Given that we still live in a predominantly Catholic country and that the majority of the people who strongly oppose marriage equality do so on religious grounds, dealing with the Biblical arguments against gay marriage seems like a necessary if not entirely relevant step.
As it turns out, there are only a finite number of references to homosexuality in the Bible and even combined, they don't add up to an argument against gay marriage.
Obviously the most oft-quoted passage in the Bible concerning gay marriage is Leviticus 18:22, and by extension Leviticus 20:13. However, two things are already apparent.
Firstly, Leviticus is a penal code listing offences and their accompanying sentences. The two can't really be divorced from each other. So if you're going to advocate homosexuality as bad on the basis of 18:22, then you should also advocate the punishment in 20:13.
*CAVEAT 1: It could be argued that the heavy-handedness of the punishments outlined in the Pentateuch represent a frontier law outlook necessary in biblical times which need not be maintained today. However, there is a problem with this argument. It is made abundantly clear in both the Old and New Testaments that the whole law should be followed without exception.
"Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you."Deuteronomy 4:2
"May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous."
Psalms 119:172
"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."Matthew 5:18-19
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."2 Timothy 3:16-17
Secondly, there are other offences and punishments in Leviticus which the overwhelming majority of Christians completely ignore while loudly shouting about 18:22, prohibitions against planting two different crops side by side (19:19), divination (19:26), eating pork (11:7), eating shellfish (11:12), eating blood (17:10), tattoos (19:28).
Also, while we're on the subject of Leviticus, just how bad exactly can homosexuality be? After all, only two verses in the entire book are devoted to it. Mould is obviously far more dangerous and offensive to God's sensibilities since a whopping 36 verses are devoted to dealing with it.
For the moment we'll move to the New Testament but we'll get back to the OT in a bit.
So what prohibitions are in the NT against homosexuality. Well, unsurprisingly most of the noise against homosexuality comes from Paul. Unsurprising not only because of Paul's significant contribution to the NT in terms of volume but also because of Paul's pretty warped sense of morality.
He outlines his stance in several verses but particularly:
"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."
Romans 1:26-27
"But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust."
1 Timothy 8:11
"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Of course, just like Leviticus above, most people don't put a lot of stock in what Paul has to say about morality. After all, how many Christians really follow Pauline doctrines like:
" A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet."
1 Timothy 2:11-12
"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."
Ephesians 5:22-24
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect, not only when they are watching – like those who are strictly people-pleasers – but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord."
Colossians 3:22
"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
*CAVEAT 2: I should point out here that some of the quotes above come from forged writings. In particular Ephesians which is now part of the group known as the Deutero-Pauline epistles and 1 Timothy, part of the pastoral epistles which were actually written between 130-155CE. However, since most Christians still adhere to traditional authorship for these epistles, the overall point stands.
Now, to turn to the one story which is referenced in both the New and Old Testaments as a commentary against homosexuality: the sin of Sodom. Many modern Christians interpret the sin of Sodom as homosexuality. However, this is not explicitly stated in the story. Moreover, we have passages like this:
"Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good."
Ezekiel 16:49-50
and this:
"The owner of the house went outside and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.”
Judges 19:23-24
which show that the authors of the OT meant to describe inhospitality and rudeness to guests as the sin of Sodom and not homosexuality. Indeed the passage from Judges above is a close parallel of Genesis 19.
After all this there doesn't seem to be much of a solid justification for opposing SSM in the bible. But wait there's more. We also have to consider the inherently contradictory nature of the Bible. Take this passage for example:
"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. "
1 Samuel 18:1
or this:
"I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."
2 Samuel 1:26
The story of David and Johnathan is widely regarded (or at least was by early Jewish oral tradition) as a homosexual relationship, one which seemed to find some degree of acceptance within the society of the time. It is commented in the Mishnah:
“Whenever love depends on some selfish end, when the end passes away, the love passes away; but if it does not depend on some selfish end, it will never pass away. Which love depended on a selfish end? This was the love of Amnon and Tamar. And which did not depend on a selfish end? This was the love of David and Jonathan."
So, is there a solid justification for opposing marriage equality in the bible? Well as I said, no, unless you wish to come across as a hypocrite.
No comments:
Post a Comment