Sexuality and Christianity

Sexuality and Christianity
RELATED TOPICS	Marriage Homosexuality In the news United States and Canadian Anglican dioceses asked to split from the world-wide Anglican communion over the issue of homosexual unions and priests Connecticut becomes third U.S. state to allow same-sex civil unions (October 3, 2005)
SERMONS, ESSAYS AND OPINIONS	* Homosexuality and Christian liberty: Question and Answer (justforcatholics.org)
CONTENTS

Few issues cause as much division in today's church as issues related to sex outside of marriage and homosexual relationships. Conservative Christians state that the Bible clearly states that God shows us that the only right place for a sexual relationship is in a marriage between a man and a woman, and that outside of this, it is a sin against God. Some liberal Christians argue that sex outside a marriage, including homosexual relationships are not wrong if they are between two loving partners. In the developed world, especially North-Western Europe and North America, some church denominations have embranced the liberal viewpoint often causing large splits in congregations.

One of the major developments in recent years has been in the Episcopal Church of the USA, in which an openly practicing homosexual man, Gene Robinson was ordained as a bishop. This has caused enormous divide within the Anglican Communion and resulted in 2008 in a conference (GAFCON) being called to rival the once in a decade Lambeth Conference. This may be leading to a schism.

Biblical passages

We know that the law is good, provided that one uses it as law, with the understanding that law is meant not for a righteous person but for the lawless and the unruly, the godless and the sinful, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murders, the unchaste, homosexuals, kidnapers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching, (1 Tim 1:8-10)

You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion. ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. (Lev. 18:22-24)

If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives. (Lev 20:13)

Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.(1 Cor. 6:9-10)

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper. (Rom. 1:26-28)

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 7)

And reducing the cities of the Sodomites, and of the Gomorrhites, into ashes, condemned them to be overthrown, making them an example to those that should after act wickedly.(2 Peter 2:6)

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