Rev. Fr Leonard Lubega
4 January 2008
opinion
Today, many people especially in Uganda have been scandalised by "homosexuality."
The Orthodox Church has not had a clear position regarding homosexuality as a condition since the distinction between homosexual acts and homosexual conditions is as a result of recent developments in scientific knowledge.
An objective definition and understanding of homosexuality is difficult to come by regarding the current widespread controversy on the issue basing on scientific, religious, ethical and public thinking. Reflecting on modern knowledge opinion gives the following views:
Homosexuality is a predominant, persistent and exclusive psychosexual attraction toward members of the same sex. This seeks actual sexual fulfilment of this desire by sexual pleasures. This definition clears out distinction between homosexual acts and the condition of a person attracting them.
Homosexuality is an immoral sexual act which should be shunned by all people irrespective of their sex, calibre and tribe. Regarding homosexual acts, the traditional and exclusive teaching of the Church is condemnatory, seeing such acts as morally wrong.
In the life of homosexual acts as well as all other expressions of wrongful sexual expression such as fornication, adultery, prostitution, incest, bestiality, masturbation etc.
The Orthodox Church teaches that the only proper place for the exercise of sexual function is Church marriage. This therefore implies that the credence from the sources of faith, without exception, considers homosexual acts as evil.
Lev.20.13; 18:22) contends that: if there is a man who lies with a male as those with a woman, both of them commit a detestable act. In addition, God gave a grave punishment on city of Sodom for this sin. (Gen.19:1-29) and as a result of Sodom there is another name by which homosexual behaviour is described.
The story of Sodom closely touches the issue of homosexuality. Interestingly, the final straw which brought on Sodom's destruction was Sodomites' attempt to break into Lot's house with intent to rape the two men staying there.
Violent rape is more a violation of the commandment "Thou shall not kill" than of "thou shall not commit adultery." Many sodomites had wives, so their sexual activities were not due to an exclusive homosexual orientation.
In speaking of this sinful act the New Testament uses it to illustrate the "depraved passions" of the fallen humanity, their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural in the same way, the man abandoned the natural function of women and burned in their desires towards one another, men with men, committing indecent act ... (Rom.1:24-28).
"Do you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do be delivered neither the immoral, nor idolaters nor drunkards, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy nor will neither revilers, nor robbers inherit the kingdom of God." (1Cor.6:9-10; 1Tim.1:8-10).
St.Paul goes on to say that: "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God." This implies that homosexuals were not excluded from the Church, and that they can be saved. In (1Tim.1:8), St. Paul lists "Perverts" among a long list of those "not in accordance with good doctrine." Obviously, St.Paul considered homosexuality immoral.
Sexual morality is not redundant. Although many seem to think of "immorality" and "sex" as synonyms, they are not. If any Christian is asked of immorality, they will say, "nudity, pornography, homosexuality and perhaps adultery.
All those have to do with six commandments. What happens to the other commandments Amos, Isaiah and other prophets railed against mistreatment and exploitation of the poor - not against sexual excesses?
Homosexuals should thus not be excluded from the Church instead be counselled and mentored to live a spiritual life. Homosexual acts are like any other sins where if any one repents and confesses, he/she is forgiven.
There are several reasons why homosexuality was considered wrong.
God's chosen people were engaged in a procreation race with the cultures around them and homosexuality is a lousy procreation strategy. Secondly, people then did not know that natural homosexuals existed.
Most same-sex activity was engaged in by natural heterosexuals seeking an easy way to additional genital pleasure. This was rightly considered a perversion of one's nature.
Thirdly, the surrounding cultures used young boys who were enslaved and trained to give pleasure to the rich and powerful. Such exploitation (of either sex) is clearly a gross violation of the morality of love.
Lastly, homosexual activity was engaged by surrounding cultures as ritual worship to their pagan gods. For one of the chosen people to do likewise was a kin to worshipping a golden calf. This was a violation of their covenant relationship with God.
From the general principles and the guidance of scripture, there come certain conclusions about sexual morality. First, any forced, violent or non-consensual sex is a violation of love and therefore immoral.
This includes rape (of either sex), statutory rape (the seduction or defilement recruiting of those not mature enough to exercise informed consent), pedophilix and incest against a young person (again of either sex). These crimes are rightly condemned by all Christians.
The writer is an educationist in Biblical counselling and a member of Ecclesiastical Court Eastern Uganda
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 The Monitor. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
As I know, there are more and more groups or organizations for GLBT. I also know a dating site exclusively for bisexuals and bicurious named http://www.biloves.com, where Bisexual and bicurious individuals to meet in a friendly and comfortable environment and find sexy singles& couples looking to explore their sexuality.
Note that Jesus still defines sin as lack of love (Matthew 22:36-40). Fornication and adultery are unloving because each has a victim. What is unloving about a couple in a homosexual love relationships? Neither is victim, neither is unloved. Where is the hurt? Who is the victim being sinned agains? No Gospel writer nor prophet covers homosexuality because it is not the issue. The King James Version comes closest to a correct English translation with "sexual immorality" which is not homosexuality. (Remember that "homosexual" was coined about 1865, so any translation using a form of that… [Read Full Text]
Understanding Homosexuality: An Orthodox Christian Perspective V. Rev. Archpriest Fr. George Morelli, Ph.D.
An early draft of this paper was presented at the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion (OCAMPR) conference on "Sex, Intimacy and Love" at Hellenic College & Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline Massachusetts, November 3-5, 2006. An Orthodox Theology of Sexuality
For Orthodox Christians, no discussion of sex whether it is autoerotic, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or the current polyamorous sex, can be divorced from an Orthodox theology of sexuality. All sexuality and sexual behavior is based on divine love; a love that is… [Read Full Text]