Steve Parelli presents... Other Sheep Executive Director The Bible and... Copyright © 2006 by Stephen Parelli

The Clobber Passages

Sodom and Gomorrah – Genesis 19 Do not lie with men as you would with women – Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 Going after strange flesh – Jude 7 Gratuitous, flagrant abuses of love – First Corinthians 6:9-10 and First Timothy 1:10 Denying natural relations for unnatural – Romans 1:21-28

The Clobber Passages The question to keep in mind throughout this study: Do any of these passages condemn loving, committed same-sex relationships? We will return to this question from time to time.

The Clobber Passages And just for fun… We could title “The Clobber Passages:” But we are getting ahead of ourselves…

Sodom & Gomorrah Chapter I In Three Parts Not a Story about HomosexualityNot a Story about Homosexuality The Sins of Sodom and GomorrahThe Sins of Sodom and Gomorrah Conclusion: The Real RapeConclusion: The Real Rape

The Clobber Passages Sodom and Gomorrah – Genesis 19

Sodom & Gomorrah Chapter I Part One Not A Story About Homosexuality

Genesis 19:4-5 “…the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.” KJV

Not A Story About Homosexuality Not A Story About Homosexuality

“Pro-gay theologians are correct in saying that this passage does not provide a strong argument against prohibiting homosexual acts.” page 184 “Pro-gay theologians are correct in saying that this passage does not provide a strong argument against prohibiting all homosexual acts.” page 184 Copy- right 1993 Ex-Gay authors Davis and Rentzel comment on Genesis 19:4-5

Sodom and Gomorrah is “not a strong argument against prohibiting homosexual acts.” page 184 Sodom and Gomorrah is “not a strong argument against prohibiting all homosexual acts.” page 184 Ex-Gay authors Davis and Rentzel, 1993 To use Genesis 19 to condemn homosexuality makes as much sense as using 2 Sam. 13 to condemn heterosexuality Loren L. Johns

Sodom and Gomorrah is “not a strong argument against prohibiting homosexual acts.” page 184 Sodom and Gomorrah is “not a strong argument against prohibiting all homosexual acts.” page 184 Ex-Gay authors Davis and Rentzel, 1993 Genesis 19 – gang rape, possessive lust, and sexual abuse – cannot be construed as condemning loving, committed homosexual relationships Loren L. Johns

Sodom and Gomorrah is “not a strong argument against prohibiting homosexual acts.” page 184 Sodom and Gomorrah is “not a strong argument against prohibiting all homosexual acts.” page 184 Ex-Gay authors Davis and Rentzel, 1993 That Sodom has become synonymous with certain homosexual acts does not pertain to the ethical issue of the propriety of loving, committed homosexual relationships. Loren L. Johns

Sodom & Gomorrah Chapter I Part Two The Sins of Sodom and Gomorrah

Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire... Gen. 19:24

What were the sins of Sodom? Robert E. Goss

male rape Sodom and Gomorrah “is the story most frequently cited by homophobic Christians for their hatred of [LGBTs]. Sodom has become the image of human depravity and moral decay, but the story in Genesis 19 has nothing to do with same-sex sexuality; it has to do, rather with male rape.” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ

“The messengers are foreigners within the city, and the men of Sodom surround the house and insist that ‘we might know them (yadha). The Hebrew word to ‘know’ (yadah) is occasionally used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse, and here in this chapter and Judges 19, yadah, needs to be translated and contextualized in...” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ

“... in the sexual codes of the penetrator and the penetrated in the ancient world. A more apt colloquial translation would be to ‘womanize, make into a woman.’ In the context, it suggests ‘penetrating a male like a woman,’ or anal intercourse. Ancient New Eastern societies subjected... ” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ

“... those they had conquered, enemies, strangers, and trespassers to phallic anal penetration to indicate their subordinate status.” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ “The story in Genesis 19 has nothing to do with same-sex sexuality; it has to do, rather, with male rape.” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ

”When chapter 19 is read with chapter 18, the inhospitality of Sodom is contrasted with the rural social code of hospitality. Hospitality is part of the cultural code and the editor’s theological motif operative in Genesis … The editor contrasts... ” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ

“... the rural, pastoral welcoming of strangers (by Abraham, Gen. 18) with...”

”... the urban hostility [shown] them [by the residents of Sodom at Lot’s door, Gen. 19]... ” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ How the movie The Four Feathers illustrates the moral essence of hospitality in the Near Easter

Harry Faversham: Why are you protecting me? Abou Fatma: God put you in my way. I have no choice.

The desert law of Hospitality

”When Jesus says that it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for those not hearing God’s messengers, he has in mind not the Sodomites’ sexual practices but their inhospitality.” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ

”But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not... I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.” Luke 10:10-12

”And punishments came upon the sinners... Insomuch as they used a more hard and hateful behavior toward strangers. For the Sodomites did not receive those, whom they knew not when they came....” Wisdom of Solomon 19:13-14

Attention needs to be given not just to “the violation of hospitality,” but also “to the patriarchal violence to male strangers and to the daughters, ‘the other’ inscribed within the biblical text.” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ patriarchal violence to Male strangers Women (here, Lot’s daughters)

”The laws of hospitality are fused with the patriarchal gender code that privileges males over females. That code requires that Lot protect male honor over female honor. In other words... ” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ patriarchal violence to Male strangers Women (here, Lot’s daughters)

”... It is better to shame a woman than a man.” Here we see “the themes of hospitality and sexual violence” interplay with “the Hebrew cultural script of honor and shame.” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ patriarchal violence to Male strangers Women (here, Lot’s daughters)

”... So Lot offers the sexual capital of his household, his virgin daughters, in exchange for preserving the honor of the strangers. The mob rape...” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ patriarchal violence to Male strangers Women (here, Lot’s daughters)

”... Would dishonor not only the messengers but also Lot, his household, all his clan, and all those people associated with him” Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ patriarchal violence to Male strangers Women (here, Lot’s daughters)

patriarchal violence to Male strangers Women (here, Lot’s daughters)

Sodom & Gomorrah Chapter I Part Three Conclusion: The Real Rape

Ezekiel the Prophet 1510 Sistine Chapel fresco by Michelangelo. The Sin of Sodom... According to the Prophet Ezekiel was… “Behold, this was the iniquity of they sister Sodom:

“... pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” Ez. 16:49

“In numerous biblical texts, there are no indications of the sin of Sodom as referring to same-sex behaviors.” Robert Goss, Queering Christ. Robert Goss, Queering Christ.

“... The real act of sodomy [rape] is the particular application of the story to [LGBTs] and the translation of textual violence into social violence.” Robert Goss, Queering Christ