert McIntier, who served as president of the church since 1987 through at least 2009, except for a period from 1997 to 1999 when Douglas B. Madrid served as president.
Scripture[edit]
The scriptures of the church are the Bible (officially the King James Version, but others are accepted), the Book of Mormon (LDS Church edition), the Doctrine and Covenants (both the LDS Church and the Community of Christ versions, since the RCJC accepts that God can speak to different denominations), the Pearl of Great Price, and The Hidden Treasures and Promises, a book which members say consists of revelations given through the president of the church and other leaders.
The Hidden Treasures and Promises[edit]
The Hidden Treasures and Promises begins with a compilation of the Articles of Faith with insertions for inclusion of women (i.e., "2. We believe that men [and women] will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression....5. We believe that a man [or woman] must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands of those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.") and hymns composed by RCJC member John Crane. The second section of the work (attributed to Antonio Feliz) criticizes the LDS Church for refusing to "send the Restored Gospel to our people—to the gay and lesbian communities of the world." The section calls for the furtherance of the Restored Gospel to the LGBT populace through the "work of ordaining, calling, and setting-apart of missionaries". Altogether, the work consists of 58 sections of messages.
Beliefs and practices[edit]
Unlike in the LDS Church, RCJC women could hold the priesthood. The Heavenly Mother was regarded as an equal member of the Godhead along with the Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Thus, the church believed in a quadriune Godhead. The Heavenly Parents (i.e., the Heavenly Father and the Heavenly Mother) were worshiped in prayers given in the name of Jesus Christ.
The priesthood leaders of the church were called "general officers" as in the Community of Christ, not general authorities as in the LDS Church. Church conferences were held periodically.
Rebaptism was not required for anyone who has been previously baptized in a Latter Day Saint church that can trace its authority back to Joseph Smith, Jr. New members who had never previously been a member of a Latter Day Saint church, and those who chose to be rebaptized upon joining the RCJC, were baptized by immersion in the name of The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
When passing the sacrament, either water or grape juice was used.
The Word of Wisdom was regarded as good advice, but not as an absolute requirement. The church counseled that it is best to consume meat in moderation; however, use of alcohol or tobacco by the church membership was discouraged. As in the LDS Church (called the "Orthodox Mormon Church" by the RCJC), it was popular to serve Jell-O, cake, and milk (or fruit punch and cookies) at church gatherings.
Members were encouraged to store a one-year supply of food. Home teaching was practiced.
The church practiced endowments, the law of adoption, and celestial marriage. In addition to heterosexual marriage, the church also practiced same-sex marriage. The church believed in the practice of baptism for the dead but did not practice it.
Homosexual polygamy[edit]
In an 1986 interview with Sunstone magazine, Feliz stated he believed that it was good to practice The Principle (as polygamy is known by modern Mormon fundamentalists) and that he would be open to performing homosexual polygamous marriages if requested by any members.[1]
Pamela J. Calkins, of Sacramento, was the first woman to be ordained to the priesthood in the RCJC.[1] Later, she entered into a polygamous homosexual betrothal sealing in advance of a celestial marriage with three female partners, thus becoming the first women in Mormondom to do so. Calkins and Lynn R. LaMaster were the first lesbian couple to be sealed for time and eternity (celestial marriage). Later that same evening, Leanna R Anderson and Carole L. Dee were also sealed for time and eternity to each other and to Calkins. No other polygamous homosexual celestial marriages were performed for any other members of the church.
In theory it was conceivable that a heterosexual member of the church (someone who joined the church primarily because of its liberal principles, not primarily because of its compatibility with LGBT people) could ask to be sealed in a regular heterosexual marriage, but this did not happen.
Position on reincarnation[edit]
In the summer of 1986, Feliz gave a lecture at the Metropolitan Community Church in The Castro, a predominantly gay neighborhood in San Francisco, California, "Joseph Smith and the Concept of Multiple Lifetimes". In the lecture, he said that there was evidence that some early Mormons may have believed in reincarnation. In the question and answer period after the lecture, he stated that although reincarnation is not an official doctrine of the RCJC, individual members of the church may believe in the doctrine if they wish.
Membership[edit]
During the period 2000–10 the total membership of the church was about 500 on the rolls (of which approximately 25 were active members who attended services at the meetinghouse in Salt Lake City, Utah). The church had one congregation (known as a "family" in the RCJC) in Salt Lake City. There were members on the rolls in many U.S. states (mostly Utah and California), as well as several foreign countries. There was also an online "Internet Sunday School" in which members discussed gospel topics, shared ideas, and offered support to one another.
See also[edit]

Portal icon LGBT portal
Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
GALA (Gay and Lesbian Acceptance)
David and Jonathan
Homosexuality and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
John the Beloved
LGBT-affirming churches
Queer theology
Secret Gospel of Mark
Thealogy
United Order Family of Christ
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c Sunstone magazine. March 1986. Interview with Antonio A. Feliz. pp. 43-44.
Further reading[edit]
Feliz, Antonio A. (1988). Out of the Bishop's Closet — A Call to Heal Ourselves, Each Other, and Our World; A True Story. Aurora Press (San Francisco, California). ISBN 978-0-929582-00-9.
Quinn, Michael D. (1996). Same-Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans — A Mormon Example. University of Illinois Press (Urbana, Illinois). ISBN 978-0-252-02205-0.
External links[edit]
Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, official website
Blog in Spanish of the RCJC
Christ's Church A Reformation Community - one continuing pro-gay LDS church
Community Church of Christ (in Spanish)
Resources[edit]
Hidden Treasures and Promises (1990 Edition) (in PDF)
News and articles[edit]
Memoirs of a Utah gay activist 1986 (posted Dec. 23, 2006)—-details early proselytizing efforts of the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ:
Unto All Peoples (Official RCJC Publication) Christmas Issue--December 1997:
"Same Sex Temple Sealings: Did the Early LDS Church Embrace Homosexual Relationships?". Salt Lake Metro. September 2004.
History of “Homosexuality and Mormonism 1840-1980” (1994) by Connell O’Donovan:
"Private Pain, Public Purges: A History of Homosexuality at Brigham Young University (1940-1992)"—Address given by Connell O'Donovan on April 28, 1997 at UC Santa Cruz:
"Prologue—An Examination of the Mormon Attitude Towards Homosexuality" by Cloy Jenkins et al—1977 Pamphlet which led to the founding of "Affirmation—Gay & Lesbian Mormons":
"Restoration Church of Jesus Christ", written by JoSelle Vanderhooft for Salt Lake Metro
"Gay Mormons find acceptance in Restoration Church", Rosemary Winters, Salt Lake Tribune


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[show]
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Categories: Christian denominations established in the 20th century
Defunct Latter Day Saint denominations
Latter Day Saint movement in California
Latter Day Saint movement in Utah
LGBT churches in the United States
LGBT in Utah
LGBT Latter Day Saint organizations
Liberal Mormon sects in the Latter Day Saint movement
Mormonism and polygamy
Nontrinitarian denominations
Organizations based in Salt Lake City, Utah
Organizations disestablished in 2010
Religious organizations established in 1985





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History of Christianity and homosexuality

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Part of a series on
Christianity and
 sexual orientation
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History of Christianity and
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The Bible and homosexuality
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This article focuses on the history of homosexuality and Christianity from the beginnings of the Church through the mid 1900s. For current teachings of Christian Churches on homosexuality see Homosexuality and Christianity.
Christian leaders have written about homosexual male-male sexual activities since the first decades of Christianity; female-female sexual behaviour was essentially ignored.[1] Throughout the majority of Christian history most theologians and Christian denominations have viewed homosexual behavior as immoral or sinful. However, in the past century some prominent theologians and Christian religious groups have espoused a wide variety of beliefs and practices towards homosexuals, including the establishment of some 'open and accepting' congregations that actively support LGBT members.


Contents  [hide]
1 Early Christianity
2 The Middle Ages
3 The Reformation and Counter-Reformation
4 Diverging opinions in modern era
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading

Early Christianity[edit]
Main article: Early Christianity
See also: History of same-sex unions
Prior to the rise of Christianity, certain "homosexual"[2] practices had existed among certain groups, with some degree of social acceptance in ancient Rome and ancient Greece (e.g. the pederastic relationship of an adult Greek male with a Greek youth, or of a Roman citizen with a slave). It is understood by some that St. Paul was only addressing such practices in Romans 1: 26–27, while others usually see these verses as condemning all forms of homoeroticism.
Plutarch's Erotikos (Dialogue on Love) argues that
“ the noble lover of beauty engages in love wherever he sees excellence and splendid natural endowment without regard for any difference in physiological detail."[3] ”
He also says
“ we regard men who take pleasure in passive submission as practicing the lowest kind of vice. ”
[4][verification needed].
The Judaic prohibitions found in Leviticus 18:22 (see also Leviticus 18) and 20:13 purportedly condemn male-male sexual interaction with the latter saying 'And if a man also lies with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
In his fourth homily on Romans,[5] St. John Chrysostom argued in the fourth century that homosexual acts are worse than murder and so degrading that they constitute a kind of punishment in itself, and that enjoyment of such acts actually makes them worse, "for suppose I were to see a person running naked, with his body all besmeared with mire, and yet not covering himself, but exulting in it, I should not rejoice with him, but should rather bewail that he did not even perceive that he was doing shamefully." He also said:
“ But nothing can there be more worthless than a man who has pandered himself. For not the soul only, but the body also of one who hath been so treated, is disgraced, and deserves to be driven out everywhere. ”
However, he emphasizes, in P.G. 60:417, col. 1, near bottom of the column,that he (and Paul) is not referring to two men who are in love with one another, but who burn in their appetite for each other. He writes, clarifying Paul's position in Romans 1,
“ he did not say that they fell in love [< "eros"] or had passion for each other, but rather that they `burned in their appetite for each
other'.
 ”
Historian John Boswell contends that adelphopoiesis, a Christian rite for uniting two persons of the same sex as "spiritual brothers/sisters", amounted to an approved outlet for romantic and indeed sexual love between couples of the same sex. Boswell also drew attention to Saints Sergius and Bacchus, whose icon depicts the two standing together with Jesus between or behind them, a position he identifies with a pronubus or "best man". Critics of Boswell's views have argued that the union created was more like blood brotherhood; and that this icon is a typical example of an icon depicting two saints who were martyred together, with the usual image of Christ that appears on many religious icons, and therefore that there is no indication that it depicts a "wedding". But Saints Sergius and Bacchus were both referred to as erastai in ancient Greek manuscripts, the same word used to describe lovers (Boswell).
The 16th Canon of the Council of Ancyra (314)[6] prescribed a penance of at least twenty years' duration for those "who have done the irrational" (alogeuesthai). At the time this was written, it referred to bestiality, not homosexuality. However, later Latin translations translated it to include both.[7]
In the year 342, the Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans declared the death penalty for a male who took on the passive role of a bride (rather than marry as equals with another man).[8] In the year 390, the Christian emperors Valentinian II, Theodosius I and Arcadius denounced males "acting the part of a woman", condemning those who were guilty of such acts to be publicly burned.[9]
The Middle Ages[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality and Medieval Christianity



 St. Thomas Aquinas


 Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Historian John Boswell, in his essay The Church and the Homosexual,[10] attributes Christianity's denunciations of "homosexuality" to an alleged rising intolerance in Europe throughout the 12th century, which he claims was also reflected in other ways. His premise is that when sodomy wasn't being explicitly and "officially" denounced, it was therefore being "tolerated". Historian R. W. Southern disagreed with Boswell's claims and wrote in 1990 that "the only relevant generalization which emerges from the penitential codes down to the eleventh century is that sodomy was treated on about the same level as copulation with animals." Southern further notes that "Boswell thinks that the omission of sodomy from the stringent new code of clerical celibacy issued by the Roman Council of 1059 implies a degree of tolerance. Countering this is the argument that the Council of 1059 had more urgent business on hand; and in any case, sodomy had been condemned by Leo IX at Rheims in 1049."[11] Similarly, Pierre Payer asserted in 1984 that Boswell's thesis (as outlined in his Christianity, Homosexuality and Social Tolerance) ignores an alleged wealth of condemnations found in the pentitential literature prior to the 12th century.[12] More recently, historian Allan Tulchin wrote in 2007 in the Journal of Modern History that, "It is impossible to prove either way and probably also somewhat irrelevant to understanding their way of thinking. They loved each other, and the community accepted that." [13]
The most influential theologian of the Medieval period was Saint Thomas Aquinas, regarded by Catholics as a Doctor of the Church. His moral theology contained a strong element of deontological natural law. On his view, not all things to which a person might be inclined are "natural" in the morally relevant sense; rather, only the inclination to the full and proper expression of the human nature, and inclinations which align with that inclination, are natural. Contrary inclinations are perversions of the natural in the sense that they do seek a good, but in a way destructive of good.[14][15][16]
This view points from the natural to the Divine, because (following Aristotle) he said all people seek happiness; but according to Aquinas, happiness can only finally be attained through the Beatific Vision.[17] Therefore all sins are also against the natural law. But the natural law of many aspects of life is knowable apart from special revelation by examining the forms and purposes of those aspects. It is in this sense that Aquinas considered homosexuality unnatural, since it involves a kind of partner other than the kind to which the purpose of sexuality points. He considered it comparable to heterosexual sex for pleasure (rather than reproduction)[18]
An earlier Doctor of the Church, St. Peter Damian, wrote the Liber Gomorrhianus, an extended attack on both homosexuality and masturbation.[19] He portrayed homosexuality as a counter-rational force undermining morality, religion, and society itself,[20] and in need of strong suppression lest it spread even and especially among clergy.[21]
Hildegard of Bingen, born seven years after the death of St. Peter Damian, reported seeing visions and recorded them in Scivias (short for Scito vias Domini, "Know the Ways of the Lord"[22]). In Book II Vision Six, she quotes God as condemning same-sex intercourse, including lesbianism; "a woman who takes up devilish ways and plays a male role in coupling with another woman is most vile in My sight, and so is she who subjects herself to such a one in this evil deed".[citation needed]
Her younger contemporary Alain de Lille personified the theme of sexual sin in opposition to nature in The Complaint of Nature by having nature herself denounce sexual immorality and especially homosexuality as rebellion against her direction, terming it confusion between masculine and feminine and between subject and object. The Complaint also includes a striking description of the neglect of womanhood:
“ Though all the beauty of man humbles itself before the fairness of woman, being always inferior to her glory; though the face of the daughter of Tyndaris is brought into being and the comeliness of Adonis and Narcissus, conquered, adores her; for all this she is scorned, although she speaks as beauty itself, though her godlike grace affirms her to be a goddess, though for her the thunderbolt would fail in the hand of Jove, and every sinew of Apollo would pause and lie inactive, though for her the free man would become a slave, and Hippolytus, to enjoy her love, would sell his very chastity. Why do so many kisses lie untouched on maiden lips, and no one wish to gain a profit from them?[23] ”
The tone of the denunciations often indicate a more than theoretical concern. Archbishop Ralph of Tours had his lover John installed as bishop of Orléans with agreement of both the King of France and Pope Urban II.[24][unreliable source?] In 1395 there was a transvestite homosexual prostitute arrested in London with some records surviving,[25] and the Twelve Conclusions of the Lollards included the denunciation of priestly celibacy as a cause of sodomy.[26]
Otto III was intimate with many men (sharing the bed and bath)[27] and was anointed by the Pope to be the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire,
The Reformation and Counter-Reformation[edit]
Martin Luther's view of homosexuality is recorded in Plass's What Luther Says:[28]
“ The vice of the Sodomites is an unparalleled enormity. It departs from the natural passion and desire, planted into nature by God, according to which the male has a passionate desire for the female. Sodomy craves what is entirely contrary to nature. Whence comes this perversion? Without a doubt it comes from the devil. After a man has once turned aside from the fear of God, the devil puts such great pressure upon his nature that he extinguishes the fire of natural desire and stirs up another, which is contrary to nature. ”
Diverging opinions in modern era[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality and Christianity
See also: Biblical law in Christianity
Historically, Christian churches have regarded homosexual sex as sinful, based on the Catholic understanding of the natural law and traditional interpretations of certain passages in the Bible. This position is today affirmed by groups representing most Christians, including the Catholic Church (1.1 billion members), Orthodox Church (250 million members), and some Protestant denominations, especially Evangelical churches such as the Southern Baptist Convention (16.3 million members) and the United Methodist Church (12 million members).[29] Restorationist churches such as the LDS Church (13 million members) also view homosexual sex as sinful.
However, a small minority interpret biblical passages differently and argue that homosexuality can be seen as morally acceptable. This approach has been taken by a number of denominations in North America, notably the United Church of Canada (2.8 million members), the United Church of Christ (1.1 million members), the Moravian Church (825,000 members), the Anglican Episcopal church, the Anglican Church of Canada (800,000 members), the Liberal Catholic Church, Friends General Conference, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1.9 million members), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (3.9 million members) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. Relatively great denominations had taken this approach in Europe including united, reformed and Lutheran churches: the Evangelical Church in Germany (24.5 million members), Church of Sweden (6.6 million members), Church of Norway, Church of Denmark, Protestant Church of the Netherlands (3.9 million members), Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Methodist Church of Great Britain (330,000 members) and Church of Scotland.
A new denomination, the Metropolitan Community Church (40,000 members), has also come into existence specifically to serve the Christian LGBT community. However, individual Christians maintain a variety of beliefs on this subject that may or may not correspond to their official church doctrines. Some mainline Protestant denominations in the United States have also removed language in their bylaws which suggest that homosexuality is a sinful state of being. The Book of Order used by the PCUSA reflects this change.[citation needed] Similar modifications in position can also be seen in the Lutheran ELCA and Disciples of Christ.[30] Although acceptance of sexually active LGBT laity has increased in terms of actual practice and in terms of church law, some of these denominations continue to limit leadership and clergy roles for LGBT persons. A number of denominations, like the aforementioned United Methodists, remain divided over the issues relating to homosexuality, with a large number of members pushing for changes in the church's Book of Discipline to allow for full inclusion of LGBT persons in the life of the church.[31]
In 1989 The Evangelical Network was formed with LGBT Evangelical Christians it is a network of churches, ministries and Christian workers.
See also[edit]

Portal icon Christianity portal
Portal icon LGBT portal
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to LGBT history by century (Common Era).
Homosexuality and Christianity
Queer theology
Unitarian Universalism and LGBTQ persons
Metropolitan Community Church
LGBT-welcoming church programs
Gay bishops
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Spong, J.S. 2005. The Sins of Scripture. Harper Collins ISBN 0-06-076205-5
2.Jump up ^ The words "homosexual" and "homosexuality" were not coined until the late 19th century are placed in scare quotes because they are anachronistic when employed with reference to the linguistic usages of classical antiquity. See the comments by Craig A. Williams in his Roman Homosexuality (Oxford, 1999), p. 6, and D. S. Bailey's comments in Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1955), p. x: "Strictly speaking, the Bible and Christian tradition know nothing of homosexuality; both are concerned solely with the commission of homosexual acts – hence the title of this study is loosely, though conventionally, worded."
3.Jump up ^ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/
4.Jump up ^ Plutarch, "Eroticus" in Selected Essays and Dialogues (Oxford, 1993), p. 279.
5.Jump up ^ "CHURCH FATHERS: Homily 4 on Romans (Chrysostom)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
6.Jump up ^ "CHURCH FATHERS: Council of Ancyra (A.D. 314)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
7.Jump up ^ Sara Parvis, Marcellus of Ancyra and the Last Years of the Arian Controversy (Oxford, 2006), pp. 19, 25–27. Parvis notes that "although the Latin versions all hedged their bets and translated the word in both senses [sodomy and bestiality], the earliest Syriac simply translates it with the phrase "have intercourse with animals" (p.27).
8.Jump up ^ Theodosian Code 9.7.3: "When a man marries [a man] as a woman offering herself to men (quum vir nubit in feminam viris porrecturam), what can he be seeking, where gender has lost its place; when the crime is one which it is not profitable to know; when Venus is changed to another form; when love is sought and not found? We order the statutes to arise, the laws to be armed with an avenging sword, that those infamous persons who are now, or who hereafter may be, guilty may be subjected to exquisite punishment. Some scholars (Dalla, Cantarella, and Treggiari) note that the "marriage" in question may be a metaphor for the passive, or "feminine" role in sex rather than a literal reference to a same-sex parody of marriage. Williams, in his Roman Homosexuality (p. 246), agrees but insists that a literal reading is equally plausible.
9.Jump up ^ (Theodosian Code 9.7.6): All persons who have the shameful custom of condemning a man's body, acting the part of a woman's to the sufferance of alien sex (for they appear not to be different from women), shall expiate a crime of this kind in avenging flames in the sight of the people.
10.Jump up ^ http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pwh/1979boswell.html
11.Jump up ^ R. W. Southern, Saint Anselm: A Portrait in a Landscape (Cambridge, 1990), pp. 149–150.
12.Jump up ^ Pierre J. Payer, Sex and the Penitentials (Toronto, 1984), pp. 135–139 and passim. Boswell attempts to dismiss four hundred years' worth of penitentials in a few paragraphs of Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality, pp. 180–183.
13.Jump up ^ http://www.academia.edu/262043/The_600_Year_Tradition_Behind_Same-Sex_Unions
14.Jump up ^ "SUMMA THEOLOGICA: The natural law (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 94)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
15.Jump up ^ "The Natural Law Tradition in Ethics (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)". Plato.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
16.Jump up ^ "St. Thomas Aquinas and Natural Law: Budziszewski". Nd.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
17.Jump up ^ "SUMMA THEOLOGICA: What is happiness (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 3)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
18.Jump up ^ http://www.newadvent.org/summa/315411.htm and http://www.newadvent.org/summa/315412.htm
19.Jump up ^ http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/homo-damian1.html
20.Jump up ^ "Illinois Medieval Association". Luc.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
21.Jump up ^ [1][dead link]
22.Jump up ^ "Primary Sources | Apocalypse! FRONTLINE". PBS. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
23.Jump up ^ "Medieval Sourcebook: Alain of Lille [Alanus de lnsulis], The complaint of nature [extracts]". Fordham.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
24.Jump up ^ "Matt & Andrej Koymasky - Famous GLTB - John of Salisbury". Andrejkoymasky.com. 2004-07-05. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
25.Jump up ^ "Medieval Sourcebook: The Questioning of John Rykener, A Male Cross-Dressing Prostitute, 1395". fordham.edu. Fordham University. 1998. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
26.Jump up ^ [2][dead link]
27.Jump up ^ •Petrus Damiani, Vita Romualdi, ch. 25, PL 145, 975C, Vita Adalberti, ch. 23, MGH, SS 4, 591
28.Jump up ^ Plass, Ewald Martin. What Luther Says: An Anthology, Volume 1, 1959. p. 134.
29.Jump up ^ "What is the denomination’s position on homosexuality?". The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
30.Jump up ^ Christian Post:Lutherans Narrowly Adopt New Sexuality Statement
31.Jump up ^ "Reconciling Ministries Network".
Further reading[edit]
Early Teachings on Homosexuality
Summa Theologiae – online version
Hildegard of Bingen, "Scivias," Columba Hart and Jane Bishop, translators; New York: Paulist Press, 1990
The Church & the Homosexual
John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980
Christian Passage On St. Serge & St. Bacchus
[3] Claude Courouve, L'homosexualité maculine dans les textes grecs et larins de l'Antiquité et du Moyen-Âge
Debate: St. Augustine's Sexuality
Gagnon, Robert A.J. (2002). The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics. Abingdon Press. ISBN 0-687-02279-7
RobGagnon.net Author & seminary professor's site with many resources
Johansson, Warren 'Whosoever Shall Say To His Brother, Racha.' Studies in Homosexuality, Vol XII: Homosexuality and Religion and Philosophy. Ed. Wayne Dynes & Stephen Donaldson. New York & London: Garland, 1992. pp. 212–214
Smith, Morton "Clement of Alexandria and Secret Mark: The Score at the End of the First Decade." Studies in Homosexuality, Vol XII: Homosexuality and Religion and Philosophy. Ed. Wayne Dynes & Stephen Donaldson. New York & London: Garland, 1992. pp. 295–307
Mader, Donald "The Entimos Pais of Matthew 8:5–13 and Luke 7:1–10" Studies in Homosexuality, Vol XII: Homosexuality and Religion and Philosophy. Ed. Wayne Dynes & Stephen Donaldson. New York & London: Garland, 1992. pp. 223–235.


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History of Christianity and homosexuality

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This article focuses on the history of homosexuality and Christianity from the beginnings of the Church through the mid 1900s. For current teachings of Christian Churches on homosexuality see Homosexuality and Christianity.
Christian leaders have written about homosexual male-male sexual activities since the first decades of Christianity; female-female sexual behaviour was essentially ignored.[1] Throughout the majority of Christian history most theologians and Christian denominations have viewed homosexual behavior as immoral or sinful. However, in the past century some prominent theologians and Christian religious groups have espoused a wide variety of beliefs and practices towards homosexuals, including the establishment of some 'open and accepting' congregations that actively support LGBT members.


Contents  [hide]
1 Early Christianity
2 The Middle Ages
3 The Reformation and Counter-Reformation
4 Diverging opinions in modern era
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading

Early Christianity[edit]
Main article: Early Christianity
See also: History of same-sex unions
Prior to the rise of Christianity, certain "homosexual"[2] practices had existed among certain groups, with some degree of social acceptance in ancient Rome and ancient Greece (e.g. the pederastic relationship of an adult Greek male with a Greek youth, or of a Roman citizen with a slave). It is understood by some that St. Paul was only addressing such practices in Romans 1: 26–27, while others usually see these verses as condemning all forms of homoeroticism.
Plutarch's Erotikos (Dialogue on Love) argues that
“ the noble lover of beauty engages in love wherever he sees excellence and splendid natural endowment without regard for any difference in physiological detail."[3] ”
He also says
“ we regard men who take pleasure in passive submission as practicing the lowest kind of vice. ”
[4][verification needed].
The Judaic prohibitions found in Leviticus 18:22 (see also Leviticus 18) and 20:13 purportedly condemn male-male sexual interaction with the latter saying 'And if a man also lies with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
In his fourth homily on Romans,[5] St. John Chrysostom argued in the fourth century that homosexual acts are worse than murder and so degrading that they constitute a kind of punishment in itself, and that enjoyment of such acts actually makes them worse, "for suppose I were to see a person running naked, with his body all besmeared with mire, and yet not covering himself, but exulting in it, I should not rejoice with him, but should rather bewail that he did not even perceive that he was doing shamefully." He also said:
“ But nothing can there be more worthless than a man who has pandered himself. For not the soul only, but the body also of one who hath been so treated, is disgraced, and deserves to be driven out everywhere. ”
However, he emphasizes, in P.G. 60:417, col. 1, near bottom of the column,that he (and Paul) is not referring to two men who are in love with one another, but who burn in their appetite for each other. He writes, clarifying Paul's position in Romans 1,
“ he did not say that they fell in love [< "eros"] or had passion for each other, but rather that they `burned in their appetite for each
other'.
 ”
Historian John Boswell contends that adelphopoiesis, a Christian rite for uniting two persons of the same sex as "spiritual brothers/sisters", amounted to an approved outlet for romantic and indeed sexual love between couples of the same sex. Boswell also drew attention to Saints Sergius and Bacchus, whose icon depicts the two standing together with Jesus between or behind them, a position he identifies with a pronubus or "best man". Critics of Boswell's views have argued that the union created was more like blood brotherhood; and that this icon is a typical example of an icon depicting two saints who were martyred together, with the usual image of Christ that appears on many religious icons, and therefore that there is no indication that it depicts a "wedding". But Saints Sergius and Bacchus were both referred to as erastai in ancient Greek manuscripts, the same word used to describe lovers (Boswell).
The 16th Canon of the Council of Ancyra (314)[6] prescribed a penance of at least twenty years' duration for those "who have done the irrational" (alogeuesthai). At the time this was written, it referred to bestiality, not homosexuality. However, later Latin translations translated it to include both.[7]
In the year 342, the Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans declared the death penalty for a male who took on the passive role of a bride (rather than marry as equals with another man).[8] In the year 390, the Christian emperors Valentinian II, Theodosius I and Arcadius denounced males "acting the part of a woman", condemning those who were guilty of such acts to be publicly burned.[9]
The Middle Ages[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality and Medieval Christianity



 St. Thomas Aquinas


 Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Historian John Boswell, in his essay The Church and the Homosexual,[10] attributes Christianity's denunciations of "homosexuality" to an alleged rising intolerance in Europe throughout the 12th century, which he claims was also reflected in other ways. His premise is that when sodomy wasn't being explicitly and "officially" denounced, it was therefore being "tolerated". Historian R. W. Southern disagreed with Boswell's claims and wrote in 1990 that "the only relevant generalization which emerges from the penitential codes down to the eleventh century is that sodomy was treated on about the same level as copulation with animals." Southern further notes that "Boswell thinks that the omission of sodomy from the stringent new code of clerical celibacy issued by the Roman Council of 1059 implies a degree of tolerance. Countering this is the argument that the Council of 1059 had more urgent business on hand; and in any case, sodomy had been condemned by Leo IX at Rheims in 1049."[11] Similarly, Pierre Payer asserted in 1984 that Boswell's thesis (as outlined in his Christianity, Homosexuality and Social Tolerance) ignores an alleged wealth of condemnations found in the pentitential literature prior to the 12th century.[12] More recently, historian Allan Tulchin wrote in 2007 in the Journal of Modern History that, "It is impossible to prove either way and probably also somewhat irrelevant to understanding their way of thinking. They loved each other, and the community accepted that." [13]
The most influential theologian of the Medieval period was Saint Thomas Aquinas, regarded by Catholics as a Doctor of the Church. His moral theology contained a strong element of deontological natural law. On his view, not all things to which a person might be inclined are "natural" in the morally relevant sense; rather, only the inclination to the full and proper expression of the human nature, and inclinations which align with that inclination, are natural. Contrary inclinations are perversions of the natural in the sense that they do seek a good, but in a way destructive of good.[14][15][16]
This view points from the natural to the Divine, because (following Aristotle) he said all people seek happiness; but according to Aquinas, happiness can only finally be attained through the Beatific Vision.[17] Therefore all sins are also against the natural law. But the natural law of many aspects of life is knowable apart from special revelation by examining the forms and purposes of those aspects. It is in this sense that Aquinas considered homosexuality unnatural, since it involves a kind of partner other than the kind to which the purpose of sexuality points. He considered it comparable to heterosexual sex for pleasure (rather than reproduction)[18]
An earlier Doctor of the Church, St. Peter Damian, wrote the Liber Gomorrhianus, an extended attack on both homosexuality and masturbation.[19] He portrayed homosexuality as a counter-rational force undermining morality, religion, and society itself,[20] and in need of strong suppression lest it spread even and especially among clergy.[21]
Hildegard of Bingen, born seven years after the death of St. Peter Damian, reported seeing visions and recorded them in Scivias (short for Scito vias Domini, "Know the Ways of the Lord"[22]). In Book II Vision Six, she quotes God as condemning same-sex intercourse, including lesbianism; "a woman who takes up devilish ways and plays a male role in coupling with another woman is most vile in My sight, and so is she who subjects herself to such a one in this evil deed".[citation needed]
Her younger contemporary Alain de Lille personified the theme of sexual sin in opposition to nature in The Complaint of Nature by having nature herself denounce sexual immorality and especially homosexuality as rebellion against her direction, terming it confusion between masculine and feminine and between subject and object. The Complaint also includes a striking description of the neglect of womanhood:
“ Though all the beauty of man humbles itself before the fairness of woman, being always inferior to her glory; though the face of the daughter of Tyndaris is brought into being and the comeliness of Adonis and Narcissus, conquered, adores her; for all this she is scorned, although she speaks as beauty itself, though her godlike grace affirms her to be a goddess, though for her the thunderbolt would fail in the hand of Jove, and every sinew of Apollo would pause and lie inactive, though for her the free man would become a slave, and Hippolytus, to enjoy her love, would sell his very chastity. Why do so many kisses lie untouched on maiden lips, and no one wish to gain a profit from them?[23] ”
The tone of the denunciations often indicate a more than theoretical concern. Archbishop Ralph of Tours had his lover John installed as bishop of Orléans with agreement of both the King of France and Pope Urban II.[24][unreliable source?] In 1395 there was a transvestite homosexual prostitute arrested in London with some records surviving,[25] and the Twelve Conclusions of the Lollards included the denunciation of priestly celibacy as a cause of sodomy.[26]
Otto III was intimate with many men (sharing the bed and bath)[27] and was anointed by the Pope to be the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire,
The Reformation and Counter-Reformation[edit]
Martin Luther's view of homosexuality is recorded in Plass's What Luther Says:[28]
“ The vice of the Sodomites is an unparalleled enormity. It departs from the natural passion and desire, planted into nature by God, according to which the male has a passionate desire for the female. Sodomy craves what is entirely contrary to nature. Whence comes this perversion? Without a doubt it comes from the devil. After a man has once turned aside from the fear of God, the devil puts such great pressure upon his nature that he extinguishes the fire of natural desire and stirs up another, which is contrary to nature. ”
Diverging opinions in modern era[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality and Christianity
See also: Biblical law in Christianity
Historically, Christian churches have regarded homosexual sex as sinful, based on the Catholic understanding of the natural law and traditional interpretations of certain passages in the Bible. This position is today affirmed by groups representing most Christians, including the Catholic Church (1.1 billion members), Orthodox Church (250 million members), and some Protestant denominations, especially Evangelical churches such as the Southern Baptist Convention (16.3 million members) and the United Methodist Church (12 million members).[29] Restorationist churches such as the LDS Church (13 million members) also view homosexual sex as sinful.
However, a small minority interpret biblical passages differently and argue that homosexuality can be seen as morally acceptable. This approach has been taken by a number of denominations in North America, notably the United Church of Canada (2.8 million members), the United Church of Christ (1.1 million members), the Moravian Church (825,000 members), the Anglican Episcopal church, the Anglican Church of Canada (800,000 members), the Liberal Catholic Church, Friends General Conference, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1.9 million members), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (3.9 million members) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. Relatively great denominations had taken this approach in Europe including united, reformed and Lutheran churches: the Evangelical Church in Germany (24.5 million members), Church of Sweden (6.6 million members), Church of Norway, Church of Denmark, Protestant Church of the Netherlands (3.9 million members), Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Methodist Church of Great Britain (330,000 members) and Church of Scotland.
A new denomination, the Metropolitan Community Church (40,000 members), has also come into existence specifically to serve the Christian LGBT community. However, individual Christians maintain a variety of beliefs on this subject that may or may not correspond to their official church doctrines. Some mainline Protestant denominations in the United States have also removed language in their bylaws which suggest that homosexuality is a sinful state of being. The Book of Order used by the PCUSA reflects this change.[citation needed] Similar modifications in position can also be seen in the Lutheran ELCA and Disciples of Christ.[30] Although acceptance of sexually active LGBT laity has increased in terms of actual practice and in terms of church law, some of these denominations continue to limit leadership and clergy roles for LGBT persons. A number of denominations, like the aforementioned United Methodists, remain divided over the issues relating to homosexuality, with a large number of members pushing for changes in the church's Book of Discipline to allow for full inclusion of LGBT persons in the life of the church.[31]
In 1989 The Evangelical Network was formed with LGBT Evangelical Christians it is a network of churches, ministries and Christian workers.
See also[edit]

Portal icon Christianity portal
Portal icon LGBT portal
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to LGBT history by century (Common Era).
Homosexuality and Christianity
Queer theology
Unitarian Universalism and LGBTQ persons
Metropolitan Community Church
LGBT-welcoming church programs
Gay bishops
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Spong, J.S. 2005. The Sins of Scripture. Harper Collins ISBN 0-06-076205-5
2.Jump up ^ The words "homosexual" and "homosexuality" were not coined until the late 19th century are placed in scare quotes because they are anachronistic when employed with reference to the linguistic usages of classical antiquity. See the comments by Craig A. Williams in his Roman Homosexuality (Oxford, 1999), p. 6, and D. S. Bailey's comments in Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1955), p. x: "Strictly speaking, the Bible and Christian tradition know nothing of homosexuality; both are concerned solely with the commission of homosexual acts – hence the title of this study is loosely, though conventionally, worded."
3.Jump up ^ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/
4.Jump up ^ Plutarch, "Eroticus" in Selected Essays and Dialogues (Oxford, 1993), p. 279.
5.Jump up ^ "CHURCH FATHERS: Homily 4 on Romans (Chrysostom)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
6.Jump up ^ "CHURCH FATHERS: Council of Ancyra (A.D. 314)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
7.Jump up ^ Sara Parvis, Marcellus of Ancyra and the Last Years of the Arian Controversy (Oxford, 2006), pp. 19, 25–27. Parvis notes that "although the Latin versions all hedged their bets and translated the word in both senses [sodomy and bestiality], the earliest Syriac simply translates it with the phrase "have intercourse with animals" (p.27).
8.Jump up ^ Theodosian Code 9.7.3: "When a man marries [a man] as a woman offering herself to men (quum vir nubit in feminam viris porrecturam), what can he be seeking, where gender has lost its place; when the crime is one which it is not profitable to know; when Venus is changed to another form; when love is sought and not found? We order the statutes to arise, the laws to be armed with an avenging sword, that those infamous persons who are now, or who hereafter may be, guilty may be subjected to exquisite punishment. Some scholars (Dalla, Cantarella, and Treggiari) note that the "marriage" in question may be a metaphor for the passive, or "feminine" role in sex rather than a literal reference to a same-sex parody of marriage. Williams, in his Roman Homosexuality (p. 246), agrees but insists that a literal reading is equally plausible.
9.Jump up ^ (Theodosian Code 9.7.6): All persons who have the shameful custom of condemning a man's body, acting the part of a woman's to the sufferance of alien sex (for they appear not to be different from women), shall expiate a crime of this kind in avenging flames in the sight of the people.
10.Jump up ^ http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pwh/1979boswell.html
11.Jump up ^ R. W. Southern, Saint Anselm: A Portrait in a Landscape (Cambridge, 1990), pp. 149–150.
12.Jump up ^ Pierre J. Payer, Sex and the Penitentials (Toronto, 1984), pp. 135–139 and passim. Boswell attempts to dismiss four hundred years' worth of penitentials in a few paragraphs of Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality, pp. 180–183.
13.Jump up ^ http://www.academia.edu/262043/The_600_Year_Tradition_Behind_Same-Sex_Unions
14.Jump up ^ "SUMMA THEOLOGICA: The natural law (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 94)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
15.Jump up ^ "The Natural Law Tradition in Ethics (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)". Plato.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
16.Jump up ^ "St. Thomas Aquinas and Natural Law: Budziszewski". Nd.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
17.Jump up ^ "SUMMA THEOLOGICA: What is happiness (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 3)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
18.Jump up ^ http://www.newadvent.org/summa/315411.htm and http://www.newadvent.org/summa/315412.htm
19.Jump up ^ http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/homo-damian1.html
20.Jump up ^ "Illinois Medieval Association". Luc.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
21.Jump up ^ [1][dead link]
22.Jump up ^ "Primary Sources | Apocalypse! FRONTLINE". PBS. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
23.Jump up ^ "Medieval Sourcebook: Alain of Lille [Alanus de lnsulis], The complaint of nature [extracts]". Fordham.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
24.Jump up ^ "Matt & Andrej Koymasky - Famous GLTB - John of Salisbury". Andrejkoymasky.com. 2004-07-05. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
25.Jump up ^ "Medieval Sourcebook: The Questioning of John Rykener, A Male Cross-Dressing Prostitute, 1395". fordham.edu. Fordham University. 1998. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
26.Jump up ^ [2][dead link]
27.Jump up ^ •Petrus Damiani, Vita Romualdi, ch. 25, PL 145, 975C, Vita Adalberti, ch. 23, MGH, SS 4, 591
28.Jump up ^ Plass, Ewald Martin. What Luther Says: An Anthology, Volume 1, 1959. p. 134.
29.Jump up ^ "What is the denomination’s position on homosexuality?". The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
30.Jump up ^ Christian Post:Lutherans Narrowly Adopt New Sexuality Statement
31.Jump up ^ "Reconciling Ministries Network".
Further reading[edit]
Early Teachings on Homosexuality
Summa Theologiae – online version
Hildegard of Bingen, "Scivias," Columba Hart and Jane Bishop, translators; New York: Paulist Press, 1990
The Church & the Homosexual
John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980
Christian Passage On St. Serge & St. Bacchus
[3] Claude Courouve, L'homosexualité maculine dans les textes grecs et larins de l'Antiquité et du Moyen-Âge
Debate: St. Augustine's Sexuality
Gagnon, Robert A.J. (2002). The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics. Abingdon Press. ISBN 0-687-02279-7
RobGagnon.net Author & seminary professor's site with many resources
Johansson, Warren 'Whosoever Shall Say To His Brother, Racha.' Studies in Homosexuality, Vol XII: Homosexuality and Religion and Philosophy. Ed. Wayne Dynes & Stephen Donaldson. New York & London: Garland, 1992. pp. 212–214
Smith, Morton "Clement of Alexandria and Secret Mark: The Score at the End of the First Decade." Studies in Homosexuality, Vol XII: Homosexuality and Religion and Philosophy. Ed. Wayne Dynes & Stephen Donaldson. New York & London: Garland, 1992. pp. 295–307
Mader, Donald "The Entimos Pais of Matthew 8:5–13 and Luke 7:1–10" Studies in Homosexuality, Vol XII: Homosexuality and Religion and Philosophy. Ed. Wayne Dynes & Stephen Donaldson. New York & London: Garland, 1992. pp. 223–235.


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Homosexuality in medieval Europe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

In Medieval Europe, attitudes toward homosexuality varied by era and region. Generally, by at least the twelfth century, homosexuality was considered sodomy and was punishable by death. Before the Medieval period early Romans tolerated alternative sexual practices, such as masturbation in males and females and homosexuality. Homosexuality was generally more accepted for males than for females; male elites were able to recruit slaves or hire household boys for their sexual pleasures, while males saw lesbianism as a threat to their manhood or sexual-esteem.[1] Despite persecution, records of homosexual relationships during the Medieval period do exist. This persecution reached its height during the Medieval Inquisitions, when the sects of Cathars and Waldensians were accused of fornication and sodomy, alongside accusations of satanism. In 1307, accusations of sodomy and homosexuality were major charges leveled during the Trial of the Knights Templar.[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 Theology
2 Greco-Roman secular views
3 Early Christian medieval views
4 Punishment in medieval times
5 Art
6 Lesbianism 6.1 Background
6.2 Religious
6.3 Medicine and science
6.4 Secular laws
7 References

Theology[edit]
Main article: History of Christianity and homosexuality
Although homosexuality was not considered a major offense during the early Roman Empire, homosexual encounters and homosexual behavior came to be viewed as unacceptable as Christianity developed. The Old Testament (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Deuteronomy 22:5) and the New Testament (Romans 1:26) condemned females who wore male attire, males who wore female attires, and males and females that engaged in homosexual behavior or intercourse.[3] In the 11th century C.E., the Doctor of the Church, St. Peter Damian, wrote the Liber Gomorrhianus, an extended attack on both homosexuality and masturbation.[4] He portrayed homosexuality as a counter-rational force undermining morality, religion, and society itself,[5] and in need of strong suppression lest it spread even and especially among clergy.[6]
Hildegard of Bingen, born seven years after the death of St. Peter Damian, reported seeing visions and recorded them in Scivias (short for Scito vias Domini, "Know the Ways of the Lord"[7]). In Book II Vision Six, she quotes God as condemning same-sex intercourse, including lesbianism; "a woman who takes up devilish ways and plays a male role in coupling with another woman is most vile in My sight, and so is she who subjects herself to such a one in this evil deed".
In the 13th century C.E., the theologian Thomas Aquinas was influential in linking condemnations of homosexuality with the idea of natural law, arguing that "special sins are against nature, as, for instance, those that run counter to the intercourse of male and female natural to animals, and so are peculiarly qualified as unnatural vices."[8] This view points from the natural to the Divine, because (following Aristotle) he said all people seek happiness; but according to Aquinas, happiness can only finally be attained through the Beatific Vision.[9] Therefore all sins are also against the natural law. But the natural law of many aspects of life is knowable apart from special revelation by examining the forms and purposes of those aspects. It is in this sense that Aquinas considered homosexuality unnatural, since it involves a kind of partner other than the kind to which the purpose of sexuality points. Indeed, he considered it second only to bestiality as an abuse of sexuality.[10]
Greco-Roman secular views[edit]
In Mediterranean city states of the old world (ca. 40 B.C. to 400 A.D.), the norms by which a person carried out their private and public life were social and behavioral, rather than psychological or spiritual. Standards of human behavior were based on fulfillment of social expectations; for example, being a good citizen and bringing honor to one's family. It was considered one's duty to carry on the family line by marrying and raising children, regardless of sexual orientation.[11]
For Roman citizens, marriage was a duty and was not meant for the purpose of fulfilling erotic needs. Therefore, it was considered normal for a male to look for sexual fulfillment outside marriage, though females did not have such liberty. Presumably, the main Greco-Roman moral view on human sexuality was that sexuality was good, as long as it did not interfere with a person's obligations to the state or family or involve the abuse of free children or married women. Other views stated that sexuality was dangerous and should be limited. People that held such beliefs would usually commit themselves to celibacy or limit their sexual activities either to marriage, or strictly for the purpose of procreation. Such views, though, did not preclude homosexual acts; they simply aimed to reduce promiscuous heterosexual activity.[11]
Sexual orientation in Roman society was neither a questioned nor a judged matter. How a person expressed their sexuality was based and limited to class, age, and marital status rather than gender. Although there were a few exceptions, the higher a person's social status, the more limits a person would have. This included limitations on sexual acts and fewer sexual partners. For example, a high status male could penetrate another person, male or female, without damage to his social status; but for him to be penetrated by any person could possibly result in a loss of status. On the other hand, a slave's social status, or that of any other free male of a similar class status, would not be affected by any sexual act as long as the intercourse did not with another person the slave's owner allowed him to, or as long as it did not happen with an adult male citizen.[11]
Penetration and power were highly correlated with the rights of the ruling elite in Roman society. It was acceptable for members of the less powerful group to surrender to penetration by members of a more powerful group. Thus, penetration was associated with a man's power and authority, and was not regarded as either a homosexual or heterosexual act.[11] Though some scholars disagree, there is evidence that shows that lesbianism was not viewed as a problem; there were no laws restricting it. The Romans, perhaps because they were such a male-centered society, wrote little in their historical literature about women, especially lesbians.[12]
Early Christian medieval views[edit]
Around 400 A.D., Christianity began to introduce a new sexual code focused on the religious concepts of "holiness" and "purity." The emerging Church, which gained social and political sway by the mid-third century, had two approaches to sexuality. One of these, like their Greco-Roman predecessors, did not view or judge sexuality in terms of heterosexual or homosexual acts. Instead, it only judged the act itself, and promoted a sex life that mainly focused on platonic relationships. Some point to the ancient Church's Brother-Making Ceremony as an example of same-sex marriage, but this is contested.[11] For instance, the Roman tradition of forming a legal union with another male by declaring a "brother" persisted during the early Medieval years. Also, though there was no official marriage within religious communities, long lasting relationships or bonds were made.[13] Also, there are many poems from that century that suggest the existence of lesbian relationships.[14] Even in areas where homosexual relationships were not recognized, through the end of the twelfth century there was a strong tradition in Christian beliefs that viewed and judged homosexuality and heterosexuality by the same standards.[11]
The main approach to Christian sexuality held an opposing view. Under this approach, sex was only meant for procreation purposes. Sexual activity for any other purpose, including heterosexual acts, was considered sinful. Such a view was inherited from aspects of late antique pagan ethics and was at first limited to abstinent Christian writers who were deeply inspired by Hellenistic philosophy. Eventually, it would be this approach to sexuality that was favored and spread throughout the Christian world because it limited sexual activity the most and appealed to an already understood principle. Ultimately, this approach would become the standard of Catholic orthodoxy.[11]
Punishment in medieval times[edit]
By the end of the Middle Ages, most of the Catholic churchmen and states accepted and lived with the belief that sexual behavior was, according to Natural Law[15][16][17] aimed at procreation, considering purely sterile sexual acts, i.e. oral and anal sex, as well as masturbation, sinful. However homosexual acts held a special place as crimes against Natural Law. This view was already grounded, however, in the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle and Stoics like Cicero, even before the advent of Christianity[citation needed][dubious – discuss].[18][19][20] Most civil law codes had punishments for such "unnatural acts," especially in regions which were heavily influenced by the Church's teachings.[11]
In early Medieval years, homosexuality was given no particular penance; it was viewed like all the other sins. For example, during the eighth century, Pope Gregory III gave penances of 160 days for lesbian-like acts and usually one year for males who committed homosexual acts.[21] During the Inquisition itself, it is unlikely that people were brought up for homosexual behavior alone; it was usually for publicly challenging the Church's stance against homosexuality. Those who did not back down would be severely punished.[22]
As time went on, punishments for homosexual behavior became harsher. In the thirteenth century, in areas such as France, male homosexual behavior resulted in castration on the first offense, dismemberment on the second, and burning on the third. Lesbian behavior was punished with specific dismemberments for the first two offenses and burning on the third as well. By the mid-fourteenth century in many cities of Italy, civil laws against homosexuality were common. If a person was found to be homosexual[dubious – discuss], the city's government was entitled to confiscate the offender's property.[23]
Art[edit]
The depiction of homosexuality in art saw a rise in the Late Middle Ages, beginning with the Renaissance of the twelfth century, when Latin and Greek influences were revitalized in Europe. Influenced by Roman depictions of romantic love, these "neo-Latin" poets portrayed male love in a positive light, while avoiding explicitly mentioning homosexuality, which was still a taboo topic.[24] An example is the poet Marbodius of Rennes, who wrote of male beauty and desire:

A handsome face demands a good mind and a yielding one... this flesh is so smooth, so milky, so unblemished, so good, so slippery, so handsome, so tender. Yet the time will come... when this flesh, dear boyish flesh, will be worthless... be not slow to yield to an eager lover"[24]
Poetry about homosexual acts in medieval Europe was not very widespread. One piece of writing that did describe homosexual acts was Le Livre de Manieres. Written by Etinne de Fougeres between 1173 and 1178, his poems contrasted the "beauty" of heterosexual sex to the "vile" unnatural homosexual sex. However, one of this poems focuses specifically on lesbian sex acts. De Fourgeres writes: "They do their jousting act in couples and go at it full tilt; at the game of thigh-fencing they lewdly share their expenses.
They're not all from the same mold: one lies still and the other makes busy, one plays the cock and the other the hen and each one plays her role.[25] This poem explains the manner of lesbian sexual activity in which lesbians do not need a penis to have sexual intercourse. De Fougeres also demonstrates the knowledge that lesbians did not need to imitate heterosexual intercourse but that there are alternative sexual methods. This example helps us to see in what light literature of a homosexual nature was readily available and known about to society.
Lesbianism[edit]
Background[edit]
Sexuality in the Middle Ages was male-centered and revolved around the idea that a man's penis was required to have fulfilling sexual activity.[26] The neglect of notice about lesbianism in the Middle Ages can stem from this belief and as long as a dildo or other penis-shaped object was not used in lesbian relationships, then the relationship was not considered fully sexual.[27] Much of the discussion on homosexuality in medieval Europe revolves around male homosexuality and any discussion done on lesbianism is relegated to minor mentions. Research done on lesbian and lesbian relationships in the Middle Ages is not widely known and the few sources that discuss lesbianism in medieval Europe are religious and intellectual sources.
Religious[edit]
Many of the writings that deal with lesbianism in medieval Europe come from religious texts. The earliest text that shows the Church's disapproval of lesbianism comes from the writings of St. Paul to the Romans. In his letters, he states: "women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another…and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error."[27]
While Paul does not explicitly describe lesbian relations between women, he does state that this is an unholy choice made and that women who commit these "unnatural" acts will be punished, presumably by God's will. This is one of the earliest descriptions of lesbianism that details how early Church leaders felt about what were described as "unnatural" relations. The mentality of the church regarding lesbianism was also seen in the rise of penitentials. Penitentials were guides used by religious leaders and laypersons in dealing with issues in a broader community. While discussion of dealing with lesbianism was not mentioned in these penitentials, it was an overall concept that lesbian relations was a smaller sin than male sexuality.
One such penitential that mentions the consequences for lesbian activity was the Paenitentiale Theodori, attributed to Theodore of Tarsus (the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury). There are three main cannons that are mention in regards to female homosexuality: 12. If a woman practices vice with a woman, she shall do penance for three years. 13. If she practices solitary vice, she shall do penance for the same period. 14. The penance of a widow and of a girl is the same She who has a husband deserves a greater penalty if she commits fornication.[28]
According to his canons, Theodore sees lesbian activities as a minor sin, as fornication is considered, rather than a more serious sexual sin like adultery.[29] Unmarried women and girls were judged less severely because they had a single status and did not have another other form of sexual release. Married women, who had a willing sexual partner in their husband, were judged more harshly because they sought sexual satisfaction through an "unnatural" form.[29] Religious figures throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries continued to ignore the concept of lesbianism but in St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae discusses in his subject of lust that female homosexuality falls under one of the four categories of unnatural acts.[30]
Medicine and science[edit]
There were two medical situations that were linked to lesbianism in medieval Europe. Once such condition was that the womb of a woman had a buildup of her seed and due to lack of sexual intercourse, this cause the suffocation of the womb.[31] The cure for this suffocation was for a midwife to place hot items on the woman and bring her to orgasm.[31] This would help her to retain the seed of a man. The idea of one woman bringing another woman to orgasm was considered morally wrong by religious leaders and in the thirteenth century, it was urged that marriage was a solution for this problem rather than manual stimulation.[31] The second ailment was ragadia of the womb, in which fleshy growths grew as a result of intercourse or childbirth and these growths could sometimes grow on the outside of the vagina.[32] These growths resembled penises and it was thought that women with these would be able to have heterosexual sex with other women because a penis was needed to have intercourse. Eventually the practice of masturbating women and the idea that women with the ragadiae would have sex with other women disappeared over time, further masking lesbian activities in medieval Europe.
Secular laws[edit]
Laws against lesbianism in medieval Europe were not as mainstreamed as laws for male homosexuality. While not as serious, lesbianism still posed a threat to male-centered social order. It was often ignored in secular law but there is one known exception. Written around 1260, the French legal treatise Li Livres de jostice et de plet prescribed that if convicted of sodomy: "The woman who does this shall undergo mutilation (on the first and second) offense and on her third must be burnt."[33] This is one of the only laws that has been known to specify what the consequences were for women who engaged in lesbian sexual activity. By the thirteenth century, lesbianism was equated to sodomy and therefore carried a similar sentence.[32] However, secular courts did not prosecute cases of lesbianism, mainly because laws that would cause it to be brought to court barely existed.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Brundage,James, Law, Sex, And Christian Society in Medieval Europe, The University of Chicago Press, 1987. Page 27.
2.Jump up ^ G. Legman "The Guilt of the Templars" (New York: Basic Books, 1966): 11.
3.Jump up ^ Brundage,James, Law, Sex, And Christian Society in Medieval Europe, The University of Chicago Press, 1987. Page 57 and Romans 1:26.
4.Jump up ^ Pierre J. Payer, Book of Gomorrah, ( Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1982), p. 29
5.Jump up ^ http://www.luc.edu/publications/medieval/vol11/11ch5.html[dead link][dead link]
6.Jump up ^ [1][dead link]
7.Jump up ^ "Hildegardof Bingen: Scivias - Vision 7 - The Devil (trans. by Mother Columba Hart and Jane Bishop)". FRONTLINE. PBS. 1990. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
8.Jump up ^ Crompton, Louis, Homosexuality and Civilization, Harvard University, 2003. Page 187
9.Jump up ^ "SUMMA THEOLOGICA: What is happiness (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 3)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
10.Jump up ^ http://www.newadvent.org/summa/315411.htm and http://www.newadvent.org/summa/315412.htm
11.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "EBSCOhost". Search.ebscohost.com. Retrieved 2013-05-12.(registration required)
12.Jump up ^ "EBSCOhost". Search.ebscohost.com. Retrieved 2013-05-12.(registration required)
13.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe page 211
14.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe pages 258-259
15.Jump up ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09076a.htm
16.Jump up ^ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/natural-law-ethics/
17.Jump up ^ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/#NatLaw
18.Jump up ^ Plato, The Symposium. Translated by Walter Hamilton. New York: Penguin Books, 1981.
19.Jump up ^ Plato, The Laws. Translated by Trevor Saunders. New York: Penguin Books, 1970.
20.Jump up ^ Cicero, 1966, Tusculan Disputations. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
21.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality page 180
22.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality page 285
23.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality pages 289-291
24.^ Jump up to: a b Crompton, Louis, Homosexuality and Civilization, Harvard University, 2003. Page 178-179
25.Jump up ^ Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 205
26.Jump up ^ Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 199
27.^ Jump up to: a b Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 197
28.Jump up ^ Medieval Handbooks of Penance. A translation of the principal libri poenitentiales and selections from related documents, trans. John T. McNeil and Helena M. Gamer, Records of Civilization, Sources and Studies, 29 (New York: Columbia University, 1938; rpt. 1990), 185-186
29.^ Jump up to: a b Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 198
30.Jump up ^ Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 200
31.^ Jump up to: a b c Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 201
32.^ Jump up to: a b Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 202
33.Jump up ^ Pierre Rapetti, ed., Li Livres deJostice et de plet (Paris: Didot Freres, 1850), pp. 279-80.


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Homosexuality in medieval Europe

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Jump to: navigation, search

In Medieval Europe, attitudes toward homosexuality varied by era and region. Generally, by at least the twelfth century, homosexuality was considered sodomy and was punishable by death. Before the Medieval period early Romans tolerated alternative sexual practices, such as masturbation in males and females and homosexuality. Homosexuality was generally more accepted for males than for females; male elites were able to recruit slaves or hire household boys for their sexual pleasures, while males saw lesbianism as a threat to their manhood or sexual-esteem.[1] Despite persecution, records of homosexual relationships during the Medieval period do exist. This persecution reached its height during the Medieval Inquisitions, when the sects of Cathars and Waldensians were accused of fornication and sodomy, alongside accusations of satanism. In 1307, accusations of sodomy and homosexuality were major charges leveled during the Trial of the Knights Templar.[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 Theology
2 Greco-Roman secular views
3 Early Christian medieval views
4 Punishment in medieval times
5 Art
6 Lesbianism 6.1 Background
6.2 Religious
6.3 Medicine and science
6.4 Secular laws
7 References

Theology[edit]
Main article: History of Christianity and homosexuality
Although homosexuality was not considered a major offense during the early Roman Empire, homosexual encounters and homosexual behavior came to be viewed as unacceptable as Christianity developed. The Old Testament (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Deuteronomy 22:5) and the New Testament (Romans 1:26) condemned females who wore male attire, males who wore female attires, and males and females that engaged in homosexual behavior or intercourse.[3] In the 11th century C.E., the Doctor of the Church, St. Peter Damian, wrote the Liber Gomorrhianus, an extended attack on both homosexuality and masturbation.[4] He portrayed homosexuality as a counter-rational force undermining morality, religion, and society itself,[5] and in need of strong suppression lest it spread even and especially among clergy.[6]
Hildegard of Bingen, born seven years after the death of St. Peter Damian, reported seeing visions and recorded them in Scivias (short for Scito vias Domini, "Know the Ways of the Lord"[7]). In Book II Vision Six, she quotes God as condemning same-sex intercourse, including lesbianism; "a woman who takes up devilish ways and plays a male role in coupling with another woman is most vile in My sight, and so is she who subjects herself to such a one in this evil deed".
In the 13th century C.E., the theologian Thomas Aquinas was influential in linking condemnations of homosexuality with the idea of natural law, arguing that "special sins are against nature, as, for instance, those that run counter to the intercourse of male and female natural to animals, and so are peculiarly qualified as unnatural vices."[8] This view points from the natural to the Divine, because (following Aristotle) he said all people seek happiness; but according to Aquinas, happiness can only finally be attained through the Beatific Vision.[9] Therefore all sins are also against the natural law. But the natural law of many aspects of life is knowable apart from special revelation by examining the forms and purposes of those aspects. It is in this sense that Aquinas considered homosexuality unnatural, since it involves a kind of partner other than the kind to which the purpose of sexuality points. Indeed, he considered it second only to bestiality as an abuse of sexuality.[10]
Greco-Roman secular views[edit]
In Mediterranean city states of the old world (ca. 40 B.C. to 400 A.D.), the norms by which a person carried out their private and public life were social and behavioral, rather than psychological or spiritual. Standards of human behavior were based on fulfillment of social expectations; for example, being a good citizen and bringing honor to one's family. It was considered one's duty to carry on the family line by marrying and raising children, regardless of sexual orientation.[11]
For Roman citizens, marriage was a duty and was not meant for the purpose of fulfilling erotic needs. Therefore, it was considered normal for a male to look for sexual fulfillment outside marriage, though females did not have such liberty. Presumably, the main Greco-Roman moral view on human sexuality was that sexuality was good, as long as it did not interfere with a person's obligations to the state or family or involve the abuse of free children or married women. Other views stated that sexuality was dangerous and should be limited. People that held such beliefs would usually commit themselves to celibacy or limit their sexual activities either to marriage, or strictly for the purpose of procreation. Such views, though, did not preclude homosexual acts; they simply aimed to reduce promiscuous heterosexual activity.[11]
Sexual orientation in Roman society was neither a questioned nor a judged matter. How a person expressed their sexuality was based and limited to class, age, and marital status rather than gender. Although there were a few exceptions, the higher a person's social status, the more limits a person would have. This included limitations on sexual acts and fewer sexual partners. For example, a high status male could penetrate another person, male or female, without damage to his social status; but for him to be penetrated by any person could possibly result in a loss of status. On the other hand, a slave's social status, or that of any other free male of a similar class status, would not be affected by any sexual act as long as the intercourse did not with another person the slave's owner allowed him to, or as long as it did not happen with an adult male citizen.[11]
Penetration and power were highly correlated with the rights of the ruling elite in Roman society. It was acceptable for members of the less powerful group to surrender to penetration by members of a more powerful group. Thus, penetration was associated with a man's power and authority, and was not regarded as either a homosexual or heterosexual act.[11] Though some scholars disagree, there is evidence that shows that lesbianism was not viewed as a problem; there were no laws restricting it. The Romans, perhaps because they were such a male-centered society, wrote little in their historical literature about women, especially lesbians.[12]
Early Christian medieval views[edit]
Around 400 A.D., Christianity began to introduce a new sexual code focused on the religious concepts of "holiness" and "purity." The emerging Church, which gained social and political sway by the mid-third century, had two approaches to sexuality. One of these, like their Greco-Roman predecessors, did not view or judge sexuality in terms of heterosexual or homosexual acts. Instead, it only judged the act itself, and promoted a sex life that mainly focused on platonic relationships. Some point to the ancient Church's Brother-Making Ceremony as an example of same-sex marriage, but this is contested.[11] For instance, the Roman tradition of forming a legal union with another male by declaring a "brother" persisted during the early Medieval years. Also, though there was no official marriage within religious communities, long lasting relationships or bonds were made.[13] Also, there are many poems from that century that suggest the existence of lesbian relationships.[14] Even in areas where homosexual relationships were not recognized, through the end of the twelfth century there was a strong tradition in Christian beliefs that viewed and judged homosexuality and heterosexuality by the same standards.[11]
The main approach to Christian sexuality held an opposing view. Under this approach, sex was only meant for procreation purposes. Sexual activity for any other purpose, including heterosexual acts, was considered sinful. Such a view was inherited from aspects of late antique pagan ethics and was at first limited to abstinent Christian writers who were deeply inspired by Hellenistic philosophy. Eventually, it would be this approach to sexuality that was favored and spread throughout the Christian world because it limited sexual activity the most and appealed to an already understood principle. Ultimately, this approach would become the standard of Catholic orthodoxy.[11]
Punishment in medieval times[edit]
By the end of the Middle Ages, most of the Catholic churchmen and states accepted and lived with the belief that sexual behavior was, according to Natural Law[15][16][17] aimed at procreation, considering purely sterile sexual acts, i.e. oral and anal sex, as well as masturbation, sinful. However homosexual acts held a special place as crimes against Natural Law. This view was already grounded, however, in the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle and Stoics like Cicero, even before the advent of Christianity[citation needed][dubious – discuss].[18][19][20] Most civil law codes had punishments for such "unnatural acts," especially in regions which were heavily influenced by the Church's teachings.[11]
In early Medieval years, homosexuality was given no particular penance; it was viewed like all the other sins. For example, during the eighth century, Pope Gregory III gave penances of 160 days for lesbian-like acts and usually one year for males who committed homosexual acts.[21] During the Inquisition itself, it is unlikely that people were brought up for homosexual behavior alone; it was usually for publicly challenging the Church's stance against homosexuality. Those who did not back down would be severely punished.[22]
As time went on, punishments for homosexual behavior became harsher. In the thirteenth century, in areas such as France, male homosexual behavior resulted in castration on the first offense, dismemberment on the second, and burning on the third. Lesbian behavior was punished with specific dismemberments for the first two offenses and burning on the third as well. By the mid-fourteenth century in many cities of Italy, civil laws against homosexuality were common. If a person was found to be homosexual[dubious – discuss], the city's government was entitled to confiscate the offender's property.[23]
Art[edit]
The depiction of homosexuality in art saw a rise in the Late Middle Ages, beginning with the Renaissance of the twelfth century, when Latin and Greek influences were revitalized in Europe. Influenced by Roman depictions of romantic love, these "neo-Latin" poets portrayed male love in a positive light, while avoiding explicitly mentioning homosexuality, which was still a taboo topic.[24] An example is the poet Marbodius of Rennes, who wrote of male beauty and desire:

A handsome face demands a good mind and a yielding one... this flesh is so smooth, so milky, so unblemished, so good, so slippery, so handsome, so tender. Yet the time will come... when this flesh, dear boyish flesh, will be worthless... be not slow to yield to an eager lover"[24]
Poetry about homosexual acts in medieval Europe was not very widespread. One piece of writing that did describe homosexual acts was Le Livre de Manieres. Written by Etinne de Fougeres between 1173 and 1178, his poems contrasted the "beauty" of heterosexual sex to the "vile" unnatural homosexual sex. However, one of this poems focuses specifically on lesbian sex acts. De Fourgeres writes: "They do their jousting act in couples and go at it full tilt; at the game of thigh-fencing they lewdly share their expenses.
They're not all from the same mold: one lies still and the other makes busy, one plays the cock and the other the hen and each one plays her role.[25] This poem explains the manner of lesbian sexual activity in which lesbians do not need a penis to have sexual intercourse. De Fougeres also demonstrates the knowledge that lesbians did not need to imitate heterosexual intercourse but that there are alternative sexual methods. This example helps us to see in what light literature of a homosexual nature was readily available and known about to society.
Lesbianism[edit]
Background[edit]
Sexuality in the Middle Ages was male-centered and revolved around the idea that a man's penis was required to have fulfilling sexual activity.[26] The neglect of notice about lesbianism in the Middle Ages can stem from this belief and as long as a dildo or other penis-shaped object was not used in lesbian relationships, then the relationship was not considered fully sexual.[27] Much of the discussion on homosexuality in medieval Europe revolves around male homosexuality and any discussion done on lesbianism is relegated to minor mentions. Research done on lesbian and lesbian relationships in the Middle Ages is not widely known and the few sources that discuss lesbianism in medieval Europe are religious and intellectual sources.
Religious[edit]
Many of the writings that deal with lesbianism in medieval Europe come from religious texts. The earliest text that shows the Church's disapproval of lesbianism comes from the writings of St. Paul to the Romans. In his letters, he states: "women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another…and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error."[27]
While Paul does not explicitly describe lesbian relations between women, he does state that this is an unholy choice made and that women who commit these "unnatural" acts will be punished, presumably by God's will. This is one of the earliest descriptions of lesbianism that details how early Church leaders felt about what were described as "unnatural" relations. The mentality of the church regarding lesbianism was also seen in the rise of penitentials. Penitentials were guides used by religious leaders and laypersons in dealing with issues in a broader community. While discussion of dealing with lesbianism was not mentioned in these penitentials, it was an overall concept that lesbian relations was a smaller sin than male sexuality.
One such penitential that mentions the consequences for lesbian activity was the Paenitentiale Theodori, attributed to Theodore of Tarsus (the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury). There are three main cannons that are mention in regards to female homosexuality: 12. If a woman practices vice with a woman, she shall do penance for three years. 13. If she practices solitary vice, she shall do penance for the same period. 14. The penance of a widow and of a girl is the same She who has a husband deserves a greater penalty if she commits fornication.[28]
According to his canons, Theodore sees lesbian activities as a minor sin, as fornication is considered, rather than a more serious sexual sin like adultery.[29] Unmarried women and girls were judged less severely because they had a single status and did not have another other form of sexual release. Married women, who had a willing sexual partner in their husband, were judged more harshly because they sought sexual satisfaction through an "unnatural" form.[29] Religious figures throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries continued to ignore the concept of lesbianism but in St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae discusses in his subject of lust that female homosexuality falls under one of the four categories of unnatural acts.[30]
Medicine and science[edit]
There were two medical situations that were linked to lesbianism in medieval Europe. Once such condition was that the womb of a woman had a buildup of her seed and due to lack of sexual intercourse, this cause the suffocation of the womb.[31] The cure for this suffocation was for a midwife to place hot items on the woman and bring her to orgasm.[31] This would help her to retain the seed of a man. The idea of one woman bringing another woman to orgasm was considered morally wrong by religious leaders and in the thirteenth century, it was urged that marriage was a solution for this problem rather than manual stimulation.[31] The second ailment was ragadia of the womb, in which fleshy growths grew as a result of intercourse or childbirth and these growths could sometimes grow on the outside of the vagina.[32] These growths resembled penises and it was thought that women with these would be able to have heterosexual sex with other women because a penis was needed to have intercourse. Eventually the practice of masturbating women and the idea that women with the ragadiae would have sex with other women disappeared over time, further masking lesbian activities in medieval Europe.
Secular laws[edit]
Laws against lesbianism in medieval Europe were not as mainstreamed as laws for male homosexuality. While not as serious, lesbianism still posed a threat to male-centered social order. It was often ignored in secular law but there is one known exception. Written around 1260, the French legal treatise Li Livres de jostice et de plet prescribed that if convicted of sodomy: "The woman who does this shall undergo mutilation (on the first and second) offense and on her third must be burnt."[33] This is one of the only laws that has been known to specify what the consequences were for women who engaged in lesbian sexual activity. By the thirteenth century, lesbianism was equated to sodomy and therefore carried a similar sentence.[32] However, secular courts did not prosecute cases of lesbianism, mainly because laws that would cause it to be brought to court barely existed.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Brundage,James, Law, Sex, And Christian Society in Medieval Europe, The University of Chicago Press, 1987. Page 27.
2.Jump up ^ G. Legman "The Guilt of the Templars" (New York: Basic Books, 1966): 11.
3.Jump up ^ Brundage,James, Law, Sex, And Christian Society in Medieval Europe, The University of Chicago Press, 1987. Page 57 and Romans 1:26.
4.Jump up ^ Pierre J. Payer, Book of Gomorrah, ( Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1982), p. 29
5.Jump up ^ http://www.luc.edu/publications/medieval/vol11/11ch5.html[dead link][dead link]
6.Jump up ^ [1][dead link]
7.Jump up ^ "Hildegardof Bingen: Scivias - Vision 7 - The Devil (trans. by Mother Columba Hart and Jane Bishop)". FRONTLINE. PBS. 1990. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
8.Jump up ^ Crompton, Louis, Homosexuality and Civilization, Harvard University, 2003. Page 187
9.Jump up ^ "SUMMA THEOLOGICA: What is happiness (Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 3)". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
10.Jump up ^ http://www.newadvent.org/summa/315411.htm and http://www.newadvent.org/summa/315412.htm
11.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "EBSCOhost". Search.ebscohost.com. Retrieved 2013-05-12.(registration required)
12.Jump up ^ "EBSCOhost". Search.ebscohost.com. Retrieved 2013-05-12.(registration required)
13.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe page 211
14.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe pages 258-259
15.Jump up ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09076a.htm
16.Jump up ^ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/natural-law-ethics/
17.Jump up ^ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/#NatLaw
18.Jump up ^ Plato, The Symposium. Translated by Walter Hamilton. New York: Penguin Books, 1981.
19.Jump up ^ Plato, The Laws. Translated by Trevor Saunders. New York: Penguin Books, 1970.
20.Jump up ^ Cicero, 1966, Tusculan Disputations. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
21.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality page 180
22.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality page 285
23.Jump up ^ John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality pages 289-291
24.^ Jump up to: a b Crompton, Louis, Homosexuality and Civilization, Harvard University, 2003. Page 178-179
25.Jump up ^ Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 205
26.Jump up ^ Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 199
27.^ Jump up to: a b Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 197
28.Jump up ^ Medieval Handbooks of Penance. A translation of the principal libri poenitentiales and selections from related documents, trans. John T. McNeil and Helena M. Gamer, Records of Civilization, Sources and Studies, 29 (New York: Columbia University, 1938; rpt. 1990), 185-186
29.^ Jump up to: a b Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 198
30.Jump up ^ Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 200
31.^ Jump up to: a b c Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 201
32.^ Jump up to: a b Murry, Jacqueline. "Twice Marginal and Twice Invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages." Handbook of Medieval Sexuality. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996. 202
33.Jump up ^ Pierre Rapetti, ed., Li Livres deJostice et de plet (Paris: Didot Freres, 1850), pp. 279-80.


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Trembling Before G-d

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Trembling Before G-d
Trembling Before G-d.jpg
DVD cover

Directed by
Sandi Simcha DuBowski
Produced by
Sandi Simcha DuBowski
 Marc Smolowitz
Starring
Shlomo Ashkinazy
 Rabbi Steven Greenberg
Music by
John Zorn
Cinematography
David W. Leitner
Edited by
Susan Korda

Production
 company

Cinephil

Distributed by
New Yorker Films

Release dates
 2001

Running time
 84 minutes
Country
Israel
France
 United States
Language
English
Yeshivish
Yiddish
Hebrew
Box office
$788,896
Trembling Before G-d is an 2001 American documentary film about gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews trying to reconcile their sexuality with their faith. It was directed by Sandi Simcha DuBowski, an American who wanted to compare Orthodox Jewish attitudes to homosexuality with his own upbringing as a gay Conservative Jew.
The film won seven awards, but some Orthodox Jews criticized it. The film received ten award nominations, winning seven, including Best Documentary awards at the 2001 Berlin and Chicago film festivals. However, some criticized the film as showing a one-sided view of Orthodox Judaism's response to homosexuality. These include South African chief rabbi Warren Goldstein as well as Agudah spokesperson Rabbi Avi Shafran.
The film is mostly in English, but also has some subtitled Yiddish and Hebrew. The film follows the lives of several gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews and includes interviews with rabbis and psychotherapists about Orthodox attitudes towards homosexuality. During the film's six-year production, DuBowski met hundreds of homosexual Jews, but only a handful agreed to be filmed due to fear of being ostracized from their communities.[1] Many people who agreed to be interviewed are shown only in silhouette or with their faces pixelized.[2] The majority of the participants are American Jews, with one British and one Israeli Jew also featured. The film was successful at the box office, grossing over $788,896 on eight screens by its close date.[3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Synopsis
3 Production
4 Soundtrack
5 Reception 5.1 Critical
5.2 Religious
5.3 Accolades
6 Legacy
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Background[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality and Judaism
While a variety of views regarding homosexuality exist within the Orthodox Jewish community, Orthodox Judaism generally prohibits homosexual conduct. While there is disagreement about which acts come under core prohibitions, all of Orthodox Judaism puts certain core homosexual acts, including male-male anal sex, in the category of yehareg ve'al ya'avor, "die rather than transgress" – the small category of Biblically prohibited acts (including apostasy, murder, idolatry, adultery, and incest) which an Orthodox Jew is obligated under Jewish laws on self-sacrifice to die rather than commit.[4]
Familiarity with sociological and biological studies, as well as personal contact with Jewish homosexuals, has brought some Orthodox leaders to a more sympathetic viewpoint, which views homosexuals as mentally ill rather than rebellious and advocates treatment rather than ostracism or jail. In the 1974 yearbook of the Encyclopedia Judaica, Rabbi Norman Lamm, a leader in Modern Orthodox Judaism, urged sympathy and treatment: "Judaism allows for no compromise in its abhorrence of sodomy, but encourages both compassion and efforts at rehabilitation." Lamm compared homosexuals to those who attempt suicide (also a sin in Jewish law), arguing that in both cases it would be irresponsible to shun or jail the sinner, but equally wrong for society to give "open or even tacit approval".[5]
When Orthodox rabbi Steven Greenberg publicly announced that he was homosexual, Rabbi Moshe Tendler, a leading rabbi at the Modern Orthodox Yeshiva University where Greenberg was ordained as rabbi, stated "It is very sad that an individual who attended our yeshiva sunk to the depths of what we consider a depraved society," giving his opinion that Rabbi Greenberg's announcement is "the exact same as if he said, 'I'm an Orthodox Rabbi and I eat ham sandwiches on Yom Kippur.' What you are is a Reform Rabbi."[6]
Synopsis[edit]
Trembling Before G-d interviews and follows several gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews, many only seen in silhouette, and also interviews several rabbis and psychologists regarding their views on homosexuality in Orthodox Judaism. The film repeatedly returns to several characters:
David is an observant Orthodox Jewish doctor from Los Angeles who has spent a decade trying to reconcile his homosexuality with Judaism. He has tried numerous forms of "treatment", from eating figs and praying to wearing a rubber band on his wrist to flick whenever he thinks of men, but to no avail.[2] During the course of the film, David decides to visit the Chabad rabbi to whom he first came out.[7]
Israel is a 58-year-old New Yorker who decided he couldn't be gay and Orthodox, and turned his back on his religion, though not before his family forced him into electroshock therapy to try to cure him. Now a tour guide in the Haredi neighborhoods of New York, the film follows him as he gives a tour, psychoanalyzes himself and decides, on the 25th anniversary of being with his life partner, to call his 98-year-old father, a rabbi, whom he has not seen in over twenty years.[8]
Michelle is another New Yorker, in her forties, who believed she was the only Hasidic lesbian in the world and as a consequence allowed herself to be pressured into marriage. However, she got divorced and was subsequently ostracized by her family and community when they discovered she was homosexual. The film shows her visiting her old neighborhood and an Orthodox fair.[9]
Rabbi Steven Greenberg, one of the founding members of the Jerusalem Open House, a gay rights organization in Israel which provides support to gay Orthodox Jews and their families, who is sometimes called "the world’s first openly gay Orthodox rabbi",[10] discusses parents' reactions to their children coming out, as well as traditional interpretations of the prohibitions on homosexual acts in the Torah.
Shlomo Ashkenazy is a gay psychotherapist who has run a confidential support group for Orthodox gay men for nearly 20 years.[8] He is interviewed about the effects of Orthodox attitudes to homosexuality and the reactions of rabbis to gay Jews.[11]
Mark is the English son of a Haredi rabbi. Coming out at 15, he was expelled from seven yeshivas for homosexual activity before becoming a drag queen, and is now dying of AIDS-related illness. He visits several yeshivas and other religious sites throughout the film.[12] He remains upbeat, at one point saying, "Being a Jew is such a nice present to receive."
"Malka" and "Leah" are two observant Orthodox lesbians who have been together for ten years, which has destroyed Malka's relationship with her family. They speak frankly about their lives in the film and discuss their fears that they may not end up in heaven together. They are shown preparing for Shabbat, and Leah gives advice to a married Hasidic lesbian who is terrified her husband will find out and take away her children.[8]
"Devorah" is a married Hasidic lesbian living in Israel. She only appears in silhouette with an electronically modified voice. She considered her twenty-year-long marriage a lie, and can only cope by taking antidepressants.[13] The film follows her as she attends her first gay pride parade, where she is offended by the anti-Orthodox sentiment of its speakers.
Production[edit]
Sandi Simcha DuBowski was making videos about the Christian religious right when he began to examine his own upbringing as a gay Conservative Jew, and began making a personal video diary of his search for homosexuality among the Orthodox Jewish community.[14] On the making of the film, DuBowski said, "I don't think it was until I met people who were kicked out of their families and their Yeshivas, in marriages betraying their spouses, that it became clear why I was doing this film. But then, for me it assumed an enormous level of responsibility to the people I met, to the issue, to the community." He met thousands of people, but only a few agreed to appear in the film, as most were too frightened of being expelled from their community.[15] Even when interviewing those who did agree to appear, DuBowski had to hide his film equipment so their neighbors would not know that they had agreed to take part. As a result, the documentary took six years to complete.[1]
There is no narration, and the film may be considered to be an example of cinéma vérité. The film is also interspersed with silhouetted tableaus of Jewish religious practices, for example Shabbat.[14] The language is predominantly English, with passages in Yiddish and Hebrew that are subtitled. Also subtitled are passages with significant amounts of "Yeshivish", Yiddish-influenced technical terms in Judaism; for example, posek is translated as "judge on Jewish law", and daven is translated as "pray".
The title is an allusion to the word Haredi (Hebrew: חֲרֵדִי‎), which can be interpreted as "one who trembles" in awe of God.[16] The spelling of the word G-d in the film's title reflects the Jewish practice of avoiding writing a name of God. By omitting the middle letter, the word is not written in full, thus eliminating the possibility of accidentally destroying the written name of God, which would violate one of the 613 Mitzvot of Judaism (number 8 on Maimonides' list).[17]
Soundtrack[edit]
Main article: Filmworks IX: Trembling Before G-d
Reception[edit]
Critical[edit]
Trembling Before G-d was put out on general release on October 21, 2001 in New York City, where it broke Film Forum's opening day box office records, grossing more than $5,500 on the first day of release.[18] According to Box Office Mojo, it grossed $788,896 at the box office during its release.[3] It was very warmly received by critics, one describing it: "With its testimony of anguish and joy, Trembling is a tribute to the human spirit, if not to the institutions that seek to define it."[19] Critical reviews compiled by Rotten Tomatoes were 89% positive, the 34th highest rating on the website's Top Movies:Best of Rotten Tomatoes 2001 rankings.[20] On Metacritic the film received a Metascore of 66 ("Generally favorable reviews").[21]
Religious[edit]
Trembling Before G-d has had a wide impact especially within the Orthodox Jewish world, where the reception has been mixed. Several Orthodox synagogues sponsored showings of the film all over the world, including in Israel.[22][23] The Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Warren Goldstein, described the film as "intellectually shallow," commenting that "its one-sided caricature of Orthodox Judaism does not stimulate meaningful intellectual debate."[24] A rabbi interviewed by DuBowski complained that the film "makes us appear to be narrow and bigoted".[25] Arthur A. Goldberg, co-director of the Jewish ex-gay organization JONAH, wrote a letter to the editor of The Jerusalem Post lamenting the "film's biased and faulty assumption that same-sex attraction and behavior is irreversible" and that "opposing points of view were, in the reviewer's words, left 'lying on DuBowski's cutting room floor.'"[26] Orthodox clinical psychologist Adam Jessel commented that, "the film poignantly captures the torment of those torn between their religious beliefs and their same-sex attractions (SSA). One cannot help but feel compassion for DuBowski's interviewees who desperately miss the lifestyle, community and close family ties of the Orthodox world. Unfortunately, DuBowski's film goes further. Implicit in the film is the message that homosexuality is desirable, and that the interviewees' only struggle is having their choices accepted and validated by the community."[27]
No Haredi Orthodox group spoke out in favor of Trembling Before G-d. Rabbi Avi Shafran, the spokesperson for Agudath Israel of America, one of the largest Haredi organizations, criticized the film with an article titled "Dissembling Before G-d". In his response, he holds that gay people can be cured through therapy, and that the movie is meant to promote homosexuality:

Unfortunately, though, "Trembling" seems to have other intents as well. While it never baldly advocates the case for broader societal acceptance of homosexuality or for the abandonment of elements of the Jewish religious tradition, those causes are subtly evident in the stark, simplistic picture the film presents of sincere, conflicted and victimized men and women confronted by a largely stern and stubborn cadre of rabbis.
That picture is both incomplete and distorted. For starters, the film refuses to even allow for the possibility that men and women with homosexual predilections might ― with great effort, to be sure ― achieve successful and happy marriages to members of the opposite sex.
— Avi Shafran[28]
DuBowski maintains that there is no agenda to Trembling Before G-d "beyond alleviating an immense amount of pain that people are going through", and that Judaism is lovingly portrayed. Indeed, several audience members at screenings asked afterwards how they could convert.[29]
Accolades[edit]

Year
Group
Award[22][30]
Result
2001 Washington Jewish Film Festival Audience Award ― Special Mention Won
Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Nominated
Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Audience Award ― Favorite Documentary Won
L.A. Outfest Grand Jury Award ― Outstanding Documentary Feature Won
Chicago International Film Festival Gold Plaque Won
Berlin International Film Festival Don Quixote Award ― Special Mention Won
Teddy ― Best Film
2002 Glitter Awards Best Documentary voted by the U.S. Gay Press Won
Independent Spirit Awards Truer Than Fiction Award Nominated
2003 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Documentary Won
2004 Satellite Awards Best Documentary DVD Nominated
Legacy[edit]
The DVD was released in 2003 and contains many extra features, such as extensive interviews with DuBowski and Rabbi Steven Greenberg. There is also a mini-documentary about reactions to the film around the world and what happened to the people who were featured in the documentary.[31] The total running time for the special features is actually over 2 hours longer than the documentary itself.[13]
With a seed grant from Steven Spielberg, the creators of the film have set up the Trembling Before G-d Orthodox Education Project, to teach Orthodox educators and rabbis about homosexuality,[15] as well as convening the first Orthodox Mental Health Conference on Homosexuality and training facilitators to show the film to community leaders.[32] Over 2000 principals, educators and school counselors have attended screenings within Israel's religious school system.[33] The film has now been seen by an estimated 8 million people worldwide.[34] Following the success of Trembling before G-d, DuBowski produced a documentary about gay devout Muslims entitled A Jihad for Love.[34]
See also[edit]
Homosexuality and Judaism
Keep Not Silent (2002), a documentary about lesbian Orthodox Jewish women in Jerusalem
Say Amen (2005), a documentary about a gay man coming out to his Orthodox family
And Thou Shalt Love (2008), an Israeli short film that examines the difficulties of being both an Orthodox Jew and gay
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Wadler, Joyce (October 30, 2001) Even His Freeze-Frame Moments Seem Spastic (requires registration), The New York Times. Retrieved February 11, 2007.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Rechtshaffen, Michael (February 25, 2002), Trembling before G-d, Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
3.^ Jump up to: a b Boxofficemojo.com, Trembling Before G-d. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
4.Jump up ^ Dorff, Elliot; Nevins, Daniel and Reisner, Avram (December 6, 2006), Homosexuality, Human Dignity, and Halakha, The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards. Retrieved March 9, 2007. Archived June 4, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
5.Jump up ^ Lamm, Norman, Judaism and the Modern Attitude to Homosexuality, Jonahweb.org. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
6.Jump up ^ Israelwire.com (May 18, 1999), Rabbi Ordained by Yeshiva University Announces He is Gay. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
7.Jump up ^ Tremblingbeforeg-d.com, Who's Who. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c Thomas, Kevin (February 20, 2002), 'Trembling Before G-d': A documentary by Sandi Simcha DuBowski looks at the conflict between honoring one's religion and sexual orientation., Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 18, 2007. Archived September 29, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
9.Jump up ^ Armstrong, Rod, Reel Review: Trembling Before G-d, Reel.com. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
10.Jump up ^ Neroulias, Nicole (July 7, 2010). "An Interview With Rabbi Steven Greenberg: Orthodox And Gay". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
11.Jump up ^ Gonzalez, Ed, Trembling Before G-d, Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
12.Jump up ^ French, Philip (June 1, 2003), Trembling Before G-d, The Observer. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
13.^ Jump up to: a b Burke, Brian (November 17, 2003), Trembling Before G-d, DVDVerdict.com. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
14.^ Jump up to: a b Pearlman, Barry (Fall 2001), "Interview with Sandi Dubowski", Filmmaker Magazine.
15.^ Jump up to: a b USAToday.com (January 21, 2005), 'Trembling Before G-d': Sandi Simcha DuBowski. Retrieved February 11, 2007.
16.Jump up ^ Monserrate, Carey (March 22, 2004), Trembling Playground: two young directors discuss film, faith, and the challenges of documenting religion., CrossCurrents magazine. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
17.Jump up ^ Rich, Tracey R., Judaism 101: The Name of G-d, Jewfaq.org. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
18.Jump up ^ Eugene Hernandez and Brian Brooks (October 30, 2001), ""Trembling" Opens Strong in NYC; Sets One-Day Record", Indiewire.
19.Jump up ^ Keough, Peter (December 13–20, 2001), TREMBLING BEFORE G-D, Thephoenix.com. Retrieved February 18, 2007. Archived September 28, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
20.Jump up ^ Top Movies:Best of Rotten Tomatoes 2001. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
21.Jump up ^ Trembling Before G-d at Metacritic
22.^ Jump up to: a b Tremblingbeforeg-d.com, About the Film. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
23.Jump up ^ Cohen, Debrah (September 11, 2001), "The ‘Trembling’ Phenomenon: Film on religious gays making big impact". Archived from the original on 2007-02-07., The Jewish Week. Retrieved February 11, 2007.
24.Jump up ^ Jacobson, Paul (February 27, 2005), Trembling before G-d Retrieved March 9, 2007.
25.Jump up ^ Am Echad Resources, (October 28, 2001), Trembling before G-d: A new film examines the dichotomy of the Orthodox homosexual., Aish.org. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
26.Jump up ^ Goldberg, Arthur, Letter to the Editor ― The Jerusalem Post
27.Jump up ^ Jessel, Adam, Unsung Heroes ― Jewish Action."
28.Jump up ^ Shafran, Avi, Dissembling Before G-d ― The Agudath Israel Response. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
29.Jump up ^ Linekin, Kim (July 18, 2002), "A twist of faith: Trembling Before G-d". Archived from the original on 2005-03-04., Eye.net. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
30.Jump up ^ Creative-capital.org, Sandi DuBowski: Trembling Before G-d Retrieved March 9, 2007. Archived March 24, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
31.Jump up ^ Amazon.com's listing of Trembling before G-d, with DVD details. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
32.Jump up ^ Tremblingbeforeg-d.com, Trembling Before G-d: Resources. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
33.Jump up ^ Clal.org, CLAL Faculty: Steven Greenberg. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
34.^ Jump up to: a b Hartleyfoundation.org, A Jihad for Love. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
External links[edit]
Official website
Trembling Before G-d at Working Films
Trembling Before G-d at the Internet Movie Database
Trembling Before G-d at AllMovie
Trembling Before G-d at Rotten Tomatoes
Trembling Before G-d at Metacritic
Rabbi Steve Greenberg's profile at CLAL


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GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Documentary


Paris is Burning (1992) ·
 Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (1994) ·
 Coming Out Under Fire (1995) ·
 Ballot Measure 9 (1996) ·
 It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School (1997) ·
 Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End (1998) ·
 Out of the Past (1999) ·
 Out at Work (2000) ·
 Living with Pride: Ruth C. Ellis (2001) ·
 Scout's Honor (2002) ·
 Trembling Before G-d (2003) ·
 Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2004) ·
 True Life: "I'm Gay and I'm Getting Married" (2005) ·
 TransGeneration (2006) ·
 All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise (2007) ·
 For the Bible Tells Me So (2008) ·
 A Jihad for Love (2009) ·
 Ask Not (2010) ·
 8: The Mormon Proposition (2011) ·
 Becoming Chaz (2012) ·
 How to Survive a Plague (2013) ·
 Bridegroom/Call Me Kuchu (2014)
 

  


Categories: 2001 films
American documentary films
Documentary films about LGBT and Judaism
American LGBT-related films
English-language films
Hebrew-language films
Yiddish-language films
Orthodox Judaism
Intersectionality
Film scores by John Zorn






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This is a featured article. Click here for more information.

Trembling Before G-d

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Trembling Before G-d
Trembling Before G-d.jpg
DVD cover

Directed by
Sandi Simcha DuBowski
Produced by
Sandi Simcha DuBowski
 Marc Smolowitz
Starring
Shlomo Ashkinazy
 Rabbi Steven Greenberg
Music by
John Zorn
Cinematography
David W. Leitner
Edited by
Susan Korda

Production
 company

Cinephil

Distributed by
New Yorker Films

Release dates
 2001

Running time
 84 minutes
Country
Israel
France
 United States
Language
English
Yeshivish
Yiddish
Hebrew
Box office
$788,896
Trembling Before G-d is an 2001 American documentary film about gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews trying to reconcile their sexuality with their faith. It was directed by Sandi Simcha DuBowski, an American who wanted to compare Orthodox Jewish attitudes to homosexuality with his own upbringing as a gay Conservative Jew.
The film won seven awards, but some Orthodox Jews criticized it. The film received ten award nominations, winning seven, including Best Documentary awards at the 2001 Berlin and Chicago film festivals. However, some criticized the film as showing a one-sided view of Orthodox Judaism's response to homosexuality. These include South African chief rabbi Warren Goldstein as well as Agudah spokesperson Rabbi Avi Shafran.
The film is mostly in English, but also has some subtitled Yiddish and Hebrew. The film follows the lives of several gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews and includes interviews with rabbis and psychotherapists about Orthodox attitudes towards homosexuality. During the film's six-year production, DuBowski met hundreds of homosexual Jews, but only a handful agreed to be filmed due to fear of being ostracized from their communities.[1] Many people who agreed to be interviewed are shown only in silhouette or with their faces pixelized.[2] The majority of the participants are American Jews, with one British and one Israeli Jew also featured. The film was successful at the box office, grossing over $788,896 on eight screens by its close date.[3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Synopsis
3 Production
4 Soundtrack
5 Reception 5.1 Critical
5.2 Religious
5.3 Accolades
6 Legacy
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Background[edit]
Main article: Homosexuality and Judaism
While a variety of views regarding homosexuality exist within the Orthodox Jewish community, Orthodox Judaism generally prohibits homosexual conduct. While there is disagreement about which acts come under core prohibitions, all of Orthodox Judaism puts certain core homosexual acts, including male-male anal sex, in the category of yehareg ve'al ya'avor, "die rather than transgress" – the small category of Biblically prohibited acts (including apostasy, murder, idolatry, adultery, and incest) which an Orthodox Jew is obligated under Jewish laws on self-sacrifice to die rather than commit.[4]
Familiarity with sociological and biological studies, as well as personal contact with Jewish homosexuals, has brought some Orthodox leaders to a more sympathetic viewpoint, which views homosexuals as mentally ill rather than rebellious and advocates treatment rather than ostracism or jail. In the 1974 yearbook of the Encyclopedia Judaica, Rabbi Norman Lamm, a leader in Modern Orthodox Judaism, urged sympathy and treatment: "Judaism allows for no compromise in its abhorrence of sodomy, but encourages both compassion and efforts at rehabilitation." Lamm compared homosexuals to those who attempt suicide (also a sin in Jewish law), arguing that in both cases it would be irresponsible to shun or jail the sinner, but equally wrong for society to give "open or even tacit approval".[5]
When Orthodox rabbi Steven Greenberg publicly announced that he was homosexual, Rabbi Moshe Tendler, a leading rabbi at the Modern Orthodox Yeshiva University where Greenberg was ordained as rabbi, stated "It is very sad that an individual who attended our yeshiva sunk to the depths of what we consider a depraved society," giving his opinion that Rabbi Greenberg's announcement is "the exact same as if he said, 'I'm an Orthodox Rabbi and I eat ham sandwiches on Yom Kippur.' What you are is a Reform Rabbi."[6]
Synopsis[edit]
Trembling Before G-d interviews and follows several gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews, many only seen in silhouette, and also interviews several rabbis and psychologists regarding their views on homosexuality in Orthodox Judaism. The film repeatedly returns to several characters:
David is an observant Orthodox Jewish doctor from Los Angeles who has spent a decade trying to reconcile his homosexuality with Judaism. He has tried numerous forms of "treatment", from eating figs and praying to wearing a rubber band on his wrist to flick whenever he thinks of men, but to no avail.[2] During the course of the film, David decides to visit the Chabad rabbi to whom he first came out.[7]
Israel is a 58-year-old New Yorker who decided he couldn't be gay and Orthodox, and turned his back on his religion, though not before his family forced him into electroshock therapy to try to cure him. Now a tour guide in the Haredi neighborhoods of New York, the film follows him as he gives a tour, psychoanalyzes himself and decides, on the 25th anniversary of being with his life partner, to call his 98-year-old father, a rabbi, whom he has not seen in over twenty years.[8]
Michelle is another New Yorker, in her forties, who believed she was the only Hasidic lesbian in the world and as a consequence allowed herself to be pressured into marriage. However, she got divorced and was subsequently ostracized by her family and community when they discovered she was homosexual. The film shows her visiting her old neighborhood and an Orthodox fair.[9]
Rabbi Steven Greenberg, one of the founding members of the Jerusalem Open House, a gay rights organization in Israel which provides support to gay Orthodox Jews and their families, who is sometimes called "the world’s first openly gay Orthodox rabbi",[10] discusses parents' reactions to their children coming out, as well as traditional interpretations of the prohibitions on homosexual acts in the Torah.
Shlomo Ashkenazy is a gay psychotherapist who has run a confidential support group for Orthodox gay men for nearly 20 years.[8] He is interviewed about the effects of Orthodox attitudes to homosexuality and the reactions of rabbis to gay Jews.[11]
Mark is the English son of a Haredi rabbi. Coming out at 15, he was expelled from seven yeshivas for homosexual activity before becoming a drag queen, and is now dying of AIDS-related illness. He visits several yeshivas and other religious sites throughout the film.[12] He remains upbeat, at one point saying, "Being a Jew is such a nice present to receive."
"Malka" and "Leah" are two observant Orthodox lesbians who have been together for ten years, which has destroyed Malka's relationship with her family. They speak frankly about their lives in the film and discuss their fears that they may not end up in heaven together. They are shown preparing for Shabbat, and Leah gives advice to a married Hasidic lesbian who is terrified her husband will find out and take away her children.[8]
"Devorah" is a married Hasidic lesbian living in Israel. She only appears in silhouette with an electronically modified voice. She considered her twenty-year-long marriage a lie, and can only cope by taking antidepressants.[13] The film follows her as she attends her first gay pride parade, where she is offended by the anti-Orthodox sentiment of its speakers.
Production[edit]
Sandi Simcha DuBowski was making videos about the Christian religious right when he began to examine his own upbringing as a gay Conservative Jew, and began making a personal video diary of his search for homosexuality among the Orthodox Jewish community.[14] On the making of the film, DuBowski said, "I don't think it was until I met people who were kicked out of their families and their Yeshivas, in marriages betraying their spouses, that it became clear why I was doing this film. But then, for me it assumed an enormous level of responsibility to the people I met, to the issue, to the community." He met thousands of people, but only a few agreed to appear in the film, as most were too frightened of being expelled from their community.[15] Even when interviewing those who did agree to appear, DuBowski had to hide his film equipment so their neighbors would not know that they had agreed to take part. As a result, the documentary took six years to complete.[1]
There is no narration, and the film may be considered to be an example of cinéma vérité. The film is also interspersed with silhouetted tableaus of Jewish religious practices, for example Shabbat.[14] The language is predominantly English, with passages in Yiddish and Hebrew that are subtitled. Also subtitled are passages with significant amounts of "Yeshivish", Yiddish-influenced technical terms in Judaism; for example, posek is translated as "judge on Jewish law", and daven is translated as "pray".
The title is an allusion to the word Haredi (Hebrew: חֲרֵדִי‎), which can be interpreted as "one who trembles" in awe of God.[16] The spelling of the word G-d in the film's title reflects the Jewish practice of avoiding writing a name of God. By omitting the middle letter, the word is not written in full, thus eliminating the possibility of accidentally destroying the written name of God, which would violate one of the 613 Mitzvot of Judaism (number 8 on Maimonides' list).[17]
Soundtrack[edit]
Main article: Filmworks IX: Trembling Before G-d
Reception[edit]
Critical[edit]
Trembling Before G-d was put out on general release on October 21, 2001 in New York City, where it broke Film Forum's opening day box office records, grossing more than $5,500 on the first day of release.[18] According to Box Office Mojo, it grossed $788,896 at the box office during its release.[3] It was very warmly received by critics, one describing it: "With its testimony of anguish and joy, Trembling is a tribute to the human spirit, if not to the institutions that seek to define it."[19] Critical reviews compiled by Rotten Tomatoes were 89% positive, the 34th highest rating on the website's Top Movies:Best of Rotten Tomatoes 2001 rankings.[20] On Metacritic the film received a Metascore of 66 ("Generally favorable reviews").[21]
Religious[edit]
Trembling Before G-d has had a wide impact especially within the Orthodox Jewish world, where the reception has been mixed. Several Orthodox synagogues sponsored showings of the film all over the world, including in Israel.[22][23] The Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Warren Goldstein, described the film as "intellectually shallow," commenting that "its one-sided caricature of Orthodox Judaism does not stimulate meaningful intellectual debate."[24] A rabbi interviewed by DuBowski complained that the film "makes us appear to be narrow and bigoted".[25] Arthur A. Goldberg, co-director of the Jewish ex-gay organization JONAH, wrote a letter to the editor of The Jerusalem Post lamenting the "film's biased and faulty assumption that same-sex attraction and behavior is irreversible" and that "opposing points of view were, in the reviewer's words, left 'lying on DuBowski's cutting room floor.'"[26] Orthodox clinical psychologist Adam Jessel commented that, "the film poignantly captures the torment of those torn between their religious beliefs and their same-sex attractions (SSA). One cannot help but feel compassion for DuBowski's interviewees who desperately miss the lifestyle, community and close family ties of the Orthodox world. Unfortunately, DuBowski's film goes further. Implicit in the film is the message that homosexuality is desirable, and that the interviewees' only struggle is having their choices accepted and validated by the community."[27]
No Haredi Orthodox group spoke out in favor of Trembling Before G-d. Rabbi Avi Shafran, the spokesperson for Agudath Israel of America, one of the largest Haredi organizations, criticized the film with an article titled "Dissembling Before G-d". In his response, he holds that gay people can be cured through therapy, and that the movie is meant to promote homosexuality:

Unfortunately, though, "Trembling" seems to have other intents as well. While it never baldly advocates the case for broader societal acceptance of homosexuality or for the abandonment of elements of the Jewish religious tradition, those causes are subtly evident in the stark, simplistic picture the film presents of sincere, conflicted and victimized men and women confronted by a largely stern and stubborn cadre of rabbis.
That picture is both incomplete and distorted. For starters, the film refuses to even allow for the possibility that men and women with homosexual predilections might ― with great effort, to be sure ― achieve successful and happy marriages to members of the opposite sex.
— Avi Shafran[28]
DuBowski maintains that there is no agenda to Trembling Before G-d "beyond alleviating an immense amount of pain that people are going through", and that Judaism is lovingly portrayed. Indeed, several audience members at screenings asked afterwards how they could convert.[29]
Accolades[edit]

Year
Group
Award[22][30]
Result
2001 Washington Jewish Film Festival Audience Award ― Special Mention Won
Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Nominated
Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Audience Award ― Favorite Documentary Won
L.A. Outfest Grand Jury Award ― Outstanding Documentary Feature Won
Chicago International Film Festival Gold Plaque Won
Berlin International Film Festival Don Quixote Award ― Special Mention Won
Teddy ― Best Film
2002 Glitter Awards Best Documentary voted by the U.S. Gay Press Won
Independent Spirit Awards Truer Than Fiction Award Nominated
2003 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Documentary Won
2004 Satellite Awards Best Documentary DVD Nominated
Legacy[edit]
The DVD was released in 2003 and contains many extra features, such as extensive interviews with DuBowski and Rabbi Steven Greenberg. There is also a mini-documentary about reactions to the film around the world and what happened to the people who were featured in the documentary.[31] The total running time for the special features is actually over 2 hours longer than the documentary itself.[13]
With a seed grant from Steven Spielberg, the creators of the film have set up the Trembling Before G-d Orthodox Education Project, to teach Orthodox educators and rabbis about homosexuality,[15] as well as convening the first Orthodox Mental Health Conference on Homosexuality and training facilitators to show the film to community leaders.[32] Over 2000 principals, educators and school counselors have attended screenings within Israel's religious school system.[33] The film has now been seen by an estimated 8 million people worldwide.[34] Following the success of Trembling before G-d, DuBowski produced a documentary about gay devout Muslims entitled A Jihad for Love.[34]
See also[edit]
Homosexuality and Judaism
Keep Not Silent (2002), a documentary about lesbian Orthodox Jewish women in Jerusalem
Say Amen (2005), a documentary about a gay man coming out to his Orthodox family
And Thou Shalt Love (2008), an Israeli short film that examines the difficulties of being both an Orthodox Jew and gay
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Wadler, Joyce (October 30, 2001) Even His Freeze-Frame Moments Seem Spastic (requires registration), The New York Times. Retrieved February 11, 2007.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Rechtshaffen, Michael (February 25, 2002), Trembling before G-d, Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
3.^ Jump up to: a b Boxofficemojo.com, Trembling Before G-d. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
4.Jump up ^ Dorff, Elliot; Nevins, Daniel and Reisner, Avram (December 6, 2006), Homosexuality, Human Dignity, and Halakha, The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards. Retrieved March 9, 2007. Archived June 4, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
5.Jump up ^ Lamm, Norman, Judaism and the Modern Attitude to Homosexuality, Jonahweb.org. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
6.Jump up ^ Israelwire.com (May 18, 1999), Rabbi Ordained by Yeshiva University Announces He is Gay. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
7.Jump up ^ Tremblingbeforeg-d.com, Who's Who. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c Thomas, Kevin (February 20, 2002), 'Trembling Before G-d': A documentary by Sandi Simcha DuBowski looks at the conflict between honoring one's religion and sexual orientation., Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 18, 2007. Archived September 29, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
9.Jump up ^ Armstrong, Rod, Reel Review: Trembling Before G-d, Reel.com. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
10.Jump up ^ Neroulias, Nicole (July 7, 2010). "An Interview With Rabbi Steven Greenberg: Orthodox And Gay". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
11.Jump up ^ Gonzalez, Ed, Trembling Before G-d, Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
12.Jump up ^ French, Philip (June 1, 2003), Trembling Before G-d, The Observer. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
13.^ Jump up to: a b Burke, Brian (November 17, 2003), Trembling Before G-d, DVDVerdict.com. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
14.^ Jump up to: a b Pearlman, Barry (Fall 2001), "Interview with Sandi Dubowski", Filmmaker Magazine.
15.^ Jump up to: a b USAToday.com (January 21, 2005), 'Trembling Before G-d': Sandi Simcha DuBowski. Retrieved February 11, 2007.
16.Jump up ^ Monserrate, Carey (March 22, 2004), Trembling Playground: two young directors discuss film, faith, and the challenges of documenting religion., CrossCurrents magazine. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
17.Jump up ^ Rich, Tracey R., Judaism 101: The Name of G-d, Jewfaq.org. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
18.Jump up ^ Eugene Hernandez and Brian Brooks (October 30, 2001), ""Trembling" Opens Strong in NYC; Sets One-Day Record", Indiewire.
19.Jump up ^ Keough, Peter (December 13–20, 2001), TREMBLING BEFORE G-D, Thephoenix.com. Retrieved February 18, 2007. Archived September 28, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
20.Jump up ^ Top Movies:Best of Rotten Tomatoes 2001. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
21.Jump up ^ Trembling Before G-d at Metacritic
22.^ Jump up to: a b Tremblingbeforeg-d.com, About the Film. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
23.Jump up ^ Cohen, Debrah (September 11, 2001), "The ‘Trembling’ Phenomenon: Film on religious gays making big impact". Archived from the original on 2007-02-07., The Jewish Week. Retrieved February 11, 2007.
24.Jump up ^ Jacobson, Paul (February 27, 2005), Trembling before G-d Retrieved March 9, 2007.
25.Jump up ^ Am Echad Resources, (October 28, 2001), Trembling before G-d: A new film examines the dichotomy of the Orthodox homosexual., Aish.org. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
26.Jump up ^ Goldberg, Arthur, Letter to the Editor ― The Jerusalem Post
27.Jump up ^ Jessel, Adam, Unsung Heroes ― Jewish Action."
28.Jump up ^ Shafran, Avi, Dissembling Before G-d ― The Agudath Israel Response. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
29.Jump up ^ Linekin, Kim (July 18, 2002), "A twist of faith: Trembling Before G-d". Archived from the original on 2005-03-04., Eye.net. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
30.Jump up ^ Creative-capital.org, Sandi DuBowski: Trembling Before G-d Retrieved March 9, 2007. Archived March 24, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
31.Jump up ^ Amazon.com's listing of Trembling before G-d, with DVD details. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
32.Jump up ^ Tremblingbeforeg-d.com, Trembling Before G-d: Resources. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
33.Jump up ^ Clal.org, CLAL Faculty: Steven Greenberg. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
34.^ Jump up to: a b Hartleyfoundation.org, A Jihad for Love. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
External links[edit]
Official website
Trembling Before G-d at Working Films
Trembling Before G-d at the Internet Movie Database
Trembling Before G-d at AllMovie
Trembling Before G-d at Rotten Tomatoes
Trembling Before G-d at Metacritic
Rabbi Steve Greenberg's profile at CLAL


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Documentary


Paris is Burning (1992) ·
 Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (1994) ·
 Coming Out Under Fire (1995) ·
 Ballot Measure 9 (1996) ·
 It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School (1997) ·
 Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End (1998) ·
 Out of the Past (1999) ·
 Out at Work (2000) ·
 Living with Pride: Ruth C. Ellis (2001) ·
 Scout's Honor (2002) ·
 Trembling Before G-d (2003) ·
 Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2004) ·
 True Life: "I'm Gay and I'm Getting Married" (2005) ·
 TransGeneration (2006) ·
 All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise (2007) ·
 For the Bible Tells Me So (2008) ·
 A Jihad for Love (2009) ·
 Ask Not (2010) ·
 8: The Mormon Proposition (2011) ·
 Becoming Chaz (2012) ·
 How to Survive a Plague (2013) ·
 Bridegroom/Call Me Kuchu (2014)
 

  


Categories: 2001 films
American documentary films
Documentary films about LGBT and Judaism
American LGBT-related films
English-language films
Hebrew-language films
Yiddish-language films
Orthodox Judaism
Intersectionality
Film scores by John Zorn






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A Jihad for Love

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A Jihad for Love
A Jihad for Love Poster.jpg
First Run Features poster for A Jihad for Love (US)

Directed by
Parvez Shama
Produced by
Sandi Simcha DuBowski,
 Shama Parvez
 Ioannis Mookas, assistant
Music by
Sussan Deyhim
 Richard Horowitz
supervised by
 Ramsay Adams
 Abe Velez
Cinematography
Parvez
Edited by
Juliet Weber
Distributed by
First Run Features (U.S.)

Release dates

September 9, 2007 (Toronto International Film Festival)
May 21, 2008 (United States)


Running time
 81 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, French, Turkish, etc.
Box office
$105,651
A Jihad for Love (also known by the working title In the Name of Allah) is a 2007 documentary film on the coexistence of Islam and homosexuality.[2] The film is directed by Parvez, and produced by Shama and Trembling Before G-d director Sandi DuBowski.


Contents  [hide]
1 Production
2 Significance of the title
3 Controversy and problems
4 Critical reception
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Production[edit]
A Jihad for Love is produced by Halal Films, in association with the Sundance Documentary Fund, Channel 4 Television (UK), ZDF (Germany), Arte (France-Germany), Logo (US) and SBS (Australia).
The documentary was filmed in 12 different countries and in nine languages.[1][3] Shama conducted interviews throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Countries included Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Turkey, France, India, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom.[3] He found many of his interviewees online, and received thousands of emails.[4]
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2007, and has been screened to great acclaim at several film festivals around the world. It was the Opening film for the prestigious Panorama Dokumente section of the Berlin Film Festival in February, 2008. The U.S. theatrical release was May 21, 2008 at the IFC Center in New York City. The film screened at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco on June 28, 2008, and the Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival on July 13, 2008.
Significance of the title[edit]
The title A Jihad for Love refers to the Islamic concept of jihad, as a religious struggle. The film seeks to reclaim this concept of personal struggle, as it is used in the media almost exclusively to mean "holy war" and to refer to violent acts perpetrated by extremist Muslims.
The film has gone by several titles, beginning with the official working title, In the Name of Allah.[5]
Among Muslims, the phrase (bismillah in Arabic) may be used before beginning actions, speech, or writing. Its most notable use in Al-Fatiha, the opening passage of the Qur'an, which begins Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim. All surahs of the Qur'an begin with "Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim," with the exception of the ninth.
Producer DuBowski's previous film, Trembling Before G-d, on Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, also included the name of God, written with a hyphen as in Jewish tradition. Allah is the name of God in Islam and Arabic, and it is often used among Muslims residing in Muslim countries and monotheists in Arabic speaking countries.
Controversy and problems[edit]
Shama's making of the film has not been without criticism.
“ About every two weeks I get an e-mail that berates me, condemns me to hell and, if they are nice, asks me to still seek forgiveness while there is still time.[4] ”
Shama refuses to associate homosexuality with shame, but recognizes the need to protect the safety and privacy of his sources, by filming them in silhouette or with their faces blurred. In one case, the family of an Afghan woman he interviewed "would undoubtedly kill her" if they found out she was lesbian. In another example, one of the associate producers, an Egyptian gay man, chose not to be listed in the credits for fear of possible consequences.[4]
The film was banned from screening at the 2008 Singapore International Film Festival "in view of the sensitive nature of the subject that features Muslim homosexuals in various countries and their struggle to reconcile religion and their lifestyle," Amy Chua, Singapore Board of Film Censors chairwoman was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.[6]
Critical reception[edit]
As of April 6, 2015, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 76% percent of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 32 reviews.[7] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 55 out of 100, based on six reviews — indicating mixed or average reviews.[8]
See also[edit]

Portal icon Islam portal
Portal icon LGBT portal
Portal icon Film in the United States portal
Portal icon 2000s portal
Islam and homosexuality
Homosexuality and religion
Gay Muslims (2006), a Channel 4 TV documentary about gay and lesbian Muslims in Britain
Trembling Before G-d (2001), a documentary film directed Jihad for Love producer Sandi Simcha DuBowski, about Orthodox Jews who are gay or lesbian
Fremde Haut (2005), a film about an Iranian lesbian in Germany
Love Jihad
2007 in film
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b "A Jihad for Love: Excerpts From A Work-In-Progress". Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
2.Jump up ^ "A Jihad for Love". ajihadforlove.com. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "A Jihad for Love". Hartley Film Foundation. 2007. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c Hays, Matthew (November 2, 2004). "Act of Faith: A Film on Gays and Islam". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
5.Jump up ^ "In the Name of Allah". tremblingbeforeg-d.com. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
6.Jump up ^ Associated Press. "Singapore censors ban films on terrorism, homosexual, fetish". The China Post. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
7.Jump up ^ "Jihad for Love Movie Reviews, Pictures – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
8.Jump up ^ "Jihad for Love, A (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 20, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
External links[edit]
Official website
A Jihad for Love at the Internet Movie Database
A Jihad for Love at Rotten Tomatoes
A Jihad for Love at Metacritic
A Jihad for Love at AllMovie
CineSource Article on A Jihad For Love
Director of Film on Muslim Homosexuals Frets over His Subjects' Safety
Film of Muslim gays stirs up sentiments
A Jihad for Love, Hartley Film Foundation
Hearts and Minds, article in The Guardian


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Documentary


Paris is Burning (1992) ·
 Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (1994) ·
 Coming Out Under Fire (1995) ·
 Ballot Measure 9 (1996) ·
 It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School (1997) ·
 Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End (1998) ·
 Out of the Past (1999) ·
 Out at Work (2000) ·
 Living with Pride: Ruth C. Ellis (2001) ·
 Scout's Honor (2002) ·
 Trembling Before G-d (2003) ·
 Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2004) ·
 True Life: "I'm Gay and I'm Getting Married" (2005) ·
 TransGeneration (2006) ·
 All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise (2007) ·
 For the Bible Tells Me So (2008) ·
 A Jihad for Love (2009) ·
 Ask Not (2010) ·
 8: The Mormon Proposition (2011) ·
 Becoming Chaz (2012) ·
 How to Survive a Plague (2013) ·
 Bridegroom/Call Me Kuchu (2014)
 

  


Categories: 2007 films
American films
American documentary films
Documentary films about Islam
LGBT topics and Islam
LGBT-related films about Islam
Documentary films about LGBT and religion
Intersectionality
2000s documentary films





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A Jihad for Love

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A Jihad for Love
A Jihad for Love Poster.jpg
First Run Features poster for A Jihad for Love (US)

Directed by
Parvez Shama
Produced by
Sandi Simcha DuBowski,
 Shama Parvez
 Ioannis Mookas, assistant
Music by
Sussan Deyhim
 Richard Horowitz
supervised by
 Ramsay Adams
 Abe Velez
Cinematography
Parvez
Edited by
Juliet Weber
Distributed by
First Run Features (U.S.)

Release dates

September 9, 2007 (Toronto International Film Festival)
May 21, 2008 (United States)


Running time
 81 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, French, Turkish, etc.
Box office
$105,651
A Jihad for Love (also known by the working title In the Name of Allah) is a 2007 documentary film on the coexistence of Islam and homosexuality.[2] The film is directed by Parvez, and produced by Shama and Trembling Before G-d director Sandi DuBowski.


Contents  [hide]
1 Production
2 Significance of the title
3 Controversy and problems
4 Critical reception
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Production[edit]
A Jihad for Love is produced by Halal Films, in association with the Sundance Documentary Fund, Channel 4 Television (UK), ZDF (Germany), Arte (France-Germany), Logo (US) and SBS (Australia).
The documentary was filmed in 12 different countries and in nine languages.[1][3] Shama conducted interviews throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Countries included Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Turkey, France, India, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom.[3] He found many of his interviewees online, and received thousands of emails.[4]
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2007, and has been screened to great acclaim at several film festivals around the world. It was the Opening film for the prestigious Panorama Dokumente section of the Berlin Film Festival in February, 2008. The U.S. theatrical release was May 21, 2008 at the IFC Center in New York City. The film screened at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco on June 28, 2008, and the Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival on July 13, 2008.
Significance of the title[edit]
The title A Jihad for Love refers to the Islamic concept of jihad, as a religious struggle. The film seeks to reclaim this concept of personal struggle, as it is used in the media almost exclusively to mean "holy war" and to refer to violent acts perpetrated by extremist Muslims.
The film has gone by several titles, beginning with the official working title, In the Name of Allah.[5]
Among Muslims, the phrase (bismillah in Arabic) may be used before beginning actions, speech, or writing. Its most notable use in Al-Fatiha, the opening passage of the Qur'an, which begins Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim. All surahs of the Qur'an begin with "Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim," with the exception of the ninth.
Producer DuBowski's previous film, Trembling Before G-d, on Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, also included the name of God, written with a hyphen as in Jewish tradition. Allah is the name of God in Islam and Arabic, and it is often used among Muslims residing in Muslim countries and monotheists in Arabic speaking countries.
Controversy and problems[edit]
Shama's making of the film has not been without criticism.
“ About every two weeks I get an e-mail that berates me, condemns me to hell and, if they are nice, asks me to still seek forgiveness while there is still time.[4] ”
Shama refuses to associate homosexuality with shame, but recognizes the need to protect the safety and privacy of his sources, by filming them in silhouette or with their faces blurred. In one case, the family of an Afghan woman he interviewed "would undoubtedly kill her" if they found out she was lesbian. In another example, one of the associate producers, an Egyptian gay man, chose not to be listed in the credits for fear of possible consequences.[4]
The film was banned from screening at the 2008 Singapore International Film Festival "in view of the sensitive nature of the subject that features Muslim homosexuals in various countries and their struggle to reconcile religion and their lifestyle," Amy Chua, Singapore Board of Film Censors chairwoman was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.[6]
Critical reception[edit]
As of April 6, 2015, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 76% percent of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 32 reviews.[7] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 55 out of 100, based on six reviews — indicating mixed or average reviews.[8]
See also[edit]

Portal icon Islam portal
Portal icon LGBT portal
Portal icon Film in the United States portal
Portal icon 2000s portal
Islam and homosexuality
Homosexuality and religion
Gay Muslims (2006), a Channel 4 TV documentary about gay and lesbian Muslims in Britain
Trembling Before G-d (2001), a documentary film directed Jihad for Love producer Sandi Simcha DuBowski, about Orthodox Jews who are gay or lesbian
Fremde Haut (2005), a film about an Iranian lesbian in Germany
Love Jihad
2007 in film
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b "A Jihad for Love: Excerpts From A Work-In-Progress". Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
2.Jump up ^ "A Jihad for Love". ajihadforlove.com. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "A Jihad for Love". Hartley Film Foundation. 2007. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c Hays, Matthew (November 2, 2004). "Act of Faith: A Film on Gays and Islam". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
5.Jump up ^ "In the Name of Allah". tremblingbeforeg-d.com. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
6.Jump up ^ Associated Press. "Singapore censors ban films on terrorism, homosexual, fetish". The China Post. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
7.Jump up ^ "Jihad for Love Movie Reviews, Pictures – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
8.Jump up ^ "Jihad for Love, A (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 20, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
External links[edit]
Official website
A Jihad for Love at the Internet Movie Database
A Jihad for Love at Rotten Tomatoes
A Jihad for Love at Metacritic
A Jihad for Love at AllMovie
CineSource Article on A Jihad For Love
Director of Film on Muslim Homosexuals Frets over His Subjects' Safety
Film of Muslim gays stirs up sentiments
A Jihad for Love, Hartley Film Foundation
Hearts and Minds, article in The Guardian


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Documentary


Paris is Burning (1992) ·
 Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (1994) ·
 Coming Out Under Fire (1995) ·
 Ballot Measure 9 (1996) ·
 It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School (1997) ·
 Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End (1998) ·
 Out of the Past (1999) ·
 Out at Work (2000) ·
 Living with Pride: Ruth C. Ellis (2001) ·
 Scout's Honor (2002) ·
 Trembling Before G-d (2003) ·
 Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2004) ·
 True Life: "I'm Gay and I'm Getting Married" (2005) ·
 TransGeneration (2006) ·
 All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise (2007) ·
 For the Bible Tells Me So (2008) ·
 A Jihad for Love (2009) ·
 Ask Not (2010) ·
 8: The Mormon Proposition (2011) ·
 Becoming Chaz (2012) ·
 How to Survive a Plague (2013) ·
 Bridegroom/Call Me Kuchu (2014)
 

  


Categories: 2007 films
American films
American documentary films
Documentary films about Islam
LGBT topics and Islam
LGBT-related films about Islam
Documentary films about LGBT and religion
Intersectionality
2000s documentary films





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For the Bible Tells Me So

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


For the Bible Tells Me So
Bible tells me so.jpg
Promotional film poster

Directed by
Daniel G Karslake
Produced by
Daniel G Karslake
Written by
Daniel G Karslake
 Nancy Kennedy
Music by
Scott Anderson
Edited by
Nancy Kennedy
Distributed by
First Run Features

Release dates
 October 5, 2007

Running time
 98 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Box office
$312,751
For the Bible Tells Me So is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Daniel G. Karslake about homosexuality and its perceived conflict with Christianity, as well as various interpretations of what the Bible says about same-sex sexuality.
It includes lengthy interview segments with several sets of religious parents (including former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt and his wife, Jane, and the parents of Bishop V. Gene Robinson) regarding their personal experiences raising homosexual children, and also interviews with those (adult) children.
The film features an animated segment, "Is Homosexuality a Choice?", in which a summary of the current scientific theories about sexual orientation is given. It is directed by Powerhouse Animation Studios and narrated by Don LaFontaine in one of his last non-trailer narration roles.
The film premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Critical reception[edit]
The film received positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes reported that the film received 98% positive reviews, based on 43 reviews.[1] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 11 reviews.[2]
Following its premiere in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, For the Bible Tells Me So went on to win a number of prestigious festival awards including the Katherine Bryan Edwards Human Rights Prize at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and the Best Documentary Audience Awards at the Seattle International Film Festival, the Provincetown International Film Festival, Outfest: The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the Milwaukee International Film Festival, and a number of others.
On November 19, 2007, For the Bible Tells Me So was named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as one of 15 films on its documentary feature Oscar shortlist. However, it did not make the final list of five nominated films as announced on January 22, 2008.[3][4]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "For the Bible Tells Me So - Movie Reviews, Trailers, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
2.Jump up ^ "For the Bible Tells Me So (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
3.Jump up ^ Nominees: 80th Academy Awards
4.Jump up ^ "Shortlist for docu Oscar unveiled". The Hollywood Reporter. 2007-11-20. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
External links[edit]
Official website
For the Bible Tells Me So at the Internet Movie Database
For the Bible Tells Me So at AllMovie
For the Bible Tells Me So at Box Office Mojo
For the Bible Tells Me So at Rotten Tomatoes
For the Bible Tells Me So at Metacritic


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Documentary


Paris is Burning (1992) ·
 Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (1994) ·
 Coming Out Under Fire (1995) ·
 Ballot Measure 9 (1996) ·
 It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School (1997) ·
 Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End (1998) ·
 Out of the Past (1999) ·
 Out at Work (2000) ·
 Living with Pride: Ruth C. Ellis (2001) ·
 Scout's Honor (2002) ·
 Trembling Before G-d (2003) ·
 Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2004) ·
 True Life: "I'm Gay and I'm Getting Married" (2005) ·
 TransGeneration (2006) ·
 All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise (2007) ·
 For the Bible Tells Me So (2008) ·
 A Jihad for Love (2009) ·
 Ask Not (2010) ·
 8: The Mormon Proposition (2011) ·
 Becoming Chaz (2012) ·
 How to Survive a Plague (2013) ·
 Bridegroom/Call Me Kuchu (2014)
 

Stub icon This article about a documentary film with a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender theme is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.




  


Categories: English-language films
2007 films
2000s documentary films
American documentary films
Documentary films about Christianity in the United States
Documentary films about LGBT and Christianity
LGBT-related documentary film stubs




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For the Bible Tells Me So

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


For the Bible Tells Me So
Bible tells me so.jpg
Promotional film poster

Directed by
Daniel G Karslake
Produced by
Daniel G Karslake
Written by
Daniel G Karslake
 Nancy Kennedy
Music by
Scott Anderson
Edited by
Nancy Kennedy
Distributed by
First Run Features

Release dates
 October 5, 2007

Running time
 98 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Box office
$312,751
For the Bible Tells Me So is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Daniel G. Karslake about homosexuality and its perceived conflict with Christianity, as well as various interpretations of what the Bible says about same-sex sexuality.
It includes lengthy interview segments with several sets of religious parents (including former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt and his wife, Jane, and the parents of Bishop V. Gene Robinson) regarding their personal experiences raising homosexual children, and also interviews with those (adult) children.
The film features an animated segment, "Is Homosexuality a Choice?", in which a summary of the current scientific theories about sexual orientation is given. It is directed by Powerhouse Animation Studios and narrated by Don LaFontaine in one of his last non-trailer narration roles.
The film premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Critical reception[edit]
The film received positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes reported that the film received 98% positive reviews, based on 43 reviews.[1] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 11 reviews.[2]
Following its premiere in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, For the Bible Tells Me So went on to win a number of prestigious festival awards including the Katherine Bryan Edwards Human Rights Prize at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and the Best Documentary Audience Awards at the Seattle International Film Festival, the Provincetown International Film Festival, Outfest: The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the Milwaukee International Film Festival, and a number of others.
On November 19, 2007, For the Bible Tells Me So was named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as one of 15 films on its documentary feature Oscar shortlist. However, it did not make the final list of five nominated films as announced on January 22, 2008.[3][4]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "For the Bible Tells Me So - Movie Reviews, Trailers, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
2.Jump up ^ "For the Bible Tells Me So (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
3.Jump up ^ Nominees: 80th Academy Awards
4.Jump up ^ "Shortlist for docu Oscar unveiled". The Hollywood Reporter. 2007-11-20. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
External links[edit]
Official website
For the Bible Tells Me So at the Internet Movie Database
For the Bible Tells Me So at AllMovie
For the Bible Tells Me So at Box Office Mojo
For the Bible Tells Me So at Rotten Tomatoes
For the Bible Tells Me So at Metacritic


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Documentary


Paris is Burning (1992) ·
 Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (1994) ·
 Coming Out Under Fire (1995) ·
 Ballot Measure 9 (1996) ·
 It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School (1997) ·
 Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End (1998) ·
 Out of the Past (1999) ·
 Out at Work (2000) ·
 Living with Pride: Ruth C. Ellis (2001) ·
 Scout's Honor (2002) ·
 Trembling Before G-d (2003) ·
 Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2004) ·
 True Life: "I'm Gay and I'm Getting Married" (2005) ·
 TransGeneration (2006) ·
 All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise (2007) ·
 For the Bible Tells Me So (2008) ·
 A Jihad for Love (2009) ·
 Ask Not (2010) ·
 8: The Mormon Proposition (2011) ·
 Becoming Chaz (2012) ·
 How to Survive a Plague (2013) ·
 Bridegroom/Call Me Kuchu (2014)
 

Stub icon This article about a documentary film with a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender theme is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.




  


Categories: English-language films
2007 films
2000s documentary films
American documentary films
Documentary films about Christianity in the United States
Documentary films about LGBT and Christianity
LGBT-related documentary film stubs




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This page was last modified on 26 December 2014, at 20:29.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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For the Bible Tells Me So (2007)
Unrated  |   95 min   |  Documentary  |   5 October 2007 (USA)  

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Ratings: 7.9/10 from 3,617 users   Metascore:  73/100 
 Reviews: 48 user  | 40 critic  |  11  from  Metacritic.com 


An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.

Director: Daniel G. Karslake (as Daniel Karslake)
Writers: Daniel G. Karslake, Helen R. Mendoza
Stars: Imogene Robinson, Victor Robinson, Gene Robinson |  See full cast and crew » 



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. 
Edit 
Cast
Cast overview, first billed only:
Imogene Robinson  Imogene Robinson   ... 
Herself - Parent

Victor Robinson  Victor Robinson   ... 
Himself - Parent

Gene Robinson  Gene Robinson   ... 
Himself - Homosexual Activist (as V. Gene Robinson)

Isabella 'Boo' McDaniel  Isabella 'Boo' McDaniel   ... 
Herself - Gene's Wife

Brenda Poteat  Brenda Poteat   ... 
Herself - Parent

David Poteat  David Poteat   ... 
Himself - Parent

Tonia Poteat  Tonia Poteat   ... 
Herself - Homosexual Activist

Randi Reitan  Randi Reitan   ... 
Herself - Parent

Phil Reitan  Phil Reitan   ... 
Himself - Parent

Jake Reitan  Jake Reitan   ... 
Himself - Homosexual Activist

Britta Reitan  Britta Reitan   ... 
Herself - Jake's Sister

Jane Gephardt  Jane Gephardt   ... 
Herself - Parent

Richard Gephardt  Richard Gephardt   ... 
Himself - Parent

Chrissy Gephardt  Chrissy Gephardt   ... 
Herself - Homosexual Activist

Mary Lou Wallner  Mary Lou Wallner   ... 
Herself - Mother

See full cast »
.  
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Storyline
We meet five Christian families, each with a gay or lesbian child. Parents talk about their marriages and church-going, their children's childhood and coming out, their reactions, and changes over time. The stories told by these nine parents and four adult children alternate with talking heads - Protestant and Jewish theologians - and with film clips of fundamentalist preachers and pundits and news clips of people in the street. They discuss scripture and biblical scholarship. A thesis of the film is that much of Christianity's homophobia represents a misreading of scripture, a denial of science, and an embrace of quack psychology. The families call for love. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
 Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis 
Plot Keywords: gay | theologian | protestant | homophobia | christian | See All (171) » 
Genres:  Documentary 
Certificate: Unrated
Parents Guide:  View content advisory » 
. 
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Details
Official Sites: Official site 
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 5 October 2007 (USA) See more » 
Also Known As: Kata tas grafas See more » 

Box Office
Opening Weekend: $9,438 (USA) (5 October 2007)
Gross: $309,123 (USA) (14 March 2008)
See more » 
Company Credits
Production Co: Atticus Group, VisionQuest Productions See more » 
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs
Runtime: 95 min
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Color: Color
See full technical specs » . 
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Did You Know?

Quotes
David Poteat: I had good kids. We had one of each sex. When my kids were growing up I said "God, please don't let my son grow up to be a faggot and my daughter, a slut." And he did not. He did not do that. He reversed it.
[chuckles]
See more »

Connections
Features CBS Reports: The Homosexuals (1967) See more »

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Pax Deorum
 Written by Enya, Nicky Ryan and Roma Ryan (as Roma Shane Ryan)
 Performed by Enya
 Published by EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)
 Courtesy of MCA Records Warner Bros./Reprise
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User Reviews



Good, Thoughtful Work    
7 October 2007 | by haridam0  (United States) – See all my reviews

Only days following its New York premiere, "For the Bible Tells Me So" plays Cinematheque, Cleveland Ohio's superb film series.
A capacity audience sits attentively through this informative feature, responding audibly to its content and ending with loud applause. I found the work well prepared and executed, offering varying points of view on the subject of morality and religiosity.
Famed world leaders from far left to far right are given time to express their varied opinions, while the viewer is allowed to reach a personal conclusion. The presentation is comprehensive and fair minded in delineating key points of scripture that are used to judge sexual orientation and practices.
A film worthy of extensive screening, especially in churches of all denominations as well as civic organizations. Ultimately, it's a most valuable addition to any film collection.

18 of 27 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Review this title | See all 48 user reviews »
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1 Corinthians 6:9-10  TheSicilianSage 
If you think the bible proves gayness is wrong...  tylerisfat 
This movie misses the point  latuman-850-299870 
Why even bother?  v2113 
Homophobic americans need to wise up  insane-andre 
How can an unchosen birth trait be a sin?  Lars7724 
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For the Bible Tells Me So (2007)
Unrated  |   95 min   |  Documentary  |   5 October 2007 (USA)  

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Ratings: 7.9/10 from 3,617 users   Metascore:  73/100 
 Reviews: 48 user  | 40 critic  |  11  from  Metacritic.com 


An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.

Director: Daniel G. Karslake (as Daniel Karslake)
Writers: Daniel G. Karslake, Helen R. Mendoza
Stars: Imogene Robinson, Victor Robinson, Gene Robinson |  See full cast and crew » 



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. 
Edit 
Cast
Cast overview, first billed only:
Imogene Robinson  Imogene Robinson   ... 
Herself - Parent

Victor Robinson  Victor Robinson   ... 
Himself - Parent

Gene Robinson  Gene Robinson   ... 
Himself - Homosexual Activist (as V. Gene Robinson)

Isabella 'Boo' McDaniel  Isabella 'Boo' McDaniel   ... 
Herself - Gene's Wife

Brenda Poteat  Brenda Poteat   ... 
Herself - Parent

David Poteat  David Poteat   ... 
Himself - Parent

Tonia Poteat  Tonia Poteat   ... 
Herself - Homosexual Activist

Randi Reitan  Randi Reitan   ... 
Herself - Parent

Phil Reitan  Phil Reitan   ... 
Himself - Parent

Jake Reitan  Jake Reitan   ... 
Himself - Homosexual Activist

Britta Reitan  Britta Reitan   ... 
Herself - Jake's Sister

Jane Gephardt  Jane Gephardt   ... 
Herself - Parent

Richard Gephardt  Richard Gephardt   ... 
Himself - Parent

Chrissy Gephardt  Chrissy Gephardt   ... 
Herself - Homosexual Activist

Mary Lou Wallner  Mary Lou Wallner   ... 
Herself - Mother

See full cast »
.  
Edit 
Storyline
We meet five Christian families, each with a gay or lesbian child. Parents talk about their marriages and church-going, their children's childhood and coming out, their reactions, and changes over time. The stories told by these nine parents and four adult children alternate with talking heads - Protestant and Jewish theologians - and with film clips of fundamentalist preachers and pundits and news clips of people in the street. They discuss scripture and biblical scholarship. A thesis of the film is that much of Christianity's homophobia represents a misreading of scripture, a denial of science, and an embrace of quack psychology. The families call for love. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
 Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis 
Plot Keywords: gay | theologian | protestant | homophobia | christian | See All (171) » 
Genres:  Documentary 
Certificate: Unrated
Parents Guide:  View content advisory » 
. 
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Details
Official Sites: Official site 
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 5 October 2007 (USA) See more » 
Also Known As: Kata tas grafas See more » 

Box Office
Opening Weekend: $9,438 (USA) (5 October 2007)
Gross: $309,123 (USA) (14 March 2008)
See more » 
Company Credits
Production Co: Atticus Group, VisionQuest Productions See more » 
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs
Runtime: 95 min
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Color: Color
See full technical specs » . 
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Did You Know?

Quotes
David Poteat: I had good kids. We had one of each sex. When my kids were growing up I said "God, please don't let my son grow up to be a faggot and my daughter, a slut." And he did not. He did not do that. He reversed it.
[chuckles]
See more »

Connections
Features CBS Reports: The Homosexuals (1967) See more »

Soundtracks
Pax Deorum
 Written by Enya, Nicky Ryan and Roma Ryan (as Roma Shane Ryan)
 Performed by Enya
 Published by EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)
 Courtesy of MCA Records Warner Bros./Reprise
See more » .
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User Reviews



Good, Thoughtful Work    
7 October 2007 | by haridam0  (United States) – See all my reviews

Only days following its New York premiere, "For the Bible Tells Me So" plays Cinematheque, Cleveland Ohio's superb film series.
A capacity audience sits attentively through this informative feature, responding audibly to its content and ending with loud applause. I found the work well prepared and executed, offering varying points of view on the subject of morality and religiosity.
Famed world leaders from far left to far right are given time to express their varied opinions, while the viewer is allowed to reach a personal conclusion. The presentation is comprehensive and fair minded in delineating key points of scripture that are used to judge sexual orientation and practices.
A film worthy of extensive screening, especially in churches of all denominations as well as civic organizations. Ultimately, it's a most valuable addition to any film collection.

18 of 27 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Review this title | See all 48 user reviews »
. 
Message Boards
Recent Posts
1 Corinthians 6:9-10  TheSicilianSage 
If you think the bible proves gayness is wrong...  tylerisfat 
This movie misses the point  latuman-850-299870 
Why even bother?  v2113 
Homophobic americans need to wise up  insane-andre 
How can an unchosen birth trait be a sin?  Lars7724 
Discuss For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) on the IMDb message boards »
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For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) - Plot Summary Poster 
For the Bible Tells Me So  (2007) 
 
Plot Summary



Showing all 2 plot summaries
We meet five Christian families, each with a gay or lesbian child. Parents talk about their marriages and church-going, their children's childhood and coming out, their reactions, and changes over time. The stories told by these nine parents and four adult children alternate with talking heads - Protestant and Jewish theologians - and with film clips of fundamentalist preachers and pundits and news clips of people in the street. They discuss scripture and biblical scholarship. A thesis of the film is that much of Christianity's homophobia represents a misreading of scripture, a denial of science, and an embrace of quack psychology. The families call for love.
- Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.
- Written by IMDb editor
Synopsis
The producers of this movie explore ways of discrediting traditional Biblical teachings concerning homosexuality...
See full synopsis » (Warning: contains spoilers!) .
See also
Taglines | Synopsis | Plot Keywords | Parents Guide 
.
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »
Contribute to This Page

 Edit page
.

  

ad feedback
 
For the Bible Tells Me So
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For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) - Plot Summary Poster 
For the Bible Tells Me So  (2007) 
 
Plot Summary



Showing all 2 plot summaries
We meet five Christian families, each with a gay or lesbian child. Parents talk about their marriages and church-going, their children's childhood and coming out, their reactions, and changes over time. The stories told by these nine parents and four adult children alternate with talking heads - Protestant and Jewish theologians - and with film clips of fundamentalist preachers and pundits and news clips of people in the street. They discuss scripture and biblical scholarship. A thesis of the film is that much of Christianity's homophobia represents a misreading of scripture, a denial of science, and an embrace of quack psychology. The families call for love.
- Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.
- Written by IMDb editor
Synopsis
The producers of this movie explore ways of discrediting traditional Biblical teachings concerning homosexuality...
See full synopsis » (Warning: contains spoilers!) .
See also
Taglines | Synopsis | Plot Keywords | Parents Guide 
.
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »
Contribute to This Page

 Edit page
.

  

ad feedback
 
For the Bible Tells Me So
Storyline
Taglines
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 Synopsis
Plot Keywords
Parents Guide















































Explore More




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list image
Documentaries I have watched
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created 10 Feb 2014


list image
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created 3 months ago

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The producers of this movie explore ways of discrediting traditional Biblical teachings concerning homosexuality. They uses anecdotes from families who are friendly or at least resigned to the concept of homosexuality and they gather testimony from liberal clergy who discuss the scriptures. These testimonials are typified by a preacher from the Disciples of Christ who stresses that cannot say what the Bible says; we can only say what it reads. Others profess that scriptures which describe homosexuality as an abomination are morally equivalent to dietary restrictions cited in contiguous but not contextual scriptures. Other arguments against scriptural teachings against homosexuality offer some tortured definitions of of words which deviate greatly from common and long accepted definitions. A good example of this involves the narrator's claim that "natural" actually means "customary." This would substantially alter the meaning and the long accepted view of the word in its context. The producers provide scant attention to opposing viewpoints; it is safe to say that any opposing viewpoints are merely token.



Page last updated by Ellenv-1, 4 years ago
Top Contributors: tgstarkey, Ellenv-1, rwirch (View full history)   


r73731

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For the Bible Tells Me So

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 For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) More at IMDbPro »


The content of this page was created directly by users and has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff.
Warning! This synopsis may contain spoilers
See plot summary for non-spoiler summarized description.
Visit our Synopsis Help to learn more
  
 SynopsisEditHistoryDiscuss






The producers of this movie explore ways of discrediting traditional Biblical teachings concerning homosexuality. They uses anecdotes from families who are friendly or at least resigned to the concept of homosexuality and they gather testimony from liberal clergy who discuss the scriptures. These testimonials are typified by a preacher from the Disciples of Christ who stresses that cannot say what the Bible says; we can only say what it reads. Others profess that scriptures which describe homosexuality as an abomination are morally equivalent to dietary restrictions cited in contiguous but not contextual scriptures. Other arguments against scriptural teachings against homosexuality offer some tortured definitions of of words which deviate greatly from common and long accepted definitions. A good example of this involves the narrator's claim that "natural" actually means "customary." This would substantially alter the meaning and the long accepted view of the word in its context. The producers provide scant attention to opposing viewpoints; it is safe to say that any opposing viewpoints are merely token.



Page last updated by Ellenv-1, 4 years ago
Top Contributors: tgstarkey, Ellenv-1, rwirch (View full history)   


r73731

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