SCHOLARSHIP AND BIBLICAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS GAY MARRIAGE (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: A BIBLICAL ANALYSIS AND A PROPER CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Growing in intensity, a new social movement of gay and lesbian support has emerged. This has come with increasing political and social influence in advocacy of homosexuality as a matter of civil rights and liberties. From a focus on religious holiness the culture has shifted the debate to one of social justice. The voices calling for this profound change in social consciousness have moved beyond the more radical fringes. Christian theologians, church leaders and pastors are advocating on behalf of the homosexual movement while being critical of traditional Christian interpretation of biblical passages long thought to have condemned homosexuality. This struggle has transcended a simple request for the right to privacy. It has become an initiative for social reengineering and a reshaping of a broad world view. This study employed historical grammatical hermeneutics with the view to answer two questions, namely, what is the Scripture's stance on homosexuality and how should the African church (both the institution and the individuals who comprise it) respond to those persons in our families of faith who wrestle with these struggles? This paper contends that our understanding of Scripture's position on homosexuality is foundational to how we approach the issue of homosexuality practically in the church and the society and further inferred that all intimate human sexual relationships are called to signify the reconciliation and redemption accomplished by Christ and must be authorized by a Biblical witness.
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The debate on homosexuality has become increasingly painful and divisive between people of the Christian faith. A very relevant question is asked; are homosexual people included in the ecclesial community? The aim of my research paper is to propose a way forward for the inclusion of homosexual people in the ecclesial community. Inclusion, however, does not imply legitimization of wrongs. Conceptual clarifications are given in the definition of words such as; ekklesia, ethics and homosexuality. The Wesleyan Quadrilateral is used as an interpretive framework to illustrate that “evidence from four sources: scripture, tradition, reason and experience” is necessary when seeking guidance on complex moral issues. The role of scripture in ethics, specifically with regard to the homosexuality debate is mentioned while the different interpretations of scriptures are discussed. Two dominant opposing approaches are identified, namely the conservative-traditional approach and the liberal approac...
The goal of this paper is to examine the major areas of discussion when looking at homosexuality in the Bible, provide a brief survey of the different approaches used by both affirming and non-affirming scholars, and to make a choice on which arguments seem best.
Homosexuality within the Bible
This document will present evidence that the Sacred Scriptures are misunderstood because of being mistranslated and misapplied and certainly misunderstood. How do most people read Bible Versions about homosexuality? "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them." Did the reader investigate the Sacred Scripture in its ancient Hebrew Text? This document will demonstrate that the versions DO NOT tell the truth.