| JRichards Home - Sex Mysteries 2 Confirmations of the Sin of Sodom Thanks to JRichards for the following research and confirmations that the Sin of Sodom was not because of their sexuality but because of their lack of hospitality and their trickery in trying to ensalve their guests... JR posted the following The following is referring to the Sins of Sodom, (from the Book of Wisdom also called the Book of Solomon) Wisdom 19: 13 And the punishments came upon the sinners only after forewarnings from the violence of the thunderbolts. For they justly suffered for their own misdeeds, since indeed they treated their guests with the more grievous hatred. 14 For those others did not receive unfamiliar visitors, but these were enslaving beneficent guests. 15 And not that only; but what punishment was to be theirs since they received strangers unwillingly! 16 Yet these, after welcoming them with festivities, oppressed with awful toils those who now shared with them the same rights. (From http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/wisdom/wisdom19.htm#v22 ) Think of Lot as an immigrant with his green card and the strangers as illegal aliens with an immigration service that was VERY forceful. Desert dwellers were used to the idea that they could find shelter with anyone and not be refused. The laws of hospitality were quite strict. Coming into a town where you needed papers approved by the local authorities just to be there was a concept completely foreign to them. I imagine this was used to enrich Sodom at the expense of people who just couldn't get their minds around the concept. The Sin of Sodom concerning the breaking the hospitality rules. Once you took someone in and broke bread with them (if you read the story you will see where this happened), you MUST protect them at all costs -- even your own life or the lives of your family. That was the rule of hospitality. No matter what. No matter how much they abused that hospitality. Lot was in the minds of the Sodomites harboring illegal aliens. It was the issue of breaking the hospitality rules Once you took someone in and broke bread with them (if you read the story you will see where this happened), you MUST protect them at all costs -- even your own life or the lives of your family. No matter how much they abused that hospitality. The crowd was trying to make Lot break that law -- and THAT attempt was more a sin than anything else associated with the story. It was this passage (from the Book of Solomon contained in the NAB Bible) that got me thinking of the point of strangers being taken by force as slaves. That requires overwhelming force, which fits the story well, and also ALL of them get a benefit from the slaves' labors over a prolonged period of time, while it would be a physical impossibility for them to all get a benefit from rape -- there were just too many people involved. So going after the strangers as slaves, and Lot offering his daughters as slaves in their place (properly following the strict laws of hospitality) all fits together quite well. JRichards SEE His website for more details at http://rainbowallianceopenfaith.homestead.com/VerseLink.html Thanks JR ..... DJJ Back to the Sins of Sodom or to Can Gays be Saved |