More on Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson: Vindictive Theology, Weak Bible Literacy (Issues 2013)

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.

--1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (RSV)

To return to Phil Robertson of A&E's reality series Duck Dynasty (previous blog), I’m surprised at how easily the media and many discussing the star's GQ interview, even if only on Facebook, have accepted the idea that he is merely expressing the Christian point of view. Is it really the Christian point of view that God views homosexuality as sinful and will "sort out" its practitioners on Judgment Day?

While I am now an atheist, I spent a great deal of my life growing up in small, Midwestern, largely Protestant and socially conservative communities, and I believed in the Gospel along with most everyone else. The dominant official opinion was always that homosexuality is indeed a sin, but hate the sin and love the sinner, we all sin, judgment is God’s business anyway, and God loves everyone. I do remember gay jokes being passed around, which isn’t good, but I have absolutely no recollection of any bullying or rancor whatsoever. I believe anyone suspected of being gay or openly gay would have been welcome at any of the churches I attended, and I know for certain there was no shortage of faithful who didn't believe it was a sin at all to be gay or who believed it was, along with all other sins, forgiven by the ultimate sacrifice Christ paid on the cross.

This softer approach by Christians toward the issue has not been entirely absent from the debate. I’m glad to see dogmatism and hate are not the norm for many Christian communities. I must point out, however, that underneath all the talk of forgiveness and love, there often still lurks the condemnation of a perceived sin and the threat of eternal damnation. No matter how nicely you tell people they’re going to Hell, you’re still telling them they’re going to Hell.

What I learned when I studied religion at a Methodist-affiliated college, however, was that the Bible doesn’t clearly say that homosexuality is a sin--contrary to popular belief. When the Bible verses cited as condemning homosexuality are studied, they are either obvious myth, do not specifically mention homosexuality at all, or take place within a context that throws their application today into serious question. Jesus himself said not one word about homosexuality, and some scholars posit that Paul himself may have been in the closet. In fact, nothing in the Bible suggests that two people of the same sex in a loving relationship ever crossed the minds of the dramatis personae themselves, the writers, or the editors of the Bible.

The research for this was done by Bible and theology scholars, many of them ministers, from a broad array of mainstream denominations. It’s too bad that more of their work doesn’t make it into the hands of the rank and file believers in the pews and those overzealous to condemn others.

I learned all that a long time ago, and my textbooks are buried halfway around the world in my parents’ basement, so I decided to go back and check some of the Bible verses commonly cited by those of Phil Robertson’s persuasion and found that much of what I remembered held up well.

While working on this blog, I stumbled across an article on CNN that examines First Corinthians 6:9-10, Duck Robertson’s own verses of choice. In typical CNN style, it asks a bold question, “Does Phil Robertson get the Bible wrong?” and then works its way down the field to punt, but along the way, it provides a fairly decent introduction to the types of translation and cultural issues that arise when trying to interpret what the Bible says about homosexuality.

The takeaway is that it’s anything but clear--which is okay for those of us Christian and otherwise who don’t see God (or wouldn't if we believed he existed) as the DMV and the Bible as the Rules of the Road, but bad news for those who do--because they’re the ones saying it’s right there as plain as day, and it just ain’t.

 

Take for example, the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the version I grew up with attending Methodist churches, the version in the pews, the version I was awarded on various occasions such as Confirmation, the version I quote at the top of this blog. Reading it, First Corinthians 6:9-10 wouldn't appear a likely candidate for supporting anti-gay views at all! 

The next time you hear condemnation of gay lifestyles as simply part and parcel of Christianity, don’t you believe it. This is a point we should not cede, a battle in the culture wars from which we should not retreat.