Bible Study: What does the Bible say about bestiality?

A Shepherd’s Voice on a Sacred Trust: What the Bible Teaches About the Dignity of Human Love

There are some paths in our journey of faith that are difficult to walk, some questions that can cause our hearts to feel troubled and our minds to be confused. The topic before us is one such path. It is a subject that can be disturbing and painful to discuss, and it touches upon deep wounds and powerful questions about who we are. It is with the heart of a shepherd, then, that we approach this path, not with harshness or cold judgment with a desire to bring the gentle light of Christ into a dark corner of human experience. We seek not to condemn to understand, to heal, and to rediscover the beautiful truth of God’s plan for his creation.¹

Our guide on this journey must be the Word of God. The Holy Scriptures are not a book of cold and lifeless rules, designed to weigh us down. No, the Bible is a love letter from our Creator. It is, as the psalmist sings, “a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” It is a light that does not merely expose our failings illuminates the way to true freedom, joy, and fulfillment. It reveals the truth, and it is the truth that sets us free.

The central question we must hold in our hearts is not simply “What is forbidden?” but rather “What is the magnificent dignity that God has given to every human person?” When we begin to grasp the immense value of our own humanity, we can then understand why certain actions are a departure from this beautiful truth. This is not a discussion about shame about rediscovering our sacred worth as children of God, made in His very image and likeness.¹

What Does God’s Word Directly Say About This Act?

When we open the Holy Scriptures to this difficult question, we find that God does not whisper or hint. His voice is clear, firm, and unmistakable. In the great books of the Law given to Moses, God establishes a boundary that is meant to protect the sacredness of the human person and the beautiful order of His creation. This prohibition is not hidden in some obscure corner; it is stated plainly and repeated in the most important legal codes of the Old Testament.

The first instance appears in the Book of Exodus, within a collection of laws known as the Covenant Code, which formed the foundational legal and moral charter for the people of Israel as they began their life as a nation freed from slavery. Here, the command is stark and direct:

• Exodus 22:19: “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal is to be put to death”.⁴

Later, in the Book of Leviticus, this command is repeated and expanded upon within what scholars call the Holiness Code. This section of the law is dedicated to explaining how God’s people are to live lives that are holy—that is, set apart and different from the nations around them. Here, the moral dimension of the act is explained more fully:

• Leviticus 18:23: “‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion’”.⁵

A few chapters later, this law is stated again, emphasizing the severe consequences and the shared responsibility, underscoring the gravity of the offense in God’s eyes:

• Leviticus 20:15-16: “‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he is to be put to death, and you must kill the animal. If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death…’”.⁴

Finally, in the Book of Deuteronomy, as the people of Israel stand ready to enter the Promised Land, Moses leads them in a solemn ceremony of blessings and curses. This act is included among the most serious sins that bring a curse from God upon an individual. The entire community is called to affirm this judgment, showing their collective agreement with God’s standard:

• Deuteronomy 27:21: “‘Cursed is anyone who has sexual relations with any animal.’ Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’”.⁷

Understanding the Strong Language of God

To truly hear what God is saying to us, we must listen carefully to the words He chooses. They are not words of casual disapproval; they are words that convey a deep moral and spiritual reality.

The terms “defilement” e “perversion” used in Leviticus 18:23 tell us that this act is not a simple mistake. It is something that spiritually stains a person, making them unclean in the sight of a holy God. It is a “perversion,” a twisting and distortion of the good and natural order that God designed for His creation.⁸ The King James Version of the Bible translates this word as “confusion,” which captures the sense that this act mixes together what God intended to be separate, creating a powerful disorder.⁸

La parola “abomination” (in Hebrew, toevah) is one of the strongest words of condemnation in the entire Bible. It is not used for minor errors or ritual mistakes. It is reserved for acts that God finds utterly detestable, things that are fundamentally opposed to His holy nature, such as idolatry, child sacrifice, and grave sexual immorality.⁹ By using this word, the Bible places this act in the category of the most serious moral offenses, those that represent a direct rejection of God’s will and His very character.

To be “cursed,” as stated in Deuteronomy, means to be cut off from the source of life and blessing, which is God Himself. It is to place oneself outside the circle of His grace and protection, in a state of powerful spiritual danger.⁷

The fact that this prohibition appears so consistently across the foundational legal texts of the Old Testament reveals its central importance. This was not a minor regulation for a specific time or place. Its presence in the Covenant Code of Exodus, the Holiness Code of Leviticus, and the covenant renewal ceremony of Deuteronomy shows that it was considered a core, non-negotiable principle for the people of God.⁴ God was establishing a fundamental boundary that would define the moral and spiritual identity of His people. This was a law not just about an action about an entire worldview, a cornerstone for understanding the relationship between humanity, the animal world, and God Himself.

Why Did God Give These Strong Commands to His People?

God is not a tyrant who imposes rules without reason. He is a loving Father, and His laws are always given for our good, to protect us from harm and to guide us toward true happiness and flourishing. To understand why these commands are so strong, we must look at the world into which they were spoken and the beautiful vision of life God was offering to His people.

A Call to Be a Holy and Different People

The commands in Leviticus 18 do not begin with a list of prohibitions. They begin with a call to a unique identity. God says to His people, “You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices”.⁵ This is the key that unlocks the entire chapter. God was calling Israel to be a holy nation, a people set apart, whose way of life would be a beacon of light to a world lost in darkness.

The surrounding pagan cultures had a very different and deeply confused understanding of sexuality and the created world. Historical and archaeological evidence shows us that sexual relations between humans and animals were a known, and in some cases accepted, part of the ancient world.¹³ Ancient myths from Canaan, the very land Israel was about to enter, told stories of their god Baal having sexual relations with a heifer to produce another god.¹⁵ The ancient historian Herodotus recorded that some Egyptian religious rites involved cultic sex with goats.¹³ The laws of the powerful Hittite empire, while not permitting everything, had detailed regulations about which animals were considered acceptable sexual partners and which were not, treating the issue as a matter of regulation rather than a fundamental moral evil.¹⁶

Into this world of moral and spiritual confusion, God’s law came as a radical and liberating break. It was a powerful declaration: “My people will be different. Your lives, your bodies, and the way you love will reflect Il mio holiness, not the distorted practices of the nations.” The prohibition against bestiality was a clear line drawn in the sand. It was a way of protecting Israel from the degrading practices of paganism and establishing them as a people whose identity was found in their relationship with the one, true, holy God.

This was not merely a rule about behavior; it was a powerful theological statement. In the pagan world, the lines between gods, humans, and animals were often blurred. Gods were thought to take on animal forms and engage in sexual acts, and human worship often involved imitating these chaotic fertility rites to secure the favor of these nature deities.¹³ The law against bestiality shattered this entire worldview. It taught Israel that Yahweh, their God, was not an animalistic force of nature. He is the transcendent Creator, holy and separate from His creation. It taught them that their relationship with Him was not based on pagan rituals but on a covenant of love, obedience, and holiness. The command was a lesson in who God is, and therefore, a lesson in who they were meant to be as His people.

Protecting the Sacred Order of Creation

When we read the first pages of Genesis, we see a God who creates with wisdom, purpose, and beautiful order. He separates light from darkness, the waters from the sky, and the land from the sea. He creates plants, fish, birds, and land animals, each “according to its kind.” Each part of creation has its own nature, its own integrity, its own God-given dignity.

Finally, as the pinnacle of His creation, God makes humanity. The laws forbidding the confusion of human and animal sexuality serve to protect this sacred order. They are a powerful reminder that humans and animals, while both beloved creatures of God, are fundamentally different in their nature and purpose. To blur this line is to violate the very grammar of creation, to introduce chaos into the beautiful harmony that God established for our good. This is not about devaluing animals; on the contrary, it is about respecting the specific dignity of every creature. But above all, it is about recognizing and honoring the unique and exalted place that God has given to the human person.

A Moral Law, Not a Temporary Rule

A sincere question can arise in our hearts: “These laws are from the Old Testament. In our age of grace, do they still apply to us?” This is an important question that deserves a clear and compassionate answer. The Church teaches us to distinguish between the different kinds of laws we find in the Old Testament.

Ci sono ceremonial laws, such as the laws about animal sacrifices or dietary restrictions like not eating shellfish.⁹ These laws were given to ancient Israel to teach them about holiness and to point forward to the coming of Christ. With the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, these ceremonial laws were fulfilled and are no longer binding on Christians.

There are also civil laws, which were the specific statutes for governing the nation of Israel as a political entity in that time and place.

But the Old Testament also contains the moral law, which reflects God’s eternal character and His unchanging will for human flourishing. These are laws like the Ten Commandments, which forbid murder, adultery, theft, and lying. Because they are rooted in the very nature of God and the nature of the humanity He created, these moral laws are timeless and universal.⁹

The Bible itself shows us that the prohibition against bestiality belongs to this category of moral law. It is consistently listed alongside other grave sins that are intrinsically evil, such as incest, adultery, and the horrific practice of child sacrifice to the idol Molech.⁵ The severe punishment prescribed—the death penalty—and the strong moral language used—”abomination,” “perversion,” “defilement”—were reserved for the most serious moral offenses, not for breaking ritual or dietary rules.⁹ This shows that the ancient Israelites, guided by God, understood this not as a temporary cultural custom as a powerful violation of God’s eternal moral order.

What Makes Humanity So Special in God’s Eyes?

To truly understand why God’s law draws this firm line, we must turn our gaze away from the prohibition and toward the positive, awe-inspiring truth of who we are. The law is not the center of our faith; the center is a Person, Jesus Christ, who reveals to us the fullness of God and the fullness of our own humanity. The “why” behind this law is found in the magnificent gift of being human.

A Masterpiece Made in God’s Image (Imago Dei)

This is the heart of the matter. We are not simply a more intelligent species of animal. We are fundamentally different. We are set apart.²⁰ To be made in the

imago Dei, the image of God, means that we are more than just flesh and bone, more than just a collection of biological instincts. It means that God has breathed into us a spiritual and immortal soul.²²

Because we are made in His image, we have capacities that no other earthly creature possesses. We have the gift of ragione, the ability to think, to question, to seek and know the truth. We have the gift of libero arbitrio, the awesome power to choose between good and evil, to choose a path of love or a path of selfishness. And most beautifully, we have the capacity for love and relationship—a capacity to enter into a communion of persons with one another, and with God Himself.²⁰

An animal acts on instinct. It is guided by its nature. An animal cannot sin, because it is not a moral agent with the freedom to choose against God’s law.²⁰ A human person can know God’s law and freely choose to live in harmony with it, or to reject it. This is our great glory, and it is our awesome responsibility. We are, as one Christian thinker put it, the “rational animal,” and our purpose is to live according to that rationality, which orients us toward the divine.²⁴

The Sacred Language of the Body

In our modern world, there is a great temptation to see our bodies as mere objects, as biological machines for our use or pleasure. But the Christian vision is so much more beautiful. The great teaching of the “theology of the body” helps us to see that our bodies are sacred. They are, as Saint Paul tells us, temples of the Holy Spirit. And our bodies speak a language.²⁴

The sexual union between a man and a woman is not just a physical act. It is meant to be a powerful and holy communication, a sacred language. In this act, two persons, each made in God’s image, are called to give themselves to one another completely. It is a language of total, free, faithful, and fruitful self-giving that is meant to be a visible sign—an icon—of the very love of God Himself.

An animal, which does not possess a rational soul and the capacity for this kind of personal, self-giving love, cannot speak or understand this sacred language. It cannot enter into a communion of persons. Therefore, to engage in a sexual act with an animal is a powerful misuse of the glorious gift of sexuality. It attempts to speak the language of personal love and total self-gift to a creature that is incapable of receiving or reciprocating it. It reduces the sacred act to a purely physical function, stripping it of its meaning, its dignity, and its truth.²⁵ It is, as Saint Thomas Aquinas taught, an “unnatural vice” precisely because it goes against the natural purpose and order that God has written into our very being.²⁵

The fundamental tragedy of this sin is not an offense against the animal, which is not a moral partner in the act. The tragedy is the lie that a person tells about themselves. It is an act of powerful self-degradation. The Bible and the long tradition of the Church teach a beautiful hierarchy of being: God is the Creator; humanity is made in His image, standing between the spiritual and physical worlds; and the animal kingdom is a precious part of creation over which we are given responsible stewardship, not tyrannical rule.²³

To engage in bestiality is to willingly abandon one’s own place in that order. It is to forsake the rationality and spiritual dignity that makes us human and to choose to act solely on the level of carnal passion, as if one were a beast.²⁴ It is a performance, a tragic declaration that says, “I reject the magnificent creature God made me to be. I choose to descend from the dignity of the

imago Dei.” This is a deep and sorrowful spiritual self-harm. Seen in this light, God’s prohibition is not the angry command of a distant ruler. It is the loving cry of a Father who sees His child about to harm himself, a Father who says, “do not do this to yourself. Do not forget who you are. Do not forget the great dignity I have bestowed upon you.”

How Should We Respond with a Merciful Heart?

Knowing the truth of God’s law and the beauty of His plan is only the first step. The Gospel calls us to go further. It calls us to respond with the merciful heart of Jesus Himself. How, then, do we carry this truth into our lives and into our wounded world?

To the Soul in Turmoil and in Need of Healing

To any person who reads these words and feels the heavy burden of this particular struggle, I wish to speak directly to your heart, with the tenderness of a father. Please know that God’s truth is never meant to crush you to lift you up and set you free.

Often, these kinds of deep and painful struggles are born from powerful wounds. Perhaps they are the sad fruit of abuse suffered in youth, or they grow in the soil of extreme loneliness, isolation, and a feeling of being unloved.¹³ God sees your pain. He knows the secret sorrows of your heart. He does not turn His face away from you. On the contrary, He draws nearest to the brokenhearted.

The very first step toward healing is the one you may have already taken in seeking out these words: the recognition in your heart that these desires are disordered and are not in line with God’s beautiful plan for your true happiness.³ Please see this recognition not as a source of shame as a powerful sign of God’s grace already at work within you! It is a flicker of light in the darkness, a testament to the goodness that God has placed in your soul.

I urge you, do not despair. The Lord’s mercy is infinitely greater than our weakness and our sins. With all the love in my heart, I encourage you to run to the sources of grace that Christ has given His Church. Seek out the healing power of the Sacrament of Confession. Find a wise and compassionate priest who can listen to you without judgment, who can be a channel of God’s merciful love, and who can speak the beautiful words of absolution that wash the soul clean.³ I also encourage you to seek out sound professional counseling and spiritual direction. You do not have to carry this heavy burden alone. There are people who can help you understand the roots of this struggle and walk with you on the path to healing and wholeness. Remember, always remember: you are loved. You are not your temptations. You are not your brokenness. You are a beloved child of God.³

For the Community of Believers: Becoming a Field Hospital

As a as the community of believers, we have a great responsibility. We must be what I have often called a “field hospital after battle”.² Our parishes cannot be fortresses for the perfect and the self-righteous. They must be homes for the wounded, shelters for the lost, and fountains of mercy for all who are thirsty.

Our response to any person who struggles with any form of sexual brokenness must be one of immense compassion. We must follow the example of Jesus Himself. We must be clear and firm in condemning the sin, because sin is a lie that harms the soul and leads away from God. But we must never, ever condemn the sinner. Every person, regardless of their struggles, possesses an infinite dignity and is worthy of our respect, our love, and our prayers.

We are called to the ministry of accompaniment. This means walking alongside our brothers and sisters who are struggling, listening to their pain with patience, and gently guiding them toward the healing truth of the Gospel. It means creating communities where people feel safe enough to be vulnerable, knowing they will be met not with judgment with the merciful embrace of Christ.

A Witness to a Confused World

We live in a world that is deeply confused about love, about sex, and about what it means to be human. Some modern philosophies, by rejecting the beautiful truth that we are created by God with a specific nature and purpose, find it difficult to explain why an act like bestiality is wrong. They may fall back on weak and shifting arguments about “consent” or “physical harm,” which fail to grasp the deeper moral reality.²⁶

Our witness as Christians is to live and to proclaim a more beautiful and more coherent truth. It is the truth of the sacred dignity of every human person, created in the image and likeness of God. It is the truth that we are made for a love that is a total, faithful, and life-giving gift of self.

By cherishing the precious gift of our own humanity, by living according to God’s loving design for our bodies and our souls, and by extending boundless mercy to all who are wounded, we become a light in the darkness. We remind a lost and confused world of the path that leads back to true joy, true peace, and true fulfillment. This is the very heart of what it means to be missionary disciples.²⁷ It is the message of hope that flows from the heart of the Gospel, a message our world desperately needs to hear.

Let us, then, entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the model of all purity and the Mother of Mercy. May she help us to see ourselves and all others with the loving eyes of her Son, Jesus Christ, who came not to condemn the world that the world might be saved through Him.

Bibliography:

1. Exploring the Literary Contributions of Pope Francis – A Book Geek, consultato il 18 giugno 2025, https://www.abookgeek.com/exploring-the-literary-contributions-of-pope-francis/
2. Analysis: Pope Francis leaves multifaceted legacy in style, message – OSV News, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.osvnews.com/analysis-pope-francis-leaves-multifaceted-legacy-in-style-message/
3. I Need Help Dealing with my Zoophilia : r/Catholicism – Reddit, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/ycpi1u/i_need_help_dealing_with_my_zoophilia/
4. Homosexuality and Bestiality – The Fellowship of Ailbe, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.ailbe.org/columns/column-archive/in-the-gates/homosexuality-and-bestiality-2/
5. Bible Gateway Leviticus 18 :: NIV – MIT, accessed June 18, 2025, https://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/LEV+18.html
6. Bestiality – Ilford – Seventh-day Adventist® Church, accessed June 18, 2025, https://ilford.adventistchurch.org.uk/bibleinfo_topics/bestiality
7. Landmarks, Trees & Boundaries in Biblical Times | Patterns of Evidence, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.patternsofevidence.com/2020/11/06/landmarks-trees-boundaries-in-biblical-times/
8. What does Leviticus 18:23 mean? | BibleRef.com, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.bibleref.com/Leviticus/18/Leviticus-18-23.html
9. The Bible, Homosexuality, and “the Shellfish Objection” | Catholic Answers Podcasts, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.catholic.com/audio/cot/the-bible-homosexuality-and-the-shellfish-objection
10. Leviticus 18 – Wikipedia, accessed June 18, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviticus_18
11. Leviticus 18 20 – Where Grace Abounds, accessed June 18, 2025, https://wheregraceabounds.org/leviticus-18-20/
12. Leviticus 18-20: Be Holy – God Centered Life, accessed June 18, 2025, https://godcenteredlife.org/devotional/leviticus-18-20-be-holy/
13. A subject I never expected to address – Denison Forum, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.denisonforum.org/biblical-living/christianity/a-subject-i-never-expected-to-address/
14. Bestiality in history – Unlocking Words – WordPress.com, accessed June 18, 2025, https://unlockingwords.wordpress.com/2019/07/15/bestiality-in-history/
15. Middle Eastern religion – Rituals, Beliefs, Institutions – Britannica, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Middle-Eastern-religion/Religious-practices-and-institutions
16. Bestiality Law in the United States: Evolving Legislation with …, accessed June 18, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9219431/
17. Bestiality in Biblical and Hittite Law – TheTorah.com, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.thetorah.com/article/bestiality-in-biblical-and-hittite-law
18. Why was incest (and sometimes bestiality) common in so many religious stories? – Reddit, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/19rl45/why_was_incest_and_sometimes_bestiality_common_in/
19. Leviticus 18 Commentary | Precept Austin, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.preceptaustin.org/leviticus_18_commentary
20. Christianity should embrace the fact that humans are animals. : r/DebateAChristian – Reddit, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/DebateAChristian/comments/1l45n8a/christianity_should_embrace_the_fact_that_humans/
21. Why do Christians *typically* reject the notion that humans are animals? – Reddit, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/1fo9d8s/why_do_christians_typically_reject_the_notion/
22. View of A Theology of Animality | Humanimalia, accessed June 18, 2025, https://humanimalia.org/article/view/9486/19961
23. Noblesse oblige : theological differences between humans and animals, accessed June 18, 2025, https://fra-respect-animal.org/noblesse-oblige-theological-differences-between-humans-and-animals
24. Beasts and Bestiality, Deities and Deification: Boethius’ The Consolation of Philosophy in Milton’s & – Scholar Commons, accessed June 18, 2025, https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1220&context=tor
25. Thomas Aquinas on Marriage and Sex, accessed June 18, 2025, https://theo.kuleuven.be/apps/christian-ethics/sex/history/h2c.html
26. The Disgusting End of the Slippery Slope | Catholic Answers Podcasts, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.catholic.com/audio/cot/the-disgusting-end-of-the-slippery-slope
27. The official documents of Pope Francis’ papacy | America Magazine, accessed June 18, 2025, https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/04/21/pope-francis-legacy-death-250434