Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83 based; site houxm.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!gregbo From: gregbo@houxm.UUCP (Greg Skinner) Newsgroups: net.religion.christian Subject: homosexuality and the Bible Message-ID: <1166@houxm.UUCP> Date: Wed, 6-Mar-85 04:16:10 EST Article-I.D.: houxm.1166 Posted: Wed Mar 6 04:16:10 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 7-Mar-85 04:47:16 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 58 I was going to keep out of this discussion, but since a lot of people have given their thoughts on it, here's mine. The Bible is pretty specific on what is considered to be normal sexual relations between a man and a woman. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24, NIV) The Bible makes no specific references on normal sexual relations between men/men or women/women. One can (note use of can, not should) extrapolate from this that the Christian faith does not include a provision for homosexu- ality, since the Bible makes no mention of it as normal sexual practice. However, the Bible does make some strong statements about the practice of homosexuality being an abnormal, and undesirable sexual relation between men/men and women/women. This may be because at the time, the practice of homosexuality may have been in accordance with certain other (cults, sects, what have you) who sacrificed humans or performed other detestable acts to God. It also may be because God just does not consider homosexuality to be acceptable sexual behavior. Whatever the reasons, the question remains: Is homosexuality an acceptable practice for Christians? To that, I have no definite answer. I could sit here all night quoting Scripture at you which would probably bear out that it is not. If any homosexuals are seeking Christianity (I mean *really* seeking, as opposed to casually considering it) I imagine that they are ques- tioning their sexual relations also. This is no different than any other person who is engaging in sexual relations (of the normal kind) outside of marriage or any other thing that God considers a sin. There a a few questions one can ask oneself regarding whatever sins they are thinking about. Why do I do this? Do I really want to do this? Do I try to do the right thing, but always seem to fail? In the Bible, Paul asked himself these same questions and many others besides. I know that some homosexuals think that they cannot become Christians because of their homosexuality. They feel they won't be accepted. This is not due to Christians' unacceptance of homosexuality, it is due to *society's* unac- ceptance of it (which may be rooted in the Bible, but is expressed in an un-Christian manner, namely the hatred which we saw on the net a few weeks back). It is possible, once becoming a Christian, the homosexual may discover something about themself they didn't previously know, and that realization may not make them homosexual anymore and they can learn to relate in an intimate way to MOTOS. But this can be said of any Christian who has come to terms with their sin and is finally willing to let God work through them. The bottom line is that it's not the particular sin that's the problem, but any sin in general is detestable to God, and what Jesus died on the cross for. -- ... hey, we've gotta get out of this place, there's got to be something better than this ... Greg Skinner (gregbo) {allegra,cbosgd,ihnp4}!houxm!gregbo gregbo%houxm.uucp@harvard.arpa