Loading...In celebration of our TENTH anniversary for the blog, I’m happy to announce a FREE webinar for anyone who is interested. No need to register, no need to pay, no need to donate, no need to do nada. Just come.
It will be this coming Saturday, April 23, 5:00 EST. And GOOD news. If you can’t come, it will be recorded and I will make it available to the entire known universe.
The topic. An unusually important one. “Does the Bible Condemn Homosexuality?” Well, does it? The lecture will deal with the issues of sex, gender, and same-sex relations in both Old and New Testaments.
I will give a 50 minute lecture and then take questions for 25-30 minutes.
Interested in coming? Below is the link. Just come to it. Want the recording? I’ll be posting it on the blog so no need even to inquire.
Thanks so much for being part of the blog. I hope you enjoy the event! Here’s the link:
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Topic: Blogaversary Webinar! Does the Bible Condemn Homosexuality?
Time: Apr 23, 2022 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting:
I heard you mention in some recent interview that you like modern novels. Can you recommend a few?
Thanks!
Actually, what I really like are 19th century novels, especially Austen, the Bronte sisters, Dickens, George Eliot, Trollope. Modern novels, I’m very choosy because I want novels that make me think, rather htan mindless entertainment. But I very much like John Irving, Richard Russo, Ishiguro, Sebastian Faulks, and a few others.
If you do a search on the blog for terms like “same sex relations”, “homosexuality” etc., you will see that this has been discussed often, not just by Bart, but guest contributors like Jeff Siker. I have read through all this material several times, and I own a copy of Dale Martin’s excellent book Sex and The Single Savior (I’ve not yet finished reading it), and the short answer to Bart’s question “Does the Bible Condemn Homosexuality?” is…………….it depends.
If you use the modern understanding of homosexuality / gay marriage / same sex relations, i.e two people of the same gender who wish to commit to each other in a lifelong, consensual, loving relationship, then the answer is no. Those of us living in the 21st Century cannot use the Bible to condemn something that simply did not exist in Biblical times. Not only did those writers have no concept of homosexuality, I would argue they had no concept of heterosexuality either. Those concepts simply did not exist. Of course they knew men had sex with men, but a modern homosexual relationship is about a lot more than sex.
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Some churches have recognized this, and have pivoted to the laughable position that same sex couples are welcome, so long as they’re celibate. Hasn’t the Christian church done enough to these people, who are just being who they are, and have done no wrong ?
We can go through the so called Biblical “clobber passages”, of which there are 6,7 or 9, depending on where you get your information, but there’s no real consensus about how to interpret them, so it’s not really possible to create a solid case one way or the other. The fundies say it is a slam dunk, and the Bible clearly condemns homosexuality, the liberals say we must look at historical context, we must avoid selective literalism etc. I would say it is clear that the Bible condemns certain homosexual acts, but is not at all clear how these can be translated / interpreted appropriately, and it’s also not clear how they apply to the modern world. My position : LGBT people should be accepted fully and wholly into all Churches – this needs to be done officially and at the highest level, not just leaving it to individual congregations to be conservative or progressive.
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Today I watched a Christian video on how they won’t have any sex in paradise and the comments were so depressing, filled with Christians grieving and in sorrow over that. My heart broke for them. It really hurts to read it. I come from a different faith background with 0% ambiguity there. Yes very much sex in paradise for the Muslims rejoice and be happy!
Of course the pastor in the video couldn’t resist a random, needless dig at us Muslims in a video which otherwise had nothing to do with us, but it is in their nature to behave that way. I understand it. If I was that sexually repressed I think I’d be that nasty too.
Comments though…OMG so sad. Like tearing my heart out I felt sadder and they sounded sadder than if they had lost close love ones.
Hi Dr. Ehrman. I’m looking forward to viewing the Webinar. Just one small request: would you be able to comment on the claim made by some authors that there’s no need for the Bible to explicitly condemn homosexuality, since the Noahide code (a code of rules which is supposed to apply to Jews and Gentiles alike) condemns it already? Is this an accurate summary of the way the Noahide code was viewed in Jesus’ time and earlier? Thank you.
I doubt if I’ll go into that, no — mainlky because I don’t think the Noahide code ever speaks about homosexuality. Where do you have in mind? IN any event, the activities that actually are forbiden in the Noahide Code *do* show up as well in the NT, so I don’t see why the argument would have any weight if if it were true. (But it’s not!)
An excellent & always relevant topic, since it affects many people throughout the ages – both those who are the (minority) subjects & those in the majority who react, many of whom have reacted shamefully.
I wonder if you might expand the title please to also include other writings from antiquity? I am increasingly conscious that when we ever say “the Bible” we are talking about a collection of writings created, under that name, by the church (which it doesn’t like to admit). And so we are back to what the church says about this or any other topic, and the church seems OK to modify its view on topics over time but rarely can bare to admit it. What do you think re this?
Part of the point of my lecture will be how sex and gender were understood throughout antiquity — unlike today!
Interesting, looking forward to the webinar!
Looking forward to learning something new about this topic!
Since childhood, long before I was aware of any details about homosexuality or the mechanisms of its practitioners, I wondered why so many were so concerned about what others were doing that seemed to have nothing to do with those who were so concerned about it. I have yet to hear a rational defense of that concern.
I still feel bad about one of our church members being dismissed from the choir and relegated to sitting at the back of the auditorium because of some alleged homosexual behavior. In retrospect, I also think it foolish that he and his wife faithfully attended, sitting at the back as required by the church leadership.
To me, he was a great role model, faithful, knowledgeable, kind, considerate, and the best cook among the Men’s Brotherhood, and, having grown up in the family bakery/cafe, I always liked cooking and was his willing assistant. My greatest regret about him is that he died before I understood enough to tell him of my respect and perhaps learn from his experiences.
When will the recording be out?
It’ll be posted next week.