Sodom and Gomorrah: Destroyed for Homosexuality?

Many Christians believe that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for the sin and acceptance of homosexuality (Stewart). However, a careful reading of Scripture undermines this explanation. In Genesis 13:13, when Sodom is first condemned, Scripture merely says Sodom was wicked and great sinners against God. Later, in 18:20, it says that Sodom’s and Gomorrah’s sin was very grave. So we know the sin was really bad. But was it homosexuality?


In the original Sodom/Gomorrah account, the only reference to sexuality was that the men wanted Lot to give up the angels so they could “know” them. Lot responded by offering his virgin daughters to the men, which they rejected and tried to force the door. There are questions as to the men’s intentions, and some suggest that the men were merely concerned with a violation of the city’s vicious monetary regulations about visitors and guests based on verse 9. Either reading inserts preconceived views on the passage, which is not entirely clear either way. I personally believe the men wanted to rape the angels, based on Scripture’s often sexual connotation of the word “know.” But this reading absolutely cannot and does not support that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for homosexuality. Why?

Rape is forcible and unquestionably a violation of another’s rights, freedoms, and privacy (Rape). Therefore, even if the men of Sodom were intending to rape the angels, this does not at all bring homosexuality itself into question. But even their intentions are irrelevant! Verse 13 explicitly states that God had already decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah – this was why He sent the angels in the first place! So, based upon the Genesis account, Sodom’s sin for which they were punished could not have been their (questionable) desire to rape the angels.

There are many other references to Sodom and Gomorrah throughout Scripture. Abraham wanted God to spare the city, but God challenged Abraham to find even five righteous people, but Abraham couldn’t. Isaiah rails against his culture, likening them to Sodom and Gomorrah, saying that they worshipped false idols, brought sin into the temples, and neglected the poor. The solution for their sin was to learn to “do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause” (1:9-17). Ironically, “sodomy” is not even mentioned. Sodom’s sin is mentioned in Isaiah 3, 13, Jeremiah 23, 49, 50, Lamentations 4, Ezekiel 16, Amos 4, and Zephaniah 2, and the sin most often mentioned was their “pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy, they were haughty” and this was an abomination to God (Ezekiel 16:49-50). Jesus invoked Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of greed and neglect (Matthew 10, 11, Mark 10, 17). Paul showcases Sodom and Gomorrah in his argument for righteousness (Romans 9) and in his defense of God’s mercy in delivering Lot (2 Peter 2:7).

The only passage that mentions sexual impurity is in Jude, saying Sodom and Gomorrah “indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire” (1:7). The first clause “indulged in sexual immorality” is contingent upon the next; it is further defined by the second clause, “and pursued unnatural desire.” However, this is perhaps an over-simplified translation. The original text has “strange flesh.” The word strange, in Greek, means “different.” The word flesh, in Greek, literally means “meat” or “body.” This, coupled with the fact that they were “pursuing” it, lends itself to this interpretation: they had an unnatural infatuation with sexuality, and pursued it in any form. The object of their sexuality was unimportant to them as long as they gratified their sexual desires; they were overcome and controlled by their sexual desires. This interpretation would coincide with Paul’s warning not to be controlled by anything other than the Spirit “of love” (Ephesians 5:18), warnings throughout Scripture against greed and uncontrolled desire, and the Bible’s emphasis on monogamy and faithfulness.

What is absolutely clear is Sodom’s greed in relation to money and possessions to the exclusion and neglect of the poor and needy (Genesis 14, Isaiah 1, 3, 13, Ezekiel 16:49). So it would only make sense to add sexual greed to Sodom’s and Gomorrah’s indictment. Sodom’s and Gomorrah’s worship of their own desires and interests is a form of idolatry, which they’re condemned for in Isaiah 1:9-17. All of Sodom’s and Gomorrah’s sins could be summarized in this manner: They did not care about others; they were concerned only about themselves and their own gratification of their desires. According to Jesus (Matthew 22:37-40), love is the greatest commandment ever uttered. All others stem from and are subservient to this law, the law of love. And love defines God (1 John 4:8). So sin, generally defined as “contrary to God,” must necessarily be defined as un-love. Therefore, when Sodom and Gomorrah are consistently held up as one of history’s most infamous examples of sin and debauchery, one can only assume they were therefore the most infamous example of un-love.

Jesus’ focus was on serving others, and James says (1:27) that true and complete religion (service to God) is helping the poor, needy, and widows. As Ezekiel 16:49-50 makes it clear that Sodom and Gomorrah embodied anti-service to others, sinfulness, and un-love, then homosexuality could not have been the focus of this story. The only clear conclusion we can draw from this story is this: to truly serve God, we must serve others selflessly, sacrificially, and in complete love, looking only for their good. Sodom and Gomorrah have long been used by many Christians to justify intolerance towards homosexuals. These Christians’ usage of this example turns it on its head and preaches the exact opposite. They’ve taken the heart out of Christ’s message of love and used His illustration to fuel their un-love. The Christ they claim to follow has made it crystal clear (using their favorite example) that their suppression of those for whom Christ died is absolutely sinful. And this sin, not homosexuality, was the sin for which Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.





Works Cited

David, Stewart. "Sodom and Gomorrah". Jesus-Is-Savior. 04/27/2010 .

ESV. Wheaton: Good News Publishers, 2002. (All Bible references are from the ESV.)

"Rape - Criminal Law". Find Law - Thompson/Reuters. 04/27/2010 http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/a-z/rape.html.