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Columnist Thom Ballantine

Dispels Biblical Misunderstandings

"It's a sin to be gay! The Bible says so," spout the television 'evangelist,' as well as the prim and proper 'church' member, and the common everyday 'joe.' Then they expect the LGBT person to coil up like the serpent raising its ugly, forked-tongued head in fear of being condemned to a fiery hell by God. Well, they are wrong. As people of faith we need to guide them to see the truth in scripture.

The first step is to ask those who make such uninformed comments to show you where in the Bible it "says so." In the unlikely event that they would pull out a Bible and even know where to begin to try substantiating the falsehood, be prepared to inform them that the only version of the Bible translated in English that comes close to being accurate is the Authorized King James Version, or a New Revised Standard Version, which is translated in modern English. Since all other English translations are based on the King James there should not be any argument as to using it as the source for quotation.

The most frequently used example of homosexuals' evil in the Bible is the Sodom story, from Genesis 19: 1-29. One major problem with this is that many English versions of the Bible mistranslate the ancient text, almost always replacing "sodomite" with "homosexual," or defining Sodomites as homosexuals in the footnotes. A Sodomite was a citizen of Sodom, just like Baltimoreans are citizens of Baltimore. However, most people connect Sodom, the Biblical city, with the term "sodomy," meaning sexual anal penetration. (The word "sodomy" was developed in the Middle Ages by Puritanical authorities exerting their influence on the government, which, in turn, was mostly interested in opressing the already poor and uneducated masses, by claiming Divine Entrustment in their enforcement.)

In the Sodom example cited above, the men of the city demanded that Lot turn over the angels he was hosting in his home, "so that they may know them" (Gen 19:5), because the men feared that the angel had come "to play the judge!" (Gen 19:9) It was the men's intent to gang rape the angels, a common practice in war then and to this day, often used to humiliate and emasculate enemies, possibly turning them into disgraced outcasts. The trouble with this "homosexual" incident is that the men were heterosexual males committing a brutal crime against visitors perceived to be a threat to their immoral lifestyle. Their behavior had nothing to do with whether genuine love between consenting adults of the same sex is legitimate or not.

The Sodom story is only one example of scripture used to teach those who will blindly follow the homophobic notion that God hates gays. So, my friends, be prepared. Don't take my word for it, and certainly not the many, heated words of ranting, self-proclaimed moral authorities: go to the source for the Word of God. Read it for yourself. I will share other passages used to spread the hate against homosexuals in future columns, shedding light on them to reveal the truth of their messages. Share the knowledge; it's empowering.