Queer Look at the BibleSacred texts and commentary… from a different point of view

Today, I’m headed to a bridal shower for two of my closest friends, Brenda and Harriet. I’m not sure either really want a shower- it was their kid’s idea- but I know they are both excited about getting married. They have been together since.,.. I can’t remember that far back. Why is is that gays and lesbians get blamed for trying to destroy the institution f marriage? Aren’t we the ones that live our lives together, in committed relationships? We simply want all the legal trappings that marriage allows a couple. but really, it is more than that. A marriage is a way of naming a relationship as real and meaningful and valid in front of a community of friends and family, and before the whole of creation. It isn’t that we don’t know our relationships are real, for we do. But it is another layer of coming out of the closet to name it so, in such a public and definitive way.

There is a Bible passage on the card I got for the shower (as per my assignment). Matthew 19:6, a common passage to suggest or encourage a long lasting joining of two individuals into one new being, a couple.

So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.

It almost creeps me out to put that inside of a wedding card. LOL. And without getting too political (how can I help myself?) but why is it that the Religious bigots are so intent on keeping our relationships apart?

Brenda and Harriet have years of experience exploring the path of togetherness that works for them and makes them an amazing couple  in front of the Divine as well in front of all who stand as witness. Long Live Love!

This is an especially interesting passage, considering how the Bible is used as justification why gays and lesbians should not be allowed to marry. Imagine our society if every woman who was not a virgin was stoned to death, in front of her parent’s home. Is that what the radical Christian right is meaning when they want to protect the sanctity of marriage? There is little alternative to the interpretation: a requirement for marriage is that the woman is a virgin, and the Bible offers the punishment for a man who falsely accuses his wife as well as punishment for the wife is isn’t a virgin.

Why isn’t the National Organization for Marriage on top of this? They could be handing out the stones if they are so intent on protecting marriage.

Deuteronomy 22:13-21 (New International Version)

Marriage Violations

13 If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her 14 and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,” 15 then the girl’s father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate. 16 The girl’s father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. 17 Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, 18 and the elders shall take the man and punish him. 19 They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver [a] and give them to the girl’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.

20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.

Dan Leveille.

If we asked many queers what the Bible had to say when it comes to gay bashing, most might point to the well known scriptures such as Leviticus that are condemning of homosexuality. but there is a New Testament scripture that gives a whole new perspective to it. Matthew 5:22.

I found this when I was looking up the wikipedia definition of “gay bash.”  The entry there talks about an idea presented in Byrne Fone’s book, Homophobia: A History:

The word Raca is often translated as “fool”, and sometimes refers to one who deserves to be spat upon, or was sometimes used to insult homosexuals. If this is the case, then Jesus is warning of hell fire for those who engage in verbal gay bashing as part of the Sermon on the Mount, and the warning is even harsher than Jesus’ pronouncement about murder in Matthew 5:21. The most common view is that Raca is a reference to the Aramaic word reka (see also Aramaic of Jesus), which literally means empty one, probably referring to empty headed, or foolish. The word translated as fool is Moros which has a similar meaning to the Aramaic reka, but it can also be used to mean godless, and so was a much stronger term. Some writers[who?] have argued that raca can mean effeminate and moros referring to a homosexual aggressor, and so Jesus could here be seen to be condemning homophobia. Halsall repeats this argument but concedes that it is less than conclusive.[1] Dr. Ralph Blair discounts this theory writing, “Biblical scholars say that the term probably means “empty headed” (Argyle, deDietrich, Filson, Gundry), “hollow head” (Luz), “blockhead” (Jeremias), “imbecile” (Hill) “brainless idiot” (Barclay), “idiot” (Guelich).” He goes on to write, “The editors of the New Revised Standard Version call it “an obscure term of abuse” and elect to render the text: “if you insult a brother or sister”.”[2]

This is interesting for numerous reasons. We know that there is no scripture where Jesus addresses homosexuality at all. This lack of any condemnation by Jesus can’t really be understood as an affirmation of homosexuality, but it is telling none the less. That Biblical scholars have denied that this passage could have anything to do with homosexuality isn’t the least bit surprising. People tend to see in scripture what they want to see.

Gay bashing – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

YouTube – God will make you gay?.