Sodom’s Other Sin

In the very first blog post here, I promised to show how America is like Sodom and Gomorrah in a way that most people have never considered. Those who know the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in the BIBLE generally think of it as GOD’s judgement against homosexuality, but there was more involved. Gen 19 Understand that the BIBLE “punishment” for every form of sexual sin (including heterosexual fornication and adultery) is the same – eternal separation from GOD. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for more than just their sexual sins.

The Set-up

When Abraham moved from Harran (Turkey) to Canaan (around 2000 BC), he and his cousin Lot had so much livestock that they decided to separate so each of them would have better grazing. Lot chose the plain of Jordan, which was so beautiful and desirable that it was compared to the garden of Eden. He went to live in one of the cities of the plain called Sodom. GEN 13:10

While Lot was living in Sodom, the city was attacked and all the inhabitants were captured. When Abraham heard about it, he and his men defeated the attacking armies and returned Lot and the Sodomites to their city. GOD saved Sodom – HE gave them a last chance before HE destroyed them. Actually, they got two last chances; when the Angels were on their way to judge Sodom, Abraham interceded for them, and GOD promised that if there were only 10 righteous people in Sodom, HE would not destroy it. (There weren’t.)

Nativism – Sodom’s other sin

When the Angels of GOD arrived in Sodom, Lot, thinking that they were just travelers and knowing the sinfulness of the place, insisted that they spend the night inside his house (presumably so they would not be attacked). However, before they could turn in, all the men of the city surrounded Lot’s house and stated their intent to gang rape the strangers. It was not necessarily just about sex – after all, the crowd was not interested when Lot’s virgin daughters were offered to them.

Simply put, it was a lynch mob. Like the “Sundown towns” in the pre-civil-rights American south, where Black people would be murdered (lynched in the public square) if they were caught within the city limits of such towns after dark; the Sodomites meant to make an example of the unwelcome strangers.

The Motive - Pride and Selfishness

As we saw above, Sodom, was a very desirable area to live in. The Sodomites were seeking to make a reputation for their town as a place where strangers could not expect hospitality or even human decency. They wanted to abuse the laws of hospitality so badly that people would know you could be killed or worse if you went to Sodom and Gomorrah and tried to stay.

Simply put, the Sodomites wanted to keep the place to themselves. Their greed, pride and selfishness were expressed as murderous hate toward foreigners.

America as Sodom

America is a nation of immigrants, but in recent years many Americans have decided that immigrants are no longer welcome. Those Americans installed a President who encouraged them to hate immigrants and express their racism using coded language about “illegal immigration”. Black and brown immigrants were cast as illegal or undesirable, especially Mexicans; brown people descended from the original inhabitants of the continent. White immigrants from Europe are still welcome, even if they are competition for good jobs, showing that economic concerns are not necessarily the main objection.

From a spirit of greed, selfishness and pride – the same spirit behind lynching – racist right-wing America wants to maintain control over who has access to the so-called American dream. Less (or none) for you, means more for us.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites are told to treat strangers with fairness and hospitality: “When a stranger sojourns (lives) with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself…” Lev 19:33-34 In the New Testament, JESUS warns us that at the last judgement, those who reject the stranger and disregard the poor will be sent to everlasting fire. Mat 25:32-46

The people of Sodom didn’t count on their victims being Angels from GOD who had been sent to judge them. They showed themselves worthy of eternal destruction by their own actions. Neither does “conservative” America see itself in Eze 16:49-50, which condemns ancient Jerusalem, comparing it to Sodom: "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters (Gomorrah and other cities of the plain that were destroyed) had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it."  

Repent. Love your neighbor as yourself. Attitude counts with GOD.