Scientific Understanding of Homosexuality and its Challenge to Biblical Anthropology (original) (raw)
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For some Bible readers the message of the scriptures is clear – God condemns all homosexual behavior, even that expressed within loving and committed same‐sex relationships. It is, for them, a matter of applying the 'golden rule' of Bible interpretation: " If the plain sense makes common sense, seek no other sense. " To these readers it appears that those who defend same‐sex relationships are ignoring the Bible's clear statements condemning all homosexual activity. For other Bible readers, however, a 'plain sense' understanding of the texts is no longer obviously 'common sense,' due in part to the emergence of a scientific view of sexual orientation and to the Christian testimonies of gay and lesbian people. The conventional, negative interpretation is no longer obviously common sense, so serious Bible students dig deeper. Many Christians – including a growing number of evangelicals – are finding that a close, conservative reading of the biblical texts, aided by the best evangelical scholarship, suggests that the popular, disapproving summary of 'what the Bible says' about homosexuality is not supported by the Bible itself. This essay addresses the dozen or so Bible passages often cited as referring to homosexuality, highlighting their original, biblical contexts and how the texts were understood within the Bible itself. It then outlines how the original 'then and there' of the texts and the contemporary 'here and now' of same‐sex relationships compare, which suggests how these texts might properly inform the current debate.
Homosexuality debate: Different views by scholars
Homosexuality debate, 2022
One of the themes that have enthralled the entire world in contentious and critical arguments for about a decade now is the problem of sexual orientation in the context of gender concerns. These debates have included not only scientific studies but also Christians. The principal phrase on the table for arguments in such conversations in the twenty-first century is "homosexuality," while other concerns such as gender equality, human rights, and so on have also played a significant role in today's discussions from both legal and theological viewpoints. In nineteenth-century Germany, the term "homosexuality" was coined as a medical diagnosis for what was then considered a sexual dysfunction: the desire for a sexual act with another person of one's biological sex. This definition is based on the notion of "heteronormativity," or the assumption that persons are inherently disposed to seek sex only with people of the opposite biological sex. The ordination of gay clergy in the late twentieth century was fraught with controversies. There were also debates about whether homosexual interactions were sinful. Some even said that homosexual attraction was a sin in and of itself. Church doctrine and numerous state governments in the United States, for example, forbade same-sex couples from marrying (Seesengood, 2010), but this issue has now affected almost all the countries of the world in which Christianity operates, and from a continental perspective, the Christians churches in Africa are also being affected. The present work is, therefore, an evaluation of the different arguments forwarded by scholars in using Pauline writings in the homosexual debates, this is because it is primarily one of the passages in Paul's letter (to the Romans) that has generated controversial arguments about homosexuality.
American Journal of Biblical Theology, 2021
This study asked and answered the questions, "Is homosexual behavior and same-sex marriage sinful?" Should it be seen as simply another element of human diversity to be acknowledged and accepted, or should it be subjected to stigmatizing moral opprobrium? Many evangelical Christians would have negative responses to these questions. Besides, recently, it seems that many are beginning to acknowledge the fact that there is a distinction between same-sex attraction and same-sex behavior. Though, while many clearly acknowledge that same-sex behavior, from the biblical point of view, is sinful, many are afraid to agree that it is either normal or sinful. Hence, the purpose of the study was to discover whether there is a theological rationale for the prohibition of homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The methodology adopted for the study is the exegetical method of biblical research. Genesis 2:18 was exegeted and the findings showed that the word, 'ezer/Helper seems to express the idea of an 'indispensable companion'. Consequently, the woman was created to supply to the man what he was lacking, and the man also is to supply what the woman was lacking, including sexual needs. Thus, Homosexuality and same-sex marriage in light of Creation is a severely disordered habit. The paper recommended that Christians are to offer help to those struggling with homosexual behavior/addiction offering them are not to condemn homosexuals they are not also to compromise their stand on the issue.
Sexual Orientation, Controversy, and Science
Psychological science in the public interest : a journal of the American Psychological Society, 2016
SummaryOngoing political controversies around the world exemplify a long-standing and widespread preoccupation with the acceptability of homosexuality. Nonheterosexual people have seen dramatic surges both in their rights and in positive public opinion in many Western countries. In contrast, in much of Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Oceania, and parts of Asia, homosexual behavior remains illegal and severely punishable, with some countries retaining the death penalty for it. Political controversies about sexual orientation have often overlapped with scientific controversies. That is, participants on both sides of the sociopolitical debates have tended to believe that scientific findings-and scientific truths-about sexual orientation matter a great deal in making political decisions. The most contentious scientific issues have concerned the causes of sexual orientation-that is, why are some people heterosexual, others bisexual, and others homosexual? The actual relevance of ...