One of the many arguments over Prop 8 comes down to theology. Many who oppose same-sex marriage, or even just homosexuality in general, argue that it’s not only against nature, but against God. By now, anyone with a television has seen Fred Phelps and company marching with their “God Hates Fags” signs, or has heard from other, less hysterical, quarters that homosexuality and Christianity are inherently at odds. While I’ll throw in (yet another) disclaimer, this time that I’m not a theologian, I’d have to say that this is one scriptural analysis with which I’d have to disagree.
Let’s start from the assumption–a relatively uncontentious one, I’d hope–that if one is a Christian, the New Testament has a primacy of sorts over the Old Testament. With that as our starting point, then, there are four passages in the New Testament that are widely taken as evidence that homosexuality is anti-Christian. I’ve quoted those passages at length after the jump.
It should be noted that the passages below are all from epistolatory writings. The Pauline epistolatory material, it should be noted, was just that: a pile of letters. A wide spectrum of Biblical scholars (that is to say, we’re not just talking about the Jesus Seminar here) would readily concede that these weren’t written, or intended to be taken, as scripture. Each of them was written to address specific issues faced by some of the many churches the apostle Paul set up during his wanderings in Asia Minor and North Africa; one suspects that if he were writing scripture, or knew that his writings would later be construed as such, they would have had a much different tone. Additionally, some of the later epistolatory material—like Timothy, which is quoted below, and 2 Corinthians, which isn’t—is now widely regarded to have been forged.*
On the other hand, you’ve got the Gospels, and Acts, which I lump in with the Gospels, since they were probably penned by the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke. The Gospels, which purport to tell what is known of Jesus’ life and ministry, do not mention homosexuality. At all.
And it’s not for lack of anything to say. All four Gospels, from earliest (Mark) to latest (John)** make much of Jesus’ words, deeds, and sermons. We already know that homosexuality was not unknown in Jesus’ time; that he did not mention it, and that none of his biographers deigns to mention it, or have him mention it, suggests either that it wasn’t that big of a deal, or that they had bigger fish to fry (insert loaves and fishes joke here).
Furthermore, the author of Luke/Acts was a pupil, or at the very least a close acquaintance, of Paul’s, and was likely familiar with his writings. Here, I can’t help but think that if homosexuality were a sin—much less the sin it’s currently depicted as being—the author of Luke would have at the very least thrown in a reference in Acts, if not embellishing on the oral tradition*** that makes up the background for the gospel of Luke.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Jesus is consistently depicted as being on the side of the marginalized, downtrodden, and “unclean.” Any table at which there’s room for everyone from tax collectors to Samaritans to prostitutes, as well as those we more conventionally think of as “saved,” certainly has room for LGBT people too. As Christ himself put it, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” (Matt. 25:40; KJV)
*For more on the forgery angle, see the works of Bart Ehrman, especially Lost Christianities and Misquoting Jesus.
**Earliest to latest in terms of the order of which they were written, rather than order of appearance.
***The three earliest gospels have similarities that suggest that they drew from a common source, either in oral or printed form. The latter has been referred to as the Q, or Quelle [“source”], Gospel.
Jude 1:7: Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (KJV)
Romans 1:26-32:
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (KJV)
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (KJV)
1 Timothy 1:8-11:
8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. (KJV)