For all the shouting back and forth we hear in the media over gay marriage and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the issue at the heart of all the rancor -- what the Bible says about homosexuality -- is still remarkably difficult for everyday people to talk about.
No wonder, since it involves two subjects that easily scare the bejeebers out of folks: God and sex.
Fear has a stifling effect, and for some time, that silence has accompanied the business of tearing apart families, communities, churches, and, some would argue, perhaps even the whole of Christianity.
When Daniel Karslake set out to make his 2007 documentary For the Bible Tells Me So, all he wanted to do was start the conversation, because he believed there was power in talking. He attracted some big names to the project: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, and Gene Robinson, the Episcopal church's first openly gay bishop. But the core of the film is really the intimate stories of Christian families, including Gephardt's and Robinson's, who discovered they didn't have to choose between their faith and their gay children.
Remarkably, when most documentaries would have come and gone, For the Bible Tells Me So is still riding a wave of momentum three years since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Screenings are going on around the country and as far away as China, Chile and Botswana, and the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly has put it in the company of An Inconvenient Truth and The Cove, two Oscar winners, as one of "Five Movies That Changed the World."
It has earned audience awards at nine major film festivals, but most of its success has truly been word of mouth, which is proof enough that it's doing exactly what Karslake had hoped. Even more powerfully, from the countless stories and testimonies he's heard, he knows the film has reached into people's hearts. It's given them the courage to start talking and, for that matter, listening.
Now, with the release of a companion study program, the film seems destined to stretch its reach even further.
The publisher of the study, Northaven United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, had nothing to do with the making of For the Bible Tells Me So. Impressed by the message of the film, they approached Karslake's production team with the idea. A trustworthy guide to accompany the film could bring the conversation to people and into places that might otherwise shy away in fear.
The result is a six-week course for individual and small-group study called "This I Know," a title that (like the movie) borrows from the familiar children's hymn "Jesus Loves Me." It suits the material well because, from start to finish, the study is an invitation to move beyond fear and toward the radical, unconditional love that Christ modeled.
With the film setting the standard, Northaven assembled another stellar roster of contributors (all of whom donated original work) to act as guides along the path.
Brian McLaren, the innovative evangelical thinker and "godfather" of the emerging church movement, begins with an essay on fear that makes the important point, often missing in gay rights arguments, that opposition to homosexuality isn't just about homophobia.
Indeed, fear arrives in so many other guises. There's the fear endured by families sitting in the pews, terrified they'll be ostracized if their church finds out about their gay son or daughter or brother or sister. Among many Christians, there's the fear that engaging the issue will create even more division in the church. For McLaren, there was the fear "of being criticized and judged by my fellow conservative Christians if I changed my views, and the fear of being criticized and judged by progressive Christians if I didn't change them."
Perhaps paramount, though, is the soul-wrenching fear of going against biblical authority, the fear that surely has created such a bitter stalemate in the debate. On one hand, if you truly believe Christianity condemns homosexuality, then you are bound by your faith to embrace this belief, even if your heart and experience tell you something different. On the other hand, if you truly believe homosexuality is not a sin, then how can you possibly embrace Christianity?
This is the dilemma that has vast numbers of young people -- the majority of whom, polls show, consider homosexuality to be a non-issue -- rejecting Christianity. And that has many wondering, me included, just what future awaits a church that drives away the next generation.
Meanwhile, the majority of Christians are stuck in the middle, frozen in their fears, perhaps replaying the pulpit admonitions they heard as children but resisting deeper reflection.
As a writer who has researched evangelical Christianity in depth, I don't believe this "mushy middle" is found exclusively in mainstream churches. I've talked to too many conservative Christians who've told me the same thing. They tend to tune out the sermons that preach against homosexuality. It's an issue, they say, that's just too contentious, too confusing, too discomforting to think about.
"This I Know" meets these people where they are, in the middle, with a tempered and even-handed approach. There's no doubt it has a particular point of view, but it respectfully beckons its participants into discernment and discussion rather than dragging them by the collar into some ideological corner. "Gay agenda" - whatever that loaded phrase means - is hardly what came to mind as I read it.
Most impressive to me was the essay written by Roberta Showalter Kreider, a devout Mennonite now in her eighties who grew up believing homosexuals were destined for an eternity in hell. After her beloved younger brother died of AIDS in 1984, she spent the next 10 years praying for God to send her other homosexuals so she could help them save their souls. But when a neighboring Mennonite church flouted policy and began welcoming same-sex couples, she felt her soul stirring in an unexpected direction. Tentatively, she began seeking out and listening to the stories of the homosexual Mennonites who attended the nearby church.
"Confronting the reality of people's integrity," she writes, "makes it difficult to judge or condemn."
She discovered, as the families in Karslake's film did, that one can be both wholly gay and a holy Christian. She also came to a new understanding of sin as "anything that harms another person." She could find "no harm in the loving, committed relationships" she encountered in her expanding circle of gay and lesbian friends.
Kreider's story is a vivid expression of Christ's love by example, but renowned Jesus scholar Marcus Borg offers the theological underpinning in the study's final lesson:
"For Christians, the Bible is not the ultimate Word of God, nor the ultimate moral authority. Rather, Jesus is, and the Bible is second in importance to him. From its very beginning, Christianity has affirmed that Jesus is 'the Word of God' become flesh, incarnate in a human life (John 1). This, not biblical absolutism, is ancient and traditional Christianity."
Borg challenges us: Learn "how not to fear and how to love." Learn "how to participate in God's passion for a different kind of world."
This message -- above all else, love -- is the mandate of Christian faith. It is what the world judges Christians by. And the hard truth is, if Christians can't rise to that mandate, they will never win the world.
Christianity is paying an enormous price for its numbers who fixate on the few scriptural passages that address sexual behavior in an ancient, oppressively patriarchal culture. This fixation diminishes Christ's life. It erodes the moral authority of Christianity, and that in turn, does harm to a wider society that needs all the moral authority it can get.
As my friend Jim Henderson, a spiritual "anthropologist" and author of Evangelism Without Additives, wryly summarizes: "I would just like for Jesus to have as much sway in society as Oprah does."
Collaboratively, For the Bible Tells Me So and "This I Know" finally put Christ back where he belongs in this issue -- front and center. It's in the context of his love that we can finally find our way through this mire and perhaps even reach the other side.
Now all we have to do is start talking.
The "This I Know" study, which includes a DVD copy of For the Bible Tells Me So, can be purchased at www.thisiknowstudy.org. The film's website is www.forthebibletellsmeso.org; the website for Karslake's upcoming documentary, Every Three Seconds, is www.everythreeseconds.net. Christine Wicker is the author of The Fall of the Evangelical Nation (HarperOne, 2008). Her website is www.christinewicker.com.
Frank Schaeffer: The Wild Goose 'Revival' for Doubters and Jesus Victims (Like Me)
Jane Crockett: Should My Kids Learn About the Devil and Sin?
Fr. Richard Rohr: Life on the Edge: Understanding the Prophetic Position
Tony Jones: The Church Should Stay Out of the Marriage Business
If you reject what the Bible says about homosexuality then fine. But be consistent. In the future don't quote the Bible for when making ANY moral arguement as if it had authority.
Evilbible.com’s general unreliability:
http://www.truefreethinker.com/evilbiblecom
Fear? A Bible believer has fear as described in the article? I don't think so. The Scripture says clearly, "perfect love casts out fear." Those who have such fear are missing something.
Those in Sodom were just not "socially friendly" so to speak, instead of wanting to practice homosexuality? Why then do the verses speak of them wanting "to know" men? That is a description of sexual activity, just as Adam "knew" Eve.
It's amazing to me the lengths folks will go to try and make the Scriptures say what they want them to say.
IF, as is claimed, that a-theists, and others don't accept or believe the Bible, then why is it so important to them that the Bible says or teaches what they want it to teach? It's simple. In the inner person they know the Bible is right, and must be changed by them, to continue what they want personally.
IF, then, they don't accept the Bible, then stop trying to change what it says, and just completely ignore it?
IF, then, they don 't accept the Bible, why is it constantly used as an authority for themselves instead of just ignoring it?
Problem is, the Bible won't go away.
It is not atheists that want to change the bible. It is people of faith who see their numbers dwindling that want to save their communities and think, ironically, that evolving is a way to do that.
Atheists just want the religious to leave us alone in our happy state.
The famous Leviticus passage is not referring to casual or committed homosexual contact, but is a reference specifically to pagan temple practices in which prostitution paid for temple expenses. Sex outside of marriage with the temple prostitutes (of either sex) was a part of pagan worship. The Leviticus 18 passage in question is stuck in the middle of a pagan-worship context.
The reference in Genesis about Sodom is not about homosexual love or a gay lifestyle, but rather the threat of sexual torture by a city who, after having been carried off once, became extremely xenophobic, distrustful of strangers and their motives. Nowhere in the Old Testament is the sexuality of Sodom criticized. Rather the criticism was Sodom's lack of hospitality.
Yes, there is Paul's invective against homosexuality in Romans. Again, the context is that of worship, not marriage or lifestyle.
The of laws restricting food, sex, etc. were intended to make a difference between Israel and the nations around them. We know there is nothing wrong with shellfish, yet it was considered an unclean food -- because the coastal nations relished shellfish. Cloth should only be made of one fiber -- because the nations around them combined fibers.
Even in the Bible right and wrong are often determined in a situational context. Ignorance of the context promotes misunderstandings.
Where is there any mention of the "temple expenses" etc. in Leviticus in ch. 18, or elsewhere?
And their sin was "lack of hospitality?" How does that equate with: "...and because their sin is very grievous [margin: bad]"? And, "Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that WE may KNOW them." Do you think that is talking about "becoming acquainted" in a friendly conversation?
Please show how Paul's comments were not about personal conduct, not marriage or lifestyle, but only a form of worship. Why would these things be OK in personal conduct, even if he was only talking about worship? Paul also wrote not to even give the appearance of wrong doing in personal conduct.
"Ignorance of the context promotes misunderstandings." That is absolutely true. Now, please show us proof that you have given the right context.
One of the most grievous of all sins in the Middle East in ancient days was a lack of hospitality.
Ezekiel 16:49-50 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness ... neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: ....
Matthew 10:14-15 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Also see Mark 6:11, Luke 10:8-16.
2 Peter 2 talks about evil men "making merchandise of you" and bringing into the church false doctrine. In comparing their judgment to that of Sodom, he describes the offenders as walking "after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries."
Until you get to Jude 1:7, you find no references to the sin of Sodom being principally sexual. Their sin was pride. Christ compared the sin of not receiving his messengers to the sin of Sodom.
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After being rescued, the men of Sodom were suspicious, and demanded to "know" the visitors. While "know" is often used sexually, it is also used to "know completely."
The lack of sexual references to Sodom's sin in early Scripture is sufficient to cast doubt that their offense was not being "straight." They weren't interested in "making love". They were in a retaliatory mood.
As for Paul, read the context of his statements. Turning the worship of God into the worship of created things, then connecting that worship with sexual behavior.
Certainly the Scriptures express disapproval of any immorality. And since eating shellfish and sexual immorality (both gay and straight) are characterized as "abomination" (as well as such regular activities as lying), one cannot say that homosexual sex is a worse sin than out-of-wedlock heterosexual sex.
If I were you, I'd lay off the shrimp. According to the Law, that is as bad as having illicit sex.
Just recognize what you're actually doing. It's too late (by roughly 1700 years) to somehow fix the Bible so that it doesn't say what it says about homosexuality, which is that it is an abomination. It says that in the Old Testament (there's LOTS of abominations in the OT, so don't get too excited--women wearing pants, shellfish for dinner, etc), and the New Testament calls it a vile and degrading passion, part of a list of very bad things.
Probably this is a non-issue for most people, believers and unbelievers alike, but to conceive a Christianity which does not view homosexuality as an abomination is to cast the authority of the Bible aside in favor of a separate moral compass which views homosexuals as people, not sinners, and homosexuality as no one else's business but their own.
At that point, I have to wonder why bother with Christianity and the Bible at all, except perhaps as historical artifacts and maybe some ancient poetry. The honest position is to simply recognize Christianity for what it has been for 99.99% of history, and not pretend that "true" Christianity is somehow one's own latest 21st century version of it. The Torah is what it is, the Epistles are what they are. And they straightforwardly condemn homosexuality, there's no getting around that. So kick Moses overboard, and kick Paul overboard, and don't try to reconcile Bronze Age social organization with today.
So how come that has not happened when people acceoppted that eating shelfish was ok or that wearing a cotton/poly blend was not going to cause armeghedon? Why is honmosexuality so much more of an "abomination" then the rest. I certainly don't remember any gradient of abominations when I read it.
Second, schnauzergirl, that's a great anthropological question. I would love to know why the homosexuality taboo persisted while the shellfish one disappeared. I can make some guesses, based on economics: As a Christian restaurant owner or fisherman, I can monetize shellfish consumption, whereas someone else's sexual orientation doesn't present any similar cash-making opportunity. But it's just a guess.
From the Invisible HE made all things Visible, Himself being invisible, we were all created in God's Image.Christ works were visible, so the Invisible power of God could be seen.
its like saying to the judge, well judge i was born with a lead foot, and my parents gave me this hot rod. what do you expect?
1. The essence of sin is choice.
2. The evidence is overwhelming in support of sexual orientation being inherent, not chosen.
3. Without choice, there is no sin. Therefore homosexuality is not a sin.
4. If being gay is not sinful, gay intimacy cannot be sinful either.
But what about those bible verses?
1. The context of thousands of years ago was different.
2. Humans memorized, transmitted, and translated the Bible. Errors did creep in. The meanings of words changed. Understanding was lost.
3. I trust God to be at least at compassionate and just as God asks me to be. If I must choose between believing God to be unloving and unjust, or believing that humans mucked up the understanding, believing humans to be at fault is the way to go.
4. I conclude that homosexuality is not a sin, that homosexuals are not hated by God, that homosexuals should be treated as any other human being by me, and that if I am wrong, I can count on God to forgive my error.
5. I conclude that I must try to protect homosexual people from homophobic abuse, and that how I treat these, whom Jesus called brethren, is how I treat Jesus. And I want to treat Jesus with respect and love.
The Bible actually does say what it does say. Exegete it all you want. Translate it all you want. Redefine it all you want -- you still have to let it say what it says. When gay people, like me, finally allow the Bible to speak on its own terms and say from its own Bronze Age perspective what it wants to say -- when gay people just finally give up and lay it down, stop arguing about it, stop trying to convince the unconvince-able then they can finally move on to the spiritualities that embrace, welcome, encourage and celebrate homosexuals.
Instead of trying to undo the millenia of damage the Bible and its believers have done just move on. It's just that simple. You can still love Jesus and stuff. Why would anyone spend one more minute in that non-plussed, zero-gain argument. You still wind up a sinner, an abberation in creation and the only difference is that you get to be forgiven. Forgiven for what? Lay the Bible down, gay people. It's not helping you at all.
unaware of our perfect essence or reality. ie the spirit within.
think for a moment one brief moment if the infinite had created you with perfect awareness. ie knowing all things; being all things, just like the infinite. ie perfect awareness.
there would be no you just it, it being infinite.
we owe our "individualized" identity to our unawareness.
whoops! but our unawareness is the underlying reality of sin and evil.
this can lead us to some interesting thoughts on creation does it not???????
now ask yourself what tree did adam and eve eat from????????
what were they told they would become after they ate from that tree?????????
welcome to your god hood in the making. :-) ie we are all a work in process/progress. ie some faster than others. :-)
No when we curse others, the only one we destroy is our own soul. God said. Bless those who curse you, knowing that the one who curses you, only brings burning coals upon his own head. Love all for all are sinners. Funny sinners judging sinners? Sinners who cannot even save themselves.
If you believe god created the universe, then you must accept that homosexuality and homosexual human beings are a part of that god-created universe. And that possibly god knows better than the humans who wrote the primitive book called the bible what he was doing.