I have been asked to share an article I wrote on “What Does The Bible Actually Say About Homosexuality?”

For several years I worked as a Baptist Minister and overseas missionary. I was born gay as proven by doctors using temperature testing. When writing the article, I got down exactly the same lexicons and used the same principles of exegesis as I had used during my six years of theological training at both Bible College and Theological College. I believe the entire Bible is the inspired word of God in the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. However the translations are very definitely not inspired. I am a conservative evangelical.

In the first month after my article was published in the US, 7700 sent in emails about it and over 7000 (90%) agreed with what I wrote. 350 gays said they planned to commit suicide over this issue and decided against it after reading the article. Many families have been reunited. Many gays have used the article when coming out to family and friends. A sample of those emails is now included at the end. They are very moving.

When you read it, please don’t be put off by the references to the Hebrew and Greek. They are vitally important. You will learn how the translators have ignored words in those languages and not translated them just to help people be homophobic. When there are several possible meanings of Heb and Gk words, they chose the ones that gay bash every single time. They have inserted words that don’t even exist in the Heb and Gk, just to help people become homophobic. Each of these is sinful.

You are welcome to use my article if you wish, so long as you acknowledge the source. It takes about 30 mins to read.

The article can be found at http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/13935.htm

May you feel God really close to you, guiding you each step on this journey. No matter what happens, no matter what people say, God loves you. He really does. You matter to Him and you matter to us.

I’ve been reading materials for about 9 years on this now David…..I had a quick scan…….looks familiar….sure I’ve read it somewhere before.

I’m amazed by the story of Jonathan and David. Why did I not question the nature of that more previously?

I think it was the same for all of us. We may have thought the statement ‘David loved jonathan more than the love of women’ strange but put it down to some strange term who’s meaning was locked in antiquity. Our rigid belief system couldn’t entertain the concept of a biblical patriarch loving someone of the same sex romantically. It is still a problem for some gay christians who have resolved thier sexuality.

its such a huge leap for people I speak with I never mention it……i work on the simple things.

have you seen this on our forum. http://www.freedom2b.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3349

of course it raises the question about his lust for Bathsheba…..its not all cut and dried. Probably lots of cultural issues there I guess. The only way we would ever truly know is to have been there.

that sounds interesting…..I think one of the most intriguing things I’ve read about their relationship was this.

1 Samuel 20:41

“After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with is face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together – but David wept the most.” (NIV)

Other translations have a different ending to the verse:

bullet “…and they kissed one another and wept with one another, until David exceeded.” (KJV)

bullet “…and they kissed one another and wept with one another until David got control of himself.” (Amplified Bible)

bullet “and they sadly shook hands, tears running down their cheeks until David could weep no more.” (Living Bible)

bullet “They kissed each other and wept together until David got control of himself.” (Modern Language)

bullet “They kissed each other and wept aloud together.” (New American Bible)

bullet “Then David and Jonathan kissed each other. They cried together, but David cried the most.” (New Century Version)

bullet “Then they kissed one another and shed tears together, until David’s grief was even greater than Jonathan’s.” (Revised English Bible)

bullet “…and they kissed one another and wept with one another until David recovered himself.” (Revised Standard Version)

The translators of the Living Bible apparently could not handle the thought of two adult men kissing, so they mistranslated the passage by saying that the two men shook hands! This is somewhat less than honest. The original Hebrew text says that they kissed each other and wept together until David became great. The word which means “great” in this passage is “gadal” in the original Hebrew. The same word is used elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures to refer to King Solomon being greater than all other kings. Some theologians interpret “gadal” in this verse as indicating that David had an erection. However, the thoughts of David becoming sexually aroused after kissing Jonathan may have been too threatening for Bible translators. They either deleted the ending entirely or created one of their own.

Certainly something I’d never heard from a Sunday morning pulpit…….. 😳 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆