It is sometimes said that the friendship between David and Jonathan was an example of a homosexual relationship. The relationships between Ruth and Naomi and between Jesus and John ("the disciple Jesus loved")are also mentioned.
In modern Western culture we associate touching, kissing and the word "love" with a sexual relationship. But that was not the case in Biblical era culture. Most Bible scholars say these relationships were no more than close friendships. That is especially clear in the case of Jesus and John - the word translated as "loved" was the Greek word agape, which means kindness and respect rather than romantic or sexual love.
There is no mention of same-sex marriages or partnerships in the Bible, either for or against.
Some Christians are strongly opposed to legalizing what they view as sinful behavior and a perversion of God's plan for marriage and distinct gender roles. Other Christians view equal civil rights for gays and lesbians as a requirement of Bible teachings that we must act with kindness and respect for all people and avoid judging the moral choices others make.
The only mentions of qualifications for clergy are in 1st Timothy and homosexuality is not mentioned there. All of us, including clergy, are imperfect and sinners in our own ways. The question seems to be whether homosexuality should disqualify a person from ministry while other sins (e.g., evil thoughts, greed, deceit, envy, arrogance and folly do not disqualify a person. There are obviously different opinions.
We need to leave the decision who gets to heaven to God. The bible teaches that we should not condemn other people or presume to know who will or will not be saved. We are all sinners in our own ways, and none of us can claim to be worthy of heaven on our own merit. We all must depend on God's love, mercy and forgiveness for our salvation.
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