# Sodom and Gomorrah: the Movie **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 22, 2006, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067 "2006-01-22T04:10:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/121 "2011-01-26T00:30:36Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Yeah, I don’t know if it was discussed previously either. I didn’t know at first that it was a zombie thread. I had always heard that the ‘sin’ in the S&G story was due to the towns people insisting Lot bring out his guests so that they could know them…which broke several hospitality taboos (and which was why Lot was offering his daughters in exchange, because of the sacred rights of guests in a mans house). > > Admittedly, it’s been a long time, so I could be getting all or most of the details confused or even wrong. I just remember that the original tale and interpretation didn’t have anything to do with homo-sexuality as the basis for the ‘sin’, that this was a later Christian addition. > > -XT If you read the story, you’ll see that God has already made the decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah before the angels ever even show up. The incident with the angels had nothing to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/122 "2011-01-26T00:32:34Z")
I thought the idea was for the Angels to reconn the place to see if it was worth saving and that the inhabitants blew their only chance. Ah well…as I said, it’s been a long time and I’ll bow to superior wisdom. I’m right that the ‘sin’ wasn’t about homo-sexuality though, right? -XT ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/123 "2011-01-26T00:37:08Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I thought the idea was for the Angels to reconn the place to see if it was worth saving and that the inhabitants blew their only chance. Ah well…as I said, it’s been a long time and I’ll bow to superior wisdom. I’m right that the ‘sin’ wasn’t about homo-sexuality though, right? > > -XT You’re definitely right on that. Sadly, I don;t have the book of Jewish folktales I first read this in. But, numerous rabbis as well as other Dopers have confirmed it. 99.997% of Orthodox rabbis will tell you homosexuality is a sin. They will also tell you that Sodom and Gammorah were destroyed for being without compassion. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/124 "2011-01-26T00:41:15Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I thought the idea was for the Angels to reconn the place to see if it was worth saving and that the inhabitants blew their only chance. Ah well…as I said, it’s been a long time and I’ll bow to superior wisdom. I’m right that the ‘sin’ wasn’t about homo-sexuality though, right? > > -XT Ezekiel says explicitly that the sins of Sodom were inhospitality and idolotry. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw [good]. ( **Ez. 16-49-50** ) The word translated as "abominations (_tow’ebah_) refers to idlotrous practices. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/125 "2011-01-26T01:56:03Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > 99.997% of Orthodox rabbis will tell you homosexuality is a sin. They will also tell you that Sodom and Gammorah were destroyed for being without compassion. Which is always a nice thing to do to explain what compassion really is. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/126 "2011-01-26T02:16:13Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I don’t recall if we’ve already discussed this. It being a zombie thread and all. > > The consensus among the great scholars of Judaism has always been that the two cities were destroyed for being without compassion, for not being their brothers’ keeper. There are ancient folktales about just how cruel and inhumane the people were to strangers and to each other. Several of the stories are in the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 109. > **[Babylonian Talmud: Sanhedrin 109](https://www.come-and-hear.com/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_109.html)** > > Talmud Online, zipped for download, searchable: Tohoroth, Niddah, Nazir, Horayoth, Sanhedrin, Sotah, Yebamoth, Shabbath, Kethuboth, Gittin, Berakoth, Baba Mezi'a, Baba Kamma, Baba Bathra, Nedarim, Abodah Zara ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/127 "2011-01-26T02:39:52Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > The consensus among the great scholars of Judaism has always been that the two cities were destroyed for being without compassion, for not being their brothers’ keeper. including not even having the goddamn common courtesy to give him a reach-around? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/128 "2011-01-26T09:52:25Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > The consensus among the great scholars of Judaism has always been that the two cities were destroyed for being without compassion, for not being their brothers’ keeper. There are ancient folktales about just how cruel and inhumane the people were to strangers and to each other. Walmart dates that far back? I did not know that. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/129 "2011-01-26T10:28:56Z")
This is why the death penalty is such a bad idea. You try to destroy sodomy by killing Sodom, you end creating a martyr, and sodomy becomes more popular than ever. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/130 "2011-01-26T10:30:06Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Walmart dates that far back? > > I did not know that. Oh yes, there’s a famous mistranslation about knocking down the Walmarts of Jericho. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/131 "2011-01-26T15:34:35Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > including not even having the goddamn common courtesy to give him a reach-around? “It is this sort of thing that gives buggery a bad name.” – Winston Churchill ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/132 "2011-01-26T21:27:29Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Oh yes, there’s a famous mistranslation about knocking down the Walmarts of Jericho. Isn’t there also something about Jesus getting really pissed at the cashiers and making quite the fuss? ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/133 "2011-01-26T22:21:01Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Isn’t there also something about Jesus getting really pissed at the cashiers and making quite the fuss? That Jesus guy was so flamboyant. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067/134 "2011-01-26T22:32:23Z")
I think it had something to do with payday loans. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sodom-and-gomorrah-the-movie/341067.md?page=6)