Three angels disguised as men visited Abraham. Two of them went to Sodom and Gomorrah to assess the wickedness level of these cities. God told Abraham that he would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the extreme evilness of the people of these cities. Abraham somehow convinced God to spare the cities if there were ten righteous people living there. God agreed. Abraham's nephew Lot met the angels at the city gates of Sodom. Lot took the angels to his home and fed them. Then all the men of the city surrounded Lot's house and asked for Lot to send the two men (angels) outside so they could have sex with them. By tradition, the angels were under Lot's protection, and he was so taken aback by this insistence that he offered the mob his two virgin daughters instead. The angels struck the rioters blind and led Lot and his family out of the city to safety. God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed them. Meanwhile, Lot's wife turns into a pillar of salt.
In this story, God punishes the "evil" people of Sodom and Gomorrah for their deeds. But, what does evil mean, anyway? The Bible outlines the meaning of good and evil, but the lines are definitely more blurred outside of the biblical context, and especially for people who are not necessarily religious. Good and evil have never been black-and-white, as we can tell from countless ethical debates that have arisen over the course of history. So, if we don't even know a differentiation of good versus evil, how can we delegate appropriate punishment if an act of supposed evil is committed? The story of Sodom and Gomorrah indicates that homosexuality is evil, and that is still a belief that many people hold. But can a sexuality really define an individual as evil? Personally, I think that withholding rights from free people is far more evil than being gay. But, it's only the 21st century. Clearly, we still have a long way to go.
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