Fear of the unknown is a common plague upon mankind. This fear, unfortunately, has most conspicuously reared its ugly head in the ecclesiastical traditions of the Judeo-Christian people. Up until the twelfth century, organized religion had little to say about homosexuality (Marcus 141). Women, Negroes, and homosexuals are among many of those oppressed by the intense, fear-spawned hatred which has made its home in the church. Of these many groups, though, homosexuals are the only group that is still significantly persecuted by the church.

Does Jehovah really condemn homosexuality? If not, why has this lie of condemnation been allowed to sweep through the church, without obstacle, for so many years? The not-so-simple truth is that God does not condemn homosexuality. Human err

One should note that this verse, in all known translations, refers to the exchange of "natural relations" for "unnatural" ones. Nowhere does this refer to responsible sexual practices engaged in by those of a homosexual orientation. Instead, it could simply be understood to state that heterosexuals should not try to become homosexuals.

In John 3:16, Christ states that the salvation is available to whosoever believes. Does man, no matter what his rank in the Ecclesiastical ladder, have any right or authority to add stipulations to Christ's offer? Certainly not! When it comes to matters of scriptural interpretation, Saint Paul proclaimed the best rule of faith: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

In the case of the Scriptures, the cultural and social context of Biblical times was very different from our own. For example, when God commanded humanity to "increase and multiply," this was addressed to Israel, a small, desert nation surrounded by many enemies. Israelites needed to multiply in order to survive.

There are at least two important things to keep in mind when reading the Bible. First, one must always consider its context. In order to understand any writing, whether it be a letter, an e-mail, a poem, a speech, or even the Bible, it is necessary to understand its background. One should consider who is speaking, to whom the writing is addressed, why the writing was authored, and what events surrounded its composition.

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Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)