(Please note this piece deals with sexual terms and actions)
I want to begin this piece with a few quick reflections on scripture; some of which I have already covered but which I believe need to be reemphasized. The first is that all reading of scripture is done through the lens of culture, experience and tradition. There is no "pure" reading of the Bible. Second scripture is to be read as a whole, so that one portion informs other portions. Third, we as the church have "learned" some things which have changed how we interpret certain aspects of scripture (such as we are allowed to kill someone for wearing clothing of mixed fabric or a child for hitting their parents…those are in the Bible…check it out). Finally what I present here will be a cursory, but I hope enlightening reflection on homosexuality and the scriptures.
Let's begin with the Old Testament. Several of the most often quoted scriptures condemning same-sex relationships are Genesis 19:1-29 (the Sodom story), Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, along with Deuteronomy 23:17-18. Let's take them one at a time. The Genesis/Sodom story is not about same-sex relationships but about a lack of hospitality to strangers. The story is about using power to harm rather than to protect. The passages out of Leviticus are based on the command to be fruitful and multiply. In the Hebrew world semen was supposed to carry all of life. Therefore men having sex with men (or animals which is listed next), masturbating or a man not finishing his husbandly duty are considered crimes because life is given out without any possibility of being continued. In addition there are no Old Testament prohibitions about female same sex relationships, possibly because they did not participate in the life transmitting process. Finally the Deuteronomy passage has to do with cult prostitution (both male and female) which was a violation of the first commandment. Since the modern church allows for and encourages birth control we have set aside the ethics behind the Old Testament prohibitions of same-sex relations. In addition, the Leviticus passages are part of the Holiness Code which the church believes no longer applies to us.
We turn now to the New Testament. The passages that are referenced include 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10 and Romans 1:26-27. Before we look at the texts I want to make sure that we understand that in the First Century there was no concept of loving, committed same-sex relationships. The only concept of a long-term committed relationship was that of heterosexual union. Virtually all same-sex relationships in the Roman Empire were either "for hire" or a domination of a younger person by an older (an abuse of power). Thus in the Corinthians and Timothy passages the Greek words point us to those two types of relationships; relationships which were in no way loving or committed but were focused on one person "using" another. This type of behavior is condemned along with other abusive behaviors (adultery, greed, theft, drunkenness, etc.).
The passage then that is used above all others to condemn same-sex relationships is Romans 1:26-27. "For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another." At this moment we need to return to our understanding that over time we learn some things that the Biblical writers did not know. We have learned that slavery is wrong; that men do not create babies all by themselves; and that one's sexual orientation is not a choice. Sexual orientation is instead a natural part of our individual makeup. That being the case when we read the whole of scripture we know that each of us is "fearfully and wonderfully made" as we are, by God. Thus God created and loves persons of all sexual orientations and desires that they discover the joy of being fully loving and fully loved. This is the position that has been taken by our denomination and by this community, as Everybody's Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment