Homosexuality and Christianity: different views on a controversial subject

In our previous two pages (How can you be a Christian if you're gay? and How can you be gay if you're a Christian?) we showed that it is indeed possible to be a gay Christian. A gay person is someone who is attracted to people of the same sex rather than people of the opposite sex, and this is something over which they have no control. This, we explained, does not contradict Christian teachings in any way.

Yet as most people realize, there are issues at stake besides mere attraction. Gay people, by definition, have a desire to form a very special emotional and physical bond with another human being of the same gender (the same way straight people have a desire to form such a bond with someone of the opposite gender.) However, if we are Christians, then we must also be willing to give up any "rights" we feel we have to our own definition of happiness, and we must see ourselves instead as the servants of a holy God, who has every right to determine what is and is not acceptable for His children. So the question remains... what exactly *does* God say about the issue? What is it that He wants from His gay children?

Usually, when Christians have a difficult question such as this one to tackle, we turn to the Bible and see what it has to say on the subject. Unfortunately, although the Bible has a lot to say about improper uses of sex in a heterosexual context, it has very little to say about homosexuality, other than a few passages that barely scratch the surface of the homosexual conflict. Therefore, we must prayerfully examine what the Bible does have to say about homosexuality, and then pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance in applying general Biblical principles to this situation.

As we will see, different groups of gay Christians have come to very different conclusions on this matter after applying this method, so we will first look at the Bible passages in question and then examine three different responses that gay Christians often have.

In the Old Testament, we find three different mentions of homosexuality. The first of these involves an attempted gang rape by the men of Sodom of the two angels who have come to warn Lot about Sodom's impending destruction. This is the story that gave rise to the myth that "Sodom was destroyed because of homosexuality." The story itself may be found in Genesis 19, but it gives very little aid to a gay Christian struggling to decide the plan for his or her life. With or without the story, it is fairly obvious that gang rape (whether heterosexual or homosexual) is a sinful, wicked behavior and not God's plan for anyone. Besides this, the story probably does not even involve homosexual persons. Since "all the men from every part of the city of Sodom -- both young and old" (19:4, NIV) participated in the attempt, and since we may infer that many of these men had wives and children, it seems reasonable to assume that their object was not sexual. Their comment to Lot, "We'll treat you worse than them," (19:9, NIV) makes it clear that a violent, humiliating act is the goal of this angry mob.

Perhaps this treatment of aliens to a city was a common practice in ancient times, because we find an almost identical story in Judges 19 as well. In this case, however, a concubine is sent out to satisfy the mob's bloodlust, and they rape and abuse her all night. Again, we see violence and wickedness, but nothing to help gay Christians.

In all of the Old Testament, homosexuality is only mentioned in one more place: the sexual code given to Moses in Leviticus 18 (and then repeated with punishments attached in Leviticus 20.) The emphasis here is on making sure the Israelites remain God's separate, chosen people; the list is prefaced with the command, "You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you" (18:3, NIV). This is followed by a list of commands to avoid all kinds of specific sexual practices. The relevant one is in verse 22, where the Israelites are instructed, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable" (NIV). The punishment for this one sounds very strict: "They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads" (20:13, NIV). Such strong language certainly should make us sit up and take notice, but there are two other things we must consider at the same time. One is that many people have pointed out that the Hebrew word here translated "detestable" carries with it a strong connotation regarding idolatrous practices; this is lost in the translation. The other is that the death sentence prescribed here is also prescribed for a number of other offenses, including doing any work at all on the Sabbath (which was Saturday, remember, not Sunday, which is the day Christians generally take off.) With these points in mind, we move on to the New Testament.

The New Testament gives us only three more passages which mention homosexuality. All three were written by the Apostle Paul. The first (and probably most confusing) of these passages is in the first chapter of Romans. Paul begins the body of this letter by pointing out the sinful behavior of the Gentiles and then moving on in chapter 2 to cover the sinfulness of the Jews as well. It is the first portion of this which contains relevance for us, beginning in verse 18 and concluding with verse 32. It speaks against "the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness" (1:18, NIV) and proceeds to give an account of the chain reaction that led to their present state of wickedness. They 1) knew God, but 2) they denied him and chose to worship idols instead, therefore 3) God abandoned them to allow them to wallow in their own sexual sin and lusts, and finally 4) all kinds of sins came into their lives, making them utterly wicked. Paul deals with step 3 in verses 24-27, where he tells us that "God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion" (1:26-27, NIV). People quote these verses a lot, but they need to be taken in context. Specifically, one thing seems to stick out like a sore thumb. Paul specifically drags this homosexual behavior into the spotlight, separating it from the list of sins in verses 28-32, and linking it twice specifically with idolatry (22-24, and 25-27). Why is this? A possible reason is that this type of behavior went on in connection with idol worship as part of an orgy-like ceremony, and that Paul mentions the same-sex relations in particular to illustrate the complete unnaturalness of giving up God for an idol (it would be like giving up natural relations for unnatural ones.) We see here that Paul disapproves very strongly of whatever is going on.

The second relevant New Testament passage is 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, where Paul lists groups of people who "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (NIV). If you look this passage up in the New International Version of the Bible, you will find "homosexual offenders" listed among the other sinners. This leaves us with the question: What exactly is a "homosexual offender"? For the answer to this question, we go back to the original Koine Greek texts, and find that there are two Greek words in question with different meanings. (The NIV has translated them "male prostitutes and homosexual offenders".) There has been a good deal of debate about the proper translation of these two words, and different groups have taken different positions. We will examine this more later.

The final New Testament passage is 1 Timothy 1:8-11. If you read this passage in the NIV, you will see no mention of homosexuality, but in fact it contains the same word in Greek that is translated "homosexual offenders" in the 1 Corinthians passage. The other word is absent. Aside from some other subtle differences, this is very similar to the 1 Corinthians passage.

So we have six major references to homosexuality in all. They are in Genesis 19, Leviticus 18-20, Judges 19, Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, and 1 Timothy 1. Following are brief explanations of three different responses which are common among gay Christians: the Ex-Gay Response, the Celibacy Response, and the Gay Marriage Response. These are not the only responses, but they represent a variety of different views.

The Ex-Gay Response.

Because of the widespread belief that it is a sin to be gay, Christians who grow up experiencing same-sex attractions often deny for years that they are gay. As their feelings become harder to deny, many (if not the vast majority) of them pray often for God to take away these attractions. If being gay is a sin, they reason, then surely God would aid anyone who is seeking to become straight. This seems to be confirmed for them when they read the last verse of the 1 Corinthians passage discussed above. After mentioning "homosexual offenders" as one group of sinners out of a list of such groups, Paul writes, "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11, NIV). Many Christians point to this verse as proof that "you don't have to be gay! God will cure you!" But, although God certainly has the power to do anything which glorifies Him, this verse is not promising to make gay people straight. Paul does not say that some of his readers were homosexuals and are no longer; he says that some of them were "homosexual offenders" and are no longer. As we have said, there are many different opinions regarding what exactly a "homosexual offender" is, but it is clear that it involves some kind of sex act. Paul's readers have not necessarily been changed from gay to straight. They have been forgiven of their past sins and given the power to avoid sinful behavior in the future.

Still, since so many gay Christians want desperately to be straight, it is no surprise that an ex-gay movement has been spreading like wildfire. Two such organizations, Homosexuals Anonymous and Exodus International, have become much more well-known in recent years thanks to the increased attention being given to homosexuality both in the media and in the pulpit. Smaller groups belonging to these and other organizations have been founded all over the world. They send out newsletters and materials, speak to Christian groups, and hold their own events (like "National Coming Out of Homosexuality Day" in place of "National Coming Out Day".) Much confusion has arisen about the purpose of these groups, since they often use words like "gay" in a different way from gay people themselves. In general, however, these groups are built around the premise that God will make gay people straight.

Clearly, there are many good points about such an approach. It encourages people to put their faith in God, where it should be, and it can be particularly helpful for someone striving to hold together a heterosexual marriage despite homosexual desires. But many people express great concern over the idea of encouraging single gay people to attempt to become straight and get married. They worry that this is merely a set-up for hurt and confusion later in life. In fact, many ex-gay groups admit in their literature that homosexual attractions will never disappear, and much modern psychological research indicates that sexual orientation cannot be changed at will. Many people who attend ex-gay groups for years never experience any change at all, and some of the people who claim to have become ex-gay show all the signs of actively suppressing feelings that still exist inside of them.

Is it worth it to try to change if it might not be possible? Is orientation change impossible for everyone, or is it possible for some? The ex-gay debate rages on, and there will probably not be widespread agreement on this issue anytime in the near future. For more on ex-gays and related issues, read Temptation, Sexual Addictions, and Ex-Gays. Those following the ex-gay path are very welcome in #GayTeenChristians. We do feel, however, that this should be a personal decision, so we ask that people not put pressure on those in our channel to try to change their orientation. Likewise, we ask that people in our channel be free to pursue an ex-gay path if they so desire, without being subjected to criticism or ridicule.

The Celibacy Response.

The Celibacy Response is another approach taken by some gay Christians. It is probably the most difficult of all three responses to live out. This is also, incidentally, the official position of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Celibacy Response is fairly simple to explain. According to this approach, the Bible is clear in its condemnation of gay sex, not only because of the passages above, but also because sex is intended for marriage only, and there is no provision for gay marriage anywhere in Scripture. On the other hand, for a gay individual to marry a person of the opposite sex would be unfair to the spouse. Therefore, some gay Christians decide to remain celibate all their lives. They may, depending on the individual, decide to have an emotionally intimate relationship with someone of the same sex, and may even use terms like "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" when referring to this person to indicate the level of closeness of the relationship. Others, instead, form close friendships but avoid any appearance of romance or intimacy, choosing to devote their time and energy to following God. Either way, people following this approach do not consider homosexual unions to be on the same level as heterosexual marriage.

We in #GayTeenChristians applaud those gay Christians who are able to submit their wills so fully to God's that they can take on this tough calling even when they have met the guy or girl of their dreams. Unfortunately, many heterosexuals and homosexuals alike never stop to ask themselves whether they would be willing and able to give up married life and physical relations with the person they love, if they felt that God had called them to do so. This path involves constant struggle for those who choose it, and they deserve to be treated with utmost respect for their perseverance, not as if they have simply lived up to expectations (or worse, as if they were traitors to homosexuals everywhere.)

The Gay Marriage Response.

This response inevitably turns the most heads and draws the most tongue-clucks from the heterosexual population of the church. It is much easier for most people to accept an ex-gay person or a celibate gay person than it is to accept someone who decides to marry a member of the same sex. Many people believe that such a union cannot rightly be called marriage at all. The issue of gay marriage is a complex one which cannot be fully covered here, but this is a very brief attempt to explain the position of those gay Christians who choose this route.

This approach, like the Celibacy Response, says that sex is intended solely for marriage and that heterosexual marriage is a bad idea for a gay individual. However, unlike the Celibacy Response, the Gay Marriage Response says that homosexual marriage is an appropriate and even ideal situation for gay people. Instead of asking, "Where is gay marriage supported in the Bible?" this approach asks, "Where and on what Biblical principle is it condemned?" These people point out that the concept of sexual orientation as we know it was unheard of in Bible times, so that naturally gay marriage was not an issue to these societies. Although God's original plan for mankind may have been heterosexuality (for obvious reasons), the existence of people with a homosexual orientation makes gay marriage a necessary consideration. If two people are truly in love and wish to commit themselves to each other and to God, gay marriage proponents argue, why should they not be allowed to do so? And if such a union is loving, good, holy, and permanent until death, then why should its consummation be otherwise?

As for the Bible passages used by many to condemn gay sex, supporters of this view say that such passages must be read in context. Like passages which seem to prohibit wearing jewelry or letting women speak in church, they say, these passages tell a different story when one considers the circumstances under which they were written. For example, the Romans passage describes sexual rites in the context of idolatry and uses the same negative Greek words about homosexuality that are later used to describe inappropriate hair lengths. Similarly, the behavior condemned in 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy may be prostitution or pederasty, the only widely practiced male homosexuality in ancient Greek culture.

There are a number of other responses to issues regarding homosexuality and Christianity. (For example, some people reject the idea of "gay marriage" but opt for a similar "same-sex union".) In addition, there are many varied views even within the responses mentioned here. We decided when we founded #GayTeenChristians that we would be a supportive channel for ALL gay Christian youth, no matter what their perspectives were on these issues. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are more alike than we are different. Our hope is that the information contained on our site may be helpful in understanding the perspectives of others as well as in finding God's plan for your own life. We encourage you to pray continually about all of this, and to give the warmest Christian love and respect to those who disagree with your conclusions. May God bless you richly.

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