Some interpret the "men...with other men" clause to be a translation of
the original Greek word for "pederasty" which was commonly practiced at the time
by adult males with male children (often slaves). Thus Paul might have been criticizing
child sexual abuse.
The passage condemns non-procreative sex:
From Paul's era, until today, many people have believed that the only natural, normal
sexual activity was between one man and one woman for the purpose of procreation. Thus
"unnatural" sex would include:
Anyone engaging in sex for pure enjoyment
Married couples who engaged in intercourse even though one or both partners were sterile.
Married couples who had sex even though the woman was not in the fertile part of her
cycle, or was past childbearing years
Perhaps Paul's use of the phrase "para physin" (unnatural) simply meant that
when the
people engaged in same-sex practices, there was no procreative function
to the behavior. Thus, it was unnatural.
The passage refers to dominant/submissive relationships:
Writer Richard Summerbell suggests that this passage may refer to men
who are predominantly heterosexual, but who are involved in:
"... dominant/submissive
relationships or casual sex with younger men or older teens...Most of
the men taking up such relations are married and actively heterosexual
at the same time. The male-male relationships are diversions or, when
taken up by single men, substitutes for heterosexuality. It became
clear to me that surrogate heterosexuality, a type of male- male sex
which in our societies is common in prisons but nowhere else (it is
sometimes referred to as "prison homosexuality") can become so
common in some societies that its practitioners greatly outnumber and
also influence the behavior of those who are actually of a homosexual
orientation." 1
Thus, St. Paul may be writing of men involved in dominant/submissive
relationships and/or of heterosexuals involved in sex with male youths.
Neither has any connection to consensual, committed same-sex adult relationships.
Paul condemns homosexual behavior out of ignorance:
Some religious liberals suggest that Paul is here
declaring his own opinion: that all homosexual behavior is sinful and
unnatural. Many liberals study each biblical passage in detail to
determine if it covers all cultures during all eras, or whether it only refers
to a single culture or a single time period in history. Using this method, they have
rejected many biblical teachings. For example, passages that:
Religious liberals have evolved towards a new understanding of human rights, treating both sexes and people of all sexual
orientations, religions, cultures, etc. with equality. Modern-day liberal Christians are aided by recent findings of human
sexuality research to which Paul did not have access. Thus, Romans 1 may accurately reflect Paul's beliefs; but they are
beliefs that now have to be largely abandoned, as we have already abandoned slavery, dictatorships, theocracies, the oppression
of women, religious intolerance, and many more practices found in the Bible.
A Roman Catholic view:
The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith, " added footnote 18 to their 1975 declaration "Persona
Humana"2 which includes a very different rendering
of Romans 1:26-27:
"...why their women have turned from natural intercourse to unnatural practices
and why their menfolk have given up natural intercourse to be consumed with passion for
each other, men doing shameless things with men and getting an appropriate reward for
their perversion"
Most versions of the Bible start Verse 27 with an expression like: "In the same
way" (NIV, NRSV, NAS) or "in like manner" (Rhiems New
Testament). or "The men also turned" (KJV). Since the men were engaging
in homosexual activities, the "in the same way" phrase would imply that the
women were engaging in lesbian sex.
However, the version that the Pope quoted omits the phrase.
This gives a completely different slant to the entire passage. The men are still having
homosexual relationships, but the women could be merely engaging in some unspecified "unnatural
practices". One can speculate whether these practices were simply
non-traditional, and/or non-procreative heterosexual activities such as heterosexual oral or anal sex,
masturbation, sex with multiple men, sex using contraceptives, etc. They might not have been involved in same-sex
practices at all. Thus, one could argue that the entire Bible may be totally silent on
lesbianism.
"Pope Paul VI approved this Declaration... confirmed it and ordered
its publication." 2
References:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
Richard Summerbell, "Homosexuality and the Integrity of Scripture,"
at: http://members.aol.com/
Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, "Persona Humana:
Declaration on certain questions concerning sexual ethics," 1975-DEC-29,
at:
http://www.newadvent.org
