Sodomy

Sodomy is a term with various meanings:

• Sodomy is a term used in sodomy law for various forbidden sex acts
• Sodomy is a specific word for the act of anal sex
• Sodomy is a general word for sexual acts perceived by the speaker to be "unnatural", which may include some or more of homosexual sex, oral sex, bestiality, paedophilia, and anal sex

Biblical Sense

The term sodomy derives from the name of the ancient city of Sodom, which according to the Bible was destroyed by God for its misdeeds (Sodom and Gomorrah), and in today's common language identifies the practice of anal intercourse, even if in the Bible Sodom is not explicitly and unambiguously the town of homosexuality. Traditionally, the misdeeds of Sodom have been understood to be male homosexual anal intercourse; but some people today interpret its misdeeds to be homosexual rape, not sex within the context of a homosexual relationship. Further, this interpretation seems to be contradicted by Ezekiel 16:49 which states: "Only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquillity; yet she did not support the poor and the needy". It is in the book of Jude[?] (1.4, 7, 8) that an explicit recall to fornication is available: "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities". It is around 96 AD, that Josephus first used (in his Antiquities) the term sodomy to mean homosexual acts.