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Homosexuality, Women, The Bible Juliet Davis From Notes From Martha Serpas Old Testament Laws • Lev. 11:9-12 These you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. 10 ‘But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, 11 and they shall be abhorrent to you; you may not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest. 12 Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is abhorrent to you. Old Testament Laws • Lev. 11:13 • Lev. 18:19 • Lev. 18:20 • Lev. 18:21 • Lev. 18: 22 These you shall regard as detestable among the birds. They shall not be eaten; they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey. You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. You shall not have sexual relations with your kinsman’s wife, and defile yourself with her. You shall not give any of your offspring to sacrifice them to Molech, and so profane the name of God: I am the LORD. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. “The Seed” Myths • The female egg was not discovered until the 19th Century. • The main concern was the man’s seed, which was basically believed to be full of little people. • There was the concern of where it could be “planted.” • It could not be spilled on the ground or in the hand or into the wrong woman, and certainly not with another man. Sodom and Gomorrah • Sodom and Gomorrah Stories regarding Sodom and Gomorrah and surrounding towns involve sexual violence against women and men—there is no mention of loving same-sex relationships (e.g., living together as a husband and wife would), and we cannot assume that these are the same thing. • 1) Hospitality, Aiding the Poor and Needy See story of Lot in Sodom (Genesis 19-11) in which the men invade Lot’s house after he has taken in angels as his guests. Ezekiel 16:49 This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. • 2) Violence Against Men and Women See story of the travelers and host (Judges 19:1-29)—similar story, but a man and his servant and concubine seek shelter and no one is hospitable enough to put them up for the night. Finally, they are taken in and the host of the house treats them much in the same way Lot treated the angels, to protect him from the band of marauding men: Sodom and Gomorrah • From Judges 19:29 No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Since this man is my guest, do not do this vile thing. Here are my virgin daughters and his concubine; let me bring them out now. Ravish them and do whatever you want with them; but against this man do not do such a vile thing. But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine, and put her out to them. They wantonly raped her, and abused her all through the night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. (But the man finds that the concubine is dead, so he takes her home and cuts body into 12 pieces and sends them to the territories of Israel to show that a vile act has been committed.) Jude 1:7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which, in the same matter as they, indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. (Painting: Rubens) Roman Culture Origes for the Gods New Testament: Paul • Paul is the person who founded Christianity as a religion per se (he was the organizer). • Of the 13 letters of Paul in the Bible, we don’t know whether 6 are authentic (scholars dispute), but everyone agrees that 7 are authentic. • Most important letters considered to be Paul’s letters to the Romans, as they are the most comprehensive, and everyone agrees that “Romans” is authentically Paul’s writing. • Paul’s letters are problematic for many reasons: • 1) We’re only seeing one side of a two-way conversation. 1 Corinthians 14:33-38 As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. What! Did the word of God originate with you, or are you the only ones it has reached? If any one thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. If any one does not recognize this, he is not recognized. • 2) Paul is upholding the laws of the land while at the same time trying to build a bridge to the new humaneness of Christ. Colossians 3 Wives, obey your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. (4.1)Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. • Ephesians 5 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 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. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. • 3) Paul himself is a problematic character for some of us. We can’t get around the fact that Paul believes that all sex should be avoided, even between husband and wife, and that all people should ideally be celibate. • For example, he says “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman” (1 Corinthians 7). However, he says this because he personally believes that celibacy allows people to focus on God rather than on earthly things and that it is a “gift” from God. So, if Paul believes that all sex is, to some degree, a fleshly rather than holy thing, it is no surprise that he would have trouble with a wide range of sexual expression (other church fathers considered any sex occurring outside of the missionary position between husband and wife to be sodomy, and it was, in some periods, punishable by death). The most radical thing Paul did, though, was to bring reciprocal treatment of men and women (he said a husband should love his wife as he does his own body, etc.) and preach forgiveness and humaneness, which Jesus Christ preached. Celibate in Marriage • 1 Corinthians 7 1Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 25Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. 27Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. Condemnations of “Sexual Immorality” • Other Condemnations of Sexual Practices “Sexual immorality” was a term that lumped together a lot of acts, ranging from having more than one sexual partner to having sex with one’s mother. 1 Cor. 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife. 1 Cor. 7:2 But because of the cases of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 1 Cor. 10:8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 2 Cor. 12:21 I fear that when I come again, my God may humble me before you, and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality and pursued unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Homosexuality • Romans 1:18-27 • 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. • 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. • 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. • Side Note: This passage is actually talking about idolatry—it begins with the idea that all people should be worshiping God rather than “the creature” (people/things God created). Also, keep in mind that the word unnatural (paraphysis) is not an inherently negative word-- in Romans 11:24, he also refers to an act of God as unnatural but good, for example—in that case, God unnaturally grafts Gentiles onto Jews so that they can be saved. It means a departure from the assumed order of things. Questions?