Changes

Historically, the conclusion of established Bible scholars has been that the Jewish and Christian Scriptures only allow sexual relations within heterosexual marriage, while requiring celibacy outside marriage, with homosexual acts always being intrinsically immoral.<ref>Norman Lamm, Judaism and the Modern Attitude Towards Homosexuality; http://www.jonahweb.org/sections.php?secId=88</ref><ref>Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, John Gill, Keil and Delitzsch, Matthew Henry, etc.</ref> This is also the conclusion of traditional scholars today, such as hold that all Scripture is inspired of God, (2Tim. 3:16) such as Thomas E Schmidt,<ref>Professor of New Testament Greek at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California "Straight and Narrow?"</ref> Guenther Haas,<ref>Associate Professor of Religion and Theology at Redeemer College, "Hermeneutical issues in the use of the Bible to justify the acceptance of homosexual practice</ref> James B. de Young,<ref>Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, Homosexuality: Contemporary Claims Examined in Light of the Bible and Other Ancient Literature and Law</ref> Dave Miller Ph.D.,<ref>“Sodom—Inhospitality or Homosexuality?"</ref> as well as of the overwhelming majority of Christians.  However, as a product of Biblical revisionism, and primarily coinciding with the moral rebellion of the modern [[sexual revolution]], a host of pro homosex polemicists have sought to disallow the traditionally held universal injunctions against homosex, as well as find sanction for the same, attempting what one apologist asserts, to "force sex into Biblical passages where it does not belong"<ref>http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/homosexuality_and_the_bible.html</ref>

Historically, the conclusion of established Bible scholars has been that the Jewish and Christian Scriptures only allow sexual relations within heterosexual marriage, while requiring celibacy outside marriage, with homosexual acts always being intrinsically immoral.<ref>Norman Lamm, Judaism and the Modern Attitude Towards Homosexuality; http://www.jonahweb.org/sections.php?secId=88</ref><ref>Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, John Gill, Keil and Delitzsch, Matthew Henry, etc.</ref> This is also the conclusion of traditional scholars today, such as hold that all Scripture is inspired of God, (2Tim. 3:16) such as Thomas E Schmidt,<ref>Professor of New Testament Greek at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California "Straight and Narrow?"</ref> Guenther Haas,<ref>Associate Professor of Religion and Theology at Redeemer College, "Hermeneutical issues in the use of the Bible to justify the acceptance of homosexual practice</ref> James B. de Young,<ref>Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, Homosexuality: Contemporary Claims Examined in Light of the Bible and Other Ancient Literature and Law</ref> Dave Miller Ph.D.,<ref>“Sodom—Inhospitality or Homosexuality?"</ref> as well as of the overwhelming majority of Christians.  However, as a product of Biblical revisionism, and primarily coinciding with the moral rebellion of the modern [[sexual revolution]], a host of pro homosex polemicists have sought to disallow the traditionally held universal injunctions against homosex, as well as find sanction for the same, attempting what one apologist asserts, to "force sex into Biblical passages where it does not belong"<ref>http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/homosexuality_and_the_bible.html</ref>

Prohosex revisionists labor to find ways of restricting the Levitical prohibitions against male homosex to the context of formal idolatry, rather than male and female homosex being a result of idolatry in general (Rm. 1:16-26), as illicit sex also can be, (1Cor. 10:7,8) while also striving to equate these general prohibitions to ceremonial laws, such as forbid eating such things as bacon,<ref>Countrymen, Dirt, Greed and Sex, pp. 98-123</ref> though laws against illicit sexual partners are seen as confirmed as a class under both Old and New Testaments. Another recourse is to contend that these sexual prohibitions were based upon male dominance, which is held to be wrong and must be disallowed,<ref>E. Schussler, "Toward a Feminist Biblical Heremenutics: Biblical Interpretation and Liberation Theology, ref. by The Challenge of Liberation Theology (Maryknoll, N. Y.: Orbis 1981), p. 108</ref> rather than such being established and confirmed by God as historically transcendent. (1Cor. 11:3-12) Additionally, the condemnation of homosex is sometimes partly attributed to ignorance on the part of Biblical writers,<ref>Walter Wink, Homosexuality and the Bible http://www.robgagnon.net/articles/homoWinkHBTResp.pdf</ref><ref>http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/Homosexuality_and_the_Bible_Wink.html</ref><ref>Victor Paul Furnish, The Moral Teachings of Paul: Selected Issues (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1985), p. 85.</ref> thus denying their particular Divine inspiration. Another common polemic is to dismiss opposing scholarship as being due to [[homophobia]]<ref>Richard Hasbany, Homosexuality and Religion</ref>  

Prohomosexual revisionists labor to find ways of restricting the Levitical prohibitions against male homosex to the context of formal idolatry, rather than male and female homosex being a result of idolatry in general (Rm. 1:16-26), as illicit sex also can be, (1Cor. 10:7,8) while also striving to equate these general prohibitions to ceremonial laws, such as forbid eating such things as bacon,<ref>Countrymen, Dirt, Greed and Sex, pp. 98-123</ref> though laws against illicit sexual partners are seen as confirmed as a class under both Old and New Testaments. Another recourse is to contend that these sexual prohibitions were based upon male dominance, which is held to be wrong and must be disallowed,<ref>E. Schussler, "Toward a Feminist Biblical Heremenutics: Biblical Interpretation and Liberation Theology, ref. by The Challenge of Liberation Theology (Maryknoll, N. Y.: Orbis 1981), p. 108</ref> rather than such being established and confirmed by God as historically transcendent. (1Cor. 11:3-12) Additionally, the condemnation of homosex is sometimes partly attributed to ignorance on the part of Biblical writers,<ref>Walter Wink, Homosexuality and the Bible http://www.robgagnon.net/articles/homoWinkHBTResp.pdf</ref><ref>http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/Homosexuality_and_the_Bible_Wink.html</ref><ref>Victor Paul Furnish, The Moral Teachings of Paul: Selected Issues (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1985), p. 85.</ref> thus denying their particular Divine inspiration. Another common polemic is to dismiss opposing scholarship as being due to [[homophobia]]<ref>Richard Hasbany, Homosexuality and Religion</ref>  

In response, traditional scholars evidence that the injunctions against homosex are foundationally based upon the uniquely established sexual union of the man with the women, which alone is sanctioned by marriage.(Gn. 1:26,27; Mt. 19:4-6; 1Cor. 11:11,12;  Eph. 5:31) And that the laws and principals concerning human sexual partners are not culturally bound, but instead are universal and transcendent, with homosexual relations being fundamentally contrary to God's design and decrees, with homosex being only condemned in wherever they are explicitly dealt with, (Lv. 18:22; 23:13; Rm. 1:26,27) and being just as universally applicable and immutable as those against illicit heterosexual partners.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=Zeotd-ylKtwC&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=quotes+Straight+and+Narrow%3F+Compassion+and+Clarity+in+the+Homosexuality+Debate&source=web&ots=WOXT85Pbxk&sig=8W9pkL8rcJ_7PS6oXbZ1QQBWCxQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA36,M1 Straight & Narrow? By Thomas E. Schmidt]</ref><ref>[http://www.robgagnon.net/ArticlesOnline.htm Prof. Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon]</ref> <ref>[http://www.neednotfret.com/content/view/124/89/ THE OLD TESTAMENT AND HOMOSEXUALITY, by Kevin L. Howard]</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ZXAVf8m_HKgC&pg=PA244&lpg=PA244&dq=sodom+in+Mishnah&source=web&ots=ZjUCW3j8F9&sig=F5r2UCKKoWPAAbUnK3kYO-VdgVE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA245,M1 Homosexuality  By James B. De Young]</ref><ref>[http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_attitude_wenham.html The Old Testament Attitude to Homosexuality Gordon J Wenham]</ref><ref>[http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0108a.html "That Which is Unnatural" Homosexuality in Society, the Church, and Scripture by Joseph P. Gudel -ICR]</ref><ref>[http://www.reformed.org/social/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/social/hodges_response_helminiak.html A Reformed Response to Daniel Helminiak's Gay Theology by Derrick K. Olliff and Dewey H. Hodges]</ref><ref>[http://www.aletheiacollege.net/dbb/11-21.htm Duncan Heaster, Gay Christian Arguments Considered]</ref><ref>[http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/OTeSources/03-Leviticus/Text/Articles/Ukleja-Homsex-BS.htm Homosexuality and the Old Testament P. Michael Ukleja]</ref>  

In response, traditional scholars evidence that the injunctions against homosex are foundationally based upon the uniquely established sexual union of the man with the women, which alone is sanctioned by marriage.(Gn. 1:26,27; Mt. 19:4-6; 1Cor. 11:11,12;  Eph. 5:31) And that the laws and principals concerning human sexual partners are not culturally bound, but instead are universal and transcendent, with homosexual relations being fundamentally contrary to God's design and decrees, with homosex being only condemned in wherever they are explicitly dealt with, (Lv. 18:22; 23:13; Rm. 1:26,27) and being just as universally applicable and immutable as those against illicit heterosexual partners.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=Zeotd-ylKtwC&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=quotes+Straight+and+Narrow%3F+Compassion+and+Clarity+in+the+Homosexuality+Debate&source=web&ots=WOXT85Pbxk&sig=8W9pkL8rcJ_7PS6oXbZ1QQBWCxQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA36,M1 Straight & Narrow? By Thomas E. Schmidt]</ref><ref>[http://www.robgagnon.net/ArticlesOnline.htm Prof. Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon]</ref> <ref>[http://www.neednotfret.com/content/view/124/89/ THE OLD TESTAMENT AND HOMOSEXUALITY, by Kevin L. Howard]</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ZXAVf8m_HKgC&pg=PA244&lpg=PA244&dq=sodom+in+Mishnah&source=web&ots=ZjUCW3j8F9&sig=F5r2UCKKoWPAAbUnK3kYO-VdgVE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA245,M1 Homosexuality  By James B. De Young]</ref><ref>[http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_attitude_wenham.html The Old Testament Attitude to Homosexuality Gordon J Wenham]</ref><ref>[http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0108a.html "That Which is Unnatural" Homosexuality in Society, the Church, and Scripture by Joseph P. Gudel -ICR]</ref><ref>[http://www.reformed.org/social/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/social/hodges_response_helminiak.html A Reformed Response to Daniel Helminiak's Gay Theology by Derrick K. Olliff and Dewey H. Hodges]</ref><ref>[http://www.aletheiacollege.net/dbb/11-21.htm Duncan Heaster, Gay Christian Arguments Considered]</ref><ref>[http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/OTeSources/03-Leviticus/Text/Articles/Ukleja-Homsex-BS.htm Homosexuality and the Old Testament P. Michael Ukleja]</ref>