Expert: Dean Gade - 7/18/2008

Question
Dear Mr. Gade...I would like to know how the above scripture reads in the King James or NIV prior to the signing of the U.S Constitution on Sept. 17 1787. I am trying to respond to a letter about a man who is suing Zondervan and Thomas Nelson publishers for their version of the scripture which states that homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God.He says it violates his constitutional rights. I would like to get my facts straight(no pun intended) before responding.Thanks for your time. Deanna

Answer
When the US Constitution was written the only English translation was the KJV.    And it does not use the word "homosexual".    It does however tell who will not inherit the Kingdom of God:

1 Cor 6:9-10

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate , nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God
KJV

Thus, they might escape judgement of the word "homosexual" if such are not having sex outside of marriage, do not act effeminate nor abuse themselves with mankind.

The man's whole argument is only frivolous.  It is mixing state and church in a way that most of the counter-culture abhors.
The First Amendment does not allow any law to be passed which would prohibit the free exercise of people's faith.  And however the word might be translated by the various versions today, the word used in the older translations means "homosexual" as is clear in various other passages.  

For instance, in the KJV:

Rom 1:26-27

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
KJV