God’s Gay Pride
This article serves as a rebuttal to an ideological perspective that was presented in a YouTube video I recently watched, which highlighted a more far-reaching ignorance.
The video was taken at a political rally of sorts where a gentleman was being interviewed regarding the reasoning for his attendance. He basically said he was there because the other side was trying to make everyone gay and that the Bible says being gay is a sin and therefore ungodly.
This interview triggered me a bit. My crux: these incompetent interpretations are always used to justify hate. So, I shall unpack God’s Gay Pride here.
The infamous reference to homosexuality comes from the book of Leviticus: no “man lying with a man as with a woman.” However, the place in which we find this “commandment” is of the utmost of interest.
The book of Leviticus correlates to what biblical scholars call Priestly Source (P): transcribed and registered by the Levite priesthood (~586-539 BCE)—these were the temple administrators, experts on rituals, and the lawmakers of ancient Israel.
The framing devices used by the Levite priesthood are easily identifiable within the Old Testament: “And YHWH spoke to Moses saying…”. This is how priestly authors embedded their ritual regulations, thus falsely imbuing them with divine authority. Each of these sections commence precisely same way: “And Yahweh said to Moses…” and/or, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them…”
The seemingly anti-gay reference, for our discourse purposes, comes from the Priestly Source (P) within the “Holiness Code”- Leviticus 17-26 – which is directly addressed to: the Kohanim (priests), who are descendants of Aaron, and male Israelites participating in temple rites. Yes, you heard it correctly, these Holiness Codes were specifically for Israelite males within the priesthood, not your everyday Saul or Bathsheba.
Let’s go over these codes:
Dietary purity (Leviticus 11;17) – don’t eat animals that chew the cud but don’t have split hooves, no shellfish, reptiles or scavenger birds, no blood at all, and every slaughtered animal must be offered at the Tent of Meeting (Ohel Moed- a portable sacred structure used by the early Israelites during their nomadic dessert times before the Temple in Jerusalem was built)
Next, we have codes for purity of clothing and body (Leviticus 13-15; 19) – priests cannot mix linen and wool, priests cannot have tattoos or body markings, priests cannot trim their beard in certain patterns, and priests must never come into contact with corpses, childbirth blood, or bodily discharges before entering sacred spaces.
For time’s sake I’ll just highlight the remainder of these priestly codes: priests must only marry virgins, priests cannot have sex with women during their menstrual cycle, priests must wear exact garments, it is forbidden for a priest to marry a divorced woman, priests must observe the Sabbath with no work, and priests must blow trumpets in the seventh month.
So, if the guy from the YouTube interview ever shaped up his beard, or if he ever wore mixed fabric clothing then, by his technicality, he’s in the same boat as the hell bound homosexuals.
What They Ain’t Teaching in Sunday School
The majority of Hebrew scholars agree that the word “yada” when used in “the sin Sodom” (Genesis 19) means: to subjugate, humiliate, or interrogate by force.
Historical background: male-on-male sexual violence (a common form of humiliation) peaked in the Iron Age (1000-586 BCE). The same window in which the Sodom narration was transcribed.
People most often use Genesis 19:4-5: “Bring out the men who came to you so that we may know them,” claiming “know” translates to “have sexual relations with,” but in actuality the passage details what the men of Sodom were attempting: gang rape, savagery against outsiders, sexual humiliation, and inhuman assertions of dominance. This “sin of Sodom” has absolutely nothing to do with two consenting males/females who are in love with each other and everything to do with violence against outsiders.
Point of emphasis: The bible contains several examples of deep, same-sex love, articulated of in a positive light—reverenced and sanctified: (1 Samuel) David and Jonathan, (Ruth 1) Ruth and Naomi, and (Matthew 8) The Roman Centurion and His “Pais” (male partner). Roman centurions were not allowed to marry and therefore commonly had a pais (male lover: common meaning in Greek.
Holy Trolling
Now, you get this guy (Yeshua AKA Jesus) who comes along and completely disavows and makes irrelevant all the laws and codes which those same priests and lawmakers from the early section made “God’s word.”
Yeshua brings forth a myriad of statements and actions that by all outward signs are aimed at trolling (poking fun at/instigating an adverse reaction to) the Israelite priesthood and priestly codes with statements like, “Woe to, teachers of the law and Pharisees (religious followers who believed ordinary people should follow priestly purity laws), you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s face. Yet you yourself do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying.”
My favorite moment of Holy Trolling comes in Matthew 12:
One day and ironically on a Sabbath day, Yeshua decides to make it apparent that he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the priestly codes. He takes his disciples through a grain field within the view of some Pharisees (lol on purpose) because they are hungry, so the disciples pick corn and eat. Now of course, here come the Pharisees to point out that what the disciples are doing is unlawful. His response? He points to King David before he was crowned, eating consecrated bread (bread reserved strictly for priest—Holiness Codes) when he was hungry.
The example Jesus uses in regard to King David eating the consecrated bread is pure genius: If David (the so beloved King of Israel) broke priestly law in order to fulfill human need, then Jesus’ disciples picking grain on the Sabbath is justified.
Jesus would go on to give an inexhaustible number of examples as to why these priestly codes are misguided and even break them all: touching lepers-forbidden, allowing a menstruating woman to touch him- forbidden, breaking Sabbath rules- forbidden.
When Leviticus said: “Become sanctified by separating yourself,” Jesus said: Become sanctified by loving inclusively.”
The holiness codes isolated people, so instead of upholding exclusion, Jesus went out of his way to touch the untouchables. Jesus therefore demonstrated that divine sanctitude is inclusionary in presence, not exclusionary separation. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) serves as a direct refutation to a God fixated on restrictions and penalties. He aligns himself with what God actually looks like – compassion and inclusive love.
So, the question remains: if God embodies inclusive love and acceptance as one is, who am I or you to condemn any soul for their simple being-ness?
