The BIble and Homosexuality

Does the Bible condemn homosexuality?
The people of Biblical times did not talk about homosexuality as we do today. They presumed that all people were created to fall in love with people of the opposite gender.
There are five primary references of homosexuality in the Bible.
Genesis 19:5 “and they called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may know them.’”
The account in Genesis of the destruction of Sodom is the origin of the term “sodomy.” It is clear God’s condemnation is about the violence the crowd wishes to inflict on God’s messenger’s who were guest in Lot’s house and not on homosexuality.
Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
Some point to Leviticus and its commands that a man should not lie with a man and yet Leviticus also condemns wearing clothing with mixed fabrics. Christians understand that Christ gave us a new covenant and that we are no longer bound by the Levitical Law code.
I Corinthians 6:9 “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be decieved! Fornicaters, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites,” (NRSV)
Or “. . . no fornicator or idolater, no adulterer or sexual pervert,” (REB)
Or “. . . the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, the self indulgent, sodomites."
The most difficult passages come from the New Testament in Paul’s letters to Rome and Corinth and Timothy. In I Corinthians 6:9 and in the letter to Timothy Paul uses a word that is not found in other Greek writings of the same period. Some scholars have suggested that it is a word created by Paul. The word is “arsenokoites” is often translated as sodomites, it can also mean literally “male bed.” Some scholars have compared the Biblical reference of this word to other Greek writings and found that the term could refer to male prostitution or some economic exploitation of sex. Most scholars will agree we simply don’t know for sure what it means and that its translation as “sodomy” or “sexual perverts” is a modern presumption.
The other New Testament word sometimes understood to refer to homosexuality is “malakos.” This word is translated in I Cor. 6:9 as “male prostitutes” but in the Gospel of Luke it is translated as “soft.” Luther’s reformation Bible translated these terms as “effeminate” (malakos) and “violators of boys” (arsenokoitai).
In Romans 1:26-27 “For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.”
In Romans 1:26-27 Paul condemns people for “unnatural” intercourse. Paul presumes that all people are created in the same way. He had little idea that some people are born to fall in love with others of the same gender. Modern psychiatry beginning with Freud has conducted a good deal of research regarding homosexuality. In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of disorders. Researchers today are studying brain activity and genetics to further understand our natural sexual desires.
We believe that it is natural for some people to fall in love with others of the same gender.
But it seems immoral!
Paul’s concern, and ours too is with sexual morality. If Paul is saying that prostitution is immoral, we agree! If Paul is saying that pedophilia is immoral, we agree! We believe sex is a sharing of intimacy for consenting adults. We also condemn the exploitation of sexuality in many forms in our society.
What about sex in marriage?
We affirm that sex is best shared in a marriage covenant. Therefore we urge the government and the church to affirm same sex marriage as a moral and legal covenant.