Sodom & Gomorrah
Jude 1:7
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.
The Church is not without compassion, mercy & love….
The Catechism
Chastity and homosexuality
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,140 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."141 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
But we must let Scripture speak for itself…
Romans 1
24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise!f Amen.
26For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Leviticus 18:22
You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13
If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination
2 Peter 2:6-8
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless / (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—
Genesis 19:4-5
Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house. They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!”
Deuteronomy 22:5
A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing [...]
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
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 men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Timothy 1:9-10
We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching
Immorality is not just a homosexual problem… the Sins of Sodom:
“And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”Jeremiah 23:14
All forms of adultery are condemned clearly in the 10 Commandments…
Put expressly, sex with another’s wife, coveting another’s wife, or looking at another with lust all constitute adultery (Matthew 5:28).
Mark 7:13 “Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that”.
And so, toleration of extra-marital sex nullifies the 10 Commandments & the words of our Lord and is a great evil.
1 Corinthians 6:13, 18–20
“The body… is not meant for fornication…
Flee fornication…
He who commits fornication sins against his own body.”
Ephesians 5:3
“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness must not even be named among you…”
1 Thessalonians 4:3–5
“This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication…”
1 Corinthians 5:11
"But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people."
Jeremiah 5:8:
“They were like well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.”Old Testament – Literal Sexual Immorality
Jeremiah 5:7–8 “They committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man’s wife.”
Jeremiah 9:2 “Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people.”
Jeremiah 13:27 "… your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution! I have seen your detestable acts on the hills and in the fields. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How long will you be unclean?”
Jeremiah 23:10 “The land is full of adulterers; because of this the land mourns… both prophet and priest are ungodly.”
Jeremiah 23:14 (about the prophets in Jerusalem) “They commit adultery and live a lie… they strengthen the hands of evildoers… They are all like Sodom to me.”
Ezekiel 16:15–17 “But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your fame, and lavished your whoredoms on anyone who passed by…”
Ezekiel 16:30-34 “How weak-willed is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, while you do all these things, the acts of a shameless prostitute! / But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment. / You adulterous wife! You receive strangers instead of your own husband!”
Ezekiel 16:36–37 “Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God: Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominations, and with all your detestable things, therefore I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, and all those you hated; I will gather them against you from all around and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.”
Ezekiel 23:20 (extremely graphic) Speaking of Oholibah (symbolic Jerusalem): “There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.”
Ezekiel 23:37–39 “You have committed adultery with the Egyptians, your neighbors, and multiplied your whoring…”
Hosea 4:2, 13–14 “They break all bounds… they commit adultery… They sacrifice on the mountaintops… Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves go off with prostitutes…”
Proverbs 6:26, 32 “For on account of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread, but another man’s wife hunts for your very life… Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.”
Malachi 3:5 (God speaking) “I will come near you for judgment… against those who commit adultery…”
Proverbs 2:16–19 “To deliver you from the way of the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of the adulteress, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed.
Proverbs 5:3–14 “For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword…
Proverbs 6:24–29 “Keeping you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. Do not desire her beauty in your heart, nor let her capture you with her eyelids… Can a man take fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?”
New Testament – Literal Sexual Immorality
Matthew 5:27–28 (Jesus) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Matthew 15:19 // Mark 7:21–22 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality (porneia), theft…”
(John 16:5–16) 15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
1 Corinthians 6:9–10 “Neither the sexually immoral (pornoi), nor idolaters, nor adulterers (moichoi), nor men who have sex with men… will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”
Revelation 2:20–22 (letter to Thyatira) “You tolerate that woman Jezebel… she misleads my servants into sexual immorality (porneusai) and eating food sacrificed to idols… I will cast her on a bed of suffering…”
Matthew 12:39: He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Sexual intercourse outside marriage is formally condemned I Cor 5:1; 6:9; 7:2; 10:8 Eph. 5:5; I Tim 1:10; Heb 13:4; and with explicit reasons I Cor 6:12-20. (Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Persona Humana Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics)
forgiveness : “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18
Lamentations 3:22: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
God desires repentance and is ABUNDANTLY merciful. His mercy and forgiveness is ALWAYS available.
Sodomy is a sin …
What is Homosexuality?
We know that same-sex attraction is not by itself sin. A strong sexual inclination to members of the same sex is indeed a trial. From scripture we know temptations resolved spiritually only makes a Christian worthy of praise.
The next question is one of attitude, thought, presentation, persona and how others might percieve us.
Genesis 5:2 Male and female He created them ...
God created men and women. In scripture they serve different roles. Traditionally, the women is more maternal, sensitive and soft. The male has more masculine features. There are exceptions - Deborah was a Biblical Judge. Are these merely stereotypes and truisms?
Deuteronomy 22:5 A woman must not wear men's clothing, and a man must not wear women's clothing, for whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD your God
The catechism speaks of “unjust discrimination”. “Queer bashing” or “poofter bashing”, calling people names like “sissy, nancy and homo” or “dyke, butch” are uncharitable and unhelpful. Hostility to gay people is a sin against love of neighbour.
Nevertheless, we are left asking if the “queer” persona, “flamboyant or raging homosexuality”, being a “fairy” or “queen”, “mincing” and gay “lifestyles” & “exhibtionism” are befitting of the outward attitude of a Christian?
However, questions around how we present ourselves around others to promote chastity and morality, along with Christian values, can be considered in a Christian way.
Romans 14:13-23 - Do Not Cause Another to Stumble
Mannerisms are an outwise extension of a witness to Christ. Are suggestive, affected, effiminate mannerisms necessarily a sin? They can be a distraction. At worst, if they are hyper-feminine, they can resemble the characteristics of a sexually alluring female in a male body. Can one turn “swish” on or off? What about the masculine world of the Gay Macho, “bear” or “daddy”?
The Bible offers extensive advice on living a "plain and unaffected" life, primarily through the concepts of contentment, humility, sincerity, and focusing on eternal values over worldly appearance or status.
1 Peter 3:3-4 emphasizes the "unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" over elaborate outward adornments. Simplicity in character and speech is found in 2 Corinthians 1:12 “We have conducted ourselves in the world… in simplicity and godly sincerity.” Direct, unaffected speech is praised over embellishment or exaggeration in Matthew 5:3 “Let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No,’ no.” Jesus’ life was marked by clarity, directness, and lack of pretension—power without affectation - Matthew 11:29 “I am gentle and humble in heart.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11 “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life…” A call to steadiness, not attention-seeking.
These offer practical guidelines regarding our appearance and how we should conduct our lives. Regardless of how we feel, or our emotions, we should not present ourselves as a stumbling block to others. Nor should others present a stumbling block to people who are homosexual by hostility and meanness.
How one should deal with strong sexual attraction to the same sex is a matter to be dealt with by scripture and spiritual direction.
Respect, Compassion & Dignity
While upholding what is written in Scripture - in a peaceful, Christ-like manner.
No one with same-sex attraction is condemned, nor anyone else with similar inclinations.