Liberal theologians and scholars and biblical critics have turned the tables on Genesis 19 and conclude that it is actually teaching homophobia. For Genesis 19 , the ideology is homophobia; the existence of the words 'sodomy' and 'sodomite' testify to its sorry career in Christianity.
The fate of these cities is held up by religious conservatives to justify the suppression of non-heterosexual people and to fan hatred of same sex eroticism and gender fluidity. The story represents, for Christianity, a tale "of homophobic genocide" signifying the "culture's desire that gay people not be". Thus, even if the angels had been consenting, it is wrong to read the Sodomite's demand as anything else but an act of abuse of outsiders. The threatened rape of the angels is an attempt to inscribe outsiders as queer and therefore not real men… But in attempting to inscribe the outsider as queer the Sodomites are also attempting to inscribe the queer as outsider.
Thus the tensions of homosexual panic amongst the men of Sodom are relieved in a way that confirms their own heterosexuality. Rather than reading the attempted rape of the angels as an instance of homosexual violence I believe it should be more accurately read as an instance of homophobic violence. But as mentioned above, much of this is based on reading Ezekiel in isolation neglecting the rest of the Bible and comparing Genesis 19 with other ancient Middle Eastern cultures, ancient Greek cultic prostitution, and even modern Middle Eastern countries.
The Jewish historian Josephus looks at all these factors pride, homosexual behavior, hatred in describing the sin of Sodom. About this time the Sodomites grew proud, on account of their riches and great wealth: they became unjust toward men, and impious toward God, insomuch that they did not call to mind the advantages they received from him: they hated strangers and abused themselves with Sodomitical practices.
Now, when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence. While it is true that all sin begins in the heart and then works its way outward James —15 , the outward sin reflects the inward desire.
If you covet in your heart, that can lead to stealing. Jesus taught his disciples this very thing in Matthew — So yes, Sodom was judged for homosexual sin —which flowed from pride, which also led to cruelty and exploitation of their fellow men and women. The first was an outworking of the second.
God can and does judge upon the motives of the heart, but he can and does also judge on the physical actions. But we must keep in mind that God was also ready to show mercy.
It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Westar or its scholars. Westar welcomes diversity of thought. Perry V. He has been a Fellow of the Jesus Seminar since , in the course of which he has contributed several papers. He has also written for The Fourth R. In addition to his academic interests and responsibilities, Kea is an active United Methodist layperson and has made numerous presentations about the Bible for clergy and lay groups.
Well done! Glad that you cleared that up. Thanks for your response, Kira. I hope the tone of my article conveys my own revulsion.
One of the consistent emphases of my discipline is that the biblical texts are products of their own time. Sometimes, these texts work against the grain of the cultural norms; other times, they mirror them.
The Genesis and Judges texts I discussed in my article reflect the patriarchal attitudes of the ancient near east. Written in , her book is a classic of feminist biblical studies. Thank you so much for this article. After Lot left, the Lord destroyed the area. And they were haughty and committed abomination before me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit". It impressed me greatly when I saw that "fullness of food and abundance of idleness [rest]" were, together with pride, among the things that composed "the iniquity of Sodom"1.
And though pride is generally rejected, at least outwardly, this does not happen with the other two: the fullness of food and the abundance of rest.
In contrast, these are many times considered, even by Christians, as aims. Of course we do not say that we should be weary and hungry. What we say though is that fullness of food and abundance of rest, in contrast to what the world says: ARE NOT things we should pursue after.
In contrast, what we should pursue is the Lord, His Word and His purposes. The center and the purpose of our life is not idleness and riches but to do the will of God.
As Sodom ceased to exist, this world will also one day cease to exist. And as the Lord took Lot out of that place and then He destroyed it, so also He will take us out of this world, before He does the same to it. Nor will God ever leave the sinner to perish, who is humbled for his sins, and comes to trust in His mercy and grace through Jesus Christ; but will keep him by his power, through faith unto salvation.
Ezekiel Canaan --in which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sojourned before going to Egypt, and from which thou didst derive far more of thy innate characteristics than from the virtues of those thy progenitors Ezekiel Translate rather, " the Amorite.
Israel's helplessness in her first struggling into national existence, under the image of an infant Hosea cast forth without receiving the commonest acts of parental regard.
Its very life was a miracle Exodus The former view is preferable. Spiritually, till the sinner is made sensible of his abject helplessness, he will not appreciate the provisions of God's grace. But see Exodus Exodus Literally, "nakedness. Thou wast of marriageable age, but none was willing to marry thee, naked as thou wast. I then regarded thee with a look of grace when the full time of thy deliverance was come Genesis Genesis , Acts Acts It is not she that makes the advance to God, but God to her; she has nothing to entitle her to such notice, yet He regards her not with mere benevolence, but with love, such as one cherishes to the person of his wife Solomon Jeremiah Malachi I betrothed thee Deuteronomy , , Hosea The cloak is often used as a bed coverlet in the East.
God explains what He means, "I entered into. So Israel, before the giving of the law at Sinai Exodus ; "Moses sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. Psalms Psalms , similarly describes the Church Israel, the appointed mother of Christendom adorned as a bride so Isaiah It is Messiah who provides the wedding garment Revelation , The marriage gifts to Rebekah Genesis Genesis Though the external blessings bestowed on Israel were great, yet not these, but the internal and spiritual, form the main reference in the kingly marriage to which Israel was advanced.
From raiment He passes to food Deuteronomy Deuteronomy Lamentations Instead of attributing the glory of her privileges and gifts to God, Israel prided herself on them as her own Deuteronomy , Jeremiah , Micah , and then wantonly devoted them to her idols Hosea ; compare Luke Luke English Version is better, "because of thy renown," that is, relying on it; answering to "thou didst trust in thine own beauty.
The high places whereon they sacrificed to Astarte are here compared to tents of divers colors, which an impudent harlot would spread to show her house was open to all [CALVIN]. Compare as to "woven hangings for Astarte" the right translation for "grove" 2 Kings English Version, however, is appropriate; Israel being represented as a woman playing the harlot with " male images," that is, images of male gods, as distinguished from female deities.
Also that used in sacrifices Leviticus Leviticus My meat. I gave -- Hosea This aggravates the guilt of sacrificing them to Molech. As if thy unchastity was not enough, thou hast added this unnatural and sacrilegious cruelty Micah Israel forgot her deliverance by God in the infancy of her national life. See Ezekiel , to which Ezekiel forms a lovely contrast Jeremiah , Hosea She had yielded so much that, like a worn-out prostitute, her tempters became weary of her.
When the Church lowers her testimony for God to the carnal tastes of the world, with a view to conciliation, she loses everything and gains nothing. Egyptians --alliances with Egypt, cemented by sharing their idolatries. The consequent judgments, which, however, proved of no avail in reforming the people Isaiah , Jeremiah Philistines -- 2 Kings , 2 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Canaan unto Chaldea --Thou hast multiplied thy idolatries "in Canaan" by sending "unto Chaldea" to borrow from thence the Chaldean rites, to add to the abominations already practised "in Canaan," before the carrying away of Jehoiachin to Chaldea.
The name "Canaan" is used to imply that they had made Judea as much the scene of abominations as it was in the days of the corrupt Canaanites. Repetition of Ezekiel JEROME translates, "Thou hast not been as a harlot in scorning that is, who ordinarily scorns a hire offered," in order to get a larger one: nay, thou hast offered hire thyself to thy lovers Ezekiel Ezekiel But these verses show English Version to be preferable, for they state that Israel prostituted herself, not merely for any small reward without demanding more, but for "no reward.
Israel hired her paramours, instead of being, like other harlots, hired by them; she also followed them without their following her. English Version is better: thy filthy lewdness is poured out without restraint compare Jeremiah As silver is an emblem of purity, brass typifies "filthiness," because it easily contracts rust.
The law of retribution is the more signally exemplified by God employing, as His instruments of judgment on Israel, those very nations whose alliance and idols Israel had so eagerly sought, besides giving her up to those who had been always her enemies.
0コメント