Sodomy Law and Religion Influences

A sodomy law is a law makes in 1533 by adopting contemporary church doctrine and follows by mostly the western people during the England withdrawal from the Catholic Church, which makes certain sexual acts into sex crimes. The term sodomy has in the past been used to refer to any deviant sexual act, often deemed so because such does not lead to procreation; for those who found violated from the sodomy law may caused themselves a death penalty.

This sodomy law has a close relation with the second factor of barrier for people to accept lesbians or homosexuals in human community of which is the forbidden of god under Christianity and Judaism. Sodomy is a word derives from the name of the ancient city of Sodom, which was a city destroyed by God for its sins that can be found in the common interpretation of the Bible. It is known among the Christian and Judaism that God strictly hate fags or God strictly forbid homosexuality.

This is because according to the book of Genesis chapter 18 verse 20 until chapter 19 verse 29in the Old Testament of the NIV Bible has clearly noted about the story God destroyed the city of Sodom and Gomorrah; and do not have sexual relation with a man as you have with a woman, that's detestable is stated in Leviticus chapter 18 verse 22 to discourage people having the homosexual relation.

In addition according to the New Testament from NIV Bible, under the book of Roman 1:26-27 mention that therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for natural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

An even more clear view about God hates homosexual relationship is noted as do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral not idolaters not adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.(1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9-10 from the New Testament of the NIV Bible)

Lastly in the book of Jude it mention again regarding to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, as in verse 7 it state that in a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude verse 7 from the New Testament of the NIV Bible).

On the other hand, both Taoism and Buddhism do not forbid exclusive homosexuality. Taois is usually stressed upon the relationship between yin and yang of which are the two opposing forces which maintain harmony through balance. Yin is about all things that are feminine and yang is all things that are masculine. Therefore heterosexuality is a physical and emotional embodiment of the harmonious balance between yin and yang whereas homosexuality is seen as the union of two yins or two yangs meaning that equal to nothing to lost or gained especially women were said to have an unlimited yin essence under Taoism teaching. So female homosexuality was widespread under Taoism teaching during the Chou Dynast, but male homosexuality was rare. In fact male homosexuality was forbidden because it was considered a complete loss of yang essence on the part of both men.

Buddhists have a different view on sexuality as they believe that sexual activity whether heterosexual or homosexual is a manifestation of human greed. Furthermore Buddhism has no scriptural basis upon which homosexuality is to be condemned. According to Theravada Buddhist teaching stated that all relationships including gay, lesbian and straight, are often considered personal matters of mutual consent. As long as the relationship promotes the happiness and well-being of both parties, then it should be positive and acceptable. So many Buddhists believe that sexual orientation is beyond a person's control, as are race and gender and they feel that gays and lesbians should have the same civil rights and benefits as do all other persons.

Similarly, Hindu society and Hinduism were previously much more open to variations in human sexuality than they are at present, it is proven through the ancient Hindu temples and artifacts that are openly depicted both gays and lesbianism within their carvings. Furthermore in Hinduism many divinities are androgynous and the Hindu deities who are hermaphrodite of which the divinities manifest in all three genders by switching from male to female or from female to male.

So by the way of the linkage between Confucianism with Taoism and Buddhism, homosexuality is supposed to be acceptable within the Confucianism. It is supposed to say so because according to Confucian thought if a person loving and sexual relations between individual no matter heterosexual or same sex will be traditionally accepted as long as their behaviors and actions do not impede one's fulfilling one's obligations to the family and the state.

This is because these three types of religion believe in reincarnation after death. They believe that if a man may perform homosexual intercourse with another living male, will be causing byhis past life. In order for him to "complete" the heterosexual relationship of the past life, they could then conduct acts that are homosexual because of his male form in this life. They also believed that a female may be reincarnated as a male if she did some good deeds especially those deeds that were related to chastity during her past life. Thenthe altar God for her to being reincarnated into a male form in her next life. (Taoist Holy Books -Zhuang Zi). However homosexuality was discouraged in Confucianism because it would prevent a son from carrying out his Confucian religious duty to reproduce. the former was his female lover in she may be "rewarded" by

Like its sister religions Judaism and Christianity, Islam is inherently homophobic, Islam even refer homosexuality as kind of deadly disease. According to Dr Muzammil Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of North America established that homosexuality is a moral disorder. It is a moral disease, a sin and corruption. Besides, Jamaat-e-Islami from Pakistan has said that homosexuality is unlawful in Islam and it is neither accepted by the state nor by the Islamic Society. Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at from Canada also agreed that homosexuality is utterly contrary to every natural law of human and animal life.

Similarly to the Bible, the Qu’ran has clearly mentioned that homosexuality is condemnatory through a few chapters and verses in the Qu’ran. For example a possible reference to lesbians who are to be confined for life can be found in Qu’ran chapter 4 verses 16 of which stated “If two men among you commit indecency, punish them both” as well as “You lust after men instead of women. Truly, you are a degenerate people” that can be see through Qu’ran chapter 7 verses 80 to verse 81. Lastly the Qu’ran mentioned again about homosexuality is condemnatory through “Do you commit indecency with your eyes open, lustfully seeking men instead of women? Surely you are an ignorant people.” (Qu’ran chapter 27 verse 54 to verse 58– 27:54-58.)

Although the Qur’an is ambiguous about the exact punishment, the death penalty may be inferred as those guilty of homosexuality in the last two references above were destroyed by rain (Qu’ran chapter26 verse165 to verse168). The Hadith show a more explicit way regarding to what should be done by given a few examples; such as according to Tirmidhi state that kills the one who sodomises and the one who lets it be done to him.” And Tabarani after consider that death is the penalty for adultery; he said that “Lesbianism by women is adultery between them.” Lastly Sunan Abu Dawud, 38:4448 emphasized that “If a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death.”

There are some Islamic countries that will tolerated indeed of times and places such as if they done it privately. However, if the religion has been seriously taken in the authorities and laws enforced country, then results for sexual minorities will be dire. For example, in April 2001, nine gay men were given prison terms of 4 to 5 years with 2400 to 2600 lashes in Saudi Arabia. Abdul Sami (18) and Bismillah (22) were killed by the Taliban by having a wall toppled on them in 1998.

In addition to Islamic promiscuity is very wrong practice that should not be performed by Muslim. One of the reason promiscuity is wrong because AIDS is easily spread through promiscuity and to the Muslims’ knowledge many of the homosexuals are usually promiscuous and very few of the homosexuals practice monogamous. Islamic also take concern of the issue that promiscuity spread disease, will lead us to the last but not the least factor of barrier for the lesbian acceptance within the heterosexual community.

To summarize, homosexuality is viewed as unnaturalness on the religious, ethical and moral stance. Acts of homosexuals are viewed very negatively because of their differences with the heterosexuals. Certain degree of misunderstandings towards homosexuals may be contained if the heterosexual perspective and moral stance are always project on them without deep exploration. Lack of proper education on homosexuality is a key factor contributing to such misunderstandings. To be more objective, people cannot conclude that homosexual behavior is immoral in a civil society. It is because we cannot impose the biblical principals or the Qu’ran principals on everyone and in fact not all people have such religious faiths as well as not all people practice Christianity nor Islamic.