When most people think of Sodom and Gomorrah, they automatically think of God's wrath unleashed against homosexuals, according to Jewish and Christian tradition. But is this the reason Sodom was destroyed. Ezekiel tells us something different in Ezekiel 16:49 "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."
Notice Ezekiel doesn't mention sodomy as her "iniquity". And although there were the extremely wealthy that lacked for nothing, Sodom and its people were extremely proud, haughty (as the next verse says) and guilty of hubris. They looked at themselves as the best, not needing anything from anyone. They were self sufficient, and from their perspective, did not need God. However, what really got Yahweh's (El--the One God) goat was not their riches, but what they did with their riches. They were unjust. They did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. They did not use their wealth make sure the poor and needy were still afforded the luxuries of then present day Sodom. The poor were left without a voice, and so further abused and mistreated. We know this because of a book called Jasher, it is Hebrew for "The Righteous Records." This book, which is mentioned in the Tenahk, states that the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were people of injustice, with each person living according to what was right in his own eyes. They were steal from each other and then use their own laws against the victims to justify their actions.
Sodomy was prevelent among them, but Yahweh destroyed them because they were unjust, and proud of it. It is just easier to pick out the sodomy and blame it on their destruction, aside from what Ezekiel clearly tells us.
Mark
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I've heard the story many times through the years when I attended a Baptist church back in Ohio. Always it was blamed on gays, and not once was it blamed on anything else.
What also interests me is that it was not even a gay issue. If you read the verses - it was attempted rape - happened to be men/men rape, but rape none the less.
Good topic! :)
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Random related question - does anyone know the significance of Lot's wife being changed to a pillar of salt?
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The bible does not say, but according to Midrash Rabbah we are told:
"She sinned through salt. On the night that the angels visited Lot, Lot said to his wife, 'Give these guests a bit of salt.' But she replied, '[Besides entertaining guests], is it your wish to introduce into Sodom another vile custom [that of seasoning their food]?' What did she do? She went around among all her neighbors, saying to each one, 'Give me salt. We have guests,' intending thereby to have the townspeople become aware of the presence of guests in her home [and penalize Lot for it]. Hence, she herself became a pillar of salt."
It is also noted that according to Sodom laws, it was against the law to invite guests into the home. Jasher eludes to this in that foreigner and guests were to be "had" by the Sodomites to "trouble." Therefore, Edith, Lot's wife, was arousing trouble by going to her neighbors and asking for salt for her "guests."
Hope this helped,
Mark
"It is also noted that according to Sodom laws, it was against the law to invite guests into the home. Jasher eludes to this in that foreigner and guests were to be 'had' by the Sodomites to 'trouble.' "
Hmmmh, I know that the "had" means sex but I don't know what the "trouble" means. Now, from that statement it explains why Lot begged the angels to come into his house when he saw them. Because he knew the custom of Sodom of Gomorrah. And that also explains why the people went to Lot's house threating to do him harm if he did not surrender the foreigners or guests to them so that they can "trouble" them. Ooops , maybe I do know what "trouble" means.
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Well acording to the word of God, Lot's wife turned into salt because she looked back when the two angels had told them not to look back as they left Sodom & Gomorrah
Same thing happens in another myth... oh, I wish I could remember which myth it was....
~C
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Agree 100% with this piece, but I have never heard anything like your Lot's wife-Salt story. The way I heard it, it was as they were fleeing Sodom (God was going to destroy it because of the afforementioned pride) and were commanded not to look back but Lot's wife did and presto. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Mark, what's your spirituality, because it sounds a lot more detailed than the ordinary stuff. I Might want to look into it.