Gay Revisonists, primarially Boswell, advance the interpretation that Sodom was destroyed for "inhospitality." Let's see what Jewish thought is on the subject:
1) The Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, editor of "The Living Torah" (Maznaim Publishing Corp., New York/Jerusalem, 1981 - 23 Tammuz 5740), footnotes the text concisely: "19:5 Know - hence the term sodomy." As far as universal gulit within the city, Rabbi Kaplan footnotes "19:4 all the people - There were no innocent ones (Rashbam)."
My note: Rashbam is the acronym for Rabbi Sh'muel ben Meir (1080 - 1174) aka Ibn Ezra, author of one of the most important commentaries on the Torah, dealing with the precise, simple meaning of the text. He was the inspiration for Browning's "Rabbi Ben Ezra".
His writings, along with those of Rashi (Rabbenu Sh'lomo [ben Yitzchak] Yarchi, 1040-1105. He is author of the most important commentaries on the Bible and Talmud. "His commentaries are known to be extremely terse, immediately bring forth the main idea of the text."), were the basis for Luther's, and later Tyndale's translations (which were the basis for the KJV) of the Bible (But what did these most highly respected of all rabbis know compared to a heavyweight - with no political agenda to advance, right - like Boswell?)
2) But if this isn't good enough, let's go to the Jewish Education Project's translation of this section of Genesis presented in Lilmode Ul'lamed (From the Teachings of Our Sages - Rabbi Mordechai Katz, editor; Feldheim Publishers, Jerusalem, 1978):
(Parshas Veyeirah): "The two Malochim (pural for angels) arrived in S'dome. The first one, the Maloch who had cured Avrohom (Abraham), were there to finish his assgnment and save Lot and his family. The second Maloch was there to destroy the city. The two Malochim, still outwardly mere human beings, were greeted by Lot and invited to stay in his house.
When the word spread through the wicked city of S'dome, the entire city gathered around Lot's house. The evil men of the city *tried to molest* these visitors and were punished by Hashem (God) with blindness."
Now then, does "tried to molest" equal innocently "wanting to have knowledge of" as Boswell states? What a lie rationalizing ungodly sex Gay Revisionism is.
3) But why stop there? Let's go to The Tanakh (meaning "The Holy Scriptures". It is the Jewish Bible incorporating the Christian OT) published by The Jewish Publication Society (Philadelphia/New York, 1988/5748).
Background: The Tanakh was translated into English directly from the traditional Hebrew text. Begun in 1955, "it represents the collaboration of academic scholars with rabbis from the three largest branches of organized Jewish religious life in America." The Tanakh was edited by Harry M. Orlinsky, Professor of Bible at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (New York) assisted by H.L. Ginsberg, Professor of Bible, Jewish Theological Seminary and Ephraim A. Speiser, Professor of Semetic and Oriental Languages at the Univ. of Pennsylvania. Their work was overseen by Rabbis Max Artz, Bernard J. Bamberger and Harry Freedman representing the Conservative, Reform and Orthodox branches respectively. I repeat this from the preface to show this isn't some "johnny-come-lately" publication advancing a political agenda like Boswell.
The Tanakh, Gen 19:3-5 (taking it from Lot's invitation for the angels to come inside his home): "But he urged them strongly, so they turned his way and entered the house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavend bread, and they ate.
They had not yet laid down, when the townspeople, the men of Sodom, young and old - all the people *to the last man* - gathered at the house. And they shouted to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, *that we may be intimate* with them."
That's three out of three *Jewish* interpretations translating the same Hebrew to mean "sexually". And none has a political agenda; Boswell strikes out.
3) As far as Jesus goes, Gay Revisonists cite: "Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city" (Matt. 10:14-15 KJV; cf. Luke 10:10-12) contending this demonstrates it was "inhospitality" that caused the city's destruction.
The Truth is that Jesus is saying that the utter, instantaneous destruction of Sodom and Gommorah will pale compared to the eternal suffering awaiting those who reject Jesus and His Gospel. To minimalize the thrust of this to mere inhospitality is unbelievable. Jesus is talking eternity - and Boswell is talking like it's just another social call.
As I said, no one with any knowledge of the Bible can take this gay apologist deliberatly perverting the Bible seriously. He exists for those who want to lie to themselves.
Summary: Now really, who is more believable to correctly interpret Hebrew Scripture: Rabbi sages writing over thousands of years or some Gentile advancing a political agenda today?
Only those desparate to deny the reality of this topic will choose the Gentile politician. Face it, Gay Revisionism is a theological lie. It is Denialist thinking neccessary for those who can't deal with the Truth.
Essentially, what Gay Revisionists have to do is overturn 4,000 years of accepted rabbinic interpretation. The "inhospitable" scam is merely the latest example.
This attempt to remove the God-given prohibitions against homosexual behavior will, like others, fail. You can't fight God and win.
