Is it a sin to be gay.
How Should Christians Respond to Gay Friends or Family Members?
Caleb Kaltenbach (M.A. ’07) is an alumnus of Biola’s Talbot School of Theology, lead pastor of a large church in Simi Valley, Calif., and a married father of two. He’s also an emerging voice in the discussion of how Christians should engage the LGBT community. That’s because Kaltenbach has an insider perspective, having been raised by a dad and mom who divorced and independently came out of the closet as a gay guy and a female homosexual. Raised in the midst of LGBT parties and movement parades, Kaltenbach became a Christian and a pastor as a young senior. Today, he manages the tension of holding to the traditional biblical training on sexuality while loving his homosexual parents.
Kaltenbach’s unique story is detailed in his new guide Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction and landed him on the front page of the New York Times in June. Biola Magazine reached out to him to talk about his book and his perspective on how Christians can finer navigate the complexities of this issue with truth and grace.
In your publication you say that it’s time for Christians to hold the issu “You shall not recline with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”[1] It is not a surprise that this verse seems to say that same-sex attracted male sex is forbidden in the eyes of God. The dominant view of western Christianity forbids same-sex relations. This verse is one of the clobber passages that people cite from the Bible to condemn homosexuality. This essay first looks at the various ways the verse is translated into the English Bible and then explores some of the strategies used to create an affirming perception of what this channel means for the LGBTQ community. More specifically, it presents the interpretation of K. Renato Lings in which Lev. 18:22 refers to male-on-male incest. While Lev. 18:22 is used to condemn homosexuality, we must realize that the legal title “homosexuality” was only recently coined in the English language. So did this term exist in ancient Israel? Charles D. Myers, Jr. confirms that none of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible bring up homosexuality.[2] He also contends that in ancient Israel same-sex relations were viewed as an ancient Adjacent East problem. The ancient Near East tradition included pederasty and relations between an older man and Throughout history, Jewish and Christian scholars have recognized that one of the leader sins involved in God’s destruction of Sodom was its people’s homosexual habit. But today, certain lesbian activists promote the concept that the sin of Sodom was merely a lack of hospitality. Although inhospitality is a sin, it is clearly the homosexual behavior of the Sodomites that is singled out for special criticism in the account of their city’s destruction. We must look to Scripture’s own interpretation of the sin of Sodom. Jude 7 records that Sodom and Gomorrah “acted immorally and indulged in unnatural lust.” Ezekiel says that Sodom committed “abominable things” (Ezek. 16:50), which could mention to homosexual and heterosexual acts of sin. Lot even offered his two virgin daughters in place of his guests, but the men of Sodom rejected the offer, preferring homosexual sex over heterosexual sex (Gen. 19:8–9). But the Sodom incident is not the only second the Old Testament deals with homosexuality. An explicit condemnation is found in the book of Leviticus: “You shall not rest with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. . . . If a man lies with a male as with a woman, Same-sex attraction refers to emotional, physical, or sexual attraction to a person of the same gender. The intended meaning of gender in the family proclamation is biological sex at birth. The exposure of same-sex attraction is not the same for everyone. Some people may feel exclusively attracted to the same gender, while others may feel attracted to both genders. The Church distinguishes between same-sex attraction and homosexual behavior. People who experience same-sex attraction or identify as male lover, lesbian, or bisexual can make and keep covenants with God and fully and worthily participate in the Church. Identifying as gay, lesbian, or multi-attracted or experiencing same-sex attraction is not a sin and does not prohibit one from participating in the Church, holding callings, or attending the temple. Sexual purity is an necessary part of God’s schedule for our happiness. Sexual relations are reserved for a man and gal who are married and promise complete loyalty to each other. Sexual relations between a man and woman who are not married, or between people of the same sex, violate one of our Father in Heaven’s most important laws and gain in the way of our The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acknowledges that same-sex attraction is a sensitive issue that requires kindness, compassion and understanding. The “Same-Sex Attraction” section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org reinforces the reality that, in the words of one Latter-day Saint scripture, God “loveth his children” (1 Nephi 11:17), and seeks to support everyone better realize same-sex attraction from a gospel perspective. The Church does not take a position on the lead to of same-sex attraction. In 2006, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “The Church does not own a position on the causes of any of these susceptibilities or inclinations, including those comparable to same-gender attraction.” Feelings of same-sex attraction are not a sin. President M. Russell Ballard said: “Let us be clear: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that ‘the experience of queer attraction is a complex reality for many people. The attraction itself is not a sin, but acting on it is. Even though individuals undertake not choose to have such attractions, they do opt how to respond to them. With love and sympathy, the Church reaches out to all God’s children, incl
Leviticus 18:22
Homosexuality
Same-Sex Attraction
Same-Sex Attraction