The term sodomy derives from the biblical story, but the term and its meaning post-date the bible. It is clear that the bible condemns any type of sexual relations outside of marriage, but the "unnatural" acts referenced in the story of Sodom & Gomorrah and elsewhere probably refer to gay sex. I don't know of anything in the bible that actually condemns anal/oral sex among consenting married adults.
Ok, so why does the bible consider being gay immoral? I'm learning a lot here guys, never read the bible and haven't really ever contemplated religion more than superficially.
Not that I'm against religion or anything,I guess I'm just indifferent, but if they have some awesome explanation as to why being gay is "wrong" then maybe I can be swayed. I don't buy it being unnatural though, it exists in other species and is pretty clearly not a "decision".
Like Sprac said, biblically any sex outside of marriage is a big
. I don't think sodomy refers in any specific way to gay sex. As far as I can tell, sodomy is a group of morally detestable things that were going on at the time in Sodom ie. not housing the needy, forcing yourself upon others, sloth, gluttony, idol worship, at the time. Basically Sodom and Gomorrah (not the cities' real names) and some other towns in the area were involved in all sorts of nasty stuff. I question Lot offering his daughters to these angels so they wouldn't go have orgies with the mobs outside, it goes against my own moral compass, but at least he offered these angels a place to stay so they wouldn't get butt-raped (imo, one of the real sins of Sodom).
The other part of the bible that supposedly really goes after gay sex is Leviticus, but I think that has more to do with it messing up the male-dominated order of society. The rules and regulations given to the Levites were totally manly. Like, women weren't even supposed to be privy to them or know they exist. Not in a bad way to women. That is just how the Levites believed they were supposed to run their crap. Obviously if dudes were hooking up with dudes it would be a) outside of marriage b) equating men with women, and that wouldn't jive with the structure of society, just like a lot of stuff the Levites were instructed to do or not do.
Perhaps the reason that gay sex was considered wrong (if it was) is because it is idolizing pleasure.
Who knows.
I don't think homosexuality is "normal" though. It's definitely not uncommon, or as uncommon as people might have wanted to believe throughout history. Still, in a species where sex is mate fun and attractive for the purpose of making forwarding the species more likely to happen, gay sex doesn't really serve that purpose.
There's probably some inherent need that society has or purpose that gay people serve, to populate the celibate priesthood? Something else?
Lastly, this whole thing about choice is pretty easy, at least imo, to figure out. People definitely don't have a choice as to whether they're attracted sexually to men, women, fat people, beautiful people, etc., but they definitely have a choice whether or not to act on their attraction.
