Clobbering "Biblical" Gay Bashing

[celestial]

Came across this article by a Presbyterian minister. I think it's well-written and does a good job of explaining why gay bashing is not something Jesus would do.

Highlights:

We Christians are good at a lot of things. Helping others. Dressing up on Sunday. Quoting scripture. Pot luck meals. Taking care of church members. Weddings. Funerals. Worship. But perhaps the thing at which we are the most persistently exceptional is misinterpreting the Bible then running amuck in the world because of it. Honestly, mad skills. And history backs me up on this one.

The reality is that the Bible is not a sex manual. I know, shocker. Right? Actually, it's a good thing (depending on your particular level of sexual prudishness – personally, compared to the Bible, mine is pretty high). You see, the Bible not only promotes marriage between a man and a woman, but it insists that that marriage be within the same faith. Not only should a wife be subordinate (Ephesians 5:22), but she should also prove her virginity... lest she be stoned (Deuteronomy 22:20-21). Oh, and the whole thing would probably be much better if it were arranged (Genesis 24:37-38). And that's just the warm up act.

The point is this: most of us have matured enough theologically to recognize that we need to contextualize the writings of the Bible, and because of it we have moved past using these examples as the end-all-be-all on acceptable practices of sexuality. However, somehow, we have not managed to apply the very same understanding to the Bible verses that have become known as the “clobber verses†in the Bible. “Clobber" because they are the verses most used to clobber people who are gay or who support gay rights.

I dedicate this post to Josiah W.

[debrand]

Isn't there some controversy about the translation of the word, Paul used for homosexuals? For all we know, the early Christians would not have been against mongamous homosexual marriages.

[CanadianHippie]

Isn't there some controversy about the translation of the word, Paul used for homosexuals? For all we know, the early Christians would not have been against mongamous homosexual marriages.

Yeah, the word itself has no actual meaning. I think the only time scholars have come across it is when Paul uses it in the bible. Since there was an existing word for homosexual relations at the time that chapter was written, it seems odd that Paul wouldn't use it if that is what he meant. (Note: can't remember what word it is, but it starts with an A and I'm too lazy to look it up right now).

[Black Aliss]

Yeah, the word itself has no actual meaning. I think the only time scholars have come across it is when Paul uses it in the bible. Since there was an existing word for homosexual relations at the time that chapter was written, it seems odd that Paul wouldn't use it if that is what he meant. (Note: can't remember what word it is, but it starts with an A and I'm too lazy to look it up right now).

I seem to remember that the word that was mis-translated as homosexuality more correctly translates as "slackitude", as in "refusing to work for a living".

[Sola]

Yeah, the word itself has no actual meaning. I think the only time scholars have come across it is when Paul uses it in the bible. Since there was an existing word for homosexual relations at the time that chapter was written, it seems odd that Paul wouldn't use it if that is what he meant. (Note: can't remember what word it is, but it starts with an A and I'm too lazy to look it up right now).

Arsenokotai.

[CanadianHippie]

Arsenokotai.

That's it.

[ThisOlGirl]

I seem to remember that the word that was mis-translated as homosexuality more correctly translates as "slackitude", as in "refusing to work for a living".

So does that mean Chris Jeub is an abomination? :dance:

[Witsec1]

Pretty sure Josiah would be OK with all of those things.

[dairyfreelife]

So does that mean Chris Jeub is an abomination? :dance:

Can we add Gabe Anast to the list too?

[aubrietta]

I found this paper to be very helpful in understanding scriptural interpretation regarding Arsenokotai and other verses used to claim homosexuality as a sin. It's kind of long, but very thorough.

(it's a PDF download, just fyi) stphilips.bc.ca/Rector's%20Writings/BiblicalTextsOnHomosexuality.pdf

[Angri-la]

Can we add Gabe Anast to the list too?

Ahahaha! I was just going to post that! No one needs to re-translate a word to tell me that a man, in their culture, who does not work to support his family is an abomination.

Thank you for the link, aubrietta. This will give me something to read while I have a meeting with the fundie owner of my company.

[celestial]

Pretty sure Josiah would be OK with all of those things.

So true. Josiah is far beyond any of our abilities to help in any way. But I was hoping that those on-the-fence lurkers who hadn't seen his post might perhaps get something out of this.