Why do religious people not approve of homosexuality?

[marshlander]

Apparently Jesus was Gay !!!!

Well a little bit gay because he ran around with 12 men and one of them, whom he "particularly loved" would "lay his head on his [Christ's] breast".

I assume your comment is meant to be light-hearted? There is little evidence that you can make assumptions about the sexual orientation of a character who may or may not have existed based on information given in the so-called Four Gospels of the New Testament.

A number of women also followed Jesus (would that have made him bi?) and Mary Magdalene is among the most well-known. Various commentators have described her as a disciple, a prostitute and even the wife of Jesus. The new testament refers to her as a follower of Jesus. The other stories did not start to spread until at least a hundred years after the supposed events took place. Definitely not the best way to ensure accuracy.

As for John laying his head on the breast of Jesus (John 13:23) ... that seems very little evidence of sexuality at all. Apart from not taking into account the customs and practices of a culture and society in a very different time and place, there are suggestions that John may have been a cousin of Jesus. Behaviour within a family is frequently more affectionate than with strangers. The event was reported as having taken place at the "last supper", when Jesus had just told his disciples that one of their close band of friends them was going to betray him. Might that disclosure not be enough to prompt a display of affection and grief?

Thanks for bringing this thread to light. It was over before I signed up ...

As to the substantive issue under discussion my views are probably well-enough made in other threads, but I am most definitely not a believer, although I was brought up as one.