How did the Early Church Fathers view homosexuality?
Upvote:1
The early church fathers opposed h*m*sexual intercourse.
From The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity:
The church fathers universally condemned male h*m*sexual behavior...They clearly regarded it as contrary to the created constitution and function of men and women...All the evidence indicates that the teaching mind of the early church unreservedly condemned h*m*sexual activity (as quoted in Callister The Inevitable Apostasy p. 214)
Polycarp (writing early 2nd century) paraphrased Peter & Paul in the fifth chapter of his Epistle to the Philippians:
In like manner, let the young men also be blameless in all things, being especially careful to preserve purity, and keeping themselves in, as with a bridle, from every kind of evil. For it is well that they should be cut off from the lusts that are in the world, since every lust wars against the spirit; and neither fornicators...nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God
Note that Polycarp speaks against sexual immorality whether it is hetero- or h*m*sexual.
In Cyprian's Epistle to Donatus (see Epistle 1.1.8-10, written mid 3rd century), he speaks out against sexual sin including lust, adultery, incest, emasculation, h*m*sexuality, and prostitution.
They understood the Jewish & Christian texts to oppose h*m*sexual activity, and quoted them as such.
More post
- 📝 Married saint who convinced spouse to enter religious life?
- 📝 Are couples with secular marriages not allowed to serve in their Catholic parish?
- 📝 "Kingdom Of God is at Hand" - Which Kingdom was Jesus and John the Baptist talking about?
- 📝 Who wrote the book of Genesis? (Overview)
- 📝 Style of referring to a cardinal
- 📝 Can a Roman Catholic know that they have eternal life?
- 📝 At what age should my daughters start wearing a head covering when they pray?
- 📝 Could a lowborn during the middle ages read the bible?
- 📝 The Mormon Church teaches that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son. How do you reconcile this when the Bible says the Father cannot be seen?
- 📝 According to the LDS Church (Mormons), how specifically did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon?
- 📝 What did "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" say about the Epiphany?
- 📝 In LDS, how are 'milk' doctrines distinguished from 'meat' doctrines?
- 📝 Mormonism or LDS?
- 📝 Where does the concept of "unconditional love toward others" come from?
- 📝 Last married pope?
- 📝 Is it true that if we make a good confession and receive the sacrament of Eucharist on the following Sunday of Easter all our sins will be forgiven?
- 📝 Why do priests celebrate Mass versus populum (toward the congregation) at most Masses in the Ordinary Form?
- 📝 Can a woman cut her hair and not cover her head?
- 📝 What is "Christ Consciousness"?
- 📝 Marriage to a Jehovah’s Witness is it possible?
- 📝 What guidelines should be followed using spiritual gifts?
- 📝 How would young earth creationist explain Omicron Variants?
- 📝 What is the origin and basis for the Catholic teaching regarding Mary's vow of celibacy prior to her betrothal?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church consider it sinful for couples who aren't able to conceive to have sex?
- 📝 Where does this Martin Luther quote come from?
- 📝 What is meant by "men have been raised up from the fall to far greater heights?"
- 📝 What criteria are used to denote one commentary as "better" than another? What are the hallmarks of a good commentary?
- 📝 In Catholicism, what does it mean for a priest to bless an object or person?
- 📝 How do JWs respond to Jude 9 in light of Matthew 4:10?
- 📝 What is the Orthodox teaching about touching Jesus' body?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 How did the Early Church Fathers view h*m*sexuality?
- 📝 Did the early Church Fathers have a complete agreement on how to interpret 1 Peter 3:18-20?
- 📝 How did the early church fathers refute Adoptionism?
- 📝 Did the early church fathers view "monogenes" as "only" or "only-begotten"?
- 📝 How did the early church view transgenderism?
- 📝 Did any early church fathers view the Creation account in Genesis as being allegorical?
- 📝 Did early church fathers understand the doctrine of trinity?
- 📝 Why did so many early church fathers say that sex was a consequence of the Fall?
- 📝 Did any other early church fathers besides Origen teach the pre-existence of souls?
- 📝 What did the Early Church Fathers think about pets (animals) going to Heaven upon death?
- 📝 What did the early church fathers (pre-5th c.) teach with regards to the doctrine of baptism as a necessity for salvation?
- 📝 What did the fathers of the early church think of Tertullian?
- 📝 Did any early Church Fathers record the event of the ceasing of spiritual gifts?
- 📝 What view of eschatology did the early church believe?
- 📝 What did the early church fathers have to say about “eternal security” or “assurance of salvation”
- 📝 How did Thomas Aquinas view grace as opposed to the church fathers?
- 📝 Did the apostolic or early church fathers acknowledge Papal infallibility?
- 📝 Death of animals before the fall - what did the early church fathers believe?
- 📝 Did the early Church fathers see a distinction between Matthias' and Paul's apostleship appointment, considering Paul's peculiar verbiage choice?
- 📝 How do the early church fathers expound upon the "exaltation of Christ" (Philippians 2:9-11) in light of the immutability of Jesus Christ?
- 📝 What did the early Church Fathers (pre-Nicea A.D. 325) have to say about faith, baptism and if it is the act of baptism that saves?
- 📝 How did the Church fathers of the first four centuries understand 2 Corinthians 5:21?
- 📝 What did the Early Church Fathers believe about the fate of the unreached?
- 📝 Did the early Church fathers believe the Law of Moses was never able to justify?
- 📝 Did any of the Early Church Fathers believe that Revelation 12:1-5 is about the Virgin Mary?
- 📝 How did the early church respond to the accusation that Christianity forbid ‘all uses of images’ even if only ‘representing the Divine Being’?
- 📝 What did the early church fathers (pre-5th c.) teach with regards to baptismal regeneration?
- 📝 Did the Early Church Fathers condemn polygamy?
- 📝 How did the early church understand the priesthood?
- 📝 Did any of the Early Church Fathers use the Orthodox canon?