homosexualityHOLY PERSONS
This concept refers to all male and female figures considered set apart and
special by virtue of their life and actions. It refers to a wide variety of his-
torical figures that includes shamans, kings, monks, nuns, mystics, proph-
ets, saints, ascetics, martyrs, Buddha, bodhisattva, or yogi. Not all of these
figures, however, qualify as a holy person because such a designation is
dependent on behavior. In many cultures, holy persons become paradigms
upon which other people can model their own lives. In short, holy people
exemplify the best practitioners of their respective religious traditions.
HOMOSEXUALITY
This notion means the same gender sexually, a term usually reserved for
males but also applied to females, whereas lesbianism strictly designates
female sexual relationships. Religious traditions do not usually devote
much attention to homosexuality by condemning it or advocating it,
although such behavior exists even within religious institutions. In the
major monotheistic faiths, homosexuality is condemned as unnatural,
deviant behavior, or contrary to God’s laws.
Being based on the Torah, Judaism warns against behavior that com-
promises the clear distinction between male and female and their social
roles. In Leviticus 18.22, homosexuality takes its place as an abomination
alongside incest and eating unclean animals. In the narrative of Lot in
Genesis (19), he decides not to give two male visitors to a gang demand-
ing to have sex with them. Rather than being a party to homosexual rape,
Lot gives his two daughters to the gang. In addition to citing these Jewish
sources, many Christians agree that homosexuality is an abomination
before God, as evident in the writings of the early Christian apostle Paul
(Rom. 1.26–27; 1 Cor. 6.9–11), and that it can influence a person’s salva-
tion, although homosexuality is not a topic that occupies the attention of
Jesus. In agreement with ancient Judaism and the early Christian Church,
Islam forbids homosexuality in the Qur’an (4.16; 7.81; 20.28), and it is
strongly condemned by the prophet Muhammad in Hadith literature. The
major monotheistic faiths make it clear that heterosexuality within the
context of marriage is the norm for sexual relationships. Such restrictions
do not completely stop homosexuality, but it does drive it underground.
Eastern religions are equally conservative with respect to the issue of
homosexuality. In Hinduism, the Laws of Manu (c. 100) condemns