Solemn Sodom Words of Rape and Sexual Abuse
and the Psychology of Disgust
Lessons from Sodom
“I am gay.” An anonymous professor expressed the difficulty
he experienced as a gay man working at an American Christian University in an Inside
Higher Education essay.
I and several friends received a link to the essay in an email.
One friend asked the sender to cease using the word sodomite to refer to gay men because it is offensive. The sender asked:
“If this term is hateful or bigoted then I can assume that when it is used in
God's word, it is considered as hateful or bigoted?”
Cite this post
Sutton, G. W. (2013/2025). Solemn Sodom words of rape and sexual abuse and the psychology of disgust. https://geoffwsutton.blogspot.com/2013/10/solemn-sodom-words.html
Who is a Sodomite?
Just wondering… I turned to an American dictionary to
check on current usage. Sure enough, sodomite is still a word used in the
traditional way: “a person who has anal sex with another person: someone who
practices sodomy” (Retrieved October 9, 2013 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sodomite .The definition has changed in 2025(March 6). Here it is: someone who practices sodomy —used as a term of abuse and disparagement for a gay person" https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sodomite
The Sad Sodom Story
The Sodom story occurs in an intriguing context as recorded in Genesis chapters 18-19. Abraham has three visitors--the Lord and two guests. They have announced the improbable birth of a son, which made Sarah laugh. They are about to leave and the Lord asks if he should hide his plans for Sodom's destruction. The Lord wonders how bad it is in Sodom so he plans a visit. The men head to Sodom and Gomorrah while the Lord negotiates with Abraham about how many people to save. Abraham is a skilled negotiator. In market-style negotiating, he gets the Lord down to ten people.
Genesis
19 records the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The two men are now called angels in chapter 19. They visit Lot in Sodom to warn him of the pending destruction. Showing
hospitality, Lot offered his home. But the "men of the city" (KJV) came to the house and demanded sex with his guests. Lot
protested and offered his two virgin daughters instead. Lot and his family were
saved by the angels and the city was destroyed.
What’s sex got to do with Sodom?
Of course the story included a demand for sex. But what’s
the point of the story? Was Sodom destroyed for the voiced intent to have sex
with Lot's guests?
God considered the city wicked and already planned to
destroy the city before the men/angels visited it (Genesis
13:13 and 18:20).
Isaiah
Chapter 1 condemns Judah for sins like those of Sodom but does not mention
same-sex activity.
Jeremiah 23:14 condemns the prophets of Jerusalem for sins like
those of Sodom but does not mention same-sex activity.
Matthew
10: 5-15. Jesus uses Sodom as an example of punishment to those who do not
welcome his disciples.
2
Peter 2:6-9. Readers are warned to
avoid the sins of Sodom, which included "depraved conduct" (NIV).
Jude
(6-7) warns of punishment by reference to the angels and Sodom and sins of "sexual immorality and perversion (NIV)-- going after strange flesh (NASB). Knust (2011) takes this as a reference to Genesis
6:1-4-- the story about the sons of God having sex with the daughters of
men-- the mixing of humans and angels.
It seems that the sins of Sodom were many according to the biblical texts. The story itself reveals a disgusting sexual assault as does the sequel featuring Lot and his daughters.
How Many Sodomites were "Homosexual"?
God only knows! So, Christians still use the term "homosexual" despite the rejection of the vague and insulting term by the queer community. The Genesis text identifies those present
at Lot’s house as all the men of the town. In the U.S. population, about 10% identify as LGBTQ, which includes gays and lesbians (3%) and bisexuals at 2% (PRRI, 2025).
Though
arguably not definitive, it seems unlikely the entire village was occupied by
gay men who wanted to have sex with Lot's male guests. It would also seem strange for all of the men to be bisexual as one might wonder because Lot tried to substitute his daughters for his male guests.
In short, using the story in arguments against same-sex marriage is not reasonable. There is no resemblance of same-sex couples in a loving marriage with consenting sexual activity. Those other biblical verses dealing with same-sex sex will need to be studied as have several authors (see the references below).
There's more going on in this Sodom than just a tale of same-sex sex. Were looking at sexual assault--rape and that evokes the powerful emotion of disgust.
DISGUST!
That’s my reaction! Good Lord!
This Sodom story is about
rape!
Can you imagine that scene at Lot’s house? He tries to
fend off gangsters who threaten him so they can rape his guests? On the one hand, as many have pointed out, other biblical texts refer to a list of sins and do not specify same-sex sex. On the other hand, the story itself illustrates the rapacious desire of the men for sex with Lot's guests, which they considered to be men. Jude, written many years after Genesis, refers to sexual immorality, which suggests the ancient story included a lesson about sex. The sexual demand is not just about men wanting sex with men but the desire to rape them. Surely rape is disgusting.
And it’s worse.
What loving father would offer his daughters
to rapists?
Ok. So maybe I’m reading in some contemporary feelings
and ideas about morality. So be it. Isn’t it even a little bit plausible that
the story aims to provoke disgust in the reader? Sure the Sodom story is about sex but as
most mental health clinicians will tell you rape isn’t just about sex—it’s also about
violence, control, and exploitation. And rape is disgusting. Perhaps the writer adds to the horrid imagery by saying the men of Sodom were so depraved that they refused the "typical" aggressive male desire for virgins!
And it gets even more disgusting.
Incest
The Sodom story isn't over. Lot, his wife, and two daughters are led out of the city by the two divine messengers. Tension builds as Lot hesitates. Lot's wife disobeys the order not to look back and turns to salt. Lot and his daughters survive. There's no tribal men left for his daughters so drunken Lot has sex with his daughters who become pregnant with the ancestors of local tribes near the Israelites-- the Moabites and the Ammonites. So the continued story is still about disgust. Disgusting sex. A way to insult other tribes. And a story that locates the responsibility for the incest with the daughters and not the father. And let's not ignore the long history of men + alcohol = sexual abuse.
THOUGHTS
As I wrote about fundamentalists and their approach to texts, I understand the desire of Christians to be faithful to
scripture. Yet I get concerned when people get lost in a forest of words and
miss the pain and suffering of real people—ancient or contemporary.
Times have changed. A more flexible group of Christians has emerged—those who respect the biblical texts but don’t ignore an understanding of ancient cultures, scientific discoveries, and
reason. Still other Christians look for ethical principles that transcend ancient tribal
cultures.
Fortunately, some Christians embrace a loving God as revealed in the life of Jesus and seek ways to love others. And
some will choose their words carefully so they can show hospitality rather than
rejection to queer people marginalized by hatred and prejudice as if they belonged to an enemy tribe.
Loving others does not mean there are no moral rules. Loving means understanding the Sabbath principle. The Sabbath was made for man. And woman. Old laws and customs ought to be reviewed in a new light.
Being guided by
love, compassion, humility, gratitude, and other virtues allows people to
embrace people in pain and stand against those who would exploit, damage, and
harm the neighbors in one’s life.
Regardless on how readers interpret the other scriptures about same-sex sex, the Sodom story should not be weaponized against gay men in loving relationships. On its face, the story is about aggressive and destructive men who would disgrace and humiliate Lot and his guests. And the story may also be about the angel-human sex an ancient Genesis 6 story lurking in the background. Finally, let's not omit the psychology of propaganda used for centuries to destroy the humanity of others by telling stories about their wickedness, which can justify violence and aggression.
Afterword
The beliefs of translators influence their choice or
words. You will find sodomites in the
King James Bible. The selection of adequate English words for ancient
Hebrew words is not an easy task. For more about word choices for Sodom and
sodomites see Coogan (2010).
Notes
For more on rape and sexual assault, which harms so many
women and men see MedlinePlus.
Anti-sodomy laws in
the USA. The US Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a sodomy law
in Georgia in a 1986 ruling, Bowers
v. Hardwick. In Lawrence
v. Texas, (2003) the U S Supreme court found a Texas anti-sodomy
law unconstitutional.
There’s a similar story to the Sodom story found in
Judges 19 often referred to as a Levite and His Concubine.
Resources
Several writers have commented on the meaning of the Sodom text and other biblical texts fundamentalists use to argue against same-sex sex even within a marriage. Here's a few references.
Coogan, M. (2010). God
& Sex. Twelve. Click for a Time
Magazine interview with Michael Coogan.
Dwyer, J. F. (2021). Those 7 references: A study of "homosexuality" in the bible and its impact on the queer community of faith. Morehouse Free pdf review.
Gushee, D. P. (2017). Changing our mind: A call from America’s leading evangelical ethics scholar for full acceptance of LGBT Christians in the church. Read the Spirit Books. Free pdf review.
Knust, J. W. (2011). Unprotected
texts. HarperOne. Website for
Jennifer Knust.
Martin, C. (2022). UnClobber: Rethinking our misuse of the Bible on homosexuality | Expanded edition with study guide. Westminster John Knox Press. Free pdf review.
Sutton, G. W. (2016). A house divided: Sexuality, morality, and Christian cultures. Pickwick Free pdf sample.
Read more about sexuality, morality, and Christian cultures in A
House Divided available from the publisher PICKWICK and
other stores e.g., AMAZON
RELATED POSTS
Corrections and constructive comments welcome.
Corrections and constructive comments welcome.
Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. His website is https://suttong.com
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Post updated 6 March 2024
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