Scripture and same sex relationships
A excellent article by Randall Balmer concerning selective use of scripture with regards to same sex relationships.
In last Sunday's sermon which will be posted shortly I spoke of the pick and mix approach that is often used towards Leviticus. Balmer puts it well;
But what I find disingenuous on the part of those who use this to condemn gays and lesbians is that these same people appear to ignore some of the other proscriptions in the Levitical tables.
If you are going to take Leviticus as your warrant for condemning homosexuality, then it seems to me you should be prepared to advocate capital punishment for adultery and to enforce the prohibitions against wearing clothing with mixed fabric content and against the interbreeding of cattle – all of which appear in the same Levitical tables.
I do not deny that there are real discussions to be had regarding sexuality. However, as I tried to explain on Sunday, we need to use scripture in a consistent rather than an arbitrary manner.
posted by Paul Martin at 5:36 PM
2 Comments:
Well put. Thanks.
6:21 PM
Indeed, well put.
I remember reading an article. .. .. oh it must be over 10 years ago now in I think it was Biblical Archaeology where one of the US's most respected conservative rabbis argued that Leviticus 18 only applies to jews, of priestly families living in the confines of Israel, for the purposes of serving in the temple.
There's also the curious linguistic approach which is that the term in Lv. 18.22 is no stronger than to say it makes you "unclean" - or that it is "un-kosher" which to some extent makes sense if you're following the rabbi's argument.
In any event - is it not the case that this regulation is more about ensuring a motley federation of tribes built a cohesive identity which separated them from their Canaanite brethren?
The bible is not a black & white manual, rather it is the accumulated history of our response to God's presence in our life.
11:42 PM
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