Even if you are an atheist, if you are gay or lesbian the impact of religious belief cannot be ignored. If you are a believer, and also happen to be gay or lesbian, then the reconciliation between these two aspects of your life may by a consuming passion. Many of those most opposed to granting civil rights to gays and lesbians, or even opposed to the very existence of such people, frequently justify their stance by reference to scripture, be it the Bible, the Torah or Koran. The purpose of this pamphlet is not to convert anyone to a particular belief, or to disparage the beliefs of any individual or group. The information included here assumes you are at some stage in the process of reconciling your religious beliefs with your sexuality. The field is enormous and few areas within it are not controversial. The fundamentalists may make the most noise, but the humanist tradition is alive and well in most Christian, Jewish and Moslem congregations.
Does anyone have a monopoly on truth?
Simply put, no. All scripture is interpreted, even by
fundamentalists who claim to take their scripture literally. This
is so for
Christians referring to the Bible, as well as Moslems referring to
the Koran.
The Koran cannot be translated authoritatively into any language
other than
classical Arabic, to avoid the ambiguity of translation, but
Islamic scholars
still have to interpret meaning into concepts that are over 1400
years old.
For the Bible, especially the Old Testament, the primary documents
no longer
exist, and the oldest versions are written in languages long dead.
Though
modern interpretations may come close to the original, without
getting into
the head of the first authors and understanding their inspirations,
literal
interpretations are meaningless. For Jews, the problem does not
exist, as
there is a 2500 year old tradition of scriptural commentary and
interpretation included in the Talmud, having as much validity as
the primary
documents in the Torah.
Fundamentalism in its Christian, Jewish or Islamic
manifestations
is as much a political as a religious movement. In North America,
its also an
extremely lucrative commercial venture too. It represents a
rebellion
against the modern world in general, and has as much to do with a
reaction
against equal rights for women, equal-rights for people of colour,
and a
rejection of modern science and Western culture, as it has with a
particular
interpretation of scriptures. Claiming divine sanction for a
political position
is a stance as old as politics or indeed, religion. It is merely
a way of
avoiding criticism and silencing opposition. At its worst, it has
historically,
been used to justify some of the most barbarous behaviour practiced
by human
beings.
What does scripture say about homosexuality?
Taken literally, Christian, Jewish or Islamic scripture
says
nothing at all, for one simple reason, the concept of homosexuality
is very
recent. The word itself was not coined until 1876, and did not
achieve common
usage until the 1890s. Translations of scripture post-dating this
time take
older concepts and interpret them to mean the same thing. You will
search a
King James Bible older than 100 years in vain for any reference to
homosexuality. What you will find are references to same-sex acts
and to
effeminacy . In cultures with a very different understanding of
sexuality
than our own, it was assumed that everyone was heterosexual, and
that same-
sex acts were therefore un-natural acts performed by
heterosexuals out
of perversity, devilry or under the influence of demons.
Christianity, Judaism and Islam have traditionally taken a stand against any sexual activity outside of marriage. Some Christian authors have even taken a dim view of sex in general, only finding some mitigation where it is solely for the purposes of having children. Through time, however, views have changed, depending on culture and historic changes in the nature of family and society. Nowhere, for instance do these scriptures condemn polygamy, but no Christian or Jewish congregation would advocate this today. Likewise, scriptures condemn adultery, but recommend death for female adulterers only. Only the more fanatical fundamentalists suggest adultery by anyone should be a capital crime today. The Bible and Koran assume slavery is a societal norm, and it is neither condemned or advocated - modern society would not be so reticent in condemning the idea absolutely. Scriptures by and large condemn rape, but do not treat it as a crime with the gravity modern society does. The Old Testament, for instance, actually recommends that a father be financially compensated for the rape of his unwed daughter. Few would share this view today.
Common to Christian, Jewish and Islamic scripture is the condemnation of homosexuality derived from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. So entrenched is the notion that the sin of Sodom was homosexuality, that sodomy entered the English language at a very early date. Many scholars of the Book of Genesis suggest that this interpretation is not the only one possible, and that the actual sin of Sodom was inhospitality to strangers, indifference to the plight of the poor, and attempted gang-rape of angelic messengers. Similar legends exist in many of the cultural traditions of the Middle East, where a rich city is destroyed by Divine wrath because of these sins.
Also embedded in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition are the injunctions against homosexuality in the Mosaic Law (see the Books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus), where some of the most blood-thirsty condemnations occur. What is not clear is the context of these condemnations, as many of them connect homosexual practices to prostitution and idolatry (as does St. Paul). Furthermore, Mosaic law condemns many things that are not only sanctioned by modern Christianity, but actually encouraged, such as eating pork, fish without scales, animals with more than four legs, the flesh of rabbits and hares, and the practices of usury, shaving and circumcision. Judaism and islam are less lax in their interpretation of Mosaic Law in these respects. Once again interpretations have changed radically over time.
Respect for human dignity is the key
What Christian, Jewish and Islamic scripture all have in
common is
the demand that human dignity be respected, and that this is the most
important aspect of divine law. Such a concept is succinctly
expressed in the
teachings of Christ as loving your neighbour as you would love
yourself, and
in not judging lest you be judged by the same measure and found
wanting. This
was not an innovation by Christ, but a profound insight into an
ancient
principle. The humanist tradition in Christianity and Judaism has
always
regarded this principle as paramount, and in the Protestant
tradition
particularly, this has gone side-by-side with respect for the
integrity of the
individual conscience, and the right of each person to interpret
scripture by
his or her own inner light.
Are their gay and lesbian positive congregations and
clergy?
The simple answer to this is yes. The problem usually is finding
them. In Fredericton FLAG can put individuals in contact with
clergy of most
Christian denominations who can offer supportive counselling, but
at present
there is no specifically gay or lesbian positive congregation
(though many
individuals are active and respected members of particular
congregations).
There are gay and lesbian organizations active in the Maritimes, including Dignity (Roman Catholic), Affirm (Anglican), Sparrow (Ecumenical) and the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC).
The MCC was founded in 1969 by the Reverend Troy Perry, a Pentecostal pastor, in Los Angeles. Perry had been expelled from his church after revealing his sexual orientation. The MCC grew from a few friends gathering in Perry s house 25 years ago, to an international organization, and one of the fastest growing Christian congregations in 1994. It welcomes anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, or denomination (it does not demand conversion , remaining very ecumenical in flavour), but is thoroughly positive in its concern for gays and lesbians.
Jewish organizations are a little thinner on the ground, but Chutzpah, a gay group associated with the Reformed Synagogue, has chapters in Montreal. Currently no Moslem groups exist away from Toronto.
The Church and the Homosexual. (3rd edn) by J. J. McNeill,
1988, Beacon Press, Boston. A classic work on the subject from the
hand of a former Jesuit and theologian
purged for his views in 1986. This book aims to make people
re-think old
beliefs, and is addressed to Catholics mainly, though the issues
raised are of
far broader relevance.
Human Sexuality: New Directions in American Catholic
Thought. by A. Kosnik and others, 1977, Paulist Press, New
York.
Rather dated now, and hopelessly optimistic in the light of the
ongoing war
between the Vatican and liberal clergy and theologians.
Nonetheless, a
valuable critique of traditional views and beliefs.
The Lord is My Shepherd and He Knows I'm Gay. by T. Perry
and C. L. Lucas 1973.Bantam Books, New York.
Powerful, simple and moving account of the founding of the
Metropolitan
Community Church by the Rev. Troy Perry.
Now That You Know: What Every Parent Should Know About
Homosexuality. by
Betty Fairchild & Nancy Hayward,1989. (2nd edn). Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich,
New York.
The chapter of this book dealing with religion is an excellent
summary.
When God Becomes a Drug by Fr Leo Booth, 1991, Tarcher Inc,
Los Angeles. While not dealing directly with sexuality, this is an
excellent coverage of religious addiction and abuse and its
remedies.
Living in Sin: A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality by J. S.
Spong, 1988, Harper & Row, San Francisco
Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism by J. S. Spong, 1991,
Harper, San
Francisco. Neither of Spong's books deal exclusively with
homosexuality, but
they are a very thought provoking and relevant read.
RESOURCES
Gayline - (506) 457-2156 - Fredericton s gay / lesbian /
bisexual phoneline deals with all matters related to the gay /
lesbian / bisexual community. It has a twenty-four hour, 7 days a
week recorded message (bilingual), and
between 6.30 and 8.30 pm on Mondays and Thursdays it is staffed by
trained
volunteers, who will answer calls directly. Call the phoneline if
you need
information, help or just a sympathetic ear. All calls are treated
confidentially.
CHIMO - (506) 450-4357 - a phone helpline for children and
young people with
problems, or in crisis. Trained counsellors are always available
on this
phoneline, and they can deal with all crises from problems at home
or in school,
to drug related matters and suicide.
MCC - Safe Harbour Community Church,
Halifax - (902) 443-7751
Fredericton New Hope Community Church - c/o Unitarian Church,
749 Charlotte Street, Fredericton. First fall meeting Sunday 17th
September, 1995. See NOTICES section
for more details.