Christianity and Homosexuality - Homosexuality in The Bible

Homosexuality in The Bible

The Bible references homosexuality several times, but the extent to which it discusses homosexuality and whether it condemns it have been variously interpreted. Some religious denominations believe that the passages that directly or indirectly refer to homosexuality condemn it or its practice, while others have disputed their interpretations. Passages like one in Leviticus prohibiting "lying with mankind as with womankind" and like the story of Sodom and Gomorrah have been popularly interpreted as condemning homosexuality, as have several Pauline passages. Scholarly debate over the interpretation of these passages has focused on placing them in proper historical context, for instance pointing out that Sodom's sins are historically interpreted as being other than homosexuality, and on the translation of rare or unusual words in the passages in question. Both the Jewish Bible and the New Testament also contain passages some have interpreted as describing same-sex relationships, for example David and Jonathan or the centurion and his servant; these are likewise the subject of scholarly debate, with most arguing that the relationships depicted are platonic.