The Bible
The texts of the Hebrew Bible and of the New Testament represent an important part of many religious traditions - Jewish and Christian. The Bible is far from being simply a book to which some refer for "right" moral conduct. The Bible is a library of books written at different times in history and in very different contexts. It represents a corpus of literature used by many as a source of wisdom, inspiration, liberation, revelation, and hope in the face of hopelessness.
The texts in the Bible have always been - and will continue to be - interpreted in various ways. For example, valued traditions from the Prophets and the Psalms in the Hebrew Bible were reappropriated and used to interpret the life of Jesus by the Gospel writers. Interpretation is the soul of the Biblical tradition; it is its inner life.
Unfortunately, the Bible has been misused and abused by some who claim to have the definitive interpretation. We know that during the period of slavery in the American South, Paul's letter to Philemon, among other passages from the Bible, was used to justify slavery. The Bible has been used to justify anti-semitism, sexism, the Crusades, war, the burning of witches and "heretics", anti-Catholic sentiment (especially toward immigrant peoples), white supremacy, the pillage of the earth, and homophobia.
However, the Hebrew Bible's Prophetic tradition, the tradition out of which Jesus' ministry stems, contains liberating resources that can radically challenge religious corruption and the ideological distortion of religious textx used to demonize others. The Prophetic tradition considered by many Christians and Jews to be canon within the Biblical canon, repeatedly challenges the oppressive ways of the powerful, and calls people to justice and compassion. To deny the preferential option for the poor and outcast in the Bible is to deny the two liberative experiences operative in Jewish and Christian spirituality; the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery and the Resurrection experience among the early Christian communities. When the Bible becomes a tool to demonize and persecute people, its Prophetic voice is lost. An authentic use of the Bible can be discerned by its life-giving potential to transform people and society.
Homophobia
Homophobia, the fear and hatred of "queer" peoples (a term reclaimed by the les/bi/gay and transgendered communities), takes many forms. The most pernicious form has been - and continues to be - of a religious nature. The Bible has had a huge impact in shaping how the West thinks about homosexuality - even in the most secularized societies.
Most biblical scholars now agree that the handful of passages used to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people have been misused and taken out of context. In some cases, such as in Deuteronomy 23:17 and 1 Corinthians 6:9, the passages used to promote homophobia are inaccurately translated, and therefore unfaithful to the original Hebrew and Greek texts. There are many translations of the Bible in the English language and translations are essentially a form of interpretation. Scholars always confront texts from a certain point of view. Each translation reflects the world view and beliefs of its translators, as well as the cultural climate in which the text was translated.
It would be impossible for the Bible to categorically condemn "homosexuality" since such a social category did not exist in biblical times. For example, what we now understand to mean "falling in love" would have been unknown to the writers of the Bible. This concept was not developed in the West until the 12th century. The Greek word for romantic love (eros), commonly used in the ancient world, does not occur in the New Testament. In all instances, the references to the same-sex sexual acts in the Bible are responding to contextual issues that have everything to do with excess and infidelity, and nothing to do with sexual orientation or same-sex lovemaking as a consensual form of intimacy. To consult the Bible about homosexuality is simply anachronistic.
Some of the Biblical passages most often used to condemn homosexuality...
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is understood erroneously by many to condemn homosexuality. The word "sodomy" is derived from this passage. The local mob in the story appear to have wanted to rape (Hebrew word yada translated as "to know") the visitors of Sodom. Lot refused, and in an attempt to follow the ancient law of hospitality, he offered his daughters to be raped instead!?! The sin in this story is not homosexuality, as it has traditionally been taught, but inhospitable and abusive behaviour (rape) towards strangers. See the parallel story in Judges 19. References to Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible do not specifically mention homosexuality as the sin to which caused the destruction of Sodom.Genesis 18:16 - 19:38
(See Deuteronomy 29:23, Isaiah 13:19, Jeremiah 50:39, Ezekial 14:49, Matthew 11:23, Luke 17:29, 2 Peter 2:6, Jude 7 and Revelations 11:7)
The word usually translated as abomination, in Hebrew toevah, does not refer to an intrinsic evil such as rape or theft. It refers here to something which is ritually unclean - such as sex during menstruation. The prohibitions in the Jewish Holiness Codes function as symbols of Jewish distinctiveness in the face of neighbouring idolatry. This text also prohibits the wearing of clothes made from a blend of mixed textiles, the eating of pigs, seafood, rabbits... The authority of these Codes for Christians created a fierce dispute in the early Christian communities (Acts 15). Although the Codes were put aside by early Christianity, some Church Fathers occasionally referred to them to support their arguments.Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
This passage condemns same-sex sexual acts in reference to idolatry. It is the only verse in the Bible that specifically refers to lesbian sexual acts. Paul is very concerned about the influence of the dominant religious discourses on Roman Christians because the Roman religions offered ideological support for the Empire's wealth and power. Paul's theology of the cross contradicted the elitist and hierarchical religious model of the Roman state. The "unnatural" acts referred to here are the result of idolatry: namely, conforming to a culture's dominant discourses. Idolatry means making a god out of something which is not God, like money, or the capitalist system, for example. Hence, it is a way of being absorbed by the world, such as being in conformity with the status quo. In Greek and Roman culture, same-sex activity was usually reserved for elite men, and their object of desire was young pre-pubescent boys. Moreover, Paul believed celibacy to be the most auspicious state of being for early Christians ( 1 Corinthians 7:8), and he also preached that women should remain silent in Churches (1 Corinthians 14:34). The task of applying critical consciousness to the texts of the Bible must cut across all justice issues - homophobia is such an issue.Romans 1:26-27
Ruth and Naomi...David and Jonathan
The relationship between Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1-2) and David and Jonathan ( 1 Samuel 18-20, 2 Samuel 1:25-26) in the Hebrew Bible are two instances of biblical same-sex relationships. Although not necessarily sexually active, the relationships in these stories are beautiful symbols of a passionate attachment between persons of the same gender. The symbols and language used in the stories reflect certain relational principles, such as covenantal intimacy and mutuality, which are cherished concepts in both the Jewish and Christian traditions. For example, the Hebrew word for "clung to" in Ruth 1:14 is the same word used in Genesis 2:24 to describe the attachment between husband and wife. Similarly, the use of the Hebrew word for "covenant" in 1 Samuel 18:2 is used in numerous instances to denote a marriage covenant in the Hebrew Bible. These stories will continue to inspire Jewish and Christian gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people as they struggle against state and religiously sanctioned homophobia.
Further Reading
Boswell, John. Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality (1980)Gross, Robert. Jesus Acted Up: A Gay and Lesbian Manifesto (1993)
Heyward, Carter. Touching Our Strength: The Erotic as Power and the Love of God (1989)
Brooten, Bernadette J. Love Between Women: Early Christian Responses to Female Homoeroticism (1996)
McNeil, John J. The Church and the Homosexual (3rd ed, 1988)
Mollenkott, Virginia R. Sensuous Spirituality: Out From Fundamentalism (1993)
Web ResourcesStuart, Elizabeth, ed. Daring to Speak Love's Name: A Gay and Lesbian Prayer Book (1992)
Radical Catholic homepage:
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