Has America become the new Sodom?

Divorce rates are rising. People are living together outside of marriage. Those in marriage are committing adultery. Sexually transmitted diseases - including HIV - are on the rise. And homosexuals are trying to get same sex "marriage" legalized.

The most recent homosexual advance is in Iowa, where the ban on same sex "marriage" was found unconstitutional by a district court. With homosexuality gaining ground, is America becoming a modern-day Sodom?

Pundits have called parts of America "Sodom". We have read it in our newspapers and blogs, heard it on our radios and televisions: "Hollywood is America's Sodom", "Las Vegas is America's Sodom".

This is not a new idea. In his 1973 American Quarterly article , "The Erotic South: Civilization and Sexuality in American Abolitionism", Ronald G. Walters notes that, prior to the Civil War, among the issues the American North had against the South was the idea that "The Southern states are one Great Sodom a vast brothel".

Perhaps it would be helpful to examine what Sodom was all about.

Of course, we know what Sodom was about. All of the men in Sodom were homosexual - that's why they call it "sodomy". Yet it's helpful to strengthen our understanding by reexamining the scriptures to get a better grip on what the Bible tells us.

In Genesis 13:13, we read that "...the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. " That's a bit unsatisfying. We know it means homosexuality, but this verse just isn't clear enough. Genesis 18:20-21 doesn't help much: "And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know."

Genesis 19:1,4-5 is the payoff: "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them."

"Know" is the word used to mean "have sex with". So it's clear that all of the men of Sodom were homosexuals who wanted to have sex with Lot's visitors.

If you have any doubt, you can read what the righteous Lot did to protect the men: Genesis 19:8: "Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof."

Lot offered his virgin daughters for sex in place of the Angels! And did the men accept that? No! Genesis 19:9: "And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door."

Wait. They wanted to judge him? With sex? I'm confused.

What's more confusing is that the word translated as "know" is used both for sex and for knowing a person well. The very same word is used earlier in the same story: Genesis 18:18: Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." I'm pretty sure this doesn't mean God has sex with Abraham, only that he knows him intimately.

There are other references to Sodom, the most descriptive of which is 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. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good."

Aha! committed abomination! That's the homosexuality reference, right?

Perhaps. What's more troubling is the set of more descriptive references to pride, fullness, idleness, ignoring the poor and needy, and haughtiness.

"America: love it or leave it." "My country right or wrong." Tax cuts that benefit the rich more than the poor. Cuts to programs for needy children. Antagonism toward immigrants. These are the troubling signs of a culture tumbling toward a Sodomic end.

The sin of Sodom was how the people treated those in need: the poor and those who were traveling. They were concerned about maintaining their standard of living and keeping undesirables out. Sound familiar?

So is America the new Sodom? Are we self-satisfied, well-fed, lazy people with our noses in the air while we brush aside the needy?

In Genesis 18:23-32, Abraham bargains with God to not destroy the city if there are 50 righteous. After God agrees, Abraham bargains God down to 40, 30, 20, and finally 10. Even so, 10 righteous people are not found in Sodom.

In the United States of America are many people working to help the poor and to welcome newcomers to our country. Many give much of their spare time to make this nation a better place for all people.

Same sex marriage won't make the USA into Sodom. But is America the new Sodom?

No, as long as there are 50, 40, 30, 20, even ten people who are willing to expend their effort to make this a better country, America is not the new Sodom... yet.