This is a third installment in a series where I examine why certain Christians are so set against gays.
In my last segment, I identified the Bible as the source for most of the hatred and I argued that the Bible cannot be taken as a definitive word of God (every word) and that that position is indefensible.
The Bible as the word of God issue has arisen in my comments about the movie Da Vinci Code and the fact that there is no secular historical information about Jesus and his life. I received angry emails telling me that the Bible IS a history book because it foretold events centuries before they happened.
Historians will argue that certain books in the Bible did foretell events but the actual books were written many years AFTER the events happened; foretelling in reverse.
Anyway, judging by the tone of the emails, there is no hope of a serious, academic discussion based on known facts about the Bible – so back to my closer look at Christians and gays and the role of the Bible in this issue.
Modern Bible scholars use what is known as a “Historical-Critical Method” of studying the Bible. This scientific method first developed by Protestants has been adopted also by the Catholic Church. Words in the Bible are examined objectively as to the historical period they were written in, the historical intention of the author and/or editor (redactor) and the historical audience the words were written to. The method is scientific because “faith” does not play a role here.
I will also point out that Christian denominations differ in how they treat the Bible. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist tradition developed the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral” approach to faith by relying on the Bible in conversation with tradition, experience and reason.
I hope I have not confused the issue already. All I am saying is that words in the Bible were written by people a long time ago and for a reason that existed at that time and an audience that existed at that ancient time; the word are NOT talking to us in 2006 and are NOT talking about modern times we live in. The words on the other hand CAN be used to glean philosophical and theological ideas for our own benefit.
Wow – that’s a mouthful!
The people that are AGAINST all the above belong to the FUNDAMENTALIST segment of Christianity. This segment arose during the Reformation and held fast to the Bible being the word of God, inspired and free from error and on guard against “liberal exegesis”.
The “Five Points of Fundamentalism” as stated in 1895 at the American Bible Congress held in Niagara, N.Y. were: the verbal inerrancy of Scripture, the divinity of Christ, his virginal birth, the doctrine of vicarious expiation and the bodily resurrection at the time of the second coming of Christ. This fundamentalism is spreading even as we speak.
The problem here is that this group rejects ALL questioning of the Bible text and ANY form of critical research; it is the way it is so fuck off.
The fundamentalists refuse to see that the Bible used human languages, human authors with limited capacities and resources, human copyists, human translators. It is as if the Holy Spirit dictated the Bible word for word. I have only one word to say here NAÏVE. This word is used by not only me but other Christians and even though some fundamentalists are good people, I have to reject their narrow point of view as not only naïve but stupid. Sorry for that but I don’t have any other word that could convey my feelings more accurately.
Next installment, we tackle the actual Biblical texts relating to homosexuality, at least thought to be relating to homosexuality.
Janusz
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