Since the dawn of the gay rights movement in the late 1960s, religious leaders have cited passages from the Bible that they say support their belief that homosexuality is immoral and sinful. The church’s position on homosexuality quickly caused a rift between staunch believers and gays and lesbians who resented being told that they were evil and depraved. Recently, several gay and lesbian activists examined the biblical passages in question and interpreted them as indifferent to homosexuality. Biblical scholars and homosexual advocates are now deeply divided over whether the Bible condemns homosexuality.

Religious leaders typically cite seven passages from the Bible that they allege condemn homosexuality. One of the most frequently cited passages, found in Genesis 19, is the story of the destruction of Sodom. The story is so frequently used to condemn homosexuality that the term “sodomite,” which once referred...