In Genesis 19, there is a story about two cities that were very sinful in God’s eyes. There have been many debates on what sin was being committed. A conservative Christian’s view on this story would be that the sin of homosexuality was being committed, but what happens if you look at this chapter without a biased mindset? Most people at Sioux Falls Christian would say that the people of Sodom were punished for the sin of homosexuality, but Patrick S. Cheng goes into detail with a different view. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah sheds light on the sins that were committed, which include gang rape, molestation, and inhospitality, which Cheng talks about in his article, “What Was the Real Sin of Sodom?”. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah starts …show more content…
Cheng states that the Bible never clearly says that homosexuality was the sin of Sodom. He opens the article with an explanation as to where he is coming from. Cheng is an openly gay pastor who preaches to everyone, including the LGBT community. According to Cheng, the real sin committed in Genesis 19 is that the people of Sodom were inhospitable and attempted gang rape on angels. The word that makes his statement clear is the Hebrew word yada. The interpretation of this word has varied from, “to have sex with”, “to have sexual relations with”, “rape”, and “molestation”. Each of those interpretations can be taken in different ways, which makes it easy to blame the Sodomites with the sin of homosexuality. Each translation of the Bible uses yada in a different way. The King James Version, English Standard Version, and New Revised Standard Version use the phrase “to know”, but the New International Version uses the phrase “have sex”. Cheng follows the translation of rape and backs his thoughts with the tone of the passage. The men of Sodom were not looking for consensual or loving sex. They tried to beat down Lot’s door to get to the angels, even though the angels did not want to interact with them. It is seen clearly in verse 9 that the angels did not want anything to do with the men of
p134). The quote which are the holy words of God testifies that a wicked person who has sex
Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned six times is Peter the Chanter poem the same amount of times as Magis is mention, it is likely a coincidence but still important to mention. They are two cities mentioned in genesis that were almost destroyed for their sins. The fact that he mentions them six times Peter the Cantor love for anecdotal stories rather then Leviticus commands. I think Peter wants to emphasis the fact that the people who are sodomites should repent or they will be destroyed as the cities were. The word sodomy, which is, used for male and male relations literally the sin of Sodom. The reason for this is when Lot had the two angels from god staying in his house, men from all areas of the city began to knock on lots door demanding to have sex with the two stranger in Lot’s house. Lot refused and offered up his two daughters instead but the angry crowd refused and kept trying to sleep with the two men (who they didn’t know were angels.)
The pericope begins in Genesis 19, when the Lord tells Abraham that he will destroy Sodom unless he can find ten righteous men in the city. The angels of the lord come to Sodom to find its righteous men, and Abraham’s nephew, Lot, receives them. He treats them as honored guests, washing their feet and feeding them. A crowd of overly curious Sodomites harass Lot, demanding to see his guests. Lot protects his guests, even offering his two virgin daughters up in their stead.
“The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the lord said, ‘I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created-people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord.”(Genesis 6:5-8)
Throughout history, it is clear that men are usually seen to be advantaged by the logic of domination while females tend to be disadvantaged. Whether it be in the workplace, household, or even the bible men have always been inferior to women. Through history, cultural norms and stereotypes gender roles were created and have been present throughout society. Although it is believed that males are more advantaged than females the texts Eve and Adam: Genesis 2-3 Reread by Phyllis Trible and The Creation and Fall of Man and Woman explain how men and woman are in fact equal and maybe even disadvantaged by these cultural arrangements. Therefore, throughout history it is clear that gender discourses would allow one to believe that men are advantaged
It only acknowledges the act of male anal intercourse, usually forcefully in association with revenge or humiliation. The Holiness source declared this to be an abdominal act and a capital offense. It is worth mentioning that the Holiness sources also views all sexual acts that are not used for reproductive purposes as aberrant. Jews do not read the Hebrew Bible literally. In fact, they believe that you get more out of it from not reading it literally. Jews assert that the Bible is an inspired text and that it may have “errors.” They say that the whole Bible may not be completely historically true. Jews also believe that their laws, or Halakah, can be interpreted in many different ways. Depending on whether you are an orthodox, conservative or reform Jew, your views on many things, including homosexuality will be different. For example, Orthodox Judaism views homosexual conduct as something that is generally prohibited. Orthodox Jews observe the traditional view of homosexuality. Conservative Judaism, in the past few years, has formally approved same sex marriage, although up until recently, they believe that homosexuals could be rabbis or cantors and they didn’t approve homosexual marriages and commitment ceremonies. Reform Judaism is the largest branch of Judaism in North America. They have abandoned traditional Jewish claims about homosexuality. They allow for the ordination of openly gay, lesbian and bisexual people as rabbis and cantors. They consider all biblical constraints on Judaism to be no longer law. Traditionally, Leviticus 18:22 states that sexual intercourse between men is something abhorred or detested that can be subject to capital punishment under halakha. Homosexual male
...ognized that heterosexual, as well as homosexual individuals engaged oral and anal sex (Gay and Lesbian Rights, 49). For many years it was thought that people who were gay had some sort of mental disorder, and there are still plenty of individuals who believe this. Texas has yet to repeal laws condemning persons of sodomy, as well as three other states (Gay and Lesbian Rights, 49). This is evidence that certain individuals in Texas still believe that sodomy is a crime. Many are set in their ways, that the bible states clearly the stipulation that a man with a woman is the only correct and moral pairing of human beings. With knowledge of the overlying historical ideology of justification for discrimination that Baynton discusses in his essay, the egregiousness of this historical and current oppression of those with ‘abnormal’ sexual preferences becomes even clearer.
The second biggest offenders are individuals who are raised in a norm where it is not accepted. It has been said, ‘‘hate the sin and love the sinner, homosexuality is a ticket to Hell. You could not be gay and go to church. You cannot be a Christian. You cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.” (Levy 2014). In the bible Sodom & Gomorrah Genesis 19, Leviticus 18:22, and Leviticus 20:13 talks about how homosexuality are condemned and abominations. There are many more other versus in the bible that speak about homosexuality. Individuals who are growing up listening and reading to the bible will follow the bibles way. If the bible talks about how homosexuality are condemned and abominations, they are going to think and feel the same way as well. It becomes a manifestation of how their personality will be in the future. When it becomes part of their personality, whenever they see or hear homosexual acts they become enraged. For others who are from different religions that say nothing about homosexuals, throughout their life course they are influenced by the vast majority who view homosexuality is wrong as a cultural norm. When they reach adult hood or a critical age all their going to remember is homosexuality is wrong and the violence that is tied with it. It creates a super ego conscience where they are to not
Revisiting the Account of Sodom and Gomorrah Whatever the men of Sodom were up to, there is no question that it drew God’s wrath. According to pro-homosexual theologians, their sin had little or nothing to do with homosexuality, but with their inhospitality; their “callous indifference toward the weak and vulnerable – the poor, orphans, widows, and strangers in their midst” (Jeff Miner and John Tyler Conoley, The Children are Free, p. 6). There is some validity to this. For it is written, "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and carelessness, but she did not help the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). Without dispute, the sin of Sodom included pride, materialism, and injustice, but there are other verses revealing that they were notorious for a sin not mentioned in this list.
The book of Genesis 1-11 gives us a teaching and lays a foundation for the truth that is expressed later in the bible as it makes an assumption that God is the creator of the universe and all it holds. The scriptures in this books gives an expression of God as being just, love, wrath, holy and grace. This scripture enables us to understand how we should view the world and God’s part in the creation and the recreation of the whole universe.
Around 1400 B.C. Exodus was written in Hebrew. The Exodus, which is one of the books in the Old Testament, are rules, similar to Hammurabi Code placed by God for the descendants of Abram. This literature gives insight into the structure of the Jewish community, which includes the hierarchy of their community as well as the roles important in this community. Scholars can further understand the Hebrew community by reading Genesis. Genesis consists of religious stories that talks about how farming, slavery, and the world came into being. But overall, scholars can see a society very much center on religion.
There are more than two different levels of biblical interpretation; however in this paper I am going to be focus in two of them which are historical-literal and theological-spiritual. In Genesis 3: 1-7, "The Fall of Man" shows something happen that forever changes our world. Before the beginning of chapter 3, the end of chapter 2 explains the relationship between the Lord, Adam, and his wife Eve. In contrast, in Genesis 3, there was a sin that changed the world we live in recently. Religious scholars and theologians have debated over whether it is the devil or a choice to guilt that led all humans to be sinful on
We have all at some point or another heard someone say that God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. This saying is an excellent example of how a large number of Christian fundamentalist feel about the homosexual community. Studies have shown that there are more Christian homophobes than there is homophobia in any other group or religion in the United States (Wolff, J. R., Himes, H. L., Kwon, E., & Bollinger, R. A., 2012). Homophobia is the irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals. In Christianity, homophobia represents misunderstanding and fear of the unknown.
The purpose of the creation story is not central to the Bible but serves as a prologue to the historical drama, which are the central concerns of the Bible. The narrative focus in the Bible is on the story that begins with Noah and is centered on the exodus from Egypt. The central event in the Bible is the creation of the covenant and the giving of laws and commandments. Although the creation of the world in Genesis I and the pronouncement of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 are two completely different accounts in the Bible, there lies a similar theme between them: God creates an orderly and hierarchical universe, both natural and moral.
We finally got into the topic of homosexuality. We read many passages containing proof homosexuality is a sin, but one quote stuck with me it was 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 it states “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” On the ride back home I could hear my ears ringing due to the silent atmosphere. I was severally ashamed and disgusted with myself. I can reckon what my family’s reaction would be; it’s safe to assume it wouldn’t be the most welcoming and friendly. I was horrified I couldn't breath, it felt as if someone was choking me. My heart was racing and all I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and wait for someone to save me. But no one would, no one was going to be there for