What the Holy Scriptures of the Church Say About Homosexuality

Old Testament:

Before quoting texts from the book of Leviticus, which contains a condemnation of same-sex love and the punishment for it by death, it is necessary to explain that the biblical texts were compiled at different times and what is written in them reflects the morals, customs and ideas of that era and the people to whom the Revelation was given. Therefore, the forms of punishment for sin used in Jewish society before the birth of Christ cannot be mechanically extended to another time. In chapter 18 of the book of Leviticus, among other prohibitions, it is said that it is impossible to sleep with a man as with a woman: “You shall not lie with a man as with a woman: this is an abomination.” (Lev.18:22). A little lower, this prohibition is repeated with the indication that its violators will be put to death: “If anyone lies with a man as with a woman, then both of them have committed an abomination: they will be put to death, their blood will be on them.” (Lev.20:13). Let us note that in the same chapter of the book of Leviticus, close relationships, adultery and other sins related to the sexual sphere of a person are prohibited. All of them are punished either by death or expulsion from the community. In ancient times, this was a traditional way of protecting the tribe, which allowed it not to leave the historical stage. The taboo system was common in many cultures, and such harsh measures against their violators can be found not only in the Old Testament. The most famous Old Testament story about homosexuality, which introduced the expression “sin of Sodom” into our language, is described in chapters 18 and 19 of the book of Genesis. Homosexuality was extremely widespread in the city of Sodom, and the depraved and dissolute inhabitants wanted to rape the angels who came to the house of righteous Lot. The righteous man tried to protect his guests, but the residents, distraught with lust, tried to break down the door in order to commit the desired sin. After this, the angels struck the inhabitants of the city with blindness, and the next morning they destroyed Sodom, taking Lot’s family with them: “When the dawn rose, the Angels began to hurry Lot, saying: Arise, take your wife and your two daughters that are with you, so that you do not perish for lawlessness of the city. And as he delayed, those men, by the mercy of the Lord towards him, took him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, and brought him out and placed him outside the city... And the Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord on Sodom and Gomorrah from heaven, and overthrew these cities, and all the surrounding countryside, and all the inhabitants of these cities, and the growth of the earth. (Genesis 19:15, 24 - 25).” Of course, a Christian should not think that the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were the greatest sinners in human history. Christ warns against such a point of view, but the severity of punishment for homosexuality, as well as for other serious unrepentant sins, leaves no doubt that a Christian cannot consider homosexuality a variant of the sexual norm and justify them. Confirmation of this can be found in the texts of the New Testament.

In the ranks of some church ministers and believers, for whom the word is more important than the spirit of Holy Scripture, there is a desire to pay exaggerated attention to bodily sin and, in general, restrictions in the area of ​​sexual life.

This limited puritanism risks turning into an obsession, turned into convulsive sermons (it is pointless to give examples, since this phenomenon is quite widespread) or into other manifestations in which all sorts of details associated with the “sin of debauchery” emerge again and again with painful insistence. And homosexuality is given a “privileged” place in these speeches.

I am far from being an interpreter of the Bible today. And I believe that no one has the right to choose from Christian teaching only what suits him. I also believe that it is homophobic hysteria with a religious overtone (homosexuality is propaganda for human degradation) that represents a case of perverted interpretation and taking individual biblical verses out of context. As you can see, the Bible rarely talks about homosexuality, but even in these cases it is not about an innate sexual orientation that is inseparable from the essence of man, but rather about a vice that is a consequence of distance from God. So. St. Apostle Paul (Epistle to the Romans 1. 26-27) speaks of the “sinful passions” to which the pagans were doomed as punishment for lack of faith. The expressions “replaced natural use with unnatural” and “leaving natural use” suggest a deliberate deviation from generally accepted rules. We can assume that we are talking about ritual prostitution or the “delusion” of people who, “having exhausted natural pleasures, set out on an unknown path,” which means what we call today “pseudo-homosexuality.” In any case, the issue must be seen in context: just a few lines below (29-31) a comprehensive description of sinners is given, namely: “slanderers, haters of God, offenders, self-praisers ... unloving, unmerciful.”

In addition, recent scientific research reveals errors in the translation and interpretation of those fragments of the Bible that deal with homosexuality. For example, a particularly favorite argument in the dispute is the legend of “the severe punishment to which God subjected the inhabitants of Sodom” supposedly “for the crime of sodomy.”

But as such, the term "sodomy" was not used by biblical writers. It appears in later translations of the Bible, indicating the church's desire to establish a term that is not descriptive, but accusatory. The only object of biblical reference is the city of Sodom, whose image is variable, ranging from divine punishment and justice, expressed in the destruction of the city, to a poisoned land. It is also not very clear what kind of crime the residents of this city were guilty of. The authors of the Old Testament most often speak of pride and arrogance coupled with inhospitality towards God's messengers. In the New Testament, the destruction of Sodom is associated with God's punishment, the Apostle Peter adds “uncleanness” (2 Peter 2.10); A few verses later in the same letter, the Apostle Peter adds “their eyes shine with lust” (which can REFER not only to homosexuals, but also to heterosexuals).

Finally, the term “sodomy” denotes a geographical space condemned to destruction due to the explosive mixture of ingratitude before God, inhospitality and arrogance of its inhabitants. This interpretation of the biblical episode “Sodom and Gomorrah” was mainly shared by Latin interpreters of the Bible in the first centuries after Christ.

However, although many theologians equate the sin of Sodom with homosexuality, a closer look at the biblical word should correct this ignorance. In Message 18, God wants to announce his decision through two angels that he sends to Sodom; Abraham's nephew invites them to spend the night. Message 19 says that residents from all quarters surround his house, demanding to see his children. to get to know them. The Hebrew word "yadha" is usually used to mean "to know completely." It can also mean the intention of children's identification documents. or in rare cases the word may have a sexual connotation. Next, Lot tries to protect the guests by offering his daughters to the excited crowd.

Several remarks immediately arise. First, the intention to destroy the city was expressed before the inhabitants of Sodom desired to “know” the guests. Secondly, all the inhabitants of Sodom took part in the “assault” on Lot’s house, while we do not know of any culture in which the majority of people were homosexuals. Thirdly, Lot’s proposal to replace children with daughters indicates that there were still people of heterosexual orientation before him. Fourth, if the problem is related to sex, then why didn't God also kill Lot when he offered his daughters to the crowd? And, most importantly, why don't other Bible passages that mention this incident address the issue of homosexuality?

And therefore, in my opinion, in general, none of the church’s arguments against homosexuality can withstand heretical analysis. All religious motives here are nothing more than the result of blind belief. And the cited sources are just a mask used to hide one’s prejudices behind it. The famous theologian Nicholas Steinhardt rightly spoke about “the impudence with which the love of Christ and virtue are associated with sexual abstinence, as if the carnal sin were the only one, and failure to commit it would give full right and official permission to do all the others with a clear conscience: arrogance, anger, greed."

And yet, love, even “different”, is always better than cruelty and callousness. Moreover, modern homosexual Christians define their essence as the fruit of God's mercy. They admit that from the moment they “came to terms” they felt happier, healthier, more helpful, friendly, more peaceful, closer to others and closer to God.

And faith is a deeply personal question that everyone decides for themselves. So does sexual orientation. Every believer is free to reconcile his erotic needs with spiritual ones. as he sees fit. We are convinced that this is possible by the lives of gay Christian thinkers, such as Julien Greene and Cardinal J. H. Newman. J. M. Hopkins, and others.

New Testament

Christianity took its first steps during the heyday of the Roman Empire. In the 1st century, Rome was a civilization with established ethical principles, among which there was no condemnation of homosexuality. There were rumors about Gaius Julius Caesar that he was burning with passion for one of the young men; in the works of Roman historians one can find condemnation of some emperors for unbridled lust, for relations with boys or blood relatives, but it was not homosexuality itself that was condemned, but rather intemperance and immoderation in vices. Historians talk about the heterosexuality of Octavian Augustus rather as an exception to the rule. Under these conditions, the young Church had to tell Christians about the inadmissibility of adultery, same-sex relationships and other sins common in Roman society. In his Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul warns believers about the inadmissibility of unnatural behavior in the sexual sphere: “Therefore God gave them over to shameful passions: their women exchanged what was natural for what was unnatural; “Likewise, men, abandoning the natural use of the female sex, were inflamed with lust for one another, men committing shame on men and receiving in themselves the due retribution for their error. And because they did not care to have God in their minds, God gave them over to a depraved mind—to do lewd things” (Rom. 1:26-28). The Apostle Paul directly connects same-sex relationships with the depravity of human consciousness and advises Christians not to defile their minds and bodies or commit such sins. In another message, homosexuality is included in the list of vices and offenses that hinder human salvation: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wicked people, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11) The doors of churches are not closed to a person who repents of any sin, but at the same time, a Christian cannot consider same-sex relationships to be a type of norm, much less demand a church blessing for a homosexual union. This does not mean that a believer should insult a gay person, a thief, or a drunkard. When condemning sin, a Christian should always treat the sinner with love and compassion.

Homosexuality, the Bible and Genetics

Homosexuality is mentioned in the Bible as early as the Book of Genesis, which describes the early history of the world. Most likely, it was first legalized in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. History knows other examples of societies in which homosexuality was accepted as the norm. Despite this, the world largely recognized it as a sin and an aberration.

Everything changed in the 20th century. Then gay activists launched a massive attack on public opinion in the United States, and then in other countries, with the goal of changing it in their favor. This struggle has borne fruit. A number of traditionally Christian states have legalized same-sex marriage. Even gay churches have appeared.

Common arguments put forward by homosexuals themselves and those who support them:

• Does your sex life really matter to God? Doesn't He have more important things to do?
• Homosexuals cannot be blamed for their behavior because they were born that way
• Social pressure forces gays to exhibit marginal behavior. Therefore, they need to be given equal rights with everyone else.

How should believers treat gays? Does the Bible really call homosexuality a sin? Should society recognize it as normal? Let's answer these and other questions from a biblical perspective.

Is homosexuality a sin?

You shall not lie with a man as with a woman: it is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22)

Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor fools, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

These and other passages of Scripture directly and unequivocally call homosexuality a sin. Why?

According to the Bible, a family is a union of a man and a woman. One of the goals of this union is procreation.

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 1:27,28)

Homosexual couples do not meet any of these conditions. From a biblical perspective, this type of relationship is unhealthy. They do not correspond to the original plan of the Creator.

One might object: “When the Bible was written, science was not as advanced as it is now. They didn’t know then that homosexuality is an innate characteristic and not a person’s choice.” Let's talk about this.

The Myth of Innate Homosexuality

Until 1973, homosexuality in the United States was considered a mental disorder. What changed? That year, the American Psychiatric Association removed it from its list of mental disorders.

This happened under pressure from the gay community. Activists regularly rioted, even to the point of storming an Association meeting in 1971 with their demands. Preparations for a coup were also underway within itself. As it turned out later, the president of the Association was himself a homosexual, and together with his supporters he was developing a plan to replace key people in the leadership of the organization.

Later, scientific studies began to appear that confirmed that homosexuality is innate. Accusing a person of being gay or lesbian is the same as discriminating against them based on the color of their skin. Now LGBT activists have an unbreakable argument. But is it?

Later studies did not identify the “homosexuality gene” and found no differences in the structure of the brains of homosexuals and heterosexuals. For example, the authors of one study conducted in 2012 state: “We found no evidence of an association between sexual identity and SNPs on the X chromosome in men, women, or the whole genomic sample.” (Genome-Wide Association Study of Sexual Orientation in a Large, Web-based Cohort; EM Drabant, AK Kiefer, N. Eriksson, JL Mountain, U. Francke, JY Tung, DA Hinds, CB Do; 123andMe, Inc.)

The authors of a special report published in The New Atlantis in 2021 summarize: the understanding of sexual orientation as an innate, biologically determined and fixed trait - the idea that people are “born this way” - is not supported by science.

The Bible and genetics

Interestingly, the Bible distinguishes between innate and acquired qualities of a person. For example, in the Book of Jeremiah it is written:

Can an Ethiopian change his skin and a leopard his spots? (Jeremiah 13:23)

However, she argues that a person can stop being homosexual. Look at the following text:

For it is enough that in the past time of your life you acted according to the will of the pagans, indulging in impurities, lusts [sodomy, bestiality, thoughts], drunkenness, excess in food and drink and absurd idolatry; why they marvel that you do not share with them in the same debauchery, and speak evil of you (1 Peter 4:3,4)

The Apostle Peter literally says that some of the believers used to engage in sodomy (homosexuality), but now do not participate in it. They were changed by coming to Christ. There is hope in this for those who want to break free from the homosexual lifestyle. The truth sets everyone free, and its name is Jesus Christ.

Health Hazards

The Holy Scriptures warned about the harmful consequences of homosexuality long before they were scientifically substantiated. In the Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul speaks of the moral decay of society:

...their women replaced natural use with unnatural one; likewise men also, abandoning the natural use of the female sex, were inflamed with lust for one another, men committing disgrace on men, and receiving in themselves the due recompense for their error (Romans 1:26,27)

He calls homosexuality a delusion and speaks of the retribution that those who practice it receive. They receive this retribution “in themselves.”

Today we know that the AIDS epidemic began among homosexuals. Until now, men who practice same-sex sexual intercourse are at high risk for this disease. Thus, in 2007, infection through homosexual contacts became the main method of HIV transmission in Europe (according to the Annual epidemiological report on communicable diseases in Europe. ECDC 2009, p. 65). However, HIV/AIDS is not the only threat to the LGBT community.

Homosexuals are at risk of developing diseases associated with anal sex. These are various diseases of the large and small intestines and genitourinary shigellosis. In addition, they have an increased risk of developing autoimmune infertility due to the formation of antisperm antibodies.

In addition to physical illness, members of the LGBT community demonstrate a high risk of suicide. Gay activists attribute this to the negative attitude of society. However, statistics say the opposite. Even in countries with a climate tolerant of homosexuality, suicide rates remain elevated.

Overall, the average life expectancy of gay men is almost half that of married heterosexual men (Fields, Dr. E. “Is Homosexual Activity Normal?” Marietta, GA).

How to react to gays?

From the biblical point of view, attitude towards manifestations of homosexuality is a marker of the moral state of society. In the already mentioned Sodom and Gomorrah, moral decay reached its peak. Homosexuality was not just the norm; he was militant. Scripture tells about two angels who, in the guise of strangers, came to Lot in Sodom to save him from the punishment coming to the city. The male population of the city gathered at his door demanding that strangers be brought to them in order to commit sexual violence against them.

Of course, today LGBT activists do not promote their ideas through violence. They use advertising and propaganda in the media, political and legislative lobbies for this. You don't want to marry gays? We will sue you for human rights violations. Don't you allow gay pride parades? We will not give your country money.

Their pressure causes aggression from opponents of homosexuality. It is expressed in different forms - from open attacks on gays to fighting them using their own methods in the political, legislative and information spheres.

How should a believer, who is commanded to love his neighbor, react to homosexuals? Should they be branded? Or accept it and let them “be themselves”? Neither one nor the other.

Homosexuality is a sin. You can't put up with him. But a homosexual is a person who commits a sin. In relation to a person, one must fulfill the commandment of love for one's neighbor. Therefore, believers should not hate gays, but this does not mean that they should accept homosexuality as the norm.

Christians should be willing to offer people who are in similar troubles a way out. The modern church needs specialists who work with homosexuals who could help them find freedom.

Why does God care about my sex life?

Advocates for same-sex relationships often ask this question. In their opinion, it is absurd to think that almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, cares about such “little things.” But is it?

The Bible shows God to be involved in every aspect of a person's life. We can say that the center of His attention is us people.

The Lord looks down from heaven and sees all the sons of men; from the throne on which He sits, He looks down on all who live on earth: He created the hearts of them all and considers all their deeds (Psalm 32:13-15)

God created man in His image and likeness. He calls Himself our Heavenly Father. He is interested in everything we do. When it comes to intimacy, the Bible—it will be surprising to many to learn—talks about it along with other topics.

A person’s sex life is not a trifle at all. Scripture calls for purity in this area as well as in others.

Summary

The purpose of homosexual propaganda is to make society doubt the traditional values ​​of family and morality, and to impose sexual deviations as the norm. Therefore, today it is more important than ever to defend the Christian view of family and gender relations. A believer needs to develop a strong immunity to lies. Only the truth of God's Word can provide such immunity.

The attitude of the Church Fathers to homosexuality

In the vast patristic literature, it is not easy to find texts specifically devoted to same-sex relationships, which is caused by the amazing care and responsibility of the Fathers, their common desire not to tempt readers with savoring seductive details or unwittingly teach them such a sin that they had no idea about and not find themselves in the role seducers. So Rev. John Climacus sometimes, speaking about various types of fornication, stops and limits himself only to: let the reader understand, and if not, then so much the better. Nevertheless, the Fathers, teaching beginners the science of sciences, the way to combat passions and lusts, do not bypass this passion. The same “Ladder” describes a subtle example when one demon casts out another: how quarrels and irritability cured two monks from their unnatural attraction to each other. “The Fatherland” tells about a handsome desert youth who dived into lime in order to disfigure himself and not be a temptation to his fellow men. Church canons, designed to regulate, including disciplinary, the life of the Church, clearly indicate that a sodomite cleric must be defrocked, and a layman cannot be a member of the Church without long-term repentance. Rule 7 of St. Basil the Great prescribes a 30-year period of repentance for homosexuals and adulterers: “Sodomy and bestialists, and murderers, and poisoners, and adulterers, and idolaters are worthy of the same condemnation. Therefore, observe the rule that you have about others, also about these; and about the acceptance of those who repented for thirty years of uncleanness, which they committed in ignorance, we should not have doubted.” Rule 7 of Gregory of Nyssa provides for adultery and homosexuality with excommunication from communion for more than 12 years. Other ancient church rules are equally harsh, requiring many years of sincere repentance. Another thing is that these terms are not mandatory and can be reduced in the case of sincere repentance of a Christian and renunciation of serious sin. Over time, the periods of penance have been reduced, but this does not mean that the Church’s attitude towards sin itself has become more liberal. We are talking only about leniency towards human weakness, about not leaving a person in trouble. Let us remember that the earthly Church consists not of saints, but of sinful people, and over the long history of Christianity, among the laity, priests and bishops, unworthy people who are susceptible to this sin have been and are encountered. They were banned from serving, called to repentance, and in extreme cases, they were defrocked and excommunicated from the Church.

Why does the church bully gays, but does not consider it violence? Battle of believers against LGBT

Editor's note: this material was created as an attempt to at least simulate the dialogue between the characters in the text. In real life, a traditional Orthodox Christian speaks about LGBT people either with contempt or in the context of a homophobic joke. In response to this, gays and lesbians often cannot take different religions seriously - why accept a community that wants to fix your “flaws” or get rid of you? We assembled a company of a heterosexual priest; gay and lesbian believers and a guy who identified himself as LGBT and renounced the church. They answered our questions separately and did not see each other's comments. It turned out that where some talk about the Church’s violence against people, others believe that there is no problem. Where the former are convinced of their sinfulness, the latter consider same-sex relationships to be sodomy on a par with pedophilia. To keep the experiment clean, we further leave people’s answers without editorial comments.

Oleg Agafonov, gay, atheist:

Oleg Agafonov

“The essence of the church, faith and religion is violence against oneself and the suppression of “sins”, which, in essence, are manifestations of personality. I myself was once an active member of a religious community professing Christianity. Since childhood, I observed all fasts and dry Fridays (days without food or water), began and ended every day with prayer, and once a week went to listen to sermons at the community prayer house. I sincerely believed in my sinfulness and the need for repentance and correction.

Then I couldn’t even think that I was not a heterosexual person. But somehow I had contact with a man - naturally, I strongly condemned myself, I wanted “God to save me from these desires.” And, of course, I cried a lot out of despair or “repentance.” After the first sex, I even made a fire and burned condoms in it, promising that I would never have sex again. But over time I realized that I would not be “healed.” And I began to look critically at everything I was taught. Now I don't feel the need for faith or religion. I am disappointed in it and the way it is aimed at suppression and self-deception."

John, Orthodox priest, heterosexual:

John

“I treat an LGBT person like any stranger who rides next to me in a subway car. Unless he is trying to read my correspondence with my wife out of the corner of his eye: here, excuse me, he will already become unpleasant to me. After all, initially I don’t know anything about his orientation, unless he (or she herself) wants to tell me (or the whole carriage) about it. The Orthodox Church is not at all “as actively anti-LGBT” as they say.

I know a young man who is attracted to men. He is a believing Orthodox Christian, and educated and zealous. He does not enter into intimate relationships with males and does not build any relationships with guys. He has no problems with society, or with the Church, or with anyone. There is no need to assume that he is unhappy because of this. He is happy. He was able to rise above his passions."

Igor Ivanov, Christian, homosexual:

Igor Ivanov

“Growing up in the Soviet Union, there was simply no accessible information about sexuality. I knew my desires and fantasies, but for a long time it did not occur to me to connect this with homosexuality. I considered myself somehow different, broken. Of course, self-pathologization and fear of one’s own desires did not lead to anything good: I grew up as a nervous child.

With perestroika and Adragenne, everything began to change very quickly. I became involved in the Greek Catholic community as a teenager, and the Christian faith became a central part of my identity. But sexuality was not discussed there - I lived for another three or four years without trying on the word “gay” to apply to myself. Of course, I fell in love and suffered, completely unaware of what I was doing and why. One day while praying, it dawned on me: everything I had read about the League of Sexual Minorities (the first LGBT initiative in Belarus) and about homosexuality in general applied to me. I was in shock. I left the youth community and for a long time existed automatically and secretly, not understanding how I could live normally with this discovery.

At 21, I went to London to study to become a priest—the standard choice for gay Catholic boys.

The people I lived with there understood everything well. It was a loving and caring community, so they played along with me for as long as I pretended to be.

At the beginning of the theology course, the teacher, a nun, was the first person with whom I had a deep conversation about what I was experiencing and thinking about my sexuality. Then I came across books by the English theologian James Alison, which left no stone unturned in my fears, desire to hide and reluctance to tell the truth. It was important to become acquainted with the British LGBT Catholic organization Quest - I saw an example of how gays can live honestly and increase their faith. And at the end of my studies, I abandoned plans to become a priest, so as not to suffer myself and not create problems for others.”

Yana, a lesbian believer:

“I grew up in a nominally Orthodox family, where we only went to church on Easter. After school, I talked to Baptists, started reading the Bible, learning about Christianity - and realized that all this was close to me. Around this time, I realized that I was a lesbian. My feelings for a close friend were more romantic than friendly. And when we started our relationship, it became clear that I had never felt this way about guys.

But I never got around to “really” joining any church. I went to different Bible readings, to different churches, but at the sermons I heard homophobic things, so I understood that I couldn’t stay there. Once, when asked to go to a service, she replied that there was no point in inviting me, because I was in a relationship with a woman - and I didn’t consider it a sin. In response, they told me that they would pray for me to see my sin and learn the truth. On the one hand, I was very angry. On the other hand, it was very easy, because I didn’t hide anything anymore.”

Oleg Agafonov, LGBT atheist:

“When I came out to my family, they told me that they loved me in any way, but they believed that “sodomy” was a sin and a deviation from the norm. I still have a lot of unlived anger and anger towards my parents. I think my suicidal thoughts have something to do with this. Sometimes I get very angry at myself and my family for existing at all. But such feelings are also normal, and they pass. In their place come calmness and acceptance.

I realized that all normativity is very harmful. And also that religion is extremely powerless against nature, since in 21 years I could not be cured either by the Bible, or by fasting, or by prayers. I know there are LGBT believers. I understand that people do not always have the resource to understand complex things and it is easier to live in what they are used to, slightly adapting the faith to suit themselves. But at the same time, I see hypocrisy in their views, because the position of Christianity and the Bible is very homophobic. Although, if for someone there is a great resource in faith and in the Bible, and it helps them live a full and happy life, I have no right to devalue it.”

John, Orthodox priest, heterosexual:

“The LGBT problem is too exaggerated: no one is infringing on their rights. In principle, no one cares what they do in their bedroom. But when it comes to outright propaganda, one should not be surprised at the negative reaction of some people. There is no question at all about allowing the teaching of LGBT ideas in kindergartens and schools, as is practiced in a number of countries. It is unacceptable. And I believe that my children and grandchildren will not see this.

Who are they organizing parades in honor of? In honor of the winners. We don’t have parades of large families or faithful husbands. And they don’t need it: people live calmly, take care of their family happiness. Why does anyone suddenly need gay pride parades? What victory will they celebrate? Or is it absolutely not enough for them to “carefully preserve their feelings”, but they need to throw out something artificial and vulgar for show? Sorry, we don't need this.

A recent incident in Poland answers many questions: a young guy with a crucifix in his hands went to an LGBT parade, the participants of which carried an image of the Virgin Mary in an indecent form. He came out to make them think about what they were doing. Are you coming? Well, go ahead. Why mock the Virgin Mary? The police captured this young man. I don’t know how things are now, but then he was detained (the police walking ahead of the parade carried the guy to the lawn - Note KYKY). Such is the freedom to express one’s feelings.”

Valentin Tishko, priest of the Greek Autocephalous Orthodox Church, gay:

Valentin Tishko

“It was hard when I left to study at the seminary. On the one hand, I understood that I was gay and I liked boys. On the other hand, the church says that this is wrong. I was scared. I understood that I didn’t want to turn off the path of faith, but there was also no turning anywhere from the second path.

There was a moment when I took off my cross because I was ashamed to wear it before God. But then one of my seminarian colleagues said: “God has much more important questions than who sleeps with whom.” Over time, I developed contacts with representatives of other churches - and the realization came that I was not the only one who faced such a dilemma - there are hundreds and thousands of us around the world. Then I accepted myself and hung the cross around my neck again.

In confessions, I always openly said that I have feelings for men and I don’t know what to do with them. Naturally, the priests responded to the official policy of the church - this is a sin and must be fought against. They gave textbook advice - you don’t need to sleep with guys, you need to look for a girl, and if that doesn’t work out, take celibacy. And I decided to take celibacy for a year. Then I talked to another priest. He said: “The world does not stand still. Celibacy was invented in dinosaur times. And human physiology is such that if it is not given an outlet, it can come back to haunt one’s health.” As a result, I came to the conclusion that I am still a person, and that I also need relationships.”

Yana, a lesbian believer:

At the very beginning of my acceptance, in my prayers I asked God to give me a sign if this was still a sin. But then I already knew about queer theology - so I never tried to “cure” my homosexuality and never talked about it in confession. I don’t see much difference between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in this sense. I sometimes thought about progressive churches, but so far there are none in Belarus. I don't think it makes sense to choose the lesser of two evils.

John, Orthodox priest, heterosexual:

“We first need to address the issues of real domestic violence and bullying. We need to help those who become victims of violence. We would like to begin to actively convey to people that skin color, eye shape, weight, education or lack of education, level of material security is not a reason for ridicule and stupid jokes on people. That we are all children of God. And we all must love.

If the Orthodox Church does not say anything about LGBT people and does not protect representatives of this community, then it is involved in psychological and physical violence towards these people? No.

The Church is against any violence. And if you want, an Orthodox person will defend anyone if he really is a Christian. If on the street I see a strangely dressed guy or girl being attacked, then as a Christian I will have to protect him or her. And LGBT people have absolutely nothing to do with it.

“Be apostles of Love!” - this is the calling of any Christian. We are here to love, not to label or judge people. I hope my daughter will grow up to be a believing Christian who will love all people regardless of their race, nationality, religion or other views. And I pray that she will marry a worthy guy whom she will love with all her heart, and he will love her.”

Oleg Agafonov, LGBT atheist:

“Living in a situation where postulates convince you that you are somehow different is difficult. This is life under constant gunfire. I've read that Palestinians are several times more likely to suffer from mental illness than their neighbors, the Israelis. The only thing that distinguishes these two peoples is occupation. This is a good analogy for the situation of the LGBT community.”

Igor Ivanov, Christian, homosexual:

“I constantly remind myself that the Catholic Church is a huge organism in which there is a place for taciturn saints and loud crooks. The church hierarchy can make mistakes in specific decisions, then it changes them. Now I am not particularly involved in the life of the church community - existing on the outskirts of religion is quite tolerable for me. But in my experience, the harsher the attitude toward LGBT people and the stronger the church's grip on society, the more likely LGBT people are to reject the opportunity to combine faith and their own sexuality.

When LGBT people don’t have to struggle in a hostile society, they don’t have to be afraid and ashamed, they calmly go about their everyday lives, just like their heterosexual neighbors. Of course, gays and lesbians face the same challenges as the rest of society. But these challenges - mental illness, self-hatred, self-obsession - are much more likely if LGBT people are forced to live in fear for their safety and in shame. When gays and lesbians are forced into forced marriages, their unwitting victims are their spouses and children. It’s not LGBT’s fault – it’s heteronormative society’s fault.”

Valentin Tishko, priest of the Greek Autocephalous Orthodox Church, gay:

“For me, the church is a community of people, in its Old Testament sense of the word. I cannot separate myself from the community, so for me God, faith and church are synonymous. But I, for example, did not join the progressive part of Judaism, which accepts gays. Orthodoxy is still closer to me. Therefore, I chose the Greek Autocephalous Orthodox Church, whose bishop I met at the forum of LGBT Christians in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.”

Yana, a lesbian believer:

“Constantly hearing that you are not like that is difficult and alarming. Although this is enough outside the church. Homophobia is everywhere, unfortunately - you are afraid to open up to your loved ones, you are afraid that they will find out at work. I also realized that the Church can also make mistakes - for example, I recently learned that only at the beginning of the 20th century, at a Church Council, the Orthodox decided that the deaf have a soul.

But even if people in the church don’t accept me now, I still believe in God and believe that people come to Christianity not for the sake of people, but in order to be saved. I think God judges me for many things, but definitely not for my sexuality.”

Igor Ivanov, Christian, homosexual:

“If a law against propaganda is signed in Belarus, the consequences are not difficult to predict. Something similar (Section 28) was in effect in the UK until 2003. The article was canceled - not only because of its inconsistency with human rights, but also because it was not in the interests of the whole society.

Belarusian Christians are campaigning for a law copied from the Russian one. This is already six years old - and I think few people will argue that Russia has become cleaner and holier during this time. But we know that Russian courts refuse to punish crimes motivated by homophobic hatred. We know that Chechen guys went underground because Kadyrov’s men threw their friends into prison on suspicion of homosexuality and extorted contacts of other gays. Is this how we want to see Belarus?

The entire history of our Christianity is a search for tolerant coexistence of different communities and ideas. Now we see his completely different appearance: demonstrating his muscles, throwing himself at the feet of secular authorities. This is a strange form of militant religion for Belarus, a kind of Christian Wahhabism. And there’s nothing native about this.”

John, Orthodox priest, heterosexual:

“It is worth distinguishing between real genetic characteristics (there are very few such people) and perversions when people want to be with everyone, everywhere and everyone. The issue of parades and active propaganda is primarily about the latter. Doesn't anyone know that there are LGBT people? Everyone already knows that they exist. Even the Bible says this. I see no reason for them to shout about their existence. I don't need everyone to know about my love with my wife. The two of us are enough.

And we are not interested in the opinion and awareness of society on this issue.

At the same time, the idea of ​​collecting signatures from believers [against LGBT propaganda] seems strange to me, because there are more pressing problems that require our attention. Well, the organizers of this action give the LGBT community an opportunity to talk about some kind of aggression towards them. But let's be honest: those who collect signatures have a legal right to do so.

I can't judge people. God does not give such a right to man. But God's Judgment will be over everyone. And we wish everyone salvation. And we pray for everyone. But to follow Christ, to keep His commandments or not, is everyone’s choice.”

Oleg Agafonov, LGBT atheist:

“I’m tired of the believers who condemn me and collect signatures against LGBT propaganda. I don’t want to share common space with them and negotiate. If I had a resource, I would actively defend my values, but I don’t. I don't like that they want to violate my rights. They commit violence and that is their responsibility.”

Valentin Tishko, priest of the Greek Autocephalous Orthodox Church, gay:

“In general, only the Moscow Patriarchate and several such dinosaurs as Metropolitan Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz have a negative attitude towards LGBT people. The rest are simply afraid of the reaction and prefer to remain silent. Moreover, there are many representatives of the LGBT community in the religious community. Including bishops, metropolitans, patriarchs.

I once promised Kondrusiewicz that if he didn’t calm down, I would make public a list containing 50 names of gay priests.

But, apparently, he was not very scared - he forgot that in the 21st century information spreads very quickly. By the way, Italian LGBT Christians already acted in a similar way in the 70s. The Metropolitan of Catholics said that reprisals against gays would begin. Then activists came to see him and brought a list of 182 names of priests who lived openly with the guys. And they said: “You probably already know about this. But if you don’t stop, we will publish the list with all the evidence.” As a result, Italy was forced to soften its attitude. And recently the Vatican obliged everyone to create a commission for the churching of LGBT people. But here, as usual, everything was turned upside down - and Kondrusiewicz proposed creating “clubs” for gays, following the example of Alcoholics Anonymous clubs. But I immediately answered him that the “club of anonymous gays” has existed at churches for as long as the church itself has existed in the world. And they meet periodically - so to speak, pour out their souls to each other.”

Yana, a lesbian believer:

“I’m still scared to think that there will be a law against propaganda in Belarus. This is an unconstitutional law that can be used to harm any people. The concepts of “propaganda” are so vague that, if desired, anything can be attached to them - as we see in the example of Russia. To prevent this from happening, people must protect themselves in any way within the legal framework: debate, education, actions and lawsuits... Slowly and surely - but I hope that love will win.”

The modern attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards homosexuality

In the “Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church,” Section 9 of Chapter 12 is devoted to the problem of homosexuality, which states that same-sex relationships cannot be recognized as a “variant of the norm”: “In treating people with homosexual inclinations with pastoral responsibility, the Church at the same time time resolutely resists attempts to present a sinful tendency as a “norm,” and even more so as a source of pride and an example to follow.
That is why the Church condemns all propaganda of homosexuality. Without denying anyone the fundamental rights to life, respect for personal dignity and participation in public affairs, the Church, however, believes that persons who promote a homosexual lifestyle should not be allowed to teach, educate and other work among children and youth, as well as occupy leadership positions in the army and correctional institutions.” While unequivocally condemning homosexuality as a sin, the Church recognizes the right of homosexuals to personal respect and participation in society. The document does not call for violent actions against homosexuals or for the need to reinstate criminal charges for same-sex relationships among adults. Another thing is that the Church, protecting a person from the propaganda of sin or possible violence, asks that people who openly declare their homosexual orientation cannot work in schools, universities, or be commanders in the army or correctional institutions. Homosexual relations of a spouse are grounds for church divorce. Homosexual relationships after baptism are a canonical obstacle to the priesthood; in the Orthodox Church it is forbidden to ordain homosexuals who sin secretly, not to mention “openly gays,” which has recently become the norm for the Anglican and a number of Protestant churches in the USA and Europe. In other words, the Church does not condone violence or humiliation against gays, does not offend their human dignity, but strives to protect society from the spread of vice and the erosion of the concept of the norm. Prepared by Andrey ZAYTSEV

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