It's OK to Be Gay: Straight Talk About Homosexuality for Gay People and Those Who Love Them

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A pro-gay argument might say that other verses in the same book forbid a wide range of sexual activities, including having sex with a woman who is having her period. This is an indication that the passage embodies specific cultural values rather than God's law. The tree of homosexuality bears bad fruits. Sodomitical acts have not only external consequences like death, disease, and childlessness, but internal ones. Some of the internal consequences are psychological, like loneliness and compulsive behavior. Others are moral, for we cannot violate the human design yet expect things to go on as they were; “that road leads down and down.” In 2006, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recognized that LGBTQ people “have been, and often continue to be, objects of scorn, hatred, and even violence.” And expressing care for other human persons – “ especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted” by the indifference or oppression of others – represents obligations for all Catholics to embrace. Paul built his theological argument on the Jew-Greek distinction, but then extended it to the slave-free distinction and the male-female distinction. Christians – no matter which church they belong to – should follow Paul and extend it to the heterosexual-homosexual distinction. An anti-gay opinion might be that the friendship between the two men was exactly that - a very close and loyal allegiance.

Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” the pope said in an interview with The Associated Press on Jan. 24, 2023, adding, “let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime.” He later issued a note clarifying that his remarks on “sin” referred to sexual activity outside of marriage. During the interview, Francis also called for the relaxation of laws around the world that target LGBTQ people.The “men of Sodom” (19:4), as the Bible describes them, didn’t offer the same hospitality to these angels in disguise. Instead they sought to humiliate them ( and Lot (19:9)) by threatening to rape them. We know they were heterosexual because Lot, in attempting to protect himself and his guests, offered his virgin daughters to them (19:8).

To the contrary, the message of the gospel brings forgiveness, freedom, hope, and deliverance, as countless thousands of ex-gays can attest, by which I mean followers of Jesus who no longer practice homosexuality. Some of them have even become heterosexual, but even those who have not found a change in their sexual desires have found wholeness and satisfaction in the Lord. Christians should neither be pro-gay nor anti-gay, because although God hates sin, He still loves the sinners. Organised activism for gay rights began to develop in the Middle East in the early 2000s. In 2002 a group of Palestinian women formed Aswat (“Voices”) which was later joined by another Palestinian group, al-Qaws (“The Rainbow”). Both of those are based in Israel but have connections in the Palestinian territories. Around 2004 a group of Lebanese activists established Helem – the first LGBT organisation to function openly in an Arab country. Among other Arab countries, the penalty in Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia and Syria is imprisonment – up to 10 years in the case of Bahrain. In those that have no specific law against homosexuality, gay people may still be prosecuted under other laws. In Egypt, for example, an old law against “debauchery” is often used.

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Gender identity is different from sexuality. This refers to how you view yourself in terms of gender. You may see yourself as male or female. This can be the same as the genitalia you were born with or different. Or you may see yourself as both male and female, or neither. Salter M, et al. Gay, bisexual and queer men's attitudes and understandings of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2021; doi:10.1177/0886260519898433.

You could end the conversation by asking for their support and directing them to a resource guide, perhaps online, if they need it. Coming out might help build understanding in your relationships, or it might help you build new ones. Remember, there’s no requirement that you need to come out. In fact, you need to come out to yourself and foster acceptance for yourself before you share who you are with other people. The US, and the world at large, still have a long way to go to end such acts of bigotry, racism, and sexism.If you’re in an unsafe situation — for example, if you were evicted from your home or if the people you live with threaten you — try to find an LGBTQIA+ shelter in your area, or arrange to stay with a supportive friend for a while. To every reader who is same-sex attracted, I encourage you not to define yourself by your desires but to put all your effort into knowing the Lord and finding intimacy with Him one day at a time, not rewriting the Bible to suit your sexual attractions but casting yourself on God’s goodness and mercy. If not, does that mean that we tell a 15 year-old girl who identifies as lesbian, “If you want to follow Jesus, you will have to be celibate for the rest of your life, never enjoying the companionship of a spouse and abstaining from sex for life”? Do we tell her, “If you do want to be married, you’ll have to find a way to be attracted to men”? Is that the good news of the gospel? One night I was reading the stories of people who had left the church because they thought God hated them simply because they were attracted to the same sex. Also, it’s clear that the prophet Muhammad never specified a punishment for homosexuality; it wasn’t until some years after his death that Muslims began discussing what a suitable punishment might be.

Let us say you buy a new cookbook featuring healthy dessert recipes, none of which use sugar. In the Introduction to the book, the author explains her reasons for avoiding sugar products, telling you that you will find sumptuous, sweet dessert recipes, but all without sugar. And so, throughout the rest of the book, the word “sugar” is not found a single time. Surround yourself with supportive people. Whether it’s LGBTQIA+ people you’ve met online or in person, your friends, or accepting family members, try to spend time with them and talk to them about the situation. He has given public support more than once to James Martin, a Jesuit priest whose efforts to build bridges between LGBTQ people and the Catholic Church have been a lightning rod for criticism. In remarks captured for a 2020 documentary, Francis expressed support for the legal protections that civil unions can provide for LGBTQ people. Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?Second, and perhaps more importantly, they point out that out of more than 31,000 verses in the Bible, there are between six and eight “clobber passages” consisting of a total of less than twenty-five verses.