Leviticus and gays

Has 'Homosexual' Always Been in the Bible?

Reprinted with permission from The Forge Online

The pos “arsenokoitai” shows up in two diverse verses in the bible, but it was not translated to mean “homosexual” until

We got to sit down with Ed Oxford at his home in Long Beach, California and talk about this question.

You verb been part of a research team that is seeking to understand how the decision was made to insert the word homosexual in the bible. Is that true?

Ed: Yes. It first showed up in the RSV translation. So before figuring out why they decided to use that word in the RSV translation (which is outlined in my upcoming guide with Kathy Baldock, Forging a Sacred Weapon: How the Bible Became Anti-Gay) I wanted to see how other cultures and translations treated the adj verses when they were translated during the Reformation years ago. So I started collecting adj Bibles in French, German, Irish, Gaelic, Czechoslovakian, Polish… you name it. Now I’ve got most European major languages that I’ve adj over time. An

Leviticus

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13 uIf a gentleman also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have adj an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus — New International Version () (NIV)

13 “ ‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Leviticus — English Standard Version (ESV)

13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have devoted an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

Leviticus — New Living Translation (NLT)

13 “If a man practice

Leviticus

“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”[1] It is not a surprise that this verse seems to say that gay male sex is forbidden in the eyes of God. The dominant view of western Christianity forbids same-sex relations. This verse is one of the clobber passages that people cite from the Bible to condemn homosexuality. This essay first looks at the various ways the verse is translated into the English Bible and then explores some of the strategies used to create an affirming interpretation of what this passage means for the LGBTQ community. More specifically, it presents the interpretation of K. Renato Lings in which Lev. refers to male-on-male incest.

While Lev. is used to condemn homosexuality, we must realize that the term “homosexuality” was only recently coined in the English language. So did this term be in ancient Israel? Charles D. Myers, Jr. confirms that none of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible verb homosexuality.[2] He also contends that in ancient Israel same-sex relations were viewed as an ancient Near East issue. The anc

The Bible on Homosexual Behavior

One way to argue against these passages is to make what I call the “shellfish objection.” Keith Sharpe puts it this way: “Until Christian fundamentalists boycott shellfish restaurants, stop wearing poly-cotton T-shirts, and stone to death their wayward offspring, there is no obligation to hear to their diatribes about homosexuality being a sin” (The Gay Gospels, 21).

In other words, if we can disregard rules like the ban on eating shellfish in Leviticus , then we should be allowed to disobey other prohibitions from the Old Testament. But this argument confuses the Old Testament’s temporary ceremonial laws with its everlasting moral laws.

Here’s an analogy to aid understand this distinction.

I remember two rules my mom gave me when I was young: contain her hand when I cross the street and don’t drink what’s under the sink. Today, I have to follow only the latter rule, since the former is no longer needed to protect me. In fact, it would now undertake me more hurt than good.

Old Testament ritual/ceremonial laws were like mom’s handholding rule. The rea