Homosexuality and Eating Shrimp: What Does the Bible Say?

Same-sex marriage is in the news. That’s partly the result of various national-level religious liberty debates stemming from Christian photographers, florists and bakers conscientiously declining to participate in homosexual marriage ceremonies – and the lawsuits that they’ve had to face.

With all the conversation on the topic, I’m sure this has happened to many of you: you’re online, reading articles on these stories, when you decide to read the comments section.

“Sure Leviticus says homosexuality is a sin; but it also says eating shellfish and wearing clothes made out of different types of thread are sin. Christians sure like to cherry-pick their verses!”

What does the Bible say?

While Christian teaching on the subject of sexuality has been consistent for almost 2,000 years, revisionist theologians started challenging its basic tenets in the mid-1950s. Fast-forward to today’s society, and these arguments have become mainstream and are commonly used in entertainment, conversations over the dinner table and the blogosphere. This shift by the culture is even pressuring many churches to reconsider and amend their official views on sexuality, furthering the confusion.

The team at Focus on the Family has put together free resources designed to help give Christians Bible-based clarity on issues related to homosexuality. The three booklets, “How Should We Respond?,” “Understanding Male Homosexuality,” and “What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?” will give readers a thorough understanding of the topic and equip them to respond with confidence to questions about these important issues.

You can download these Thriving Values resources online.