Christian opposition to homosexuality
presents a good opportunity to
re-think Biblical morality per se.
Generally we can approach morality
in two ways. (1) we can blindly obey
strict orders without question, and
consider all who deviate as sinners
subject to severe punishment.
(2) We can follow the universal Golden
Rule, which urges empathy and non-
harm. We could temper that with fair
justice for harm-doers.
The former approach is appropriate for
dictators, soldiers in battle, and children
too young to judge which behavior is
harmful. The latter approach is
appropriate for free, peace-loving adults.
(See Kholberg's moral stages.) Many
Christians would spare themselves
difficult decisions by choosing blind
obedience even if they are free, mature
adults.
But the Bible itself contains the same two
approaches to morality! Hence we still
are obliged to choose and make rational
decisions wisely - despite the dictates of
certain church leaders and their flocks of
"sheep". And in order to choose wisely,
we must also know something of the
culture and times in which our chosen
passages were written.
So let us now use homosexuality as a test
case and visit the appropriate passages.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Genesis 1:27 states humanity was made
in God's image as male and female who
should join together, be fruitful, and
multiply. This could be interpreted to mean
only males and females should join
together in order to procreate, and to not
procreate is unnatural. But we must
remember: procreation was urged at the
time of the first humans because then
the world was virtually empty of people!
Today the world is dangerously
overpopulated. Also both Jesus and Paul
themselves chose to remain celibate
(along with innumerable priests, monks,
and nuns, after them) And as far as the
strict separation of male and female goes,
Galatians 3:28 states: "There is neither
Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.
For you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Then what about Genesis 19? Were not
Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed because
of homosexuality? Most scholars are in
agreement that the capital crime
emphasized there was inhospitality and
violence to strangers. Today we might find
a worse crime in Lot's offering his two
young daughters to be ravished in place of
his guests. Similarly in Juges 19:23-29 a
virgin daughter and concubine were offered
to appease violent sodomists who raped the
concubine to death. It seems morality there
was quite lacking when it came to women.
What then of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13?
Here prohibitions are proclaimed against incest,
bestiality, homosexuality, ect. under penalty of
death. But Leviticus 19:17 states: "Ye shall love
your neighbor as yourself."(!) Following up on
this statement in Luke 10:29 Jesus gave the
Samaritan as an example of the neighbor to love.
Samaritans were deviant to Judah's Jewish laws.
Moreover, Exodus 21:24 states an eye for an eye
is just punishment, signifying the death penalty is
appropriate only for murder.
Such exuberant overkill is again proclaimed by
Paul in Romans 1:24-32, who lists a string of
offenses, including boastfulness and disobedience
to parents as well as homosexuality - then claims
even those approving of such behavior are
deserving of death! Compare this extreme
pronouncement with the Golden Rule or even the
fair justice of an eye for an eye.
The Christian prohibition of homosexuality can be
seen more clearly in the light of the Greco-Roman
culture in which it took place. It was a culture of
aggressive bi-sexuality toward slaves, including
young boys, who could be homosexually raped at
will by free men with impunity.
And what of the Jew's attitude toward
homosexuality? After all they should be the best
interpreters of their own Hebrew ("Old")
Testament. Their Halakah (Traditional Law) serves
wisely to make the Law fit new understanding.
Today only Orthodox Judaism prohibits homosexual
practice, but doesn't blame anyone for his or her
sexual preference. Conservative and many Reformed
and Reconstructionist Jews endorse gay marriage
and ordination. As early as 1965 the Women of
Reformed Judaism riled against homosexual
discrimination.
A FRESH OUTLOOK:
Methodists and other mainline Christian groups
now endorse a four way interpretation of
Scripture: (1) Bible study (2)Tradition (3)
Reason (4) Experience. Here we can stay with
the Bible and the tradition of our faith, but
the interpretation must be rational and based
on ever- improving knowledge and experience.
Hopefully the cumulative knowledge of civilized
humanity has by now shown blind obedience to
draconian laws and punishments leads only to
dictatorship, bigotry, injustice, violence, even
bloody wars. Recall the medieval inquisitions,
the endless religious wars, the mass blind
obedience of Nazi Germany....and so it goes on
today.
Cumulative knowledge, empirical reason, and
empathy for humanity should tell us by now
that harmless behavior, even if different,
should be left alone regardless of preachings
by self righteous bigots and hate mongers -
especially if bigotry or violence is preached in
the name of God. On the other hand if the act
is definitely harmful, we should then deal with
it justly.
Just like straight sex, gay sex becomes harmful
when used for rape, child molestation,
spreading disease, or using others as mere meat.
In fact straight sex has even two more ways to do
harm: i.e. through adultery (now becoming
applicable to gays), and by creating unwanted
children.
In his volume of Church Dogmatics, Karl Barth urged
viewing scripture and tradition through the lens of
"God's Freedom" whose will cannot be predicted by
mere human beings. "God's grace is new every
morning. For we are speaking of a living God who is
vitally active today and every day."
Biblical teachings are not stilled photographs frozen in history. We
have instead a living Bible which must be seen in the context of all its books and
the entire story of humanity. In this light even your sexual orientation can be an important
part of your calling....
But woe upon those - straight or gay - who use their sexual orientation for rape, defiling children,
spreading STD, committing adultery or pursuing mindless permiscuity. For all these defy the Golden Rule. And what
you sow - you will therefore reap....
