Are homosexual acts natural or sinful?
Some claim homosexuality is unnatural and therefore wrong. Floods, cancer, earthquakes are all natural but we perceive them as bad things. A lot of things that are unnatural such as medicines etc we see as good.
It is now widely agreed that homosexuality is natural. Cases of homosexuality have been found in various animal species throughout the world, which suggest this could be true. Many believe that the sexual act involved in homosexuality is the sin. It is not a surprise that most of the people that uphold this view are often very religious. They take their lead from holy texts such as the Bible.
The teaching of these religions claim sex is seen as a union between man and wife for the purpose of procreation and nothing more. Therefore masturbation, sex before marriage and homosexual sex are deemed as wrong and even sinful.
This therefore suggests that the only purpose for sex is to procreate. This to me sounds ridiculously animalistic. What about the love that is shared between two people? Sex can be a joining of two people that want to show how much they mean to one another. It is emotional and deeply poignant for people. Sex is pleasurable and is a vital part of a relationship between humans. It is not just the sexual act itself, there is meaning, rationalization and emotions that are all incorporated in to it. What could be more natural for humans?
People often say that to have sex for pleasure makes you no better than the animals. They believe you are giving in to your basic animal urges.
Most animals do not have sex for pleasure! For them it literally is a matter of procreation. So surely someone got their wires crossed a long the line? If humans only have sex to ensure our species procreate like the animals do, surely that makes us no better than the animals?
Human sex is made up of many aspects, whether it be homosexual and heterosexual it is natural. To claim that sex is unnatural because the outcome is not to have children is choosing to ignore part of what makes us human. Our rationality and emotionality, which sets us apart from the animals.
Homosexuality is opposed in most of the world's major religions and seen as sinful by Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. Religion has a lot to answer for, both good and bad things. Throughout history up until today, bad things have been done in the name of religion and God. Many of which would be agreed is immoral and sometimes even evil.
The religions above, are based on historical teachings, of the word of prophets/ God. All of which were written and recorded by man. Some may believe that the controlling and guiding force behind the man writing, was God. But it is still man who has written them. Man, who has all the weaknesses and faults that he has always had.
Where are the gospels of women? What role did the women play? The answer is not much of a role. Women throughout history, even today in some cultures have very little rights. I am not here to discuss feminism. I do however question why was Jesus not born as a woman? Why not the daughter of God? The main reason I believe, is that no body would have listened.
It was a mans world back then, and only a man could do the things Jesus had to do. If he had been born a woman, she would have probably been stoned to death. The same goes for why the Old Testament is written from a male perspective. To put it quite simply there was not a female perspective back then.
The bible does have some statements against homosexuality, ""natural" intercourse- that between a man and a woman" (Rom. 1:26-27). What if that belief was just St Paul's personal belief? That would not mean that it was the word of God, but instead it would be the opinion of a man.
What if one or more of the other gospels that were disregarded by the Church when they were choosing the gospels for the Bible, said that intercourse between all humans is natural. Man and man, woman and woman, as we are made in the image of God and the mutual love of consenting adults is of the same worth. It is possible as thousands upon thousands of gospels were destroyed Would that have altered the way we live today?
At the other end of the spectrum, if we lived in a post apocalyptic world, and an anti-gay leaflet was found. Would that then become one of the foundations of that world?
Jesus taught about love and acceptance. He spoke with prostitutes, criminals, the sick and even murders. He protected the outcasts of society, "let he who has not sinned cast the first stone." He said the most important of all the commandments was; "Love they neighbour."
There were so many more accounts of the life of Jesus, so much more information about Jesus in the thousands of other gospels that are now destroyed by the decision and hands of men. How will we ever really know what Jesus thought about homosexuality?
Christians often use the example of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 as proof that homosexuality is wrong. If you actually read Genesis 19 it is quite a disturbing account in more than one way.
Two angels were sent to Sodom. They we befriended by a man named Lot. Lot begged the two angels to stay with him for the night, for their own protection. Eventually after some persuading the angels took Lot up on his offer. They had a feast and baked unleavened bread. Before Lot, his family and the two angels could sleep, the men of Sodom, described as young and old surrounded his house, demanding to see the two visitors. Lot goes outside to speak to the crowd. Lot then offers his two virgin daughters to the crowd, to "do ye to them as is good in your eyes." The crowd did not accept Lots offer and continued to ask for the visitors. The angels pulled Lot back into the house and blinded all the men outside. The angels then told Lot to prepare his wife and two daughters to leave the city, before they destroyed it in God's name. Lot left with his wife and two daughters and they were warned to not look back. Once they had left the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire. Lot's wife turned behind her to look and was turned into a pillar of salt. Lot and his two daughters dwelt in the mountain and lived in a cave. Both daughters made Lot drink wine on two separate nights, then when he fell asleep and was unaware, the firstborn slept with him, the next night the second daughter did the same. Lot was not aware during the act or after it. Both daughters conceived and gave birth to their fathers child.
I do not believe that it is just my self that sees a few problems with the above passage. It seems to contradict the messages it intends to give. If all the men in Sodom were homosexuals, then there would not be a Sodom with people. Secondly, if the men practised both homosexual and heterosexual sex, they would probably be interested in Lot's two virgin daughters. Why would Lot offer homosexual men females if he knew them to be homosexuals?
Why would Lot put two visitors lives before his own daughters? Should we take it literally that Lot's wife turned to pillar of salt? I find it somewhat peculiar that homosexuality is deemed wrong, yet incest is perfectly acceptable. Many people believe that the bible, the Old Testament especially should not be taken in a literal sense. That analogies and stories were used during that time to explain things people did not understand and get the intended messages across. Jesus for instance often used analogies and short stories when he was preaching to the masses of people.
If homosexuality was deemed so evil and sinful, why is it not one of the Ten Commandments? These commandments are present in, Jewish, Anglican, Orthodox and Catholic denominations. Although the ten vary slightly in order and wording the basic understandings are same. As these commandments are present in all of the above religions/ denominations, then it is a reasonable assumption to believe that these are the universal commandments by which people should live.
For Christian and Catholic denominations, the most important commandment as given by Jesus was, "Love thy neighbour, as you would be loved", so using the same assumption as above, I believe this to is meant as a universally applicable Commandment, some would believe is the most important of all the commandments.
Homosexuality is not present in any of the universally applicable commandments. It is only mentioned a few brief times in the Bible. Anyone can read the Bible and find something to support their claim if they try hard enough and use it for bad things.
In conclusion, there is little in the Bible that suggests homosexuality is wrong and even sinful. The bits that are there are deeply flawed whether you take them literally or try and derive your own meaning from them. The books are flawed, as they were written by men who have prejudices just like everyone else a long time ago. Surely the most important message to take is what Jesus thought was the main commandment.
To love one another.
To claim homosexuality is unnatural does not have much strength as discussed in the beginning. To claim the sexual act itself is a sin, is founded on premises that make us similar to animals.
It's time people just learned to accept homosexuality for what it is. Another part of human nature and life.