An issue which is challenging some of the foundations of the Church, and
perhaps our society, is the relationship of homosexual persons to the Church.
Much of Western culture's homophobia can find its roots in our Judeo-Christian
heritage. It is becoming increasingly clear that much of what has long been held
as truth is less scripturally and theologically founded than we have believed.
The Bible
In our Judeo-Christian society, the documents known as the Bible serve as the
primary guide on most issues. It is interesting that many Christians take
literally the references to homosexual acts while interpreting other texts with
great flexibility. One person reported listening to a nationally known woman
speak in her campaign against homosexuality. She spent much time quoting
impressively from Leviticus. The listener accepted much of what the speaker had
said until realizing that by Levitical standards, the crusader had herself
broken many biblical laws: women speaking in church(1), women teaching men(2),
wearing a dress made of cotton and polyester(3), and probably others of which he
was unaware.
What does the Bible really say about homosexuality? Actually, very little. Jesus
said nothing at all, which is most significant. Considering the relatively small
amount of attention the Bible gives to the subject, we must ask ourselves why
this is such a volatile issue while other subjects (e.g. judgment, pride,
hypocrisy), about which the scriptures say a great deal, receive much less
passionate attention. Before looking at specific passages, let us note that
everyone understands the scriptures in and through the light of what they have
been taught. The Bible was not written in a cultural void, and many of its
instructions and laws we simply classify as less relevant today (e.g.
prohibition of eating pork).
Nowhere in the Bible is the idea of persons being homosexual addressed. The
statements are, without exception, directed at certain homosexual acts. Early
writers had no understanding of homosexuality as a psychosexual orientation.
That truth is a relatively recent discovery. The biblical authors were referring
to homosexual acts performed by persons they assumed were heterosexuals.
The Sodom Story
A chief text for condemnation of homosexuality has been the Sodom story(4). This
story has often been interpreted as showing God's abhorrence of homosexuality.
In the story, two angels in the form of men were sent to Sodom to the home of
Lot. While they were there, all the men of the city, "both young and old,
surrounded the house - everyone without exception," and demanded that the
visitors be brought out, "so that we might know them" (verse 5). Lot
begged the men to leave his guests alone and take his daughters instead. The men
of the city became angry and stormed the door. As a result, they were all struck
blind by the angels.
There are several problems with the traditional interpretation of this passage.
Whether or not the intent of the men of Sodom was sexual, the inhospitality and
injustice coming from the mob and generally characterizing the community were
"the sin of Sodom"(5). Jesus himself refers to the inhospitality of
Sodom(6). If, indeed, the men were homosexuals, then why would Lot offer them
his daughters? What is threatened here is rape. The significant point then is
that all rape is considered horrible by God. The story deserves another reading
by all of us.
It should be noted that all of the men of Sodom could not have been homosexual
or there would have been no need to destroy them since they would have all died
off with no heirs. Quite likely they were a mixed group of evil men attempting
to be abusive to people who were different. Ironically, lesbian and gay people
are often the victim of that sin.
Although the traditional interpretation of the Sodom story fails as an argument
against homosexuality, there are other Old Testament passages which make
reference to homosexual acts. Again, it should be noted that these passages do
not deal with same-sex orientation, nor is there any reference to genital love
between lesbian or gay persons.
Homosexual Acts
Of thousands of Old Testament passages, only two make explicit reference to
homosexual acts: Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13. Both of these passages are
a part of the Levitical holiness code which is not kept by any Christian group.
If it were enforced, almost every Christian would be excommunicated or executed.
It has been logically argued that science and progress have made many of the
Levitical laws irrelevant for us. For example, Tim LaHaye states that although
Levitical laws prohibit intercourse during menstruation, medical authorities do
not view it as harmful, and, therefore, it should not be viewed as sinful. He
further explains, "those laws were given 3,500 years ago before showers and
baths were convenient, before tampons, disinfectants, and other improved means
of sanitation had been invented"(7). With that, LaHaye makes this law
irrelevant and rightly so. Ironically, though, in his book, The Unhappy Gay, the
Levitical law is one of the chief cornerstones. Much of the holiness code is now
irrelevant for us as moral law. Thus, having children which was of exceptional
importance to the early Hebrews is now made less relevant by overpopulation,
just as the prohibition against eating pork and shellfish has been made
irrelevant by refrigeration.
The Bible never addresses the issue of homosexual love, but has several examples
of same-sex love. David's love for Jonathan was said to exceed his love for
women(8). Ruth's relationship with Naomi is certainly an example of deep,
bonding love. The Bible does value love between persons of the same sex.
Jesus' Attitude
In the context of the New Testament there is no record of Jesus saying anything
about homosexuality. This ought to strike us as very odd in light of the great
threat to Christianity, family life, and the American way that some would have
us believe homosexuality is. Jesus saw injustice and religious hypocrisy as far
greater threats to the Realm of God.
Episcopal priest Dr. Tom Homer(9) has written that the Gospels imply in two
places that Jesus' attitude toward lesbians and gays would not have been
hostile. The first is found in the story of Jesus healing the Centurion's
servant(10). The word used for the servant is pais which in the Greek culture
referred to a younger lover of an older more powerful or educated man. Clearly
the story demonstrates an unusually intense love, and Jesus' response was wholly
positive.
The other hint of Jesus' attitude is seen in his comments about eunuchs(11).
Jesus opposed divorce in opposition to the abuses experienced by women. It is in
the context of marriage which Jesus said that "some eunuchs were born so;
others had been made eunuchs and still others choose to be eunuchs for the
Kingdom's sake."
Jesus' remarks about celibacy and castration are clear, but a male child being
born without testicles is a rare birth defect. It is only in our day that the
Kinsey Institute has demonstrated that sexual orientation is likely determined
prior to birth. It could well be that those to whom Jesus refers as being
"born eunuchs" are the people we call lesbian or gay.
Jesus' attitude toward eunuchs differed greatly from the fundamentalist
Pharisees of his day. To them, eunuchs were excluded from the covenant and
barred from worship and participating in the community of faith. Jesus' graceful
approach to eunuchs is beautifully pictured in the promises of the prophecy of
Isaiah 56:4-8, "To the eunuchs ... I will give them an everlasting name
that will not be taken away."
In Jesus' day there were three types of persons called eunuchs: celibates, those
who were slaves and were castrated so that children would not be born to them,
and those who were "born eunuchs" or homosexuals. Royal and wealthy
households would use castrated slaves to work with and guard the concubines and
women slaves. However, when assigning slaves to female members of the royal
family they would choose homosexual slaves. With female family members, the
concern was not just unwanted pregnancies, but also rape.
It is against this background that we must read the story found in Acts 8:26-40.
In this passage the Holy Spirit sends Philip the Deacon to witness to and
baptize an Ethiopian eunuch of Queen Candace of Ethiopia. One of the earliest
converts to Christianity was a person excluded for sexual reasons from the Old
Testament community.
Paul's References
Paul's statement in Romans 1:18-32 has been taken as the strongest New Testament
rejection of homosexuality. He is concerned about the influence of the pagan
culture on the Roman Christians. After giving a detailed description of a world
that "exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served
created things rather than the Creator," he continues, "Therefore, God
gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations
for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations
with women and were inflamed with lusts for one another. Men committed indecent
acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty of their
perversion."
What Paul was referring to was homosexual temple prostitution which was
performed by various cults (though far more cults used heterosexual
prostitution). Again, Paul is not referring to same- sex love, and he clearly
has no concept of persons for whom this lifestyle is "natural".
Paul's other reference to homosexual acts(12) is similar to that of 1 Timothy
1:8-11. Both passages contain lists of persons to be excluded from the Realm of
God. The interpretation of these passages depends on two Greek words which have
always presented a problem for translators. In the King James Version, they are
translated "effeminate" and "abusers of themselves with
mankind." In the Revised Standard Version, they were combined and rendered
homosexuals; however, these are not the Greek words for homosexual, so that
translation reflects the scholars' bias. The New International Version
illustrates the difference in these two words by translating them "male
prostitute" and "homosexual offenders". The Jerusalem Bible uses
the terms "catamites" and "sodomites". Catamites were youth
kept especially for sexual purposes; they were usually paid large sums of money.
Neither passage refers to persons of same-sex orientation, but to people who
used their sexuality for personal gain.
The Love of Christ
Jesus did a great deal to change many social customs and ideas. He elevated the
position of women, and they were ultimately his best and most faithful
disciples. He did this by example and by commandments which were absolutely
inclusive of the rights of all people. Yet, in the name of the Christ whose love
encompassed all, the Church has been the most homophobic of all institutions.
This should not be surprising when we realize that the Church is still the
largest institution which is primarily racially segregated.
The final and central message of the New Testament is that all persons are loved
by God so much that God's Son was sent as a means of redemption from a disease
by which we are all afflicted. The cure for this disease cannot be found in any
set of actions. Neither homosexuality nor heterosexuality is redemptive. God's
love through Christ was given to all people.
Theological Reflection
For the Christian, sin must be understood as a disease which results from a
broken relationship with God and which results in a broken relationship with one
another and with ourselves. Hence, Jesus' supreme command is to love God and to
love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Christianity is not a religion with new
rules and laws, but is rather a new relationship with God. Those things which
the legalists are fond of labeling "sins" are actually just symptoms
of the much deeper disease of alienation and estrangement. Much of the energy of
the Church has been spent dealing with symptoms while leaving the disease
intact. Jesus did not seem overly concerned about the legal transgressions of
those to whom he ministered. Rather, he was much more concerned with healing the
physical, spiritual, emotional, or relational brokenness of people. Perhaps if
the Church would again give itself to the healing/reconciling ministry of Jesus,
then some of the symptoms about which we are so concerned would begin to
disappear.
That brings us to the question: Is homosexuality a symptom of brokenness? In
some few cases perhaps so. Yet, obviously pointing fingers of blame and
accusation is not Christ's way. Rather, Jesus accepted people as they were and
allowed love and acceptance to work its miracle. However, most lesbians and gays
have been lesbian or gay for as long as they can remember. For them, it is as
much a natural characteristic as their eye color or their handedness. Kinsey
Institue research(13) has suggested that homosexuality may well be genetic or at
least linked to some prenatal factors(14). Certainly most competent
psychologists would concur that sexual orientation is set prior to the age of
five in most persons. It is, therefore, not a matter of choice, so it cannot be
a moral or ethical issue.
Many Christians insist that God can change/cure the homosexual. In the book, The
Third Sex, there are six reported cases of homosexuals whom God has
"cured". Of these six, at least four are known to have return to their
gay life-style(15). Many lesbians and gays spend most of their lives trying,
with no success, to persuade God to change them. It is like trying to get God to
change your eye color. What option then is left to these persons? They have been
told that they can't be gay and be Christians; and since all efforts have failed
in their struggle not to be gay or lesbian, then their only recourse, according
to the Church, is that they can't be Christians. So the Church has discounted or
discarded as much as 10% of the population.
If they are excluded from the life of the Christian community, who then will
tell them of God's inclusive love and of Jesus' reconciling death? Are they left
to assume that God is so narrow-minded as to exclude them for something over
which they have no control and for a choice they did not make? When will the
Church finally be brave enough to say with Paul, "In Christ there is
neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female," gay or straight. God
has enough love for all!