Bible on Gays.

[amichan]

 From the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Catholic Handbook (accessed through Wayback Machine archives from Feb 2013

Matthew 5:22

 

Matt 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Matt 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

Mat 5:22 . . lego . . . pas ho . orgizo . . adelphos eike . eike . . . enochos . . krisis . hos an . epo . . adelphos rhaka . . . enochos . . sunedrion . hos an . epo . moros . . . enochos . geenna pur Mat 5:23 oun . . prosphero . doron . . thusiasterion . ekei mnaomai . . adelphos echo tis kata .

 

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Someone on the Internet discussion group Gaynet recently pointed out that this passage may be the only reference made by Jesus to homosexuality. I think think argument can be made, but not conclusively.

I consulted the Greek Text [main word roots give in transliterated form], D. Greenberg, The Construction of Homosexuality, LSJ9 [Greek Dictionary], and various English translations.

The context is of course the compilation known as the Sermon on the Mount, a series of sayings of Jesus which are taken to call for a transcending of the Torah, to get to the "spirit" if you like [although I am sure a defense could be made of the Law, that is not my concern here].

The important words are Raca/Rhaka, and Fool/moros.

Rhaka is not a Greek word. This seems to be its only occurence in a Greek text, and LSJ merely states that it is Hebrew. Most translations either ignore the word, or note it as a general term of abuse. Greenberg relying on the work of Warren Johannssen [an acquaintance of mine - and very anti-religious in fact], points out that its roots in a variety of semetic languages mean "soft" [Hebrew "rakha"] and carries a connotation of effeminacy or weakness. The Akkadian word "raq" is used to denote a woman's name or occupation, and its graphic representation in Akkadian derives from a Summerian symbol for woman. In other words it can be argued that "Raca" [applied here to a "brother"] is an accusation of "sissy", or perhaps "catamite".

This argument works better if the word Moros is considered. The word can mean "fool", but it also has the amply used connotation of sexual aggressor, or even "homosexual aggressor". LSJ9 confirms this, although Johannsen makes much more of it.

It could reasonably be argued then that Jesus words here condemn those who abuse other about their homosexuality.

In other words it could be translated as
"But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement, and whoever says to his brother "sisseyt" will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says "You bugger" will be liable to fiery Gehenna."

Less convincing, but still plausible, is that since the abuse of "queers" is condemned, but homosexuality itself is not mentioned [unlike the women taken in adultery story] that Jesus is defending those who engage in homosexual practice. Considering Jesus break with other mores of contemporary Judaism, equally seen in his commendation of those who are "eunuchs for the kingdom of Heaven", this is a plausible, but far from certain reading of this text.

Compared to justifying Cardinal Ratzinger and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from Matt 16:18 though, it is a cinch!

 From the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Catholic Handbook (accessed through Wayback Machine archives from January 2013

Acts 8:26-39

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) Acts 8:27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship Acts 8:28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

Acts 8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." Acts 8:30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" Acts 8:31 He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Acts 8:32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. Acts 8:33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth."

Acts 8:34 The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" Acts 8:35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. Acts 8:36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" Acts 8:37 Acts 8:38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. Acts 8:39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

 

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In this passage an Ethiopian Eunuch [remember a group specifically excluded for sexual reasons from membership in the people of Israel by Deut 23:1] is baptised by Philip. This entire passage [which has Philip also preaching to Samaritans] is about the inclusion in the Church of the excluded. First a racially/ethnically excluded group, then a sexually excluded individual. [NB: This is an apparent description of bi-location].