Yes – I have written a lot about these groups over the years, and our church became the first Open & Affirming UCC congregation in this part of the state 10 years ago. I can’t think about ending this series, though, without considering what a good theology about sexuality and gender is. It has also become one of the most divisive issues in the country, not just among people of faith. And it isn’t a bad thing to know just what is at stake, what the Bible says, and how we should try to talk about it. Good theology listens, gives a defense, serves as an ally, and then moves on. Bad theology punishes and legislates against that which it fears.
Leviticus 18 tells us that a man should not have sex with another man in the way he would with a woman. This is smack dab in the middle of a long section that also tells us that we shouldn’t have sex with our children, our neighbor; in fact, anyone other than the person we are married to. It also reminds us that we shouldn’t sacrifice our children to Molek, which is something we would, I guess, forget. There is no place in the Hebrew Scriptures, however, that specifically prohibits women lying together as if one were a man. That might come under the heading of people we aren’t married to, but chapter 18 is specifically addressed toward men. Chapter 19 does say that a man shouldn’t have sex with a slave, but that is not punishable by death, since she isn’t free. So, rape isn’t as bad as planting two different kinds of seed (also in chapter 19).
The Apostle Paul adds women with women to the mix in Romans 1, but the reasoning is odd. He wrote that “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves” because (drumroll please) they worshipped idols. That’s it. And Paul didn’t want anyone having sex with anyone; he wanted followers of Jesus to be celibate but gave them a pass if they were too weak to abstain from sex. Marriage was also frowned on but was grudgingly allowed because “it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” And Jesus? What did He say about this issue? (Crickets) Nothing! Jesus spoke about eunuchs, and only that they were part of the Kingdom of God.
Good theology (and knowledge) recognizes that there has always been a variety of sexualities and genders and that God creates all of them. Bad theology uses its power to control, destroy, and demonize those it disagrees with. Good theology teaches fidelity in relationships; bad theology legislates against that which it does not understand or, worse, hates. Good theology recognizes that someone who sodomizes a man, woman, or animal (therefore, without consent) commits rape, and that person should go to prison. Bad theology can’t tell the difference between sex and abuse and blames the victim of violence while punishing people for being different. Good theology believes that sex between adults is their business while bad theology allows laws that give parents permission to marry their teenagers (usually girls) to older adults (usually men). This isn’t that hard, is it? Now go and use this to be an ally. That is our purpose here, isn’t it? Good theology lifts us up; bad theology destroys us.
Prayer – Teach us, God, to take Your words seriously and to use them to help and not hinder people in their faith journeys. Amen.