LGBT Texts

// Gay Marriage in the Bible

Actually this is kind of a trick topic. There is no mention of gay marriage in the Bible (except, possibly, the account of the 'covenant' of David and Jonathan). But neither is there any mention of representative democracy, electricity, the Internet, or polyester clothing. For the vast majority of Christians and Jews (even those that believe in Biblical inerrancy), just because something isn't mentioned in the Bible doesn't necessarily mean that it is sinful or forbidden. Unless you are Amish, of course, in which case you probably shouldn't be reading this in the first place... The Bible is a smorgasbord for those who need just one out-of-context quote to justify their personal views on marriage. Depending on which pinhole you look through, the Bible can be cited as both approving or forbidding polygamy, monogamy, divorce, and lifelong celibacy. So it is no wonder that there are quotes that can be manipulated in the same way to condemn gay marriage. For instance, the often quoted Genesis 2:23-4: 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Now before you say, "Aha! so the Bible does forbid gay marriage!", take another look, This passage does not say "'Thou shalt not let two men or two women get married, and get the same tax breaks and hospital visitation rights as heterosexuals." When a commandment or injunction occurs in the Bible it is stated explicitly, as throughout Leviticus. This passage also has mystical overtones which literalists are apt to completely miss or ignore. It implies that Adam was at one time united with Eve in the same body, and the reason that people seek companionship is because they are searching for their missing half. (This is similar to Plato's theory of the androgyne). Also, both in the Tanach and the NT, marriage is used as a metaphor for the union of the soul with God, which is obviously binary. In the Tanach, marriage practises such as bigamy, polygamy, concubinage, arranged and levitrate marriages are described as normal, as in fact they were at the time. All of these types of marriage are today either illegal in most western countries or considered highly unusual, much more so than monogamous same sex unions. Note that out of all of these arrangements, only marrying two sisters is explicitly forbidden in Leviticus 18; however it is permitted to marry a deceased wife's sister. So it is absolutely disingenuous to speak of 'traditional marriage' (as a codeword for heterosexual monogamy) as biblical. It is even more absurd when this concept is uttered by members of the clergy, who really should know better. However, in at least one passage in the NT, marriage is defined as monogamous. In Mark 10:2-12), Jesus is quoted as saying: 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. 10:3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 10:4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 10:5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 10:10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. 10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. One reader commented that this passage proves that Jesus "hated [gays]". but I'm not sure how he came away with that conclusion. If you take this at face value, it says that remarriage after divorce is equivalent to adultery. The passage 10:6-9 is just a restatement of the passage from Genesis, leading up to the conclusion 'let no man put asunder'. In 10:10-12, Jesus explains the concept again, just in case we missed the point the first time around. As usual, the language attributed to Jesus is very specific and transparent. Also of interest is 1 Timothy 4:1: 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. Here Paul disapproves of the prohibition of marriage, as well as the practise of vegetarianism. This is probably a reference to a Gnostic group, some of whom were vegetarians. A few Gnostics and early Christians were opposed to marriage in any form (including monogamous, heterosexual marriage). Marriage was considered a grave sin by some of the early Church fathers, and the only way into the kingdom of heaven to be the lifelong mortification of the flesh. This passage by Paul from the Epistles weighs in against this particular concept. On the other hand, some Gnostics and early Christians practiced group marriage, taking 'holding all things in common' to the extreme. One wonders about Paul's condemnation of vegetarians. Will some future US President float a constitutional ammendment mandating that vegetarians eat meat? Will conservative Christians organize abusive demonstrations at health food stores? Does God hate tofu? The sanctioned form of marriage in Judaism and Christianity has continued to evolve over the centuries. Policies on divorce have varied widely. There was a liturgy for same sex unions in one branch of the Eastern Orthodox church. During the Middle Ages and well into the renaissance, the vast majority of European marriages were 'common-law,' and had no religious sanction: church weddings were far too expensive for most people. Mormons originally practised polygamy, although they ceased that as a condition for Utah statehood. Today, same sex unions are consecrated in some liberal Jewish and Christian denominations. Some interpret the passages above to imply condemnation of gay marriage, or to justify their prejudices against LGBT people. The reader is encouraged to look at the entire context and make up their own mind. Male homosexuality is only implied in the Qur'an, and there is no mention of lesbians or transexuals. The story of Lot is repeated numerous times (e.g., 26:165-6, 27:55, and 29:28-9). The Yusuf Ali translation of 26:165 runs: "Of all creatures in the world will ye approach males, and leave those whom God has created to be your mates, Nay ye are a people transgressing all limits" These passages reflect the post-classical Jewish and Christian interpretation of the Sodom narrative, as well as Aristotle's widely accepted (but incorrect) view that animals do not engage in homosexual acts. In context, the Qur'an mentions other cities which were destroyed, not just Sodom; including the legendary cities of 'Ad and Thamud. These have much different narratives. For instance, in Thamud "there were in the city nine persons who despoiled the land and did not right." (27:49). In Surah 11 a parallel is drawn between the story of Lot and the Biblical flood narrative of Noah. This is a constant theme that runs throughout the Qur'an. It draws freely from Biblical, Talmundic and traditional Arabic lore of civilizations overwhelmed by catastrophes brought on by hubris. The common motif of these stories is that the people of these cities defy God, and ignore his prophets; not that they engage in particular sexual practices. God is warning, through the Qur'an, that He is the creator and destroyer of all things. This is a much larger concern, on a cosmic scale, than what people do in their bedrooms. There is a possible mention of male homosexuality in Surah 4:16. Yusuf Ali translates this as:. "If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone; for God is oft-returning, Most Merciful" (emphasis inserted). Palmer's translation of the same passage is: "And if two of you commit [adultery], then hurt them both; but if they turn again and amend, leave them alone, verily God is easily turned, compassionate". (Adultery is implied from the previous paragraph). Palmer notes: "the commentators are not agreed as to the nature of the offence here referred to. The punishment to be inflicted is also the subject of dispute." This stands out here, because this Surah (The Women) codifies a number of laws and regulations about sexual behavior, and in each case except for this, the text lays out specific punishments. There is also a cryptic passage in Surah 76: one of the rewards in Paradise is described as "eternal boys...[like] scattered pearls...and when thou seest them thou shalt see pleasure and a great estate." (Palmer). Whether these are supposed to simply be attendants or companions is left to the imagination. There is, however, explicit condemnation of homosexuality in the Hadith, which are traditional sayings from early Islam which have acquired legal status. For instance, Williams in his anthology Islam, quotes the following Hadith (p. 83): Bukhārī . . . from Ibn ‘Abbās: "The Prophet cursed men who act like women and women who act like men, and said, 'Drive them from your houses.' He expelled such people, and ‘Umar did it as well." Islamic societies through history have both tolerated and persecuted LGBT people, sometimes at the same time. However, there is very little in the core text of Islam, the Qur'an, which support the harsh punishments and ostracism which gays are subjected to in contemporary Islamic society, and the relevant passages are either vague or tangential. OCRT: The Baha'i Faith and Homosexuality OCRT: The Zorosastrian Faith and Homosexuality [External Site] A review of (mostly negative) Baha'i and Zoroastrian views on homosexuality, including quotes from their and other scriptures. The Talmud: Baba Bathra Chapter IX This part of the Talmud has a remarkably equitable discussion of the legal status of transgender people with regards to inheritance and parental support. Kama Sutra of Vatsayayana translated by Sir Richard Burton [1883] This work describes gay and lesbian sexual behavior non-judgementally in first millenium India, as part of a spectrum of sexual practices. The Sufi Poets Rumi, Hafiz and Sa'di, the Sufi poets, had a mystical view of love in which the relationship between the lover and the beloved mirrored humanity's relationship with God. This was not limited to heterosexual love, but was a more universal concept, transcending gender. Following is a short list of recommended recent books on this topic. (Links are to Amazon.com). About the collage: Some of the greatest artists of all time were gay people, including: (top) Michelangelo, whose depiction of the creation of man in God's image is the keystone of the Sistene Chapel murals in the Vatican; (bottom right) Leonardo da Vinci [drawing of a human body in balance]; and (bottom left) Sappho, renowned Greek poet. The special contents of this page are © copyright 2004, J.B. Hare, all rights reserved. This page may not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. 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