It’s difficult to turn on any news program without
finding some discussion on homosexuality and religion. President Barack Obama has confirmed his
support of Gay Marriage; giving hope to millions they may finally have equal
rights under the law. The Gay Marriage
debate seems to have turned everyone into a Biblical scholar that can only
quote a couple admonishments of homosexuality in Scripture and that is enough
to prove their point. Before that every
network had some dramatic telling of Dan Savage’s attack on religion. With these new hot topics being on the top of
everyone’s mind, I’ve been asked several times how I can reconcile my Judaism
with my homosexuality.
My answer is simple: Most people don’t know how to read
the Torah or Bible. I’m sure I’ve just
angered 99% of the people who will read this; but it’s true. Most people, me included, are cherry pickers
when reading the Good Book. By picking
out the single line from the center of a paragraph one can invent any
interpretation they chose, usually out of context. Religious leaders have been doing this for
centuries and their misinterpretations have become dogma. A wise rabbi once told me to read my TaNaKH
(Jewish Bible) with the same enthusiasm I had when I read the Harry Potter series
and when I did, it was like reading a completely new book.
Leviticus
18 is usually the first example given of G-d’s abhorrence to
homosexuality. Sure, line 22 would seem
to be such an admonishment if you choose to read only that line. The chapter actually starts with a rewording
of the First Utterance (First and Second Commandments), reaffirming who our G-d
is. We’re also advised not to fall into
the practices of the Egyptians and Canaanites.
We’re provided with a long list of women we shouldn’t have sex with for
one reason or another; most of which should have been common sense. Now that there’s all this sex on our minds,
here’s an edict not sacrifice our babies to Molek (a local deity). Okay back to
sex, we can’t do it with other guys or animals.
Once again, we’re told don’t do as they did and, just in case you missed
it, here’s another reminder of who our G-d is. The parsha may appear to be
about sexual purity on the surface, but I read it differently.
In my Comprehensive Writing course during high school,
one of the things taught was basic writing structure. First is the opening: Tell them what you’re
going to tell them. This is followed by
a few lines or paragraphs of body: Tell them what you want to tell them.
Finally comes the conclusion: Tell them what you told them. It is not difficult to see that Leviticus 18
is written in the same structure and the main intent is clearly regarding
idolatry, not sexual piety. “I’m G-d.
Don’t worship me the way they do their gods. Which means don’t do these things
as sacred acts and sacrifices because as your G-d I don’t like it.” If adultery were the issue, I am sure G-d
would have used the Seventh Commandment to open and close the chapter. Recently, a Born-Again Christian produced Romans
1:18-32 as proof of G-d’s hatred of gays, which steeled my opinion when I
found it written in the same basic format showing the topic to be idolatry.
The next example frequently given is Sodom and Gomorrah
in the story of Lot. Here we have a guy
living in a tent outside of town who gets a visit from three angels. Every single male resident of the town want
to “know” the three guests; obviously there would be rape involved. Lot refuses
and offers his two virgin daughters, but all the men refuse take the virgins
since the angels are their target. I
find it very unlikely that both towns were filled with nothing but gay
men. I think their main sin was, again,
idolatry. Archeology has shown us the
gods worshipped throughout the Middle East in Biblical times required various
sex and blood sacrifices and I believe the Sodomites were out to do just that.
Probably the most controversial love story in the Bible
is the story of David and Jonathan. You
cannot read their story in the books of Samuel without seeing several examples
of how strong their love was. . As the story progresses we find that David
and Jonathan’s souls were “knit with one another”, an obvious reference to soul
mates. The two men are constant
companions even after David starts marrying every woman who can improve his
status which eventually helped make him king; history shows marriage was a tool
to promote treaties, grow wealth and gain lands that would increase the size of
a kingdom. This love story is tragically
ended when Jonathan is killed by the Philistines, to which David lamented, “Your love was wonderful to me, more than the
love of women.” Scholars usually refer
to this story as the first bromance; however, each year more are showing there
is a certain level of intimacy to the story that suggest it was romantic in
nature. If David and Jonathan were
lovers, G-d obviously did not disapprove since He loved David in all things;
except when he committed adultery and murder by proxy so he could take
Bathsheba as a wife.
Every religion teaches that nothing can exist in nature
unless G-d allows it to be. One would be
surprised to know that homosexuality has been observed in over 1,500 different
species on the Earth, from the most complex to extremely basic. Five hundred of these species have had their
homosexual tendencies well documented.
If G-d felt homosexuality was a grievous trait for any living being to
possess, He would have eliminated it before the first creature ever showed
signs.
It took me many years to realize that I can be a man of
faith and gay at the same time, they weren’t mutually exclusive. There were many years that I called myself an
atheist, Wiccan, or spiritualist, but I knew there was something
missing. It took a great man to show me
that my sexuality had little influence on what religions were open to me. I admit, for me it wasn’t an easy path but it
was well worth traveling. Because in the
end I realized that G-d would love me as long as I continue to work on being
the best person possible, even a gay one.
