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Purpose of the website

This website is dedicated to discussing the homosexual debate in South Africa. Research articles, newspaper articles, studies, lectures and other information will be posted in Afrikaans and/or English depending on the original language of the item.

About the Homosexual Debate and the Bible

This new interpretation of Bible portions referring to homosexual practice gives rise to interpretations, which assume homosexuality to be a normal and acceptable variant of heterosexuality. This is argued to be the case theologically and social-historically that a contemporary justification must govern the hermeneutical process and that the Church must not be prescriptive.It is argued that portions of Scripture referring to homosexuality was written within a specific cultural setting and cannot be directly transferred as such and made applicable to contemporary society. For this reason sex between two men or two women cannot be denounced when involved in a firm and intimate relationship.

Scholars are asking that the Church, especially the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (DRC), formulate a new viewpoint after considering both the context of the Bible and the contemporary society. Muller, a minister in the Reforming Church (South Africa), is of the opinion that the Bible nowhere states that God hates homosexuality (as is the case with divorce) and that the few Bible portions referring to homosexual deeds cannot at all be put on an equal footing with the contemporary meaning of what we regard as gay. Many ministers in the DRC seem to be sympathetic to this view.

The above indicates a developing paradigm shift regarding homosexuality, especially within the DRC. It is probable that this paradigm shift is fundamentally due to a shift in hermeneutics. When one studies the pronouncements, remarks, and requests made by the predominantly DRC theologians they seem to lack support from focused research which could result in a biblically justified response regarding homosexuality. The core of the problem seems to be that there is no clarity and no concurrent understanding of the meanings of the Greek words and phrases used by the apostle Paul. The current philosophies of life (e.g. post-modernism; humanism; socialism), affective experiences (feelings and emotions), cognitive strivings, politics and homosexual pressure groups all form part of the new hermeneutical process and jointly seem to determine the outcome of this process.