I Cor.

6:9-10 (NIV)
"... Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor MALE
PROSTITUTES (malakoi) nor HOMOSEXUAL OFFENDERS (arsenokoitai) nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the
kingdom of God."

I Tim. 1:9-10 (NIV)

"We also know that the law is made not for good men but for lawbreakers and rebels, the
ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers and
mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and PERVERTS (arsenokoitais), for slave traders
and liars and perjurers."

The word malakos means literally "soft." There is no indication that it was used in the time of Paul as
a derogatory remark leveled exclusively against gays. On the contrary, Hellenistic literature is replete
with examples of heterosexuals being characterized as malakos. The label seemed to indicate some
sort of general moral weakness or excess. The early church fathers invoked the word malakos against
masturbation. Moreover they never used the word to imply being "effeminate" but rather list other
terms for this purpose including thelubrios and androgunos whence the term "androgyny
(Vermeersch)."

What the NIV refers to in 1 Cor. 9 supposedly as "homosexual offenders" and later in 1 Tim. 1:10 as
"perverts" is related in Paul's original letters with the single Greek word arsenokoitai(s) The
translators for King James render the word as "abusers of themselves with mankind." Other modern
translations construe the term as "child molesters" or even "sodomites" (ironic since we know that the
Sodomites were not condemned for homosexuality). Compare the following common translations of
the term arsenokoitai.( Vermeersch)

1 Corinthian 1 Timothy

KJV abusers of themselves with mankind them that defile

themselves with mankind
RSV sexual perverts sodomites
NIV homosexual offenders perverts
NASB homosexuals homosexuals
NAB sodomites sexual perverts
NEB those guilty of homosexual perversion perverts
Moffat sodomites sodomites
Luther Knabenschaender (child abusers) child abusers

“The word in both of these passages that is translated into English as "sodomite" is the Greek word
arsenokoitais. It is a very tricky word to translate because Paul seems to be the only person ever to
have used it. It is literally not found anywhere else to our knowledge in ancient Greek writings. A
literal translation of this word would be a man with many beds or the more slang and vulgar version, a
man who likes to fuck. This implies simply a promiscuous person—not a gay person (Neaveil).”

Health Risks for being gay?

- Victim of Homophobia
- Increased rates of HIV/AIDS/STIs among MSM (men who have sex with men)
- Higher rates of Cancer

Problem:
1. Homophobia isn’t the homosexuals’ faults…
2. What about lesbians? Statistically, out of all the sexually active groups; they have the least
rates of getting STI or HIV/AIDS
3. “In national studies, it has been shown that unmarried women have higher rates of cigarette
abuse and lower rates of breast self exam, clinical breast exam, and screening mammography
when compared to married women. Since lesbians are more likely to be counted as
unmarried, this data suggests lesbians may utilize screening less often. One-fourth of lesbians
over age 40 in a Michigan study had never had a mammogram.(Kulkarni)” --- How accurate
can the research be? While the population of lesbians is only between 3~6% (Kulkarni)?
(ACSF Investigators (1992). AIDS and sexual behaviour in France. Nature, 360, 407–409.)

Born that way?

“The final report of the Baptist Union of Western Australia (BUWA) Task Force on Human Sexuality
states “that a person becomes a homosexual ultimately by choosing to be involved in same-sex
activity… This is in contrast to innate characteristics such as gender and ethnicity.”7 The report
affirms that “the Bible is clear that sin involves choice, and it unequivocally condemns homosexual
behavior as sin.”7

The foundational teaching on marriage and sexual issues is found in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. When
Jesus was questioned about marriage, He referred to these 2 chapters (Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-
12). Genesis teaches us that “male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). We were created to a
plan, male and female complementing each other. That is, God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and
Steve, nor Madam and Eve.” (Lamont)

Problem: what about actual concrete scientific data? and if homosexuals aren’t genetic.
What about heterosexuals?

Notes:
Conversion therapy
 - has been defined by the American Psychological Association as therapy aimed at
changing sexual orientation, and by the American Psychiatric Association as
"psychiatric treatment...which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality
per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that a patient
should change his/her sexual homosexual orientation."[1][2] Techniques that have
been tried include behavior modification, aversion therapy, psychoanalysis,
primal therapy, EMDR, and reparative therapy.
- "potential risks of 'reparative therapy' are great, including depression, anxiety, and
self-destructive behavior, since therapist alignment with societal prejudices
against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by a
patient."[1][57] In Nicolosi's survey, 7.1% of patients reported that they were worse
after therapy than before. He concluded that "clients who have decided they wish
to affirm a gay identity could feel shamed and emotionally hurt if therapists
attempted to impose conversion therapy on them."

“Sexual orientation is usually determined by adolescence, if not earlier (Bell et al, 1981), and 
there is no valid scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed (Haldeman, 1994; 
APA, 2000). Nonetheless, our culture often stigmatizes homosexual behavior, identity and 
relationships (Herek, 1993). These anti­homosexual attitudes are associated with 
psychological distress for homosexual persons and may have a negative impact on mental 
health, including a greater incidence of depression and suicide, lower self­acceptance and a 
greater likelihood of hiding sexual orientation (Gonsiorek, 1982; Ross, 1985; Ross, 1990; 
Greene, 1997; Remafedi, 1998). Although the research is limited, transgendered persons are 
reported to experience similar problems. In their extreme form, these negative attitudes lead 
to antigay violence. Averaged over two dozen studies, 80 percent of gay men and lesbians 
had experienced verbal or physical harassment on the basis of their orientation, 45 percent 
had been threatened with violence, and 17 percent had experienced a physical attack (Berrill, 
1992)”. (satcher)

Lamont, Ann. "What's wrong with being gay?." Online posting. 1 Jan. 2004.
ChristianAnswers.Net. ChristianAnswers.Net. 1 Nov. 2008
<http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-c040.html#ref8>.
Neaveill, Ryan. "What Does The Bible Really Say About Homosexuality?." Online posting. 6 Mar.
2008. Smile Politely 1 Nov. 2008
<http://www.smilepolitely.com/opinion/2008/03/what-does-the-bible-really-say.php>.

Satcher, David. "THE SURGEON GENERAL'S CALL TO ACTION TO PROMOTE SEXUAL

HEALTH AND RESPONSIBLE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR." Online posting. 9 July 2001. Office of the
Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1 Jan.
<http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/sexualhealth/call.htm#III>.
Vermeersch, Hans-Michael. "Paul's use of the words malakoi and arsenokoitai." fogarty.org. 25 Oct.
1995. 1 Nov. 2008 <http://fogarty.org/tim/gay_issues/word_arsenokoitai.html>.