Homosexuality, Societal Norms and Leviticus 18:22

I like the TV series The West Wing, but I find it somewhat disturbing that the writers of the popular series sometimes use the program as a means to try to help correct my misapprehension of what they understand truth to be. In one of the episodes, the President's character (and of course the President is portrayed as amazingly brilliant) lashes out against some passages of Scripture (this despite the fact that his character is supposed to be a somewhat practicing Catholic--but of course the writers can sidestep these matters when they so choose). One of the passages in particular was Leviticus 18:22 wherein God identifies homosexuality as "an abomination." In that moment in the episode, the President's character voiced the Antichristians' consistent rant that the Leviticus passage is as anachronistic as the passage wherein God tells the Jews not to wear clothing that mixes wool and cotton. Like the Antichristians, the President's character equates a law of God that applies only to Jews with a moral law of God that applies to all mankind without any limitations as to time. The clear message of the character's (i.e., the writer's) rant is that God's perspective on homosexuality is outdated, and that when society is finally ready to abandon God's perspective, it is best that God just step aside or get on board--if indeed He even exists.

The message of the show certainly appears to have resonated with society. Homosexuality is no longer a political issue. It is no longer a state vs. federal government issue. It is the societal norm. It got there through a multi-front barrage of repeated insistence that society accept numerous aspects of the homosexual lifestyle--questioning God all along the way. Society has been asked by the Antichristians to accept, whether anyone likes or agrees with it or not, homosexual pride parades, homosexual festivals, homosexual communities, and the extension of health insurance and other employment benefits to homosexual mates, and we've all been force fed by the Antichristians in the entertainment industry, in innumerable movies, documentaries and TV shows, the notions of homosexual friends, homosexual relationships, homosexual hand holding, homosexual kissing, homosexual rights, homosexual sex, homosexual marriage, and homosexual adoption. Homosexual television and movie characters are made to be the most sympathetic as well as the heroes and heroines. In the recent TV series World Without End, the hero, King Edward II, declares to his homosexual lover that he loves him more than anyone else that he's ever loved--thus homosexual love trumps heterosexual love. The King later sacrifices his life to save a city of people. Prior to the King's death, he is absolved for his homosexual "sins" by a female friar, a heroine, who has her own lesbian moment with an associate nun who says in their moment of passion, "God won't mind." We are led to applaud the King and the female friar, who are clearly more noble than their heterosexual counterparts. These few characters represent a minuscule fraction of the Antichristians' homosexual agenda media deluge.

The Antichristians have crafted a political campaign as well. The Democratic party, in an effort to wrangle the homosexual community into its fold, took up the banner of liberty and equality for homosexuals, asserting that surely the Constitution wouldn't prevent this group from enjoying every right (particularly the rights enjoyed only by married persons, namely, the right to be married) of other Americans. Interestingly and more recently, even the Republican party, which for years has included anti-homosexual agenda planks in their platform as a means to garner the support of "Christians," has now abandoned the planks out of fear that they are preventing the party from securing a larger segment of the moderates who have decided that maybe people should just embrace homosexuality as par.

Thus, it is fair to say that our American culture has embraced the idea that homosexuals are entitled to the same rights as married couples--including the rights to marry and adopt children. Further, inasmuch as the culture has accepted the idea of homosexual marriage, the culture has necessarily determined that the principles of morality as laid out by the Creator and Sustainer of the universe in Leviticus 18:22 must necessarily be rejected as "out of touch." So as not to kick Christians in the teeth, however, our culture has announced its position that some verses in the Bible may be retained as consistent with the notion that we embrace homosexuality as normative--namely the verses that say things like "Love thy neighbor." Surely, lots of people, including Christians, have homosexual neighbors, so to be faithful to Scripture, we have to embrace homosexuality.

Before society slams the door on God's perspective in Leviticus 18:22, however, I'd like to respond in defense of God's declaration. I have been silent to date, not because I condone homosexuality, but rather out of sheer amazement at the brashness of Antichristians to demand that society, including I myself, accept homosexuality and at society's mind-numbing willingness to accept the demands as normal.

Notwithstanding Antichristians' disdain for the substance of the passage, here are just a few considerations about the verse that bear mentioning:

1. Leviticus 18:22 is a direct quote from God. The verses states "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." Not all Scripture is given in the form of dictation as where God speaks and a scrivener writes the very words of God. This passage, however, is in fact one such instance. The opening phrase to Leviticus 18 is this: "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying ...." Thus, there is no mistaking the precise source of the statement and the precise words of the statement. There is little getting around it. It doesn't seem like there's room, here, for an interpretation issue. Those who argue with the content of the verse are arguing with God Himself. Of course, many people respond to this argument by declaring that God doesn't exist. If He doesn't exist, we don't have to worry about what some people say He says. We can ignore it as gibberish--the words of some person who wants to hamstring us with his own personal view of morality. But if God does exist, people who practice homosexuality have a serious problem: they are acting clearly contrary to the direct, spoken Word of God.

2. Leviticus 18:22 is not in context with the passage regarding the mixing of cotton and wool; rather, the context is sexually offensive or otherwise morally offensive acts. Consider what else Leviticus 18 says: In verse 7, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with his mother; in verse 8, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with his step mother; in verse 9, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with his sister; in verse 10, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with his granddaughter; in verse 11, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with his step sister; in verses 12-14, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with his aunt; in verse 15, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with his daughter-in-law; in verse 16, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with his sister-in-law; in verse 17, God says that a man should not seek a marital or sexual relationship with both a woman and her daughter or a woman and her granddaughter; and, curiously, God states that such an action is "depraved"; in verse 18, God says that a man is not to marry a woman and her sister and have sexual relations with the sister while the first wife is alive; in verse 19, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with a woman during her menstrual period (and, interestingly, this is the only portion of the list where God gives no special reason for compliance); in verse 20, God says that a man is not to have sexual relations with his neighbor's wife; in verse 21, God says that the people are not sacrifice their children to Molech (a god); in verse 23, God says that people are not to have sexual relations with animals.

That's the context. The context is not about textiles. The verses around the verse that classifies homosexuality as an abomination denounce child sacrifice and bestiality. Somehow ... in that context, the verse seems a little less anachronistic.

The reality is that even today, homosexuality aside, everything in the list is still considered to be objectionable by most people. It would be convenient for any group that is offending one of these prohibitions to be able to say, "Well, that's Old Testament silliness that doesn't apply anymore"; perhaps they could buy billboards, wage political campaigns, etc., and eventually persuade society that it's okay for a man to have sex with his granddaughter or to offer his child in sacrifice to a god; however, even if the government fully sanctioned such practices as permissible, the statement of God in Leviticus 18 would still exist and continue to condemn the practice.

3. Unlike many laws and rules of the Old Testament that expressly apply only to the descendants of Jacob, these laws seem to apply to the rest of society as well. The chapter does begin by saying, in verse 2, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them ...." However, in verse 24, which follows the list of prohibited acts, God says, "Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled." Thus, other nations that were not Jewish nations defiled themselves by engaging in the prohibited practices. This list of prohibited acts, then, has particular importance for all nations of people. God declared that any person, Jewish or otherwise, defiles himself by engaging in such acts.

4. God offers a promise for those who comply with His pronounced standards. In verses 4 and 5, He says, "You are to practice My ordinances and you are to keep My statutes by following them; I am Yahweh your God. Keep My statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am Yahweh." The implication is that a person who declines to live by God's standards will die prematurely or perhaps die spiritually; and the express promise is that the person who complies will live.

Certainly, the Antichristians can scoff that God does not exist and that any claimed "promise" is illusory or a fairy tale. However, I sincerely believe that all scoffers, all Antichristians, all Christians, all Jews--all persons--have a conscience, however faint, that whispers: "_____________ is wrong," and in the blank is any of the prohibitions stated in Leviticus 18, including homosexuality. And I believe they inherently understand that they will live longer if they don't engage in the proscribed conduct. If they don't, it is quite likely that they have died spiritually--and thereby attained a whole new state of depravity.

5. Leviticus 18:22 is not the only passage to condemn homosexuality. Consider the following additional passages:

a. Leviticus 20:13 reiterates a number of the practices that God identifies as detestable, including homosexuality: "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them." (It is noteworthy that the same condemnation applies in this passage to adulterers, those who make child sacrifices, and those who commit incest.)

b. Sodom & Gomorrah - Genesis 13:13 notes without much detail, "Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord." Again, without much detail, God tells Abraham in person in Genesis 18:20, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave." Abraham proceeds to plead with God not to destroy the cities, and God agrees that if there are 10 righteous people present in the cities, He will spare them. In Genesis 19, two angels proceed to Sodom. The account relates that young and old Sodomites surrounded Lot's house, demanding that he send the visitors out so that the Sodomites could rape them. The spiritual depravity of the residents had clearly reached a terrible low. The angels removed Lot and his family from Sodom before God poured out His wrath. Genesis 19:24-25 states "Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground." The spiritual state of Sodom and Gomorrah represent the final state of those who pursue detestable sins with fervor. They are willing to rape innocent people to satisfy their prurient desires. Such is the life of a person who forsakes God for those things that God identifies as detestable.

c. Romans 1:27 provides a New Testament (post death and resurrection of Christ) perspective of homosexuality: "And in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error." Regrettably, the penalty received could be spiritual death as well as physical death.

d. I Corinthians 6:9-11 includes homosexuality in a list of New Testament sins that are identified as keeping people from inheriting the kingdom of God: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."

Thus, the Bible doesn't leave the condemnation of homosexuality to a single Old Testament passage that some Antichristians desire to depict as anachronistic. The message that the practice of homosexuality is detestable to God is pervasive in Scripture.

6. Opposition to homosexuality doesn't equate to hatred of homosexuals. The fact is that those who practice homosexuality are almost certainly loved by many people, including Bible believing Christians. Bible believing Christians don't decide not to love their neighbors that happen to be homosexuals. Bible believing Christians understand a fundamental Scriptural truth: All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23). However, Bible believing Christians are faced with a unique consideration regarding homosexuality as compared to all other abominations identified in Leviticus 18: Antichristians demand that homosexuality be recognized as an acceptable lifestyle notwithstanding the declarations of God. In this regard, it is noteworthy that there is no such thing as an Adultery Pride Parade, an Incest Pride Parade or a Child Sacrifice Pride Parade. We don't see TV characters as heroes or heroines who are involved in Grandfather-Granddaughter or Aunt-Nephew sexual relationships. Those who practice such activities may someday make their demands on society, insisting on acceptance and the award of special rights. Thus far, though, they appear to be sufficiently ashamed of their activities to warrant "hiding." The Antichristians, however, do not want homosexuals to be ashamed of their activities; they want homosexuality to be embraced. They want to hear society, like the character in World Without End, say to homosexuals, "It's okay. God won't mind." Homosexuals, apparently conscience stricken by their activities, need Hollywood, the Democratic party, the Republican party, the federal government, the state government, and as many other groups as possible to say, "You can do what you want to do." As long as the Antichristians make that demand, the Bible believing Christians will have to say, "I love my homosexual neighbor, but what he or she is doing is wrong." And in reminding the world of the abominable nature of homosexuality, the Bible believing Christians are doing the most loving thing they can do: Encourage those who practice homosexuality to reject the Antichristian ideology that homosexuality is acceptable and "seek to conform your lifestyle to the patterns established for you by God, for therein you will find true fulfillment."

In sum, society may have rejected the declaration of Leviticus 18:22 as outdated or mythical tradition; however, this moral pronouncement of God in Leviticus 18:22 is eternal. Those who stand against it cannot stand long enough to make it disappear from the mind of God or the consciences of the persons who have been told the lie that "it's okay."



Mark Absher

 

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