Something I hear often is “If gay marriage is legalized, our country will fall like other countries and empires of the past!” It’s pretty interesting that people actually believe this, but it’s a result of lack of research. Most people who assert this like to point to the Greco-Roman world as evidence. However, such claims are factually inaccurate. I’m going to look at three points people bring up when this is discussed - Rome, Greece and Sodom & Gomorrah.
First, let’s look at Rome. It’s interesting to note that homosexuality in Rome was widely practiced, out in the open, and accepted. Rome was a thriving empire when homosexuality was common. Why did Rome actually fall? About 300 years after it’s peak, Christian emperors forced religion onto the citizens of Rome. Constantine brought in anti-religion laws banning the traditional beliefs of the Romans, along with anti-sexuality laws. The citizens of Rome grew dissatisfied with the government over this. One could draw the conclusion that homophobia was a bigger factor in the fall of Rome than homosexuality. Most modern historians will not even embrace the idea that homosexuality caused the fall of the Roman empire as it is factually inaccurate. The Roman empire only made it another 173-260 years after outlawing homosexuality.
If you examine ancient Greece, it’s interesting to note that Ancient Greece was at the height of it’s power under Alexander the Great, who openly had a male lover. Greece fell over problems fighting between their city states and due to conquerers from surrounding countries. Phillip II of Macedon eventually gained control of the city states through diplomacy, but also military action. Homosexuality was not a factor at all in the fall of Greece.
People also like to list Sodom and Gomorrah as having fallen due to homosexuality, however, this is also factually inaccurate according to ancient Biblical texts. If you look at the translation, when the Bible mentions “sexual immorality”, it specifies lack of hospitality, pride, idolatry, greed and gluttony. Primarily lack of hospitality and greed. In none of these is there a single word about homosexuality. In fact, the closest the Bible comes is Jude 1:7.
“Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after STRANGE flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
The Greek word translated in the KJV as ‘strange’ was heteros, which actually implies the immorality was HETEROsexual.
The Biblical story of Sodom in Genesis 19 never mentions a homosexual act, a same sex relationship nor does it say the inhabitants of Sodom were homosexuals. Scripture also never says the city was destroyed over homosexuality. There is nothing in the passage that relates to consensual homosexual sexual relations. The oppression of the stranger is the main point of the sodom story. The traditional word “sodomy” in Genesis originally translated to “oppression of the weak and helpless”.
Additional Sources and Further Reading:
"Did Homosexuality Cause The Fall of Rome? - GAY, EXPLAINED." GAY EXPLAINED. 12 Jan. 2011. Web. <http://www.gayexplained.com/homosexuality-fall-rome/>.
"Was Rome Felled by Gays or Christianity?" Bilerico Project RSS. Web. <http://www.bilerico.com/2011/05/was_rome_felled_by_gays_or_christianity.php>.
"A Global Historical Survey: Does Accepting Homosexuality Lead to Civilizational Ruin?" Applied Sentience. 19 July 2013. Web. <http://appliedsentience.com/2013/07/19/a-global-historical-survey-does-accepting-homosexuality-lead-to-civilizational-ruin/>.
"What Harm Would It Do to Legalize Gay “marriage”?" LifeSiteNews. Web. <https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/what-harm-would-it-do-to-legalize-gay-marriage>.
"Rebutting "Every Civilization That Accepted Homosexuality Failed"" Boing Boing BBS. Web. <http://bbs.boingboing.net/t/rebutting-every-civilization-that-accepted-homosexuality-failed/41820/25>.
