What does the Bible really say about homosexuality? Less than homophobes would like
June is the month of pride. And it is at this time that debates that set queer people back decades resurface. "The Bible says homosexuality is a sin." Words that are meant to sound like a divine verdict, but in fact reveal deep-seated fear, misunderstanding - and often a willingness to bend beliefs to one's own prejudices. Reading the Bible literally and rapturously can be as dangerous as not reading it at all.
Let's look at what the Bible actually says - and what it cannot say. And why, in a liberal, democratic society built on human rights, we need to stop tolerating the misuse of faith to justify discrimination.
The Bible and homosexuality: what's really there (and what's not)
Let's start with the most basic: the word "homosexuality" does not appear in the Bible at all. It was not even possible for it to be present - in fact, it was not written until the end of the 19th century, at a time when people were beginning to talk about sexual orientation as part of a person's identity. Thus, the authors of the biblical books could not have had any theological or moral teaching about same-sex relationships as we understand them today - that is, as relationships between two free, adult, equal people, based on love and mutuality.
Yet there are several passages that have been interpreted as "proof" of God's condemnation of homosexuality. But this interpretation does not hold up under the scrutiny of historical and linguistic context.
Sodom and Gomorrah? Not about sexuality, but about violence and hospitality
One of the most frequently cited passages is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). The cities are destroyed by God, and traditionally it is said that because of "homosexual sins". But if we read the story carefully, we find that it is an attempted gang rape - an extreme violation of hospitality and violence, not a consensual relationship. Even Jewish tradition (e.g., in Ezekiel 16:49) identifies the real reason for the destruction of Sodom: pride, cruelty, and indifference to the poor, not sexuality.
Leviticus: a law for Israel, not a universal moral code
Other passages come from the book of Leviticus (18:22 and 20:13), "You shall not have intercourse with a man as you have intercourse with a woman." These verses often serve as a proxy argument for the prohibition of same-sex relations. But here too, the cultural context must be understood. This is a set of rules for the ancient nation of Israel, designed to maintain religious and cultural identity - including efforts to control reproduction, purity, and the role of men. Likewise, this book forbids eating blood, wearing a mixture of substances, shaving your beard, or touching a woman during menstruation. These are things that Christians today have long disregarded - so why does same-sex sexuality deserve an exception?
Apostle Paul: a critique of lust, not love
The New Testament offers three problematic passages (Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy 1:10). However, none of them speak of queer identity. In Romans 1, Paul criticizes the excesses and sexual promiscuity of the Gentiles-a critique of willful defiance of God, not a condemnation of loving relationships. The terms he uses (e.g. "arsenokoitai") are often mistranslated today as "homosexuals", but the exact meaning is unclear - it can refer to abuse, prostitution or domination, not to an equal relationship between two people.
Jesus is not talking about queer people - but he is talking about love, acceptance and compassion
The most pivotal figure in Christianity, Jesus Christ, did not say a word about homosexuality. Instead, he repeatedly sided with the marginalized, the despised, and those judged by religious leaders. He spoke of love, of "knowing a tree by its fruit" (Matthew 7:17). And it is the relationships of queer people that often bear the fruit of faithfulness, sacrifice, caring - values that should be at the core of every Christian community.
Faith evolves - as does human knowledge
Resistance to queer people cannot be based on the Bible. It can only rely on fear, tradition, and an unwillingness to update interpretations of the faith. Just as the church has revised its attitudes towards slavery, women, or the role of science in the past, it has an obligation to revise its attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people today. A faith that evolves is not weak. It is mature. And it is that kind of faith that can be liberating.
Faith cannot be a weapon with which we beat minorities. It cannot be an excuse to deny basic human rights. In a democratic society based on the equality and dignity of every individual, there is no place for religious fundamentalism that selectively uses the Bible as a stick.
Pride Month as a challenge and a hope
June as Pride Month is not just a celebration - it is a reminder of the struggle. Queer people struggle with rejection not only from the state or society, but often from their own families and spiritual communities. Yet it is the church that should be a place of comfort, not oppression.
The love of two men, two women or non-binary people is not a sin. It is a form of human union that - like any other - can be filled with trust, fidelity and faith. And if God is love, as Scripture itself affirms (1 John 4:8), then God is not against queer people. He is with them.
June is Pride month. A month to remind ourselves that queer people don't have to wait for permission to be who they are. Not even from society. Or from the church. Nor from anyone who claims to interpret God's will without understanding its nature.
Now is the time for faith to once again become what it is meant to be: a force for freedom, not an instrument of control. And it is time for even those who hide behind "clear biblical truths" to understand that the real truth is not in the scriptures. But in a love that excludes no one.
