Anthony, thanks for your input. I was about ready to bail out of this and not write any more. Those who think sharing is not painful at times have not done much of it. I want to continue to grow and learn on this journey and hopefully not forget that I really know very little and will never quite understand someone else until I have walked in their shoes.

Thanks Freedom,

Robert

its not a problem here when someone says something that is not intentional to cause problems or have a go at some one……we can all work that out together. Its when someone actually intentionally attacks someone in our forum we have a problem………they are asked to change or move out…..this is a safe space….respectful….honest…..sensitive etc.

it was obviuous that you had the right intentions……and now you have some additional sensitivity…..I see it as all good.

I too am moved by the amazing openness in this forum that challenges us all and convicts our hearts to be more in tune with each other and more compassionate. So many have suffered and yet are able to say they are learning to walk forward. I am so inspired.

It’s evident that we all are capable of the worst horrors. It’s a broken world and I wish there were a way to reach the hurting, and mentally ill people that commit such crimes that rob people and cause so much pain.

Just recently it was found that a man who was having an affair with a married man in Newcastle became so jealous that he murdered him and tried to distroy the body in acid. But then, one of my close friend Hilary was murdered 8 years ago by a man she was dating, for what ever motive.

I believe in reading those two accounts that God has a desire to see us live fulfilled lives and he is so broken hearted by our choices to persue carnal desires. We all know that as gratifying sex is, it is not something that it can’t solve problems or overcome differences.

God did have a sacred space for sexuality in our lives, and I don’t believe the object of those two stories was the sexuality of the men, not even the promiscurity, but the insanity and intoxicated manner in which they saught after gratification. They had de-humenised the act to the point where it ceased to be intimate and beautiful.

These Biblical stories do not stand alone for me as a judgement against Homosexuality because I don’t beleive they are about homosexuality but about the kind of animalistic behaviour that ruins our world.

(Sorry to all the animals that I just offended by saying that. We have 3 dogs and 2 cats and i hope they don’t act like that towards their fellow species)

I’m glad you mentioned about the word to ‘know’ Kit…….I keep forgetting that not everyone knows this stuff.

for those who want to find more you’ll find links in the resources section on all the 6 passages that will educate you about the language, history and culture of the time and what those verses really meant.

I believe that Josephus was the first to use the term Sodomites around the end of the first century. But he was basically speaking about people from a geographical area like Sydneyites.

As the Jewish writers from that time began to make the Sodom story more of sexual one than it was intended the term began to be associated with certain sexual acts.

here is this from wikipedia.

The term includes all sexual acts other than coital sex between a male and female.[2] Although not gender specific by definition, in common use sodomy generally refers to homosexual intercourse between males.

In current usage, the term is particularly used in law.[3] Sodomy laws forbidding certain types of sex acts have been instituted in many cultures. In the various criminal codes of United States of America, the term “sodomy” has generally been replaced by “Deviant sexual intercourse”, which is precisely defined by statute.[4] These laws have been under challenge and have in places been found unconstitutional or have been replaced with different acts.[5] Some countries, particularly in Africa, the Middle East and southern Asia retain “sodomy laws” against homosexual acts. Elsewhere the legal use of the term “sodomy” is restricted to rape cases where an act such as anal penetration has taken place.[6] The English term buggery is very closely related to sodomy in concept, and often interchangeably used in law and popular speech.[7][8]

Hi Magsdee

I’m pleased this is helpful. It’s very educating…!

Anthony, you’re resources are also very enlightening. Thank you. Kit

No more comment.