Xtians and Lesbians

Okay, today is all about bugging the crap out of Grant. That's what this post is about.

Actually, ~Deb sort of tricked me yesterday. She said, "Hey, everybody, you have to read this." Don't click on the link – it is a freakin' Christian trap. It truly is. And they sucked me into the discussion.

I know, I know. We only have so many synapses, and I had to waste several firing in this issue. The rest of you can leave, because this post is for Grant. Not that he is a lesbian, but he hates this discussion. Xtians, you know.

This is all about lesbian love. And with Dani and ~Deb, you know it will be a love-fest. First, let's get the Leviticus passage out in the open. It is sitting there, like the elephant in the room that few really talk about.

Revised Standard Version (RSV): "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination."

New International Version (NIV): "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."

King James Version (KJV): "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination."

English Standard Version (ESV) : "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is abomination."

Living Bible: "Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin."

New Living Translation: "Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin."

I knew an extremely bright person in college. He learned Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek in college, mostly so he could read copies of the original texts and discern their meaning for himself. At the time, I thought he was fairly egocentric, believing he could upturn truths that have been studied by scholars for millennia. Anyway, I know so much less than this man – and no, you perverts, I did not sin with him. But we are really trying to say that this is a sin or not.

I have read the Leviticus passage (not in the original text, though I have seen it and cannot even read the letters very well), and I am puzzled as to why some focus on this passage. The passage in the ancient Hebrew is clearly talking about male-male sex acts (okay, I got this from somewhere else, because I can't read the original texts). By using the word "homosexuality," the English translation appears to condemn lesbian activity as well. The word "homosexual" was first used in the very late in 19th century. There was no Hebrew word that meant "homosexual." The latter behavior (lesbian sex) is definitely not mentioned in the original Hebrew text of this passage. In fact, lesbian behavior is not mentioned anywhere in the Hebrew Scriptures. A hint for us really stupid Christians: whenever the word "homosexual" or "All Terrain Vehicle (ATV)" is seen in an English translation of the Bible, one should be wary that the translators might be inserting their own prejudices into the text. So we are on shaky ground to start with.

Actually, some believe that this rule is against some form of anal sex in a Pagan temple ritual – one specific type of anal sex. Now, I could not find any sketches of this Pagan temple ritual, but my research is not complete. All I can say is that I have enough reverse cowgirl pics to fill a hard drive!

The term "homosexuality" has two meanings in English: (1) sexual behavior (what some people do) or (2) sexual orientation (what some people are). Actually, the Catholic Church is concerned with behavior, not orientation. I don't know how many reverse cowgirl pics the Vatican has on their hard drives.

Leviticus mentions two types of sins: (1) moral sin and (2) ceremonial uncleanliness. The male anal sex sin is a moral sin, whereas eating shellfish is an example of ceremonial uncleanliness. Incidentally, one type of sin was not necessarily less severe than the other type. Some ceremonial uncleanliness sins actually carried the death penalty. Furthermore, I am puzzled why people don't rally against shellfish with as much fervor as they rally against lesbian sex.

What continues to bounce around in my brain is the following:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
--Matthew 22:37-40

It occurs to me that Jesus was alluding to the fact that for many years, Jews would bicker over which sins were worse than other sins. Sort of reminds me what I see from both Dani and ~Deb, two Christian women who spend time daily, meditating, reading, and learning from the same book – the Bible. Dani harps on ~Deb's lesbian sex acts (I think she just likes thinking about lesbian sex) and ~Deb talks about loving thy neighbor. Actually, the neighbor thing is much more well-defined in the Bible.

I am not a lesbian (don't even play one on TV) – but that does not make me without sin. I committed some horrible sins against God and my husband, sins which I am still mending. So don't tell me not to cast any stones. I understand that. I am crude, and rude and sometimes joke about my religion (see above). Well, let me continue to meditate about lesbian sex. I am sure it is what the conservative Christians would have me do.