Catholic Answers : June 2022

Homosexuality in the Bible

I wanted to start this first by saying that all people are loved by God but we should not confuse God's love for approval of sinful behavior. God hates sin and He desires that all people come to a knowledge of Him and a deep love for Him. To love God Truly, means to do His Will and refrain from sin. We can't expect to receive all of the good that God has to offer us as long as we persist in our sin. All sin is bad in God's eyes and we should not think that our sin is any different from all sin that deeply offends God. Likewise we should never say that sin doesn't exist or that we don't have sin. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:18)

But what about homosexuality?

Is it really a sin?

Let The Word of God, Jesus to tell you...

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27)

"So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he madeh into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man, ”Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:21-24)

In creating man and woman as a couple, God also created marriage.

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22)

In the Levitical law acting on a homosexual desire was punishable by death. (Leviticus 20:13) This goes to show how serious God is about this behavior!

Because of free will we can choose good or bad behavior, but not without the consequence if we choose to sin.

"For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." (Rome 1:26-32)

Paul there is referring to Sodom's sin, and how God destroyed the city because if it. In Gen 19, Sodom's sin was homosexual in nature and the city was destroyed.

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

As we continue on in Corinthians Paul mentions how we can be free from such sins. By being baptized, or "washed" of them, and being sanctified in The Lord.

"And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:11-20)

"Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted." (1 Timothy 1:8-11)

Paul here is speaking about the law of God! He is telling us exactly what we need to abstain from in order to be saved. And do what Jesus instructs us to do, "go and sin no more" (John 8:11)

Think about how God's law of marriage, which is good, is being used unlawfully in our culture by applying it to homosexuality?

If we truly love each other we will not help each other sin by sinning with them, or being supportive of the behavior.

If we love and follow Jesus we will keep His commandments.

In His own words! “If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15)

If we Truly love each other as Christ tells us too, we would hate sin. But love the sinner, and encourage wholesome constructive behavior only, not sinful destructive behavior.

It's not love to tell people a lie! Neither is it love to help someone live a lie by not telling them how to live a better way.

We owe our friends, and this world, the Truth! And must live, and think it too!

If your friends wanted to engaged in risky behavior, you wouldn't be okay with that because it's dangerous, and could cost them their quality of life, or even their life itself!

The same goes for homosexuality! It's sinful and risky behavior that ultimately leads to destruction. If we act like it's okay and don't tell the people we love, the Truth about it, we are only keeping them from repentance and eternal life with Christ!

That's not love!

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2;15-17)

Sincerely Joanne Utke

For more information check out these videos

Homosexuality, Gay Marriage, and Holiness