Clergy who supported such an abhorrent idea claimed the authority of the Bible. The conflict over slavery led to divisions which gave birth to some major Christian denominations. These same denominations, of course, do not support slavery today.

Did the Bible change? No, their interpretation of the Bible did! What influences lead us to new ways of understanding Scripture? New scientific information, social changes, and personal experience are perhaps the greatest forces for change in the way we interpret the Bible and develop our beliefs. Scientific awareness of homosexual orientation did not exist until the nineteenth century.

Two dimensions of the text that become important in considering the biblical affirmation of intersex, transgender, non-binary, and other gender diverse people, discussed at more length here.

This was what allowed the first Christians to decide to include gentiles who were not keeping the Old Testament law in the early church Acts What they did suggest was that the obvious exclusion, injustice and destructive outcomes of widely held beliefs should take Christians back to the text to consider a different perspective, one which might better reflect the heart of God. While some Christians say that the Bible presents a variety of hard teachings as well as promising suffering for followers of Jesus Matthew , it never endorses oppression.

In order for suffering to be Christ-like, it must be redemptive. Redemptive suffering does not uphold oppressive forces but always expresses resistance against them. While the six passages that address same-sex eroticism in the ancient world are negative about the practices they mention, there is no evidence that these in any way speak to same-sex relationships of love and mutuality.

To the contrary, the amount of cultural, historical and linguistic data surrounding how sexuality in the cultures of the biblical authors operated demonstrates that what was being condemned in the Bible is very different than the committed same-sex partnerships we know and see today.

If neither sex differentiation nor gender complementarity are the basis for Christian partnership, then what is? From Genesis 2, to Matthew 19, to Ephesians 5, what these passages make explicit and is echoed throughout the rest of Scripture is something mentioned earlier: marriage is sacred for Christians because it can represent the enduring love between Christ and the Church. Anyone who has ever been in an intimate relationship of any kind can testify to the range of differences and resulting conflicts that are an inherent part of any two personalities attempting to integrate their lives.

Man is not tempted to do evil because of his genetic composition, but because of his sin-corrupted will and nature. Whether or not there is a genetic factor at work in homosexuality is not relevant in determining whether homosexual behavior is right or wrong. If there is anyone who understands man's sin-fallen nature and the power of sin, it is a child of God.

It does not mean that we accept or excuse sin, but we understand man's sin-corruption and have empathy for those who struggle also with the temptation of homosexuality. It, too, is a sin that God forgives and which can be overcome with the power of the gospel. A child of God, who by the grace of God has received much forgiveness, also wishes to freely give that which he has freely received Matt.

The rise of open homosexuality and broader acceptance of it in our time has been preceded by a decline of moral and godly life in our society. The sexual revolution of the s, made possible by the development of effective birth control methods and their acceptance and widespread use, led to the loosening of norms governing heterosexual behavior in our society. It is not surprising, and in fact it was predictable, that homosexuals would seek a similar loosening of social norms.

At this point several states have already made homosexual marriage legal. It appears that it is only a matter of time before homosexual marriage is a fact of life in our society. In this environment, God's children truly feel discouraged and vexed like Lot, who dwelt in the wicked city of Sodom on the eve of its destruction 2 Pet.

God did not forget Lot but delivered him from temptation and from the destruction that fell upon the ungodly. He will also protect and deliver His children in these evil times.

It pays to believe. To preach the gospel of repentance and remission of sins to the people of our communities, our nations, and throughout the world so that they might become partakers with us of the grace that God offers sin-fallen man in His Son Jesus Christ. To nurture and strengthen the faith of the believing and root our children in Christian faith in God's kingdom.

To awaken and inspire Christian values and ethics, soberness of mind, love of homeland, and responsible citizenship among the people of our nations. LLC ORganization. Dynes, W. Homosexuality: A research guide.

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