Leviticus: Interpreting Homosexuality In Christianity

Leviticus is even more prominent in the debate against homosexuality in Christianity. At its core, Leviticus is a handbook on how to live righteously as a citizen of Israel. These laws apply only to followers of the Jewish tradition, but are still used to disenfranchise homosexuals who choose to identify as Christian. The two verses mentioning homosexuality in this book are Leviticus 18:22 stating, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” and Leviticus 20:13 which states, “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.” These are both found in the King James Version of the Bible. According

Douglas mentions the claim that Leviticus 18:22 simply parallels the idea that men should not have any form of sexual contact with another man’s spouse. She states that the intended purpose of this verse is “to protect the married state.” This verse only speaks about “homosexual acts performed by heterosexuals.” These acts, like the ones mentioned in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, were not acts of lust and desire, as much as they were acts of exploitation and empowerment. Homosexuality, as it is perceived today, is not a method used to attain power over other males, but an expression of love. Douglas, like Eastman, again states that these sins are only mentioned because of the idolatrous acts of the Canaanites and other cults. Douglas also concludes that even if homosexuality—viewed in its modern context—were a sin, it would be just as heavy of a sin as “cursing father or mother, adultery, sex with father-in-law or daughter-in-law…and bestiality.” The persecution of a homosexual should rightly equate to that of an adulterer or one who curses their parents, both of which being all too common in our modern society (Douglas 2000,