Lavender Starship/Page of May 1973

The Bible Tells Me So

(Editora Note: The Sept. 0, 1972 Vol. 1, No. innue of the Columbus Gay Activist, nevaletter of the Columbus Gay Activinta Alliance, carried an article entitled Gay briel Flown. The article dealt specifically with an anti-homosexual pamphlet put out by a Jenus-freak organization, Teen Challenge.

Response van favorable, and the author was asked to write an expanded version for Lavender Starship II. The author spent 6 years in a Roman Catholic seminary, and so is well-qualified to discuss the fallacies of certain interpretations of the Bible.)

Perhaps the most significant factor in the self-hatred gays have for themselves is the Judeo-Christian ethic. Or rather, to be more precise, a certain interpretation put upon that ethic, which assumes that the Bible, representing God's Word, condens homosexuality as a gen-. eral condition.

This article will discuss the most common passages in the Bible used to show that God condemns all homosexuals 38 sinful. It is aimed primarily at gays who are confused and upset by their own religion, or by statements made by people who claim to represent "THE" proper interpretation of the Bible.

The article will also be useful for those involved in counseling situations with gays who are seeking help because of guilt feelings induced by this negative Biblical attitude toward homosexu-

ality.

It should be noted that this article will not be useful as a debating tool. One cannot argue, much less discuss, anything with a fanatic. There is nothing Lore fanatic, let me assure you, than a Jesus-freak or a fundamentalist Christian.

This fanaticism is inspired by the arrogant assumption that they, and they alone, know the correct meaning of God's Word as presented in the Bible. And they are not at all reticent about shoving that "correct" interpretation down everyone elses' throats.

So, unless you have had a

RICE OATS

certain experience in the study of theology and Biblical exegenia, this article will be of no help to you in trying to convince a "Saved Christian" or a "Covenanted Jew" that the Bible doesn't condemn un queers. Save

the Bible which prove inmorality of gay life.

the

a-

The one table argument gainst homosexuality to which every Biblically inspired debate returne again and again in Procreation. The Bible, we are told,

have children as a conse quence of that sexual act. God'a injunction to be fruitful is directed ut ipsuring the continuance of the species, not at insuring that every time people have sex, they do it to have chil There is a difference between insuring the continuance of the species (a goal

your breath, and your energy, clearly states that the purdres.

for something else.

Tefore examining the moral argumento supposedly raised against homosexuality by the Bible, I would like to make clear that I am NOT attacking religion; I am NOT attacking Christianity or Judaism true Christianity, true Judaiom. I AM attacking the fucked-up concept of religion and morality which Justifies the venomous hatred of gay people too often

GEN.

ESIS

Levi.)

√TICUS/

ST.

PAUL

shown by bota Jews and Christians, in the name of their respective religions.

Now, what about those Biblical quotes used to demonstrate how "immoral" homosexuality is? As far as I am concerned, this is the ugliest, most vicious, most immoral, most perverted use to which the Bible can be put: to justify the oppression which gays face; to sanctify that oppression by making it appear Divinely ordained.

It's bad enough that many, if not most, Jews and Chris-

tians oppress gays, but that they should try to rake God responsible for their own bigotry is intolerable. So let's look at those parts of

pose of nex 16 to populute Period. the earth.

Any use of sex, so the arwith which no guy car quargument goes, which does not, rel), and asserting that ic at least secondarily, furthorder to insure the continu ance of the species, one er this purpose is immoral must always have sex with and contrary to God's Will the intention of procreating. as presented in Genesia.

There is only one passage in the Cecesis story of Crea-

tion which cun support thic view of sex: "And God blesned them, and God said untc then, Be fruitful and multi-

ply, and replenish the earth and subdue it..." (Genesis, 1:28).

Note that God is not quoted as saying, "Don't

screw around for fun."; He says, "Be fruitful and mult! ply.

And those two quotes do not mean the same thing. There is a great philosophical distance between "Be fruitful and multiply" and, say, the Roman Catholic Church's stance on sex and procreation.

I an ignoring here the

biological argument that the male and ferale sex organs were meant to go together, that anything else is "unnatThat requires azothural."

er article entirely. But be aware that arguments about homosexuality will ofte switch the middle from a religious to a biological ground.

It is clear that the intense condemnation found! the Bible of such cexual acts as homosexuality, nasturbation, adultery and forication, is oased ca the social and political condition the Jewish people during the Biblical period.

The Jewish people of the Old Testament were basically small, defenseless tribes, surrounded by highly developed civilizations. The only way they could survive as a people was to insist on the need for bearing children, especially male children (1.e., warriors). This condemnation of homosexuality and other non-procreative forms of sex, therefore, is bused the historical condition of the Jewish people, net in any moral Judgement by Yawheh that such use of sex is sinful.

The story of Onan shows that moral considerations considered at all, in the are secondary, if they are Biblical condemnation of nonprocreative sex. It is the social and political necessity of bearing children to inThe injunction that "man", tribe which is paramount i crease the strength of the as a species, ought to repro-the Bible's condemnation of duce is vastly different from the assumption that "men and women", as individuals, ought never to have sex without intending to

DOG-procreative sexual ac-

tivity.

"And Judah said unto Crat, CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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