Homosexuality is wrong why

But, the question is begged, is this a fair and accurate assessment? Are there such things as neutral interpretations? Is there one true or correct way to interpret the Bible, and if so, who determines that? The study of biblical interpretation is called hermeneutics, and helps us to address these kinds of questions. More specifically, we are seeking to determine if the biblical writers were condemning specific practices related to sexuality in the ancient world, or were they indeed condemning all same-sex relationships of any kind for the rest of time?

While gender complimentarity is indeed rooted in passages from Genesis 1 and 2, it is worth noting that these stories say God began by creating human beings of male and female sex defined as the complex result of combinations between chromosomes, gonads, genes, and genitals but there is nothing that indicates in Scripture that God only created this binary.

This account says little to nothing about gender, the social and cultural norms and practices corresponding to what is considered masculine and feminine. Two dimensions of the text that become important in considering the biblical affirmation of intersex, transgender, non-binary, and other gender diverse people, discussed at more length here.

This was what allowed the first Christians to decide to include gentiles who were not keeping the Old Testament law in the early church Acts What they did suggest was that the obvious exclusion, injustice and destructive outcomes of widely held beliefs should take Christians back to the text to consider a different perspective, one which might better reflect the heart of God.

While some Christians say that the Bible presents a variety of hard teachings as well as promising suffering for followers of Jesus Matthew , it never endorses oppression. In order for suffering to be Christ-like, it must be redemptive. Redemptive suffering does not uphold oppressive forces but always expresses resistance against them. While the six passages that address same-sex eroticism in the ancient world are negative about the practices they mention, there is no evidence that these in any way speak to same-sex relationships of love and mutuality.

To the contrary, the amount of cultural, historical and linguistic data surrounding how sexuality in the cultures of the biblical authors operated demonstrates that what was being condemned in the Bible is very different than the committed same-sex partnerships we know and see today. The effects of musical training on structural brain development: a longitudinal study.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences , Johannson, B. Current trends in stroke rehabilitation: A review with focus on brain plasticity. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica , 3 : LeVay, S. A difference in hypothalamic structure between heterosexual and homosexual men. Maguire, E. Navigational-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers. Prinz, J. Teki, S. Navigating the auditory scene: an expert role for the hippocampus.

Journal of Neuroscience, 32 35 : Whitam, F. Homosexual orientation in twins: A report on 61 pairs and three triplet sets. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 22 3 : The views expressed are those of the author s and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Marcia Malory is a writer who mostly writes about science. She has worked in various industries on both sides of the Atlantic and now lives in York, England. You can find out more about her by visiting her website Follow Marcia Malory on Twitter. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue.

See Subscription Options. Go Paperless with Digital. Ask this question, and you will probably receive one of two responses: Yes. Or No. How wonderful it is that nobody has to be gay! What does science tell us about sexual preference?

Genes We know, from many twin and adoption studies, that sexual preference has a genetic component. Affecting something is not the same as having complete control over it. Environment, like genetics, plays an important role in how our behavior develops.

Your environment affects your sexual and romantic relationships. Throughout history, marriages have been influenced by family relations and by economic needs.

Your culture affects your views on homosexuality. The Brain The structure of the brain might influence sexual preference.

The third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus INAH3 was found to be more than twice as large in heterosexual men as in homosexual men This study was criticized because it used brain tissue obtained at autopsies, and all of the homosexual subjects in the study were believed to have died of AIDS.

So your brain was influencing your sexual preference even before you were born. This can explain why many gay people feel that they have always been gay. Brain development does not stop at birth, though. With the right experiences, your brain can change even after you have reached adulthood. If Sexual Preference Can Be Changed Even if gay people can never stop being attracted to members of the same sex, they can learn not to act on their desires.

Should they stop? Therefore, people who are gay by choice have the right to remain that way Of course, there are abusive and unhealthy gay relationships that should not be tolerated, just as there are unhealthy heterosexual relationships that should not be tolerated. Their meaning can only be fully appreciated in the historical and cultural context of the ancient Hebrew people.

Israel , in a unique place as the chosen people of one God, was to avoid the practices of other peoples and gods. Hebrew religion, characterized by the revelation of one God, stood in continuous tension with the religion of the surrounding Canaanites who worshipped the multiple gods of fertility cults. The Hebrew word for a male cult prostitute, qadesh, is mistranslated "sodomite" in some versions of the Bible.

What is an "Abomination"? An abomination is that which God found detestable because it was unclean, disloyal, or unjust. Several Hebrew words were so translated, and the one found in Leviticus, toevah, is usually associated with idolatry, as in Ezekiel, where it occurs numerous times. Given the strong association of toevah with idolatry and the canaanite religious practice of cult prostitution, the use of toevah regarding male same-sex acts in Leviticus calls into question any conclusion that such condemnation also applies to loving, responsible homosexual relationships.

Rituals and Rules Rituals and Rules found in the Old Testament were given to preserve the distinctive characteristics of the religion and culture of Israel. But, as stated in Galatians , Christians are no longer bound by these Jewish laws.

By faith we live in Jesus Christ, not in Leviticus. To be sure, ethical concerns apply to all cultures and peoples in every age.

Such concerns were ultimately reflected by Jesus Christ, who said nothing about homosexuality, but a great deal about love, justice, mercy and faith. Romans Most New Testament books, including the four Gospels, are silent on same-sex acts, and Paul is the only author who makes any reference to the subject. The most negative statement by Paul regarding same-sex acts occurs in Romans where, in the context of a larger argument on the need of all people for the gospel of Jesus Christ, certain homosexual behavior is given as an example of the "uncleanness" of idolatrous Gentiles.

The book of Romans was written to Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome , who would have been familiar with the infamous sexual excesses of their contemporaries, especially Roman emperors. Jewish laws in Leviticus mentioned male same-sex acts in the context of idolatry. The homosexual practices cited in Romans were believed to result from idolatry and are associated with some very serious offenses as noted in Romans 1.

Taken in this larger context, it should be obvious that such acts are significantly different from loving, responsible lesbian and gay relationships seen today. What is "Natural"? In Romans , God acts in an "unnatural" way, para physin, to accept the Gentiles. In view of this, we should observe that it is "unnatural," para physin, for a person today with a lesbian or gay sexual orientation to attempt living a heterosexual lifestyle. Romans is the only statement in the Bible with a possible reference to lesbian behavior, although the specific intent of this verse is unclear.

Some authors have seen in this passage a reference to women adopting a dominant role in heterosexual relationships. The Other Verses… I Corinthians Any consideration of New Testament statements on same-sex acts must carefully view the social context of the Greco-Roman culture in which Paul ministered. Prostitution and pederasty sexual relationships of adult men with boys were the most commonly known male same-sex acts.

In I Corinthians , Paul condemns those who are "effeminate" and "abusers of themselves with mankind," as translated in the King James version.

Unfortunately, some new translations are worse, rendering these words "homosexuals. The first word — malakos, in the Greek text-which has been translated "effeminate" or "soft," most likely refers to someone who lacks discipline or moral control. The word is used elsewhere in the New Testament but never with reference to sexuality. The second word, Arsenokoitai, occurs once each in I Corinthians and I Timothy , but nowhere else in other literature of the period.