The Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is not about “Hospitality”
Msgr. Charles Pope, Archdiocese of Washington
When interpreting the meaning of a passage we do well to look not only to the plain meaning of the text, but also to other Biblical texts that may refer back to it and help clarify any ambiguities. In this text we can do both.
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So what was the primary sin of Sodom?
Ezekiel 16:49 gives us a clue: “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”
Thanks to the platform of the GOP for the last several years, however, I’m inclined to believe that assisting the poor is actually a vice by enabling the slothful. So that can’t be it.
In my own reading, it seems clear that the intent of the men of Sodom wasn’t consensual sex but rather rape.
However, let’s go with the notion that it was consensual homosexual sex as the author of this piece seems to suggest. If we are to believe that, we must also believe that it is preferable for one’s daughter be raped than for her to be a lesbian (as Lot offered his virgin daughters up to the mob). Is the conclusion we should draw?
On the other hand, burning people alive for consensual sex would be inline with the God of the Bible (who does not seem to have a sense of proportion). That is: the punishment often doesn’t seem to fit the crime. While I understand the necessity of “an eye for an eye” when it comes to murder on some occasions, I’m not so sure that gathering wood on the Sabbath merits being stoned to death as occurred in the book of Numbers (15:32-36).
Have you ever seen a stoning? It’s quite brutal. Generally, the person is rendered immobile, either through being buried in sand or through the use of shackles of some sort. Others will lodge heavy pieces of stone at the person in varying sizes, generally at their head. The first blows are rarely enough to render them unconscious. Instead, their noses and eye sockets are broken and shattered. Sometimes the stones will break their teeth out of their mouths. Bleeding from the head can be profuse, so if the victim is lucky, they’ll lose a sufficient amount of blood so that they’ll be in shock by the time that brain matter is oozing from their skulls. By the time the gleeful crowd is done, the victim looks like a side of beef hanging in a butcher shop.
So that’s the delightful picture of life under Mosaic law and the type of punishment one could receive … all for gathering wood on the wrong day.
If we find this offensive or intolerable, we’re accused by religious fundamentalists of not being morally serious people. Yet, we’re to express outrage over two men living together and sharing a life together.
Sorry, but this is insanity. Only someone bereft of reason and empathy would embrace such a hierarchy of values.
As expected, the pro-homosexual mentions only the verse they need to prooftext. Read closely Ezekiel 16:50 which states, “They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.”
Now the question remains: If they didn’t have sex with the men Lot was withholding what ‘abomination’ could this be referring to? It obviously was NOT inhospitality. The men of Sodom weren’t being inhospitable–if anything the angels were being inhospitable. It was NOT rape. Nobody was raped. Moreover, Gommorah is not mentioned in the Ezekiel passage. If Sodom was destroyed because of what happened to the angels, why did God destroy Gommorah?
The sin that Sodom and Gommorah was destroyed for was the sin of homosexuality. It was a learned sinful behavior that pervaded the culture of these two cities. It is not an ‘orientation’ (whatever that means). It was a temptation. No question. It is plain and there is no ambiguity. But please don’t take my word for it. I am simply telling you the truth of scripture. Further reading: Leviticus 18:22; Jude 7-8; Romans 1.
And to encourage you, Mr. Bradshaw: When Christ died on the cross it was to cover a multitude of sins, including the sin of homosexuality. If a homosexual repents (turning from their sin to Christ) and believes Christ died and was resurrected, they will have newness of life.
BCody: So do you acknowledge that gathering wood on the Sabbath also merited God’s wrath to the point that the offender “deserved” having their brains bashed out (at least according to Scripture)?
I’m not really interested in getting into what looks like a fruitless argument given your reply to BCody, but I will say this: To answer your question verbatim, Yes, the Old Testament does proscribe this and the death penalty was administered according to the Scripture. However you and I know that really isn’t the objection you are raising. Since anyone reading that Scripture must acknolwledge that this does exist in the Old Covenant.
The real question to be asked and answered is whether or not the issue of homosexual sex is set aside by the New Covenant or not. That answer has been given to you over and over again, but you refuse to receive it. So I will just make the point that the Bible is consistent on this issue in both testaments.
Robert, I’m well aware of the Bible’s stance on homosexuality in both Testaments.
I was thinking that perhaps natural human empathy — or even common sense — might lead one to question a fanatical and fundamentalist adherence to supposed holy texts.
I was in error. Thanks for clearing that up.
James, yes you were in error, and I’m glad you would acknowledge this. However you don’t seem to be aware of the nature of the error, so allow me to help in this one area.
You called the Scriptures “supposedly” holy. That is the problem you are having. You see the Bible is the written Word of God. So one cannot come to it as if it is simply human opinion about God.
That is why one does not approach the truths of God found in the Bible as something that can only be accepted if it meets with the approval of our intellects or reason. Your approach to Scripture, and thus to God, is not based on faith or humility, but one of a- priori unbelief and humanism. My prayer for you is that the Lord will give you the faith to come to him with the humility to truly receive what he has for you and for all of us who have sinned and are in need of his mercy and the grace to live a new life in Him.
Thank you, Robert.
When I read Mr. Bradshaw’s reply I was more than disappointed at the obvious intent he has for misusing the scriptures to prooftext his argument. Thank you for standing on the Word. It is refreshing.
Robert writes: “You see the Bible is the written Word of God.”
That’s an extraordinary claim. If you don’t mind me asking: how did you come to that conclusion?
Unless you simply came to believe it one morning without having either heard a persuasive argument for it or without having even read it, you made a judgment about Scripture for one reason or another.
You deemed it the Word of God because it seems rational, or because there was some sort of evidence for it, or because it satisfies some personal need, or because people you respect believe it to be so. You didn’t just come to this conclusion in a vacuum, did you?
I’m just wondering what those reasons are.
James, you ask me how I come to the understanding that the Bible is the written Word of God. I will be glad to share three points briefly. First, the Bible itself in many places makes that claim, the most well known verse being from Saint Paul’s letter to Timothy where he write: ” All Scripture is inspired by God…” In fact we find this truth mentioned in various ways throughout the various books and letter.
However there is another reason. God himself proves the veracity of His Word. This has been proven and is being proved historically and personally in the lives of humanity over and over again.
Now for the personal. I was saved by God’s grace, and I was delivered of demons and healed of diseases in my own life, and have been involved in healings and deliverances. All these healings and deliverances came in the name of Jesus, and in fact confirm the Bible as the Word of God. When I proclaim the saving work of Jesus on the cross as the basis for the demons to leave a person, or the basis for healing, it has happened over and over again, as Jesus himself promised. What I am telling you is that God himself confirms the Bible as His word. He does it all the time, and throughout history.
Robert has given you enough logical proof of the fact that God authored the Bible, James; however, might I also add that we know God authored it because:
1. It is amazingly preserved. No one will ever rid the world of God’s Word. Yes, it has been attempted; no, it has never been done.
2. It has the same message throughout. Over 1500 years and over 40 different writers for all of scripture to be written down, yet they all tell about Jesus Christ and God’s infinite love for the world.
The Bible is God’s Word. The burden of proof is on Him and He has proven it’s worth. And when all is said and done He will still uphold His Word. Please consider carefully Whose Word you disregard, James.