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 & loveβ¦.
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 also let Scripture speak for itselfβ¦
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)β
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, βWhere are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!β
Deuteronomy 22:5
A woman must not wear menβs clothing, nor a man wear womenβs 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:
βAnd 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.βJeremiah 23:14
All forms of adultery are condemned clearly in the 10 Commandmentsβ¦
Put expressly, sex with anotherβs wife, coveting anotherβs wife, or looking at another with lust all constitute adultery (Matthew 5:28).
Mark 7:13 βThus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like thatβ.
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, 18β20
βThe bodyβ¦ is not meant for fornicationβ¦
Flee fornicationβ¦
He who commits fornication sins against his own body.β
Ephesians 5:3
βBut fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness must not even be named among youβ¦β
1 Thessalonians 4:3β5
βThis is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornicationβ¦β
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:
βThey were like well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing after his neighborβs wife.βOld Testament β Literal Sexual Immorality
Jeremiah 5:7β8 βThey committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another manβs wife.β
Jeremiah 9:2 βOh, 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.β
Jeremiah 13:27 "β¦ 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?β
Jeremiah 23:10 βThe land is full of adulterers; because of this the land mournsβ¦ both prophet and priest are ungodly.β
Jeremiah 23:14 (about the prophets in Jerusalem) βThey commit adultery and live a lieβ¦ they strengthen the hands of evildoersβ¦ They are all like Sodom to me.β
Ezekiel 16:15β17 βBut you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your fame, and lavished your whoredoms on anyone who passed byβ¦β
Ezekiel 16:30-34 βHow 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!β
Ezekiel 16:36β37 βTherefore, 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.β
Ezekiel 23:20 (extremely graphic) Speaking of Oholibah (symbolic Jerusalem): βThere she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.β
Ezekiel 23:37β39 βYou have committed adultery with the Egyptians, your neighbors, and multiplied your whoringβ¦β
Hosea 4:2, 13β14 βThey break all boundsβ¦ they commit adulteryβ¦ They sacrifice on the mountaintopsβ¦ 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 prostitutesβ¦β
Proverbs 6:26, 32 βFor on account of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread, but another manβs wife hunts for your very lifeβ¦ Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.β
Malachi 3:5 (God speaking) βI will come near you for judgmentβ¦ against those who commit adulteryβ¦β
Proverbs 2:16β19 βTo 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 5:3β14 βFor 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 swordβ¦
Proverbs 6:24β29 βKeeping 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 eyelidsβ¦ Can a man take fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?β
New Testament β Literal Sexual Immorality
Matthew 5:27β28 (Jesus) βYou have heard that it was said, βYou shall not commit adultery.β But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.β
Matthew 15:19 // Mark 7:21β22 βFor out of the heart come evil thoughtsβmurder, adultery, sexual immorality (porneia), theftβ¦β
(John 16:5β16) 15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
1 Corinthians 6:9β10 βNeither the sexually immoral (pornoi), nor idolaters, nor adulterers (moichoi), nor men who have sex with menβ¦ will inherit the kingdom of God.β
Hebrews 13:4 βMarriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.β
Revelation 2:20β22 (letter to Thyatira) βYou tolerate that woman Jezebelβ¦ she misleads my servants into sexual immorality (porneusai) and eating food sacrificed to idolsβ¦ I will cast her on a bed of sufferingβ¦β
Matthew 12:39: He answered, βA 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 : βCome now, let us settle the matter,β says the LORD. βThough 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 LORDβs 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 β¦
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, even if realistically it is a life long reflection with, for some, varying moments of success.
The next question is one of attitude, thought, presentation, persona and how others might perceive 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, Joan of Arc. 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 βunjust discriminationβ. Hostility to gay people for being different is a sin against love of neighbour. It is prejudiced to hate someone without understanding them.
But what about traditionally feminine characteristics in a man? In theological language, people might say certain mannerisms cause βscandal.β It challenges their idea of what men/women should look like or behave. Traditionalists often believe: Men should act masculine, Women should act feminine and that these roles are God-given.
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 outward extension of a witness to Christ. We should not be exhibitionistic, nor force ourselves to be something we are not. Whether hyper-feminine, or hyper-masculine we can always try to find a natural alignment.
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".
Simplicity in character and speech is found in 2 Corinthians 1:12 βWe have conducted ourselves in the worldβ¦ in simplicity and godly sincerity.β
Plain, unaffected speech is praised over embellishment or exaggeration in Matthew 5:3 βLet your βYesβ be yes and your βNo,β no.β
Jesusβ life was marked by clarity, directness, and lack of pretensionβpower without affectation - Matthew 11:29 βI am gentle and humble in heart.β
1 Thessalonians 4:11 βMake it your ambition to lead a quiet lifeβ¦β
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.
What next?
Jesus Christ taught mercy. He defended the woman caught in adultery and said whoever is without sin cast the first stone (John 8:7). Not because he supported what she did, or had no feelings for her husband, but because he believed in chances and renewal.
Jesus Christ not only said do not judge, but do not condemn either (Luke 6:37). Itβs wrong both to hypocritically judge someone, and then be judge, jury and executioner afterwards.
Itβs not to mean we canβt seriously reflect on the act and find it wrong, but we cannot bang the gavel on the individual person. Judgment of soul is not our place, it is for God alone who is abundantly merciful.
Jesus ate with those on the margins (specifically tax collectors and societal outcasts) to show grace, acceptance, and to reach those far from God, particularly at the houses of Matthew (Levi), Simon and Zaccheus. These acts are recorded in Matthew 9:10-17, Mark 2:15-22, and Luke 5:29-39.
When people thought he was a hypocrite for rubbing shoulders with those people said he had not come to talk to the good people, but those who were different. (Mark 2:17)
Ultimately, no one is above redemption. We might leave it then with Jesus who said "Go and sin no more" (John 8:11 and John 5:14).
Change means asking people to reflect on their lifestyle, talking down their haters and then offering help rather than demanding ultimatums.
If Jesus is our friend, then we know he had the same issue we had. He got mad, he cried, he felt lonely, he got frustrated, and he loved people. Jesus was also forgiving and merciful.
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.