An unbroken cloud of witnesses against sexual sin

As GCM Watch reported earlier here and here, gay christian researcher John Boswell set out to prove that the church was historically “tolerant” to homosexual unions. Liberally using what has been called “strained exegesis”, he formulated a religious fallacy in which he argued those unions were “normal” and comparable to those of the contemporary gay community.  The gay christian movement consequently built on that particular tenet, but contrary to the voices of esteemed early churchmen. Those voices were exceedingly vocal and intolerant of any homosexual activity among self-professed followers of Christ. The record shows that both biblical witness and apostolic tradition uniformly condemned homosexual practice as destestable and certainly outside of the will of God. 

First, read the excellent findings of Christopher Todd Bounds, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Theology at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Some additional highlights on homosexual issues from the early church fathers:

Though somewhat controversial, The Didache, yet reflects the prevailing Christian rejection of homosexuality within the Christian context:
“You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit pederasty, you shall not commit fornication, you shall not steal, you shall not practice magic, you shall not practice witchcraft, you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill one that has been born” (Didache 2:2 [A.D. 70]).

Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.), one of the earliest Christian apologists whose works represent the earliest surviving Christian apologies of notable size:
“[W]e have been taught that to expose newly-born children is the part of wicked men; and this we have been taught lest we should do anyone harm and lest we should sin against God, first, because we see that almost all so exposed (not only the girls, but also the males) are brought up to prostitution. And for this pollution a multitude of females and hermaphrodites, and those who commit unmentionable iniquities, are found in every nation. And you receive the hire of these, and duty and taxes from them, whom you ought to exterminate from your realm. And anyone who uses such persons, besides the godless and infamous and impure intercourse, may possibly be having intercourse with his own child, or relative, or brother. And there are some who prostitute even their own children and wives, and some are openly mutilated for the purpose of sodomy; and they refer these mysteries to the mother of the gods” (First Apology 27 [A.D. 151]).

Tertullian, 2nd century apologist:
“[A]ll other frenzies of the lusts which exceed the laws of nature, and are impious toward both [human] bodies and the sexes, we banish, not only from the threshold but also from all shelter of the Church, for they are not sins so much as monstrosities” (Modesty 4 [A.D. 220]).

Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea whose work forged unity among pro-orthodoxy believers:

“[H]aving forbidden all unlawful marriage, and all unseemly practice, and the union of women with women and men with men, he [God] adds: ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for in all these things the nations were defiled, which I will drive out before you. And the land was polluted, and I have recompensed [their] iniquity upon it, and the land is grieved with them that dwell upon it’ [Lev. 18:24–25]” (Proof of the Gospel 4:10 [A.D. 319]).

Augustine

“[T]hose shameful acts against nature, such as were committed in Sodom, ought everywhere and always to be detested and punished. If all nations were to do such things, they would be held guilty of the same crime by the law of God, which has not made men so that they should use one another in this way” (Confessions 3:8:15 [A.D. 400]).

HT: Laura