09WK22-SEXUAL PERVERSION – II WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL VIEW

SEXUAL PERVERSION – II WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL VIEW

KEY VERSE: Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterer nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders. I CORNTHIANS 6:9

SCRIPTURE LESSON: ROMANS 1:18-27; I CORINTHIANS 6:9-11;
I TIMOTHY 1:8-11
ROMAN 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the god lessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
20 for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animal and reptiles.
24 therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
27 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.

1 CONRINTHIANS 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 TIMOTHY 1:8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers.
10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers – and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

INTRODUCTION
Homosexuality is a sexual sin which was regarded as a moral problem for people in Europe and America. Many Western writers thought it was not a problem for Africa. But in recent times Christians, Muslims, and secular authorities are getting worried by the way homosexual practices are spreading underground among the youth and adults (who may even be married).

African culture regards homosexuality as a taboo, something inconceivable, but the era of globalization, with exchange among cultures in making homosexuality attractive. In Ghana homosexuality which seems to have been present mainly in educational and prison institutions is now spreading into public and private lives of the young and old. Some do it for money and others for pleasure. It is an issue that could seriously undermine marriage and family life in Ghana. This study explores ways in which homosexual activities are happening in the country.

EXPOSITION
What does the law in Ghana says about homosexuality?
The law in Ghana regards homosexual intercourse as unnatural carnal knowledge, and therefore illegal. This is the reason why the government disallowed the international conference of homosexuals that was planned to take place in Ghana in 2007.

In traditional Ghanaian societies homosexual activity is a taboo. In some societies the practice was inconceivable, so there were no words for it. Prof. K.A. Busia’s doctoral research work among the Asante in 1951 which discusses various sexual prohibitions does not show the existence of homosexuality in the society then.

The Practice of Homosexuality in Ghana
Lesbianism in Schools: The practice of homosexuality in Ghana occurs in various forms. Public knowledge of the female form of homosexuality, lesbianism, limited it to the practice of supi in the boarding system of high schools. This is the system whereby in boarding schools some girls take other girls in the school as sexual partners and engage in sexual activities in ‘tents’ – student beds covered by bed sheets.

In most cases the senior girls take advantage of the innocent fresh students to satisfy their sexual lusts. There are stories of junior students who are bullied into the lesbian relationship by some seniors.
Some lesbian relationships involve female tutors and female students. In a particular female church institution a student got involved in a lesbian relationship with foreign woman on the staff who was supposed to be a Christian. The affair lasted for a very long time, even after the student had graduated. When the foreigner left the country at the end for her term of service, the Ghanaian lady became emotionally devastated. She could hardly cope with the absence of her lesbian partner. Eventually she developed mental problems which could not be treated.

Sodomy: Until recent times the male form, sodomy, was prevalent among prison in-mates. Compared to the supi among girls, the incidence of sodomy in boys’ schools has been far less.

Thus until recently, homosexuality in Ghana was associated with institutional life in prisons and schools. Today the story is different. Homosexuality has spread outside the institutions to hotels, guest houses, student hostels and private homes. Although the practice is outlawed, the youth and adults (male and female) are involved in it for carnal pleasure and money. Some sex prostitution and partnerships are now gaining root underground.

Sex Tourism: An important factor for the growth of homosexual activity in Ghana is sex tourism. Some tourists visit the country for sexual adventures which include homosexual practices. Young people have been lured to become same sex prostitutes because of the attractive cash payments involved. An incident involving some local boys and some European tourists was reported in the newspapers. The tourist had taken photographs of the homosexual encounters with the boys. When the tourists left the country they sent the boys some printed copies of the photographs. Unfortunately, for the boys, the custom officers at the parcel section of the Post Office inspected the contents of the photo parcel. So when one of the boys went to collect the parcel of photographs, he was arrested and handed over to the police. Countless numbers of such homosexual activities to on in hotels, guest houses hostels and private homes in the country.

Homosexual marriages are still unknown in Ghana, because of the law. But in the name of human rights, the international gay movement would join hands with their local counterparts underground to lobby for recognition. So far South Africa is perhaps the only country in Africa that now permits same sex marriages.

There is the need to distinguish between homosexual inclination or inversion (for which people may not be responsible), and homosexual acts (for which they are responsible).

The word in our lives
The Call to Christian Love: The negative attitude of personal hatred and fear towards homosexuals is termed homophobia. It is a mixture of irrational fear, hostility and even revulsion towards homosexual. It overlooks the fact that many homosexuals are probably not responsible for their condition (though they are for their conduct). Richard Lovelace calls for ‘a double repentance’, that gay people should renounce (inside and outside the church) their homosexual lifestyle, and the ‘straight’ ones (non-gays) should renounce homophobia.

At the heart of the homosexual condition is a deep loneliness, the natural human hunger for mutual love, search for identity and a longing for completeness. If homosexual people cannot find these things in the local ‘church family’ they cannot be persuaded to stop the homosexual lifestyle.

In the Western world where homosexuality is commonly practiced, two men or women cannot walk down the street hand in hand without attracting the embarrassing suspicion or ridicule that they are ‘queer’ –homosexual partners. The fact that some people are homosexuals does not mean that very close same-sex friendships are to be discouraged. Healthy same sex friendships like those in the Bible between Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan and Paul and Timothy can be courage. There is no hint that any of these was homosexual in the physical sense, yet they were very affectionate, especially in the case of David and Jonathan (I Sa 18:1-4; 20:41, 2 Sa 1:26). However, such relationships should not be allowed to degenerate into homosexuality.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. a. What factors promote supi or lesbianism among girls in high schools and universities?
b. Consider the similar practice among boys
2. Consider the effects of such practices on the future marriage of those who get involved.
3. How can the supi practice and the parallel practice among boys be effectively controlled?
4. What role can the church play in checking the spread of homosexuality?
5. What measures can be adopted to control sex tourism in Ghana?
6. What practical measures should the church put in place to win homosexuals for Christ?


BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
Share the insights of this lesson with as many people as possible. Share their responses with your bible class/group.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Genesis 2:18-25 Divine basis of male-female marriage
Tuesday I Corinthians 6:9-11 Homosexuals can be forgiven
Wednesday I Timothy 1:8-11 Sexual perverts are rebels, law
breakers, & ungodly.
Thursday Jude 3-7 The sin and doom of godless people.
Friday Luke 10:1-12 God’s wrath against ungodliness and
moral decadence