Gerig Why is there such disagreement today over what the Bible says about homosexuality? Also, are all Biblical pronouncements meant to be applied to every time and place? If so, what about such NT verses that support slavery, forbid divorce except for adultery , and tell women not to speak in church, come bareheaded, or wear expensive clothes? What should be emphasized here is that all of our physical senses sight, sound, touch, taste, smell and basic human needs to breathe, eat, drink, sleep, have sex, be loved, feel safe, gain approval, etc.
The ancient Hebrews understood, far better than most Christians today, that sex is a good gift received from a benevolent Creator, and it is to be enjoyed cf. Song of Songs. Still, with the Fall of Adam and Eve came human alienation from God Gen 3 ; and fear, shame, pain, strife and death also entered human life. Of course, this does not address the problem of gay men who married, thinking that then their predominate same-sex desires would simply disappear.
Jesus almost never mentions porneia, no doubt because he himself could be and was accused of being an illicit child cf. Not every person, even who might want it, receives the ability to live a celibate life; nor should this be demanded unless a person believes independent of outside pressure that God has given him or her this special gift. Yet, this is exactly what fundamentalist preachers and ex-gay leaders demand of gay and lesbian Christians, only in reverse.
Moreover, these cultural crusaders have done everything in their power in recent years to deny gay people the opportunity and incentives to form lasting relationships that lead to marriage and thus they actually promote promiscuity among gay people and in society at large.
The best summary of biological evidence for prenatal factors determining homosexual orientation often varying testosterone levels in the womb is now found in Born Gay , written by the British psychologists Glenn Wilson and Qazi Rahman. While promiscuity carries health dangers that one needs to guard against, I cannot condemn promiscuity in total because I met my partner in a gay meeting place, which led at first to what I thought would be only a one-night stand.
