Look who’s choosing what

Whether we like it or not, the Bible and referendum Question 1 are connected. A recurring argument by supporters of the referendum is that homosexuality is contrary to scripture and a grievous sin that will be punished by God. Because I was raised in that tradition, I understand their perspective and fears. Their conclusion is the logical result of their understanding of scripture.

People who believe that Katrina was God’s punishment for homosexuality point to an enraged Yahweh in the scriptures who wiped out the entire cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as retribution for their sins. They also cite the book of Leviticus, in which the act of homosexuality is said to warrant execution and St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, in which shameless acts between men are among a list of wicked behaviors warranting death. These passages confirm their sense that legislation providing civil rights for gays and lesbians is misguided and a threat to the family and society.

This may be a logical conclusion if one relies solely upon these scriptures and takes them at face value. But such a conclusion demands making certain choices.

Choice has been a central element in the current debate about sexuality. Those who oppose homosexual behavior see it as a choice – not an orientation as much scientific evidence suggests.

But who is choosing what? Many who apply literally the prohibition in Leviticus against a man lying with another man, choose to ignore other prohibitions in the very same book, such as having intercourse during menstruation, wearing mixed fabrics, eating rare meat and ordaining persons who have a physical handicap or blemish. Fortunately, most also ignore the command to put to death those who practice homosexual acts.

They also choose to ignore the historical context in which some of the scriptures were written. For example, the prohibition against male homosexual acts in Leviticus was written at a time when the tiny nation of Israel was under threat from its neighbors and population increase was critical for national survival. In this context, semen was viewed as the source of life, and any sexual act that did not foster procreation was considered an abomination, punishable by death.

Sometimes they choose to ignore the clear facts of the text itself. The sin referred to in Sodom and Gomorrah is not one of freely chosen homosexual relationships, but rather the sin of gang rape – a far cry from loving relations between two people of the same sex. It is interesting that when Jesus refers to the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah he mentions nothing about sexuality but rather speaks of the sin of inhospitality.

In the process of choosing, certain behaviors are given primacy over others. For example, homosexuality is singled out from a list of 19 behaviors condemned as worthy of death by Paul in Romans 1 – a list that includes such things as gossip, foolishness and envy.

Finally, they choose to ignore Jesus’ total silence on the issue of homosexuality as well as his consistent practice of affirming and embracing those whom society excluded as second-class.

So look who is making choices. It is true that one can make a case from the Bible but only by making certain choices. History is rife with demonic causes for which people have offered biblical justification, including slavery, the subordination of women and the extermination of the Jews.

The most important choice we face is whether we will care for those who are suffering, exploited and oppressed – what the Bible calls “the least.” This means that an interpretation or law that harms people should be rejected. If it’s damaging to the most vulnerable among us, it’s wrong. This choice does not guarantee simple, good outcomes every time, but it is the litmus test by which we should live.

Hence, an interpretation of a biblical text that diminishes, excludes or demands the death of persons based on their sexual orientation should be rejected. So too, a referendum that would deny equal civil rights protection to all is not worthy of our support. It’s a matter of choice.

The Rev. Dr. T. Richard Snyder, a resident of Northport, is a member of the board of the Maine Council of Churches, Senior Visiting Professor of Ethics at American Baptist Seminary of the West, and Professor Emeritus of Theology and Ethics at New York Theological Seminary.