The growth of their community was important to their survival. The average age at death for adults was in their forties. They needed numbers for safety and to build their society. The Israelite community was subject to attack and enslavement. This verse was written at a time when Israelites (and all humans) were struggling just to exist. The first reason involves difficult living conditions. There were two primary reasons for this verse being in the Bible.
Vers gay definition full#
The full context of Leviticus paints an entirely different picture of what this verse is intended to mean. However, if we are to have a full understanding of the verse, we must know the context in which the verse is written.
However, when these passages are read in context, it is clear that all negative connotations about these persons (who we now refer to as LGBTs) are always secondary to a more primary message.įor example, Christians who feel that people of the LGBT persuasion are sinners, typically quote from the Old Testament book of Leviticus at 18.22: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman it is an abomination.” On the surface, this verse seems pretty straightforward. A surface reading of these passages would suggest to the casual reader that the Bible does in fact condemn such behavior. These descriptions occur both in the Old and New Testaments. There are numerous descriptions in The Bible of what we now call LGBT behavior. So, overt discrimination against members of the LGBT community is not tolerated. Likewise, corporate America has discovered that bias against all kinds of minority groups is bad for business. For example, prior to the 1990s it was not uncommon for adolescent boys to refer to other boys as “queers, fagots, or fags.” Such name calling is a form of bullying, and schools are now very strict in disciplining the use of inappropriate language. It was part of a general sensitivity movement. The acronym, LGBT, first entered into widespread use in the 1990s. The letter Q is sometimes used to refer to those who are questioning their sexual identity. The acronym stands for lesbians (female homosexuals) gays (male homosexuals) bisexuals and trans-gendered. Therefore, the more politically correct reference to homosexuals is the acronym LGBT (or variations thereof such as LGBTQ). The word homosexual first was used in the English language during the eighteenth century.Īlso, the word homosexual is used less often today because many feel that the word has negative connotations. In my review, I found that the word homosexual does not appear in the Bible. I decided to review the topic of homosexuality in The Bible in order to get a better perspective on why some Christians find homosexuality so troubling. As a Christian, I have to admit that until recently I had never thoroughly explored the Biblical position on homosexuality. Some Christians say that The Bible makes it clear that homosexuality is an abomination to God. Homosexuality: One Parishioner's Perspective