While reading through the pages of the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Bible, are we confronted with an extremely ominous act of God which occurred in ancient times. However, this divine judgment from the distant past has also created much controversy for many of us living in the modern era who are uncomfortable with the suggested reason for why God's wrath was so fervently kindled towards a particular people group. And this Biblical story, which has been cited by preachers and revisited by conservatives, is infamously known as Sodom and Gomorrah. To begin with, it is understood that God destroyed these cities due to the rampant sin of homosexuality which was practiced by the town's inhabitants. Going further, the English word sodomy (and its meaning) has come down to us by referencing the city of Sodom, which was known as a human settlement filled with men who reveled in anal sex. But as we shall discover, sodomy also includes oral sex, even when practiced between heterosexuals: men and women. Now the aim of this presentation is not to judge or condemn any particular person or persons who engage in such activities, neither is this a discourse on sex education, even though some of what is said will indeed be quite graphic. Rather, the point of tackling this sensitive subject has the intended goal of objectively looking at what God has said concerning certain sex acts, as taken directly from the righteous teachings found in both the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible.
At first glance it may appear, from what is found written in the book of Genesis, that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in response to their shameful acts of unbridled homosexuality. However, another reason for why the Lord rained down fire and brimstone upon the cities of the plain could have been due to their inhospitable treatment towards the poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:49). Now the tradition of displaying hospitality to guests, and even unto strangers, is a praiseworthy virtue which has been upheld by the people of the Middle East, going all the way back to the most ancient of days. For according to the Bible, while the men of Sodom were ignoring the needs of others, the Hebrew patriarch and prophet Abraham showed forth brotherly love and compassion towards three mysterious men who were passing by him in the plains of Mamre (Genesis 18:1-8). This act of kindness demonstrated by Abraham is also referenced in the New Testament, where it is written, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2). On the other hand, these same angels whom Abraham entertained were later sought after by the men of Sodom, but not for tea and the breaking of bread, but in the hopes of gratifying their base, carnal, and abominable sexual desires (Genesis 19:5). So, in the end it is evident that God's decision to destroy the men of Sodom was due to their exceeding wickedness (Genesis 13:13).
To further emphasize how much God detests the sin of homosexuality, it is elsewhere revealed in the law of Moses that even cross dressing is considered as something ungodly and sinful in the eyes of the Lord. For as it is written, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God" (Deuteronomy 22:5). From this passage it is clearly understood how serious of a sin homosexuality is. For even if one is not engaged in the act of sex with one's same gender, just by the act of a man or woman dressing up in clothing suited for the opposite sex is enough to sorely displease the Lord. So, it is important for men and women to fulfill and embrace the roles that are best suited for the particular gender that they were born with, and not go outside the boundaries of their gender and begin to identify as another gender. Remember, God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Genesis 1:27). Since God created only two genders, and made man and woman in His image, then if a man or woman begins to identify as another gender then that person is defying God and is in turn distorting the image of God by which they were originally created in. This is a huge sin, and it can be easily understood why such an action is considered as an abomination unto the Lord.
In the New Testament, Sodom and Gomorrah (and their judgment) are also referenced in a few different places. In 2 Peter 2:6 it is written how God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, making their fate an example towards all others who would chose to live an ungodly lifestyle. In Jude 1:7 we see that because of giving themselves over to fornication, and going after "strange flesh" Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Even Christ Himself spoke of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and stated how these sinful cities will be punished on the day of judgment (Luke 17:29 & Matthew 10:15). The Apostle Paul also makes mention of the sin of homosexuality practiced by both men and women, and relates that because of these vile affections God has given them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (Romans 1:26-28). Now some may argue that homosexuals are born that way, and state how they can't help the fact that they are attracted to the same gender as themselves. Yet even if someone was truly born that way, it is their responsibility to struggle to overcome these inherited iniquities, by living a life of repentance according to the Lord's commandments. Just as heterosexuals must struggle not to engage in fornication or adultery, so too must homosexuals deny the flesh presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1).
As already touched upon it is not only homosexuals who can engage in sodomy, but it is also possible for heterosexuals to practice unnatural sex acts such as sodomy. For according to the dogma of the Orthodox Church, anal sex between a man and a woman is forbidden along with oral sex between a man and a woman, even if the couples are married. The function of sex is for the procreation of children, so engaging in any type of sexual act that makes it impossible for children to be birthed is considered a sin. For the Church includes oral sex within the definition of sodomy and has emphatically denounced this practice as unnatural and against the law of God. So it is not only homosexuals who are guilty of sodomy, but heterosexuals are also under condemnation if they continue to engage in unnatural sex acts, which are forbidden under the Lord's commandments and by the canons of the Church. Again I am not personally condemning anyone, nor do I think myself more righteous than my neighbor. However, my intention in pointing out these issues is to bring awareness to the general public the dangers of certain activities which people today may not realize are wrong, and therefore I encourage all of us (including myself) to live a life of repentance in devotion to God, His law, and His word.
Now some may say that the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were not actual historical cities, but rather are nothing more than Jewish fables. However, it is believed that the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah have indeed been discovered. For in the Holy Land, near the Dead Sea, there appears to be evidence that at one time there was in fact some type of civilization in this location which corresponds to what is found written in the Bible. For when examining the terrain towards the southern end of the Dead Sea, there seems to be man made structures in which one can find clumps of sulfur embedded in the "walls." These ruined walls by the Dead Sea speckled with sulfur may support the Biblical narrative of God raining down fire and brimstone upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24). It is also held that the reason why the Dead Sea gets its name is due to its high concentration of salt, making it impossible for any type of life-form to exist or sustain itself in that intensely saline body of water. This scientific fact could also lend credibility to the Bible story since it is written how the cities of the plain were all joined together by the salt sea (Genesis 14:3). Whether one believes in the Bible or not, it is a fact that the territories surrounding the Dead Sea, where the story of Sodom takes place, are now completely desolate with not even a single blade of grass being able to grow.
In closing I would like to suggest that an event similar to what God did in the distant past to Sodom and Gomorrah could also be done again in the near future if certain individuals do not repent for their perverted sexual immortality. Outside of what is written in the Bible, the Saints of the Orthodox Church have also written about how much God detests the sins of the flesh. A warning of God's judgment towards practicing sodomites has even come forth from the lips of a contemporary holy elder of the Orthodox Church, who reposed in the Lord on the 7th of December in 2019. For a few years before he died, the holy and blessed Elder Ephraim of Arizona spoke to some of his spiritual children concerning the sin of sodomy, and sexual immortality in general. The Elder had this to say: "The Old Testament says: "My spirit will not remain with man because they are flesh." This applies today. Sodom burned just like a nuclear bomb. Christ does not tolerate such sins. Everywhere the sins of the flesh are worshiped. There is no repentance. The Venerable Mary of Egypt repented. All homosexuals will be eliminated. Everything will become dirt, nuclear, all dirt. The war will begin because of our sins." So even coming from such a pure and genuine vessel of the Holy Spirit, like that of Elder Ephraim, do we realize that God is not only love, but that the Lord is also vengeful. God is to be feared and not mocked. For as it is written, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).
References:
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).
https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2014/08/a-conversation-with-elder-ephraim-of.html?m=1
