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In contrast, those who seek to find support for sanctioned homoeroticim in Scripture typically view the Bible as a book that allows a vast range of metaphorical interpretation, even within historical narratives, and allow a much broader range of interpretation of moral commands and their immutability. While the issue of homosexuality and the Bible does involve some texts which are worthy of some deep examination, is seeking to negate all injunctions contrary to them and to wrest sanction for them, a hermeneutic is employed which effectively would negate most any moral commands.  A primary homosexual apologist, a Professor Walter Wink, concluded that the Bible offers no coherent sexual ethic, but that basically sexual ethics are best determined by being in accordance with one's own understanding of Christian love, not bound by Biblical moral laws which he disallows as being immutable, and which must yield to a changing society<ref>http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/Homosexuality_and_the_Bible_Wink.html</ref><ref>"No Universally Valid Sex Standards? A Rejoinder to Walter Wink's Views on the Bible and Homosexual Practice", Gagnon http://www.robgagnon.net/Reviews.htm</ref>   

In contrast, those who seek to find support for sanctioned homoeroticim in Scripture typically view the Bible as a book that allows a vast range of metaphorical interpretation, even within historical narratives, and allow a much broader range of interpretation of moral commands and their immutability. While the issue of homosexuality and the Bible does involve some texts which are worthy of some deep examination, is seeking to negate all injunctions contrary to them and to wrest sanction for them, a hermeneutic is employed which effectively would negate most any moral commands.  A primary homosexual apologist, a Professor Walter Wink, concluded that the Bible offers no coherent sexual ethic, but that basically sexual ethics are best determined by being in accordance with one's own understanding of Christian love, not bound by Biblical moral laws which he disallows as being immutable, and which must yield to a changing society<ref>http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/Homosexuality_and_the_Bible_Wink.html</ref><ref>"No Universally Valid Sex Standards? A Rejoinder to Walter Wink's Views on the Bible and Homosexual Practice", Gagnon http://www.robgagnon.net/Reviews.htm</ref>   

==Principal Sources==

== Principal Sources ==

Sources of pro homosexual interpretations are abundant, such as John J. McNeill, Robin Scroggs, <ref> Professor of New Testament at Chicago Theological Seminary</ref>  L. William Countryman,<ref>Professor of New Testament, Church Divinity School of the Pacific</ref> Roman Catholic priest Daniel Helminiak,<ref>Assistant Professor of Psychology</ref> and many others. The revisionist  scholar  which advanced their novel view (1955) was the Anglican priest Derrick  Sherwin Bailey. Perhaps the basic primary source for most of the main arguments represented here is John Eastburn Boswell. Born in Boston in 1947, and educated at Harvard, he was later made a full professor at Yale, where he founded the Lesbian and Gay Studies Center. Described as a devout Roman Catholic, Boswell was yet an openly announced homosexual. He wrote a number of books seeking to negate Biblical injunctions against homosexuality and to justify it, with one of his last books being, "Dante and the Sodomites" (1994). Boswell died of complications from AIDS on December 24, 1994, at age 47.

Sources of pro homosexual interpretations are abundant, such as John J. McNeill, Robin Scroggs, <ref> Professor of New Testament at Chicago Theological Seminary</ref>  L. William Countryman,<ref>Professor of New Testament, Church Divinity School of the Pacific</ref> Roman Catholic priest Daniel Helminiak,<ref>Assistant Professor of Psychology</ref> and many others. The revisionist  scholar  which advanced their novel view (1955) was the Anglican priest Derrick  Sherwin Bailey. Perhaps the basic primary source for most of the main arguments represented here is John Eastburn Boswell. Born in Boston in 1947, and educated at Harvard, he was later made a full professor at Yale, where he founded the Lesbian and Gay Studies Center. Described as a devout Roman Catholic, Boswell was yet an openly announced homosexual. He wrote a number of books seeking to negate Biblical injunctions against homosexuality and to justify it, with one of his last books being, "Dante and the Sodomites" (1994). Boswell died of complications from AIDS on December 24, 1994, at age 47.

In depth evangelical responses to attempts such as the above yet remain few. The most preeminent contributor in this regard is Robert P. Gagnon<ref>http://www.robgagnon.net</ref>. Adding to his numerous and extensive reproofs of pro homosexual claims is Thomas E Schmidt<ref>Professor of New Testament Greek at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California</ref> ("Straight and Narrow?"),  Guenther Haas<ref>Associate Professor of Religion and Theology at Redeemer College</ref> ("Hermeneutical issues in the use of the Bible to justify the acceptance of homosexual practice),  James B. de Young <ref>Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon</ref> (Homosexuality: Contemporary Claims Examined in Light of the Bible and Other Ancient Literature and Law), Dave Miller Ph.D. (“Sodom—Inhospitality or Homosexuality?"),  apologist James Patrick Holding<ref>Tektonic.org</ref> ("Were David and Jonathan Gay Lovers?", and other responses.

In depth evangelical responses to attempts such as the above yet remain few. The most preeminent contributor in this regard is Robert P. Gagnon<ref>http://www.robgagnon.net</ref>. Adding to his numerous and extensive reproofs of pro homosexual claims is Thomas E Schmidt<ref>Professor of New Testament Greek at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California</ref> ("Straight and Narrow?"),  Guenther Haas<ref>Associate Professor of Religion and Theology at Redeemer College</ref> ("Hermeneutical issues in the use of the Bible to justify the acceptance of homosexual practice),  James B. de Young <ref>Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon</ref> (Homosexuality: Contemporary Claims Examined in Light of the Bible and Other Ancient Literature and Law), Dave Miller Ph.D. (“Sodom—Inhospitality or Homosexuality?"),  apologist James Patrick Holding<ref>Tektonic.org</ref> ("Were David and Jonathan Gay Lovers?", and other responses.

==Terms Defined==

== Terms Defined ==

The term "homosexual" is a relatively recent one, with it's first know occurrence apparently being in an 1869 pamphlet in the German language, and attributed to native Austrian Karl-Maria Kertbeny. Over time, this term, which was used within the field of personality taxonomy, and which could be used to denote any same gender environment, in now used almost exclusively in regards to sexual attraction and it's activity. This is as yet unsatisfactory, as such use lacks the distinction between nonsexual homosexual social activity, denoted by the term "homosociality," versus same gender love, "homophilia," and which may be romantic, and that of homoeroticism (clinically MSM). As most of this article deals with the sexual practice of homosexuals, the term homoeroticism or  homoerotic activity will usually be used. Sodomy might normally have been, but this originally defined a temple prostitute. ("Sodom" itself is derived from the word "scorch," or "burnt".)

The term "homosexual" is a relatively recent one, with it's first know occurrence apparently being in an 1869 pamphlet in the German language, and attributed to native Austrian Karl-Maria Kertbeny. Over time, this term, which was used within the field of personality taxonomy, and which could be used to denote any same gender environment, in now used almost exclusively in regards to sexual attraction and it's activity. This is as yet unsatisfactory, as such use lacks the distinction between nonsexual homosexual social activity, denoted by the term "homosociality," versus same gender love, "homophilia," and which may be romantic, and that of homoeroticism (clinically MSM). As most of this article deals with the sexual practice of homosexuals, the term homoeroticism or  homoerotic activity will usually be used. Sodomy might normally have been, but this originally defined a temple prostitute. ("Sodom" itself is derived from the word "scorch," or "burnt".)