The answer
Homosexuality is forbidden in the Bible in many instances, for the following reasons:
- It is not natural (as some claim it to be), for the Bible says:
And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 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’?” (Matt 19: 4 - 5).
Therefore, natural sex is between a husband and wife – a man and a woman. Moreover, Nature instructs us that even in the world of animals, this is the case. So we read that at the time of Noah’s Arc, he took a male and a female from every species, in order to keep the natural procreation.
- St. Paul refers to homosexuality as a sin … a deviation from the natural way of things to the evil and corrupt inventions, saying:
… who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. ” (Ro 1: 25 - 28).
It is clear from this passage that as people deny God and turn away from Him, they worship the creation (the body) rather than the Creator … and later reach this kind of corruption and deviation that is referred to as “the shameful … vile passion”.
- St. Paul confirms that continuing without repentance leads to eternal death
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Co 6: 9 - 11)
- The Bible confirms that we have control over our bodies, desires and inclinations
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but / will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall / then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!” (1 Co 6:12 - 15)
- The Law in the Old Testament also forbade sexual deviation “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” (Lev 18: 22), together with all other sexual immorality as adultery, bestiality and other deviations. (Lev 18: 6 - 24) God’s wrath was on the people of the earth because of such sins.
And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave.” (Gen 18 : 20)
And when God sent two angels in the form of men to Lot in Sodom, the people of Sodom wanted to rape them (Gen 19:5) and the story ends with destruction. (Gen 19:28).
This sin has been mentioned also in the following Biblical passages:
- Knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. (1Tim 1: 9-10)
- As they were enjoying themselves, suddenly certain men of the city, perverted men, surrounded the house and beat on the door. They spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him carnally! But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has come into my house, do not commit this outrage. (Judges 19: 22 - 23)
- For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” (Ro 1:18)
- As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 1: 7)
Fr. Daoud Lamei