Homosexuality and the Bible, sorta

I recently had a discussion with someone about homosexuality and what the bible has to say on the matter.

Apparently one of the most often cited passages used to condemn homosexuality is from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:4-8. Ok, first, these are taken completely out of context of the whole story. The person that I was speaking to stated that because the town wanted to sleep with the 2 angels in Lot's house, God decided to destroy the town. That is not so. God had already decided to destroy all the towns on the plains because the people were being greedy and idolatrous not helping those less fortunate. (Ezekiel 16:48-49 tell us: "This is the sin of Sodom; she and her suburbs had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not help or encourage the poor and needy. They were arrogant and this was abominable in God's eyes."). The only reason the angels were there at all is that Abraham had pleaded with God on behalf of his nephew, Lot. And I don't hear anyone saying anything about the end of this particular drama. It ends with roofies, incest, and rape. Yeah, and it's not condemned at that time, just mentioned. Lot's two daughters drug then have sex with...their father!!! Yeah!!! So since these acts aren't condemned right then and there because its unmarried sex, between a child and parent, without the consent of one of the parties. So does this mean its ok? Ok, back to Lot at the house. He says do not so wickedly, when the townspeople demand the angels come out and play. This is interpreted to mean homosexuality is wicked? Really? I would take it to mean, don't rape my guests that's wicked.

Then there are the words of Paul in Corinthians and Timothy. There are 2 words that he used in the original text for which actual biblical scholars do not have a translation for but that someone, when translating it in to English, decided for everyone that it meant homosexual (arsenokoitai). Most scholars believe that it and the one before it, malakoi along with man stealers; means slavery in some way and has nothing whatsoever to do with homosexuality.

You get the drift. Yet another example of people blindly reciting what they are told rather than thinking or studying for themselves because they can be all high and mighty thinking they are better than someone else and can therefore 'save' them.

There are more passages that are used and all of them, if read without an end already in mind and not read out of context of the full story, turn out to not have anything to do with homosexuality at all.

And that's My 25 cents...