fall

the subject of homosexualism in the Bible. Does every Christian denominations condem homosexuality? If so, do they go to hell? Please, if you can, give me passage from the Bible attaining to it. I argued with a Baptist friend over this, and I must admit that I was defeated. I basically told him that the Bible said all homosexual go to hell...I need proof if anyone can help.
Thanks,
fall.

Toto

Not every Christian denomination condemns homosexuality, because there is no uniformity on doctrine among Christians.

The Hebrew scriptures say that men who engage in homosexual conduct should be put to death, (there is some contention about exactly what this involves), but there is nothing about going to hell. Also nothing about lesbianism.

Jesus said nothing about homosexuality. Paul made two references to homosexuality which seem to indicate that he didn't approve.


You can search the forum for previous threads such as:

Does the Bible strongly condemn homosexuality

Bible and homosexuality

noah

Hi Fall,

Christians differ on the topic of homosexuality. The Catholic and conservative denominations condemn it outright while the liberal groups accept it mostly without criticism.
Conservatives base their criticism of homosexuality almost exclusively on the bible. From what I can tell they really don't have much time for scientific studies of the issue. Conservatives cite verses and passages from the bible such as Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 and Genesis 19 and Jude 1:7 (Sodom and Gomorrah ) in support of their assertion that the bible condemns homosexuality.

I see a couple of problems with this bible based criticism of homosexuality.

1) Christians used to cite the bible in support of slavery and the slave trade.

2) Jesus commands people to never judge others.

Liberals disagree with conservatives that the bible condemns homosexuality citing the many verses and passages which proclaim God's universal love, compassion and communal harmony and put a lot more stock into scientific analysis of homosexuality. Liberals often interpret differently the verses that conservatives say condemn homosexuality.

As to the question of hell, well here we have a number of disagreements and divisions within the Christian community.
The majority view in the U.S. is that Hell exists and is a place of eternal punishment for the wicked and non-believers

In general there are a number of exceptions to the majority U.S. Christian view of hell as eternal torment and damnation:

The Catholic Church believes that hell is alienation from God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
The Catholic Church does have a belief called Purgatory which is a place like Hell but you can get out by paying off the debt incurred by your sins.

The Eastern Orthodox Church has a view of hell similar to the Catholic Church although it has no doctrine similar to Purgatory

Most Christian denominations outside the Catholic Church vehemently oppose the concept of Purgatory. The United Methodist Church in its Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church IX-XV states in article Article XIV—Of Purgatory:
Adventists believe there is no hell per se, not in the majority (American) Christian sense. If you are bad you go to hell for a while and then God simply kills you.

Universalists believe you do time in hell and then God reaches out for you and pulls you back with him.

Latter-day Saints believe in a temporary hell for Spirit Persons where you go if you have not heard of Jesus. If you have heard of Jesus and still don't accept him and/or are truly evil, you are a Son of Perdition and sent to Outer Darkness which is not as bad as hell but is a very unhappy place just the same

Christadelphians belief

a) that you lose any form of consciousness, cease to exist, if you are condemned (Amended)

b) that those condemned are simply annihilated (Unamended)

Some Christians (liberal Protestants) believe there is no such thing as hell.

The United Church Of Christ believes doesn't even comment on hell or really even allude to it.

I remember a Catholic Professor of mine who spent a couple years in a seminary said he thought it wasn't very Christian to talk about hell.

That's just a sampling of all the Christian views on hell and homosexuality.

There's a lot more to it than that. If you look into this any further you will find variations on the variations and differnces within Christianity regarding hell and homosexuality.
You will probably find that it a lot of it really comes down to what the individual wants the bible to say and you will encounter many home grown versions of hell and homosexuality that don't really conform to the stated formal positions of the various denominations.

Johnny Skeptic

Actually, a growing number of conservatives now cite bogus psedo-scientific studies about homosexuality. Possibly the best-known anti-homosexuality organization is the National Association of Reparative Therapy For Homosexuality (NARTH). There is also the Family Research Council and the absurd Dr. Paul Cameron. NARTH has lots of members with degrees in psychiatry and psychology. Virtually every major mental health organization in the U.S. opposes NARTH and its allies.

EthnAlln

The main text is Leviticus 18:22, which says, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination." It goes on to condemn sex with animals and give the usual imprecations about defiling the land. The punishment at that point is said to be banishment or ostracism.

In Romans 1:26–27, Paul writes, "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."

The modernist Protestant churches say, as a secularist would, that these are ancient texts, written by people with little knowledge of human psychology and an inherited prejudice against homosexuality.

Actually, the Hebrew writers probably had no idea what women sometimes get up to among themselves. That's why there is no condemnation of lesbians in the Hebrew Scriptures. Even Paul's words about women probably refer to women performing oral sex on men or allowing men to perform anal sex on them. There is no clear, unambiguous condemnation of lesbians in the Bible, except by an artificial symmetry provided by the reader. Again, the reason for its absence is that the Bible was written by men who probably thought women were not equipped to perform sex by themselves. They couldn't imagine sex without a penis.

My close-up experience with one fundamentalist gave me a view of their "thinking" on the subject. She quoted Little Richard (a rock star from my teenage years), whom the fundies apparently converted, as saying, "You aren't born that way." That settled it for her. One apparent convert was proof that all the psychologists are wrong. My own experience with homosexual friends and neighbors convinces me of the opposite: They were born that way, just as I was born straight.

fall

So nowhere in the Bible does it say homosexual end up in hell? I thought if ur condemned, that means u end up in hell. My friend said no.

noah

Hi Fall,

You have to remember that to the majority of Christian is the U.S. homosexuality is a sin. Sinners wind up in hell. That's what the large majority of the many churches' formal statements of belief state.
So if you've run into a xian who says homosexuals don't go to hell ask him/her which denomination of xianity they belong to. If they are a member of an organized denomination ask them what their denomination's formal declaration of belief states regarding sinners.
If they do not belong to an organized church/denomination then you have run into the kind of xian I told you about that in my first post, the home grown kind who has no formal membership in any organized denomination but just makes xianity up according to his or her own beliefs and preferences.

fall

He's a friend. He's Baptist. I tried 3 years ago to believe in God...I came to his Church and had a talk with the pastor. They pray for me and everything, but after all that happen, it was impossible for me to believe in God or Jesus, mostly Jesus. I dont know. I dont think I'll ever believe in the Christian religion, but...everyone around me is Christian. It's so pointless to argue about the Bible when I dont believe it in the first place.

noah

If your friend is a Baptist then your friend believes that the homosexual will go to hell.

The Atlantic Baptists state:
The Southern Baptists believe sinners go to hell. Here's their formal statement on it:

WishboneDawn

Here's something by the The Alliance of Baptists from Clergy for Fairness

Evidently there are some Baptists who are stepping away from homosexuality as sin.