One could attest to the fact that this century is the best time to be alive. We have cutting edge technology and have made great advancements in science and health. On average, we live longer. Women have more freedom and occupy more leadership roles. Democracy is on the rise. And now, more than ever before, we seem to be concerned about environmental and social issues.

However, great opportunities come with great challenges. Yes, we have made progress, but on the other hand, there has been a surge in divisive and controversial social issues. Gay rights is one of them, and different beliefs have caused hostility between people.

According to a Sept. 21 article from the Washington Post by Philip Bump, 23 percent of Americans think that that same-sex relationships should be illegal. There are political leaders in this country who share the same view; Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is one of them. A common justification for such hostility is that the Bible forbids same-sex relations, and those who are against it just want to uphold their religious values. But what does the Bible really say?

Someone who is religious might turn to the Bible for answers on controversies. For some religious people, the Bible is the final authority and they must follow what it says. However, the Bible is not a book that can be taken literally. For one, it was translated and many words and ideas got lost in translation. It’s also full of inconsistencies.

The biblical text that is often used to condemn homosexuality is found in Genesis 19:1-13. It tells the story of the people of Sodom who wanted to “know” some angel visitors that Lot had over his house. In a biblical context, to “know” someone is to engage in sexual intimacy with them. As a result of their sinful ways, Yahweh destroyed Sodom.

When reading the story, however, there is nothing that suggests it’s about same-sex relations. The confusion arose because the word “men” got lost in translation. In Hebrew, the word “anasim” means both men *and* people. “The men of Sodom call for the two men in Lot’s house to be sent out so the crowd may know them” and “the people of Sodom call for the people in Lot’s house to be sent out so the crowd may know them” would be the exact same sentence in Hebrew. However, replacing the word “people” with “men” tells two very different stories. One could easily see why interpreters might think the story of Sodom was about homosexuality.

Translation and context are both something that one must examine when reading the Bible. To fully understand the biblical text that made references to same-sex relations, one must take into account its Hebrew translation, as well as the world that the authors were living in.

The story of Sodom might, after all, be a story about hospitality. It ought to teach the people of Sodom how to treat visitors and not take advantage of them. It’s an injustice to the biblical text to interpret and rationalize it in order to discriminate against a group of people. 

One might never know why, in today’s world, such feelings of hostility exist, but one can agree that it’s culturally conditioned, not intellectual. The Bible can be used as a compass, but at the end of the day, we can decide what’s moral or not based our own world and our own realities.