Just because the word did not exist does not mean the act did not! They could have simply made reference to sexual relations between same sex people.

The Biblical phrasing is this "A man shall not lie with a man as with a woman... it is an abomination" It's in Leviticus chapter 8 if you want to see the whole verse.

I just realized that this question shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of language. Take just about any Bible that is in common use to day and you will find that few if any of the words in that copy of the Bible existed when the original texts were written. Just about every edition of the Bible now in use is a translation from the ancient texts into more modern languages. The process of translation involves taking the ideas expressed in one language and finding words in a second language that express the same ideas. So, it does not matter that the words homosexual or homosexuality did not exist until the 19th century. The practice did. The ancients just used different terms to describe the practice.

Just because the word only came out in 1869, doesn't mean the concept wasn't there. The Bible doesn't state 'Homosexuality', i merely conveys the conceptual idea of how male and female should be together, and anything else is unnatural. Which is not my belief at all.

The Bible in Romains 1:24-27 describes the homosexual act and it is considered as obscene in God's eyes as he is the creator of life. It is also said to be an unnatural act and unclean. Please read these verses to see for yourself

I thought it had something to do with "thou shalt not lay with a man as thou dost with a woman" or something like that.

Leviticus 18:22 describes the act clearly. "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

Jesus himself spoke about mariage as God had instituted it and it is found at Matthew 19:3-6 and it is between a man and a woman and that is the way it should be. Paul at Romains 1:24-27 tells us how God feels about homosexuality. This is what the Bible really and clearly states and it needs to be followed to please him

who actualy wrote the bible and who is to say what is written in there is not just one persons opinion every one has opinions there is no right or rong only opinions.

Homosexuality was going on in sodom and gomorrah when the 2 angels came to Lot's house and the men of the town came and asked Lot where they were so that they may know them. Now in the Bible, when you 'May know them', that means lay with them or sleep with them, like Adam knew Eve and they had cain and abel..also in Romans 1:26,27 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And 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. He then turned them over to a reprobate mind...read the rest of the chapter for more info...

God does love all of His children, just as we must love all our Brothers and Sisters, cannot argue that: BUT, He does not love all of our actions, nor should we. We love the person, but cannot love certain actions. I suggest you study hard the reason why Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, or Leviticus 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9, or Romans 1:27. The unfortunate thing is, you will read the truth, understand exactly what these scriptures mean and yet you will still deny the truth. No, I do not speak for God, He does a much better job then I could ever do. Many individuals have faith, but when you leave faith at that and not grow in knowledge than you cannot have a testimony. A testimony means you KNOW something to be true, because you do not try and skirt around a truth.

Because the concept existed before that. It just didn't have an English term for it.

Those who have problems with using modern terms for ancient descriptions would have to edit out a lot of words (the letter "J" did not even exist until around the 12th century). Homosexual activity is clearly described in Scripture, that of men laying with men as with women, the context being sexual (Lev. 18; 20:12), which is a result of making created things, including one's own body, their "god," rather than the livig and true god of the Bible, "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: {27} 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 recompense of their error which was meet" "(Rom 1:26-27) Such texts prohibit any form of homo erotic activity, and in contrast to hetero-sexual activity, in no place does God sanctify homosexual activity with marriage, leaving all such hetero-sexual unions to be unholy fornication, and that of a most perverse kind. That is because God has made man and women uniquely compatible and complementary, and homosexual relations hold God in contempt. Nor could such be justified even if an innate proclivity to homosexuality be proved, which it presently cannot, any more than other sins, as we are all born with an an innate proclivity to sin in general - due to our inherited Adamic nature - and individually some more than others. But God gives us power to resist sin, to overcome evil with good (Gn. 4:7) - unless we continually yield to sin. See http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/IsHomosexualitySin.html for more. Yet some of the first Christians were former homosexuals (1Cor. 6:9-11), as to all sinners God offers redemption, if they want Jesus over sin, and ask and receive Him who died for them and rose again, as their Lord and Savior. To God be the glory!

Who cares about semantics - it's the thought that counts.

abomination? the bible is a abomination to freethinking,openminded people trying to make life better in this world. the bible preaches hate, death and destruction.

The Old testament bagged on sodomites (male homosexuals). I don't think it said anything about lesbians, and Jesus wasn't big on gay bashing—unlike many of his followers.

I use the Tyndale Living Bible for all these very reasons and not the new revised one either. They are getting kinda hard to get because people want the newer translated. I think this one is about as close as the layman can get to what he wrote and for more info it is William Tyndale, martyr for God , gave us our first English translation, vowed he canged not a word. When King James wrote his Bible later , he used 90% of Tyndales!!!! and on the subject of homosexuality, it is most certainly addressed when God DESTROYED Sodom(y) and Gomorah(misspelled) for the wickedness of the men there!

the word is Sodomy, remember Sodom and Gamorrah... look it up...:-)

(please excuse my poor spelling) Funny thing is for all the answers to your question, no one states "WHY" God would say it's wrong. What is "wrong" with homosexuality outside of a MORAL code saying it's wrong? Literally any arguement outside of a Moral rule based on a person's belief would vanish. We see homosexuals living healthy lives, with similar problems to other hetero couples. There may be things that are greater risk inside that community but...what is the big problem? What does it take away from God or humans that God would call it an abomination? I mean, isn't that truly the problem? Who wants to be wrong for their desires and have GOD against them? We hear a lot about it being wrong but no reason why. When God said don't eat certian animals and gave dietary laws, health reasons are explained. When He said not to marry outside race/religion (For the Jews of that time. He does not have a general rule of marrying outside race that I see in the bible) it was explained because doing so would cause multiple allegiances and stop them from being faithful to Him alone. So what's the reasoning for Homosexuality? Unless that is answered, many people will believe that this is a add on. A man made rule used to control certian people. But there is a reason. First, you CHOOSE whether you obey Christianity or not. The Bible has many rules that IF YOU CHOOSE to be part of this faith, you choose to accept. There are many desires, natural desires, that you CHOOSE to turn away from in order to be faithful to this. AND the claim is that you will be empowered to do so through the HOLY SPIRIT. AND theother claim is that if you can't, there is Grace. Because the main goal of your life is to Glorify God. You are meant to be an example of why Grace is so amazing and to contrast humanity against Divinity. How can someone so perfect accept,adore, enjoy, delight in, trust, empower, deal with, assign responsibility to someone so wretched and inconsistent who doesn't know how to control his or her self and doesn't understand love? Why? The fact that He does, well, that is meant to show how Glorious He is. That is the point of Jesus. In response to that, response to the love, provision, lack of condemnation, you surrender your life. Once you've experienced it, you realize whatever you have here, well, it's not measuring up and though it is difficult, you hope for more from God. So you put aside anything that slows you down from receiving more of it and you CHOOSE to do things that aren't natural. But you are empowered by a love that passes all understanding, drives out fear and gives you a reason to hope. You remember hoping you weren't gay or could be straight? Ever consider that you don't have to or that's too small a hope? Life is more than here. There is something greater than heaven and greater than life on earth to hope for. Second, Marriage, where the bible gives as the only place sex is to occur, was meant to represent Christ and the Church. Literally the bible gives rules for marriage and then in the next verse says it's talking about Christ and the Church. So our relationships are suppose to reflect Christ and the Church. Our sexual relationships and romantic relationships anyway. The issue isn't how it harms us or how God hates us for having human fleshly desires. The issue is the same thing He would have against a false prophet, corrupt teleevanglist or abusive parent. These actions don't correctly portray God's desire for us, Christ relationship with us. In fact they tell the opposite story. God set up these roles so that all of us could better conceptualize what He desires in relationship with us. For a Child, you learn about God from your parent and other adults. God says the adult that causes a little one to sin would be better off drowning themselves. Equal, hell awaits false teachers. For the homosexual act, it doesn't lead to reproduction based on what we receive of the other person inside of us. It doesn't tell the story of how we can be changed and enjoy Christ but also how that love can cause us to bring forth new life. It is hard to understand that God's desire with us is that we can become literally and spiritually one with Christ and how He can enter into us and cause joy and life. Marriage and sex is God's way of helping us understand how amazing that interaction can be AND His way of allowing us to PREACH that gospel with our lives. How we have preverted sex in society goes against that message. Homosexuality hinders that message. That is the abomination. Something that is immensely beautiful and meant to draw everyone to God, has been reduced to just getting off and drawing people to each other. It doesn't reflect Him as was our design when He made us in His own image. It speaks against Homosexuality way before the word was made. By nature that it has a higher message and calling that Homosexuality can't measure up to.

The word may not have existed, but homosexuality did

LEVITICUS 20:13...LEVITICUS 20:13...

Its important to remember, that just because there wasn't a word that we would understand for the act of unnatural affections, does not mean it didn't exist. For a long time, scientists were battling the aids virus not even having a name for it. Once it was widely realized that this was something that was going to have to be addressed to humanity, it was given a name, and we now know it as aids. When the KJV Bible was translated, the words that were used were words familiar to them at that time which meant the same thing as homosexuality...just as we now use the terms "gay" or "lesbian"...we know it means male or female homosexuality.

Homosexuality IS addressed in the Bible!!!! Do you know what sodomy is? Have you heard of Sodom and Gamora?

Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13...it did not need a "word", clearly explained without one.. sodomy comes from sodom and gomorreah..good grief..the men of these cities were trying to get to the Angels that God had sent to destroy them, to rape them...while they (Angels) were at Lots warning him.... Luke 10:10-12 is Christ telling the Apostles what to do when the cities they spread the WORD in does not ACCEPT it,(go out into their streets and wipe the dust off, as A pulic announcement of their DOOM).. and then says their fate will be WORSE than WICKED Sodom's.... Christ CRIED over Jerusalem, HIS own city, because they DENIED HIm...

Because "Christians" often overrule the words of Jesus with passages from the Old Testament any time they want to justify their self-serving motives and prejudices. "...Those bigots who wave the Bible at homosexuals and call them a “abomination” should also take note that the same text tells us that it is also an “abomination” punishable by death to eat shellfish, to approach the alter of God if you have a defect in sight (it doesn’t say, however, whether you can do so with corrective lenses), for men to have their hair trimmed, for a farmer (presumably also a gardener) to plant two different crops in the same field, or for a woman to wear garments with two different kinds of threads (such as cotton/polyester blends). Unfortunately, it doesn’t give any guidance according to degrees of “abominations,” so we are left to assume that we are morally bound to burn or stone people for any of these offenses, including all those who work on the Sabbath, which, when you get right down to it, would include most of the clergy. It does say, however, that it is permissible to own slaves, providing they are purchased from neighboring nations, which begs the question: is it alright for Americans to own Mexicans, but not Canadians? It also says in Exodus that one can sell their daughter into slavery. The Bible, however, doesn’t give us any guidelines for a fair price. Guess that’s negotiable, too..." --A Higher Good

do you think jesus really gave a shit if someone is gay or not?!!! what a load of bollocks!

"man lie with a man..." that is how it is addresed in Leviticus 20:13.

That's like asking - how could homosexuals exist before 1869 when the word didn't even exist?

Paul, when writing to the Church in Corinth refers to those who will not inherit the Kingdom of God and he makes a list (1 Cor. 6:9) One of the examples he gives is μαλακá½¹ς (transliteration: malakos) meaning "a boy kept for homosexual relations with a man; a man who submits his body to unatural lewdness esp. homosexuality" It is explicit that Paul is saying that those who commit the act of homosexuality will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Hope this helps! God bless!

With saying a word that meant homosexuality. The word existed in since 1869 but the idea has been on this planet since a penis was created. I mean that's how it works for me.

Just because no one in Europe knew potatoes or tomatoes before the New World was discovered, does not mean they did not exist. The ancient world had words in every language for homosexuality. THey knew what it was. Read Suetonius to see what the Roman Emperors got up to...

I don't know - but girls getting old dad tanked and then sleeping with him without his consent (date rape?) is just fine. The offspring of these unions went on to found their own tribes. Genesis 19:31-38 (New International Version) New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society [NIV at IBS] [International Bible Society] [NIV at Zondervan] [Zondervan] 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father." 33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I lay with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 36 So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab [a] ; he is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi [b] ; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.

It clearly says in the bible who will and will not inherit God's kingdom - can't remember off hand which scripture but it does say - 'neither men who lie with men nor men kept for unnatural purposes'.

The word may have been born in 1869, but I think homosexuality was around a few days before that.

1 Corinthians 6v9

Can anyone say "Sodom and Gomorrah"?

It address' sexual immorality which includes all lude sexual behavior. Biblically speaking only people who are in a hetorsexual marriage should participate in any kind of sex.

Back then they were called Sodomites and Gonorrheans.

I think its in Sodom And Gamora

The ENGLISH word may not have existed until then, but the Bible wasn't written in English! The OT was written in Hebrew, and the NT was written in Greek. There is a Greek word for homosexuality, as well as a Hebrew word, because the concept, sadly, has been around for far, far, far, far ,far more years than since 1869.

Right. The word is from 1869 but the actual act of homosexuality is a byproduct of the original sin. Also, there was no internet in the Garden of Eden. My 2 cents.

The Bible called it sodomy.

The Bible never expressly condemns Homosexuality as a whole lifestyle, all it really condemns is Homosexual sex. Although Homosexuality hasn't been a widely accepted word for long, "Sodomy" is a much older term. The fact of the matter is, a lot of things "Condemned" by the Bible are actually just condemned by the Biblical interpretations of various modern people/groups, which are often extremely selective, hypocritical, and/or ignorant of the underlying spirit of the Bible's law. So frankly, I don't pay much heed to God's so-called condemnation of Homosexuality, because first and foremost, once all the hateful, ignorant interpretations of the details have been cut through, The Bible teaches that God is love, and that mankind was put on this Earth to love eachother and to love God. Homosexuality is love, and Homophobia is hateful. So which do you think is more in line with the true spirit of God's law?

here's the bottom line. do what your heart tells you. always trust your gut...don't worry about what the religious nuts tells you the "bible" says...don't do this, don't do that. God loves everyone anyway! and there's no sin that is unforgivable...the more gay bashing you hear from a "christian" the more likely it is that they themselves are gay/lesbian...rock on all you homos!!!!

The Bible as you have read addresses homosexuality as a sin, along with for example sexual imorality, idolatary, stealing and lying. It addresses sin as an act that a person does. Everyone born of mans seed are born sinners, born into sin from the time of Adam and Eve. So by nature everyone born, likes to rebel against God in some way by the way they act, the law of God shows you the ways that you have rebelled or sined; that is the purpose of the law and ultimately for everyone who has lived and sined, the wages of that sin is death; from the smalist lie to the thought of how someone might feel sexually that your not married to. However it is not all doom and gloom there is some Good News. God gave us an out, by giving us a way of changeing our nature, by accepting his free gift of Salvation. God became flesh, was not born of mans seed but born of God and so not born of sin nature. He walked among mankind with out sin and then was hung on a tree (cross) as a curse for mans sin; as a blood sacrifice that God required for the forgiveness of sins for all time. He died went down to the depths set captives free and was raised to life 3 days later; then he ascended to heaven. When God draws you to Yeshua Ha Mashiac ( aka Jesus Christ ) literal English translation God's Annointed Salvation you will have the opportunity to ask him to come into your life, to change your heart and nature to bring life to your spirit through his Holy Spirit who will live inside you. You will give God your old sin nature and he will give you his new sin free nature. Things will appear diferently all of a sudden the Bible will come to life for you and God will speak to you through it. You wont desire the things you know are offensive to God any longer, you won't be snared by your lusts or addictions, though sometimes God will allow certain sins for you to stand against by faith. I was delivered from the affects of years of drug addiction in a split second but I had to fight to rid myself of smoking cigerettes, not that smoking cigs is a direct sin, but for me I wanted cigs more than God so they had to go. You will have times of emense joy and peace and after a while you will start to know the presence of God through his Holy Spirit who at this point lives in you. God doesn't desire that any man should perish and his gift is to all men who turn to him and are reborn of his spirit. My hope is that you find what I have because nothing in this world beats a relationship with the God of this universe it is a joy each morning to wake up and feel his presence to know he is there and real and to hang out with him all day long, and this has been going on for 13 years now for me. I don't want to go back to being alone feeling hurt, living in fear and worry and haveing a sense of some huge hole inside me that nothing seemed to fill. That's how life was before God's presence in my life through Jesus, Yeshua.

Read the book of Romans 1 and 2 and 3 chap.. See it's people like this that can't see the truth, nor are able to come to the understanding of the truth.

HEY EVERYONE LISTEN! WHERE DO YOU THINK THE TERM SODOMY CAME FROM?! THOSE WERE THE SINS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH! THE WOULD LIE WITH MEN AS WITH OTHER MEN, IN FACT READ THE ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT NOT JUST BITS AND PIECES! THATS THE ONLY WAY TO READ THINGS IN THE CONTEXT THEY WERE MEANT TO BE READ IN AND LEARN GODS TRUE MESSAGE ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY! AND REMEMBER: LOVE THE PERSON HATE THE SIN AND TRY TO HELP THEM SEE THE TRUE WAY OF THE LORD!

the bible was written in Greek initially [the christian Greek Scriptures] the word homosexuality doesn't appear instead of a greek word in the greek text for instance the translated words are used to make reference to what would be understood at the time. Once, in romans, the phrase 'without self control' was rendered incontinent

Let us not forget it also said that daughters could be sold into prostitution and that shellfish is an abomination. I only wish people lived their lives for themselves as leading by good example not hate, the 10 commandments and most of the writings put an emphasis on love, respect and compassion. There is no wonder that many people do not take every word literal, if they did women, daughters, prostitution and any of us that have eaten shellfish would be living in pretty painful world. I'm not picking and choosing as much as aware of the translations and interpretation. There are good and bad things to find in everything including the Bible, in life, and with other people. I am gay I also strongly believe in God, but even more importantly I believe in listening to my heart and using my mind and common sense of what I know is the right thing --my moral compass all these things God gave me as well. Ask yourself no matter what you believe that if rejecting, judging, shaming, or condemning another in essence saying they < I > am not worthy of God's love is truly what you believe your God is about ? Matt

When you look at the original text it is not at all clear what the passage in Leviticus actually means. It does appear to be talking about homosexuality, but not necessarily. From memory the original literally translates as something like "A man shall not lie leavings/lyings woman" which does not make much sense, and can be interpreted to mean anything you like.

They were known as Sodomites in the Bible I think.

For the individuals here that seem hell bent in scripture and condemnation -- Guys I have owned psychiatric centers working with among others gay & lesbian clients, and have seen firsthand what kind of alienation this CRAP that so many consider sadly as actually the act of being a good Christian by spreading this small part of an interpretation. The clients we have seen have only felt more alienated from God, spiritually shamed, and in so many cases it was as though organized religion did more to hurt them. My spiritual advisor to my program is named Father Leo Booth, now Rev. Leo Booth who is an amazing man and perhaps you should check out his books " When God Becomes a Drug " is the one that comes to mind for anyone.

One explanation I've heard from the catholic religion was because of the sexual intentions. Catholics' view on sex is that it is for a new life (baby). However homosexuality can't fulfill that purpose therefore making the act of homosexuality a sin. This was explained to me by a seminarian.

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death: their blood shall be upon them. Romans 1:26 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: 27 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 recompense of their error which was meet. This type of behavior did not begin in 1869.

Maybe the more appropriate question would be what does the bible have to say about love? I'm sure there are many passages that indicate it is a good thing, etc... So, you may come to an impass... If two people in love who care about each other deeply, who want to spend the rest of their lives together, whether they be gay or not.... Couldn't it be said that the bible may interpret this as both bad and good? Some couples have a relationship and and a capacity for loving each other that is greater than what I have seen in many heterosexual couples. If you can deny that, and say it is evil or sinful based on the bible, then maybe you need to take a second look at your own values.

the bible has a catch all word for any kind of sexual sin. it is "fornication." fornincation is a legal term which refers to ANY sexual sin. those sins include but are not limited to: incest (which became a law later is history), polygamy, polyandry, homosexuality (gay or lesbian), beastiality, divorce and a host of others. praise the Lord for His wisdom that He saw questions like this coming and created a word that covers all the bases. yes, there are forms of sexual sin today that the Bible might not actually mention by name or deal with explicity (thank God also for His tact) but that does not give us license to participate in them. the fact is that the bible sanctions only "one man and one woman for one life time" anything else the Bible says is "an abomination."

homosexual was thrown in some of the bible in later translation. the whole bible is interpritation, take it for what you get out of it. free will to do so.

SODOM & GAMORAH?

Anything out of Gods design is sin. Men are not to lay with men and women with women. Can you not see planly that man was not made for man and women not for women? Its does not work that way MAN was made To be with WOMEN. - 0 . Just like when you go to plug in a T.V. How is the only way it works. With a male end and a Female end. Men are evil and supress the truth. Its plane to see how things are ment to be.

The word may not have existed but the act did! It addresses the act!

Homosexuality is a sin in the New Testament as well, not just the Old. One example: "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 recompense [penalty] of their error which was meet [due]" (Rom. 1:26-27). There are many other examples in the NT that homosexuality is a sin, but I'll leave it at that.

in the bible there were many people that were homosexualy. it wasnt invented in no 1869 i tell you that. god disaggrees with this seeing that he made both man and woman for a reason.

Read the story of lott and the angels in Sodom and Gomorrah. it doesn't say the words but spells it out!

1st corinthians 6vs. 9 and Romans 1:27 read that. Read the old test on Sodom and Gommorah.

Everyone in Answer Bag knows or should know, what the meaning of homosexuality is. With that in mind, when you read in Scripture what it says about a man giving up his "natural" desire for a woman to lay with another man, or a woman with a woman, it's quite obvious what it is speaking of. There is no mistake what it's referring too. Scripture upon Scripture has been given to point this out. Some try to twist the verses to mean something that it obviously doesn't but that's to be expected by people who condone homosexuality or are homosexuals. The bottom line is, that Scripture clearly states that homosexuality is a sin and an abomination.

pls Read the book of romans 1:26. It is the heart and mind condition first and the action that should be dealt with not the term/word. Glory to God.

Men who lie with men shall suffer my wrath and betray the righteous... have you read it???

Words describe concepts, and before there is a word, there is something happening that brings the word to existence. What do you think came first, the chicken, the egg, or the words "chicken & egg"? Exactly.

the Laws(Leviticus) on beastiality and man lying with man were certainly around long before 1869, so was the word sodomy...so was Sodom and Gomorrah... shallow question....homosexuality has been in this world a LONG TIME so GOD let HIS feelings be known a LON TIME AGO

The only place in the Bible mentioning or describing homosexuality is a verse in Leviticus prohibiting men from lying with men as with a woman. I think it's repeated in Deuteronomy. It only addresses men and indeed lesbianism is not considered a sin in Judaism. It's also more concerned with sexual acts than romantic love. This is the same book that also prohibits eating oysters or bacon rashers, picking up sticks on the sabbath or wearing a cotton-polyester blend shirt. Some people think that Genesis 19 (Sodom and Gomorrah) was also about homosexuality but Ezekiel 16:49-50 gives a list of the sins that brought about Sodom's destruction and homosexuality is not among them. Romans 1 describes an instance of idolatry, and says that God punished them by giving them irresistible same-sex attractions... a rather unusual punishment if the participants were gay to begin with. I Cor. gives a list of people who would not go to heaven, and includes in that list two Greek words - arsenokoites and malakos, which are almost invariably translated into English as homosexuals. The word "malakos" literally means soft, and was used to refer to things like people who refused to take up arms in a war, or effeminate people. Arsenokoites literally means man+bed, and was used in later writings to mean male prostitutes. Then there's the story of David and Jonathan - which to many reads very much like a gay love story. Of course most believers reject this outright because, in their view, that's impossible. Still, David described Jonathan's love for him as better than the love of a woman, not to mention their nude romp in Jonathan's bedroom almost as soon as they met each other, and Jonathan's father's anger at the "shame" that Jonathan brought. YMMV.

That's a bit pedantic...the PRACTICE has been around since Sodom and Gomorrah...and they were destroyed by God for it...The Roman empire collapsed because of it. And here are the scriptures to prove that God HATES IT. (1 Corinthians 6:9) What! Do YOU not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, (1 Timothy 1:10) fornicators, men who lie with males, kidnappers, liars, false swearers, and whatever other thing is in opposition to the healthful teaching

UNLESS REWRITTEN AGAIN WITH MORE LIES. WHAT YOU CALL THE BIBLE IS A FAKE BOOK FROM THE SCAM ARTISTS THAT PURPOSELY MAKE IT THAT WAY TO MAKE ALL OTHERS PAY SO THEY CAN PLAY WITH YOUR CHILDREN, WHILE MAKING THE YOUNG BELIEVE IN THEIR GARBAGE. MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT ALL PEOPLE THAT ARE'NT MALE AND FEMALE, BUT LOVE AND MARRY EACH OTHER WAS ORIGINALY TRAINED BY THESE PREACHERS IN WHAT YOU CALL CHURCHES. SINCE THIS HAS'NT BEEN GOING ON FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, BUT A NEW THING AND WHERE ELSE TO GET THIS WAY, BY A PREACHER THATS BEEN PLAYING WITH YOUR CHILDREN WHEN VERY YOUNG, LIKE IN WANATCHEE, WASHINGTON, WHEN A FAMILY FROM PENNSYLVANIA MOVED THEIR, WENT TO CHURCH, 6 YEAR BOY GOES TO SUNDAY SCHOOL, CAME HOME AND TOLD MOMMY AND DADDY THAT THEY PUT THEIR HANDS ON HIS PRIVATE PARTS. THEY WENT TO THE POLICE AND THE POLICE INVESTIGATED IT AND THE PEOPLE OF WANATCHEE ACTUALLY CONDONE THIS ACTION AND ALL REFUSED TO HAVE THEIR MOLESTING CHURCH MEMBERS ARRESTED, SAYING THAT IF YOU DONT LIKE OUR WAYS IN WASHINGTON, GO BACK TO AMERICA. THESE ARE THE TRUE FACTS, IT WAS ON THE NEWS IN WASHINGTON. THIS IS NORMAL ANYWHERE. HAVE A NICE DAY. MIKE

If you go to Romans chaper 1 verse 24-32, you will see how the LORD gave word to those who choose this lifestyle. You are not made that way from GOD. It is a choice regardless of what you may thing or have been told..

http://bible.cc/leviticus/18-22.htm New American Standard Bible (©1995) 'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995) Never have sexual intercourse with a man as with a woman. It is disgusting. King James Bible Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. American King James Version You shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. American Standard Version Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Bible in Basic English You may not have sex relations with men, as you do with women: it is a disgusting thing. Douay-Rheims Bible Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, because it is an abomination. Darby Bible Translation And thou shalt not lie with mankind as one lieth with a woman: it is an abomination. English Revised Version Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Webster's Bible Translation Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. World English Bible "'You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. That is detestable. Young's Literal Translation And with a male thou dost not lie as one lieth with a woman;

God did not question the 'word' ..he questioned and denounced the 'practice'.

The bible uses the term men(women)who lie with men(women)2,000 years ago. If you have a bible check 1 Corinthians 6:9. Want to go back further Genesis 19:4,5. 6,000 years ago.

A man shall not lie with another man.

Man laying with man doing what is unatural is good enough for me. InChristalone

the word homosexual is not presesnt in the Bible but it does say homosexual acts as being sins

Jesus said: My People suffer due to a lack of knowledge. What does that mean? We are called to love one another more than ourselves. How do we do that? Do we allow our children to have anything they want simply because they ask really nice or use thier cuteness as a tool? I would think not, but it does work and continues to work. This leads me to answer your question. God said that I will make man and woman in our image, and He did. We have perverted the natural with what we feel is to be right, is this justified by our rights or feelings? I would ask you this. If I choose to turn left on a one way road turing right, will my actions be accepted by the others in the right of way? I would hope you would see my illistration as one who uses wisdom as well as common sense. You can't ask for a homosexual lane of travel simply because you feel different in how you want to live your life. Now isn't that asking others to conform to your lane of travel? Who is being judgemental now? I also ask this, if homosexuality is to be understood as something that should be accepted, then why is it that there is a tugging of wrong doing in the hearts of those that do it? Even in doing any wrong there is the warning that if felt within us. Why are people so willing to push it down and allow such behavior to continue? Thank you for your time. May God give you wisdom and strength.

If your "word didn't exist" argument were valid, nothing in the Bible applies because English as we know it didn't exist until relatively recently, certainly after the 1400. Chaucer, whose work is only readable with practice, died in 1400.

ha ha! I love this question. Maybe the word didn't exist but what it represents does. The story of Sodom ring a bell? there is a lot of (nasty) words that would describe homosexuality in early times and it existed way before 1869. Religious fanatics just can't say those words in public, so they use the polite term. :)

The behavior was known for centuries, if not millenia, before. What popped up in 1869 was a German psychologist who noticed that, as marriage turned into a question of romance, as opposed to a question of family-linked property interests, the issue of who you fall in love with took on added prominence among his patients choosing who to share their lives with. And so he coined the term homosexuality.

The same way it addresses the trinity, the rapture, the dinosaurs, and abortion. Interesting huh?

Synonims? ;-)

My best guess is that they had a word that is equivalent to "homosexuality" the original language of the bible.

the word began from the first moment of creation and god was the word and the word was god

The bible uses the phrase "man lying with a man". If you do it standing up, there's no issue *laughs*

It was called "Laying with." back in the days before days... Either that or Knowing... "He Knew his sister tamar."

Bible is modified as the big guys wish. The new rules are mostly added by someone lately. and there are several versions too.

the word didnt exist but the act did

Imagine living with sexual mores of 2000 years ago period? They had daughters sleeping with fathers back then. Forget about it.

The word may not have existed, but the concept did.

I'm not sure if you are being facetious to make some sort of statement (which happens constantly on Q&A forums) or if you are young and have not yet grappled with some of the basics aspects of language and translation. (Or perhaps you simply haven't proofread what you wrote and will in a few moments rest your face on your hand and say, "Oh, crap. I really messed up. People must think I'm drunk or something.") Obviously, it would be absurd to claim that because a particular word didn't exist in the English language in 1869, the Bible somehow was prohibited (by the word police???) from addressing homosexuality. So surely there is no way that you can mean that. Yes, Moses was about to talk to the leaders of the Children of Israel and let them know that he was going to talk (using the Hebrew language) about the forbidden practice of two men having sexual relations and two women having sexual relations. But Joshua interrupted Moses and said, "Uhhh, I'm sorry to get in the way of what would surely be a fascinating talk but, Sir, you can't address this subject because in the distant future there will be a language called English and it will have a lot of words related to what you were going to talk about. Some of them will be very old in the English language by then and some are very strange sounding. (After all, what's buggery??) But anyway, there's one English word that will become a very common way to refer to this aspect of sexuality -- "homosexuality" is the word -- but that word supposedly won't exist until 1869. So, I'm sorry, Sir. You can't talk about homosexuality." Moses was quite baffled and said, "Let me get this straight. I can't even talk about any subject that involves some word that has yet to be coined in a language that is yet to be developed for another several thousand years? Is that what you are saying?" "Yes, Sir", Joshua responded confidently. "But that would mean that I couldn't talk about ANYTHING! What, I have to wait for the language to coin all the words related to my topic and THEN we can cover tonight's material???!" Moses started getting irritable at this point and asked indignantly, "Joshua. Why can't I address this topic? Who says so? Did Yahweh give you some new commandment but didn't bother to tell me about it?" Joshua reluctantly explained himself, "Uhh, no sir. It wasn't Yahweh. It was a guy on AnswerBag -- and probably the same guy that posted the same thing on Yahoo Answers in the R&S section recently -- who inferred that this would be impossible. He seemed to suggest that the Bible, which will includes your text portion that will be called the Torah or Penteteuch, can't address the topic of homosexuality because even though the English language and countless other languages have long had various synonyms for homosexuality [whether those synonyms be single words, two words joined together to create a term, or even entire sentences to describe, somehow the word HOMOSEXUALITY is absolutely primary to the topic and without it, the English language until 1869 was simply unable to discuss it. Of course, sir, that made the various anti-homosexuality laws in various cultures prior to 1869 no less brutal with their punishments. And the more I think about it.........I'm starting to realize that this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever but.........Oh. I almost forgot. It's my turn to feed the camels tonight. Excuse me. I gotta go see a man about a camel............." Joshua turned briefly as he left the tent, "Oh, and go ahead with your talk, Sir. I'll get the lecture notes from Caleb when he comes back to our tent tonight. Well, it's not exactly OUR tent.......I mean, it's not like Caleb and I are sharing a tent tent or anything like that. I mean, you know, it's more like a barracks. After all, we're young guys and sort of like soldiers and so we sleep in the same barracks together. Err.......not TOGETHER together exactly. No, what I meant was we are BOTH soldiers in defense of the encampment and so we just happen to sleep at different times in the same tent.......because we are on guard duty at different times. I mean, if we were on guard duty at the SAME time, then we would probably get off our watch at the same time and come back and go to bed together.....I mean got to bed at the same time........err.......no, no.....I mean we would both finish our guard duty and then we would both return to our shared barracks tent and Caleb would probably go to sleep right away but I will probably stay awake for a while and read a scroll or two cuz it tends to take me a while before I can fall asleep and............" "JOSHUA!!!!!!" yelled Moses. "Just shut up and go water the camels so I can get started with my talk about homosexuality!!!!!!" "Oh, sorry sir. Yes, sir. I'll go water the camels. In fact, to avoid any misunderstanding, I'll just stay with the camels. Yeah. I'll just stay there by myself, sleeping with the camels!..................Oh, that's not exactly what I meant. In fact, Moses, you probably thought that I meant, I mean, don't believe for a minute that I was about to go SLEEP sleep with the camels and......well, you know. Oh, this is so embarrassing! I just........." At that, an exasperated Moses nevertheless showed great compassion and in an even tone of voice reassured Joshua, "Son, don't worry about anybody getting the wrong idea about you and the camels and sleeping there. After all, BEASTIALITY is a word from that same future English language and it won't be coined for many many centuries!" Yep, future linguistics saved Joshua on THAT one! (So 'fess up. Did you post the question as a joke on somebody? Was it just a prank to see if somebody would take it seriously?)

I am a muslim but I would like to offer my help. Bible didn't address the word homosexuality. The people who translated Bible addressed it as homosexuality because the original Bible was written in Hebrew and the word for homosexuality in hebrew addressed in the original bible is "הומוסקסואליות" You can get the pronunciation from anywhere.

The word may not have existed until 1869, but the subject is addressed in the Bible - there is a verse which states, "For a man to lie with a man as with a woman is an abomination unto the Lord."

Jack is a jerk or Jack is a dope; what diffesrence does it make; the point is God calls it sin.

Genesis 19:5

Leviticus 20 has ‘sentences’ for all sexual acts. Gays are at: 20:13. 20: 13 If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, [as this is anatomically impractical & biologically impossible, this clearly refers to anal masturbation!], both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. [poor victim of anal rape!]

(1 Corinthians 6:9) What! Do YOU not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, UN-NATURAL PURPOSES... (1 Timothy 1:10) fornicators, men who lie with males, kidnappers, liars, false swearers, and whatever other thing is in opposition to the healthful teaching The Bible is very clear about this behaviour... It does not NEED to use the word...homosexual.