Sodomy

The issue of how the Christian doctrine views homosexualtiy through its appoved sacred scriptures is one of great contention. There are passages in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament that clearly condemn sodomy and the act of homosexuality. Engaging in sexual relations with a person of the same sex is considered a mortal sin by the Church.

In the days of the Ottoman Empire, pederasty-like relationships were common between pre-pubescent boys and bearded older men. Though today it seems homoerotic, the relationship had a deeper meaning according to the mystic Sufis and their search for God "Your airs have turned my head! Say, who has brought you up so impudent?