Homosexuality: Legally Permissible or Spiritually Misguided?1

Lockard, HomosexualityGreek Society. Although from the 6 th century homosexuality was referred to inthe art and literature of Greece, it is historically clear that ancient Greekculture never fully accepted homosexuality as a societal norm. For example,Aristotle, Herodotus, and many Stoic and Cynic philosophers expressed moraldisapproval of homosexual practices (Davis 1993). Other Greek societiesstrongly disapproved of sexual relationships between men of the same age.Men who did not marry, according to Plutarch, were scorned or punished bySpartan authorities (Hine 2007).Roman Society. Similarly, in ancient Roman society, visibility of the practicethrough the writings of Suetonis, Catullus, and Martial, was ridiculed and notmet with general social approval (Davis 1993; Norton 2004).Ancient Pagan Societies. Additionally, there is a lack of historical evidence forthe acceptance of homosexuality within the pagan cultures. The 8 th centuryVikings, Visigoths, Celts, and Vandals vehemently opposed homosexualactivity. As a result, some of these pagan cultures punished the peopleseverely. The Visigoths' law condemned homosexuals to be burned at thestake (Davis 1993). Equally, Salvian, 5 th century presbyter of the church inMarseille, France, described the Goth, Saxon, and Vandals as strictly chaste:“The vandals were not tainted by effeminancy, nor did they tolerateit” (Greenberg 1988:243).Within the pagan culture of the Celts, homosexuality was stronglydisapproved and completely unacceptable. Such men were regarded asabominations. Homosexual men were often exiled from their homeland and ifthey kept the practice hidden and were discovered, they were put to death bymob rage (Hine 2007).Germanic Peoples. Homosexual relationships were frowned upon amongst theGermanic peoples of the 10 th -12 th centuries. Tacitus reports that the Germancustom was to bury alive in a swamp anyone found guilty of homosexualbehaviour (Greenberg 1988).Early Europe. From 1000 to 1500, Europe began to experience an increase inhomosexual activity. From the late 16 th century to the early 19 th century,sexual deviation grew in England. In 18 th century London, homosexuals142