The Bible’s View on Homosexuality

By Nate Archer

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 “The truly wise man is he who believes the Bible against the opinions of any man.  If the Bible says one thing, and any body of men says another, the wise man will decide, ‘This book is the Word of Him who cannot lie.’”
-R.A. Torrey

One example of unbiblical thinking that is infiltrating society more and more each day is society’s attitude and assumptions toward homosexuality.  Through the media, we have been taught that homosexuality is genetic and that gay people have no choice over their sexual orientation.  We also have been taught that it is hateful and prejudiced to even suggest that homosexual acts are sinful.  Have you ever seen a network television show that didn’t take a sympathetic view towards homosexuality?  Some TV executives have publicly stated that one of their goals is to soften people to the idea of homosexuality.  This is clearly seen on many shows.  If there is a television character who is against homosexuality, he or she is always depicted as being either ignorant or hateful.  After all, isn’t it wrong to blame someone for the way they were born?

However contrary to popular belief, there is no unbiased, credible scientific evidence that homosexuality is genetic.  There are good reasons to believe that it isn’t.  If it were genetic, these genes would not tend to be passed on because homosexual people often do not reproduce.  More importantly, if homosexuality was genetic, identical twins would always have the same sexual orientation because they have the same genetics.  Studies have shown that this is simply not the case.[1]  Yes, some people may be more inclined to follow a homosexual lifestyle, but they are not forced to follow this path.  They still have a choice.  

Just because someone is tempted with homosexuality does not mean that they must follow this path.  The Bible says that we are all born as sinners.  We are all born with a natural inclination to sin.  This does not excuse any of us for giving in to temptation.  Also, some people are more genetically inclined to be alcoholics, but that doesn’t give them permission to get drunk.  (Eph. 5:18.)  Satan and “the flesh” temp straight men to commit adultery, but that doesn’t mean adultery is okay just because our hormones want us to do it.

"Being genetically inclined to do certain things does not make them right.  There are many influences at work in us, but they are irrelevant.  I know of no instances in Scripture where God winked at evildoers because of their flawed inheritance or early experiences." –James Dobson[2]

If we are willing to say that homosexuality is completely a matter of genetic predisposition, how do we explain bisexuality?  Are we willing to then say the same thing for pedophiles?[3]   

I think it is actually a powerful message of hope to homosexuals to let them know that homosexuality is not something that they are inescapably bound to by their DNA.  I also think that knowing that homosexuality is not bound to genetics should create less prejudice and "homophobia" not more.  Homosexuals are not another breed of humanity!  They are not "freaks of nature."  We are all the same.  We may struggle with different desires and temptations to, but we are all basically alike.  If homosexuality is not completely genetic, then it is not an innate part of anyone's identity.  Homosexuality is not the core of anyone's being.  Don't think of anyone, or yourself, as primarily being a homosexual.  Think of yourself primarily as a person created in the image of God, whom God loves deeply.  Our struggles with sin are important, but secondary to that.  (For some very good, well researched articles on homosexuality and genetics, follow this link.)

Politically Correct or Biblically Correct?

In Washington D.C., in the Bureau of Standards there is a platinum bar which is used as the standard meter of all measurements in the United States.  It is approximately 39.37 inches long.  It is kept in a high vacuum and kept at a standard temperature.  It is EXACTLY one meter long.  When I say that it is exactly one meter long, I mean that it is accurate in measurement even beyond the subatomic level.  How can it be that accurate?  It is because this bar IS the meter.  All other meters in the United States are measured against this meter.  If you have a meter stick, it is only as good as it compares to this platinum bar.  This bar cannot possibly be off, because however long this bar is, that is how long a meter is.

The Bible does not merely match up with truth, the Bible IS truth.  The Bible is the Word of God and God IS Truth!  Anything else, public opinion, your opinion, your feelings, your family’s traditions, your church’s traditions, EVERYTHING, is only as true as it measures against God’s truth.

So, how would this apply to the debate over homosexuality?  The answer is that we need to look to the Bible as our standard.  Does the Bible say that homosexuality is an acceptable option for people because God created them that way?  Does it say that it is okay if they love each other?  Does it say that we should assault homosexuals?  Does it say that God hates gays?  Does it say that homosexuality is unforgivable?  For the real answers, we must look to the Bible:

Leviticus 18:22, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."

This verse is very important because it is so clear.  It actually describes what homosexuality is. This is important because some people claim that the Bible only teaches that the only forms of homosexuality that are wrong are homosexual rape, homosexuality by a straight person, or homosexuality that is not in the context of a committed and loving relationship.  This is misleading to say the least.  Passages such as Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13 are very clear.  These passages actually describes homosexual sin in simple and blunt terms. If a man has sex with another man in the way that he would have sex with a woman, that is sin.  It would be hard to be more clear.

This verse is also important because it shows that it is the ACT of homosexuality that is wrong, not homosexual temptation. (Although it is important to remember that homosexual lust would be sinful also in the same way that heterosexual lust is sinful.  Temptation and lust are not the same thing.  You can be tempted, but not sin.  Even Jesus was tempted.  Temptation becomes sin when we give in to temptation and indulge in either wrong thought or wrong actions.)

In the Old Testament, homo-sexuality was clearly wrong.  In fact, it was punishable by death.  However, some people will say, "But there are a lot of things in the Old Testament that were wrong back then but are not wrong today."  For example, according to Leviticus 19:19 it is wrong to wear clothing made from two different type of materials.  So, if it is no longer wrong to wear a cotton-polyester blend, why is homosexuality still wrong?  

We need to remember that the Law of Moses was given as the law for the nation of Israel.  It was not merely moral guidelines, but also the laws that the government of Israel were to use and enforce.  Today however, we are not under the Mosaic Law.  The moral aspects of that law carry over to today and are repeated in the New Testament, but the civil government portion of the law don’t apply today.  As a good general rule of thumb, the laws that are repeated in the New Testament are the laws that still apply today. 

So, let's see what the New Testament says...

Romans 1:24-27, "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is praised forever amen. Because of this, 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."

So, as you can see, it is still sin now. This verse also specifically mentions female homosexuality as well.

Another verse is 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 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."

This passage states that homo-sexuality is something that God considers "wicked." It also lists LOTS of other sins too! That doesn't make ANY of them "okay." But don’t miss the fact that this passage also shows that cleansing and deliverance is possible through Jesus Christ!  Although we need to view homosexual practices as sinful, we need to remember to love the people who struggle with homosexuality.  Christ died for homosexuals and wants to forgive them and set them free.  We need to love homosexuals in such a way that they will be drawn to Christ as their savior.  

If you struggle with homosexuality tendencies, there are wonderful organizations out there such as Exodus International, Exodus Youth, and NARTH.org which exist to give you hope and help in overcoming homosexuality.  Their message is that change is possible.  You don't have to change for God to start loving you... He already does!  But as one author has said to all of us, "God loves you just as you are, but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are."  Sin is not the essence of our identity.  It is a defect in our identity the way rust is a defect on a car.  In the afterlife, believers will finally be set free from sin forever.  In the meantime, God offers His grace and power to help us overcome all kinds of sin as we rely on Him and learn to treasure Him above all else. 

In conclusion, the issue of homosexuality is just one example of how we need to use the Bible as our standard.  The Bible is the platinum bar against which we measure everything else.  Popular or not, as society, and even the church, becomes more and more influenced by the wrong thinking of the world, it is important for us to take our stand on the Word of God.  If we are not willing to do this, who will?

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows upon them.  Surely the people are grass.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.
-Isaiah 6b-8

Other articles for further research:

Exodus International , Exodus Youth, and NARTH.org (organizations who compassionately help people who want to be set free from homosexuality)

Is homosexuality genetic?  (very good articles)

marriageofsamesex.com

http://www.cbmw.org/resources/articles/gay_gene.html

http://www.desiringgod.com/library/topics/homosexuality/homosexuality_index.html