Sunday, May 17, 2015

HAHBAT post: What the Torah says about The Gay -- straight from the rabbi's mouth


I've mentioned this anecdote in lots of different places, but I'll give it a permanent place here, then in the future I can just be lazy and post a link. :) And since the topic is homophobia, I decided it would make a good post for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.



Badge for the Hop Against Homophobia, Bi-, and Transphobia


Plus I had it partially written, and have I mentioned I'm lazy? :)

Okay, hang on to your hats; it's about to get Biblical up in here.

People who don't believe in same-sex marriage and/or civil rights for gay people like to quote verse 20:13 from Leviticus to explain why The Gay is a bad thing. (These people generally tend to ignore everything ELSE in the Bible that's described as a bad thing.)




Verse 20:13 (and verse 18;22, which says basically the same thing), were written in Hebrew, as was the rest of the Torah (Old Testament). When people study to become rabbis, even Reform rabbis, they learn to read the Torah in the original language. Our temple's rabbi talked about that passage of Leviticus one year at Yom Kippur services when he said that if a same-sex couple came to him to get married, he would perform the ceremony.

A picture I used in last year's HAHAT, but it's just so pretty, I'm going to use it again. :)

The rabbi explained that the word usually translated as "abomination" does not actually have such a strongly proscriptive meaning in in Hebrew. A better English translation of that word ("toevah") would be "something we Jews do not do."

While researching my as-yet-unfinished pirate novel, I learned a little bit about homosexuality in Islamic cultures. In most Mediterranean cultures, going back thousands of years, men have had (and do have) sex with men, both before and after marriage to women. We know about Greek Love and the "snails and oysters" scene from Spartacus.

Oddly enough, the ancient Hebrews did not follow this custom. I don't know why; maybe it was considered disrespectful to one's wife to go off and have sex with teenaged boys? Or maybe the men were all just "ew, homosex is icky"?

Whatever the reason, it seems clear to me that a more accurate translation of those Leviticus passages would be "men having sex with men is something we Jews do not do." Looking at the history of the region, everyone else did have that custom; the Jews simply did not. And that is reflected in the Torah.

(As for using even this interpretation to decry today's same-sex relationships, keep in mind that people had a LOT of customs back then that no one does anymore. Killing a bullock and offering it up as a burnt sacrifice in your suburban backyard? I think you'd get a visit from the police....)

In an online discussion once, a commenter told me my rabbi was "aspostate" (a disbeliever, one who has renounced their faith) for offering up this translation of the Leviticus verse. IMO, it's UNBELIEVABLY arrogant to declare someone else's interpretation of a Bible verse invalid because it disagrees with yours. Not only do people not agree on what the Bible means, some people can't even agree on which Bible to use.

So the next time someone claims that the Leviticus verse justifies homophobia, feel free to direct them to this blog post. Or to tell them, "That translation is not accurate." Or to tell them they have their head up their ass, but that probably won't change hearts or minds. :)

Thank you for letting me participate in this year's Hop Against Homophobia, Bi-, and Transphobia! Please comment for a chance to win... well, I'm not sure what you'll win. What would you like to win? An e-copy of one of my books? (Available for any of them except Dorm Porn 2; that's only in paperback.) A $20 donation in your name to Atlanta's LGBT youth shelter, Lost-n-Found? Some other LGBT-related prize worth up to $20? Please let me know in the comments. I really have no idea what would be good.

Thanks for reading!



20 comments:

  1. that was really interesting, tho i don't believe in the Bible (and yes i said Bible, really think about it), it's awesome to have feedback and real interpretation of what was really being said.

    beeheeley(@)gmail(.com)

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    1. I don't believe that it's necessarily what happened, more that it's parables about life and people. I mean, it has so many contradictions I don't think it's possible to take it literally, and especially impossible to use as modern secular law.

      I just remember being struck with an epiphany because my research and our rabbi's sermon happened kind of close together. I realized those passages don't mean homosexuality is wrong, it means men shouldn't marry women and then keep having sex with men. Which I pretty much agree with. Unless their wives are is okay with it. :)

      Thanks for commenting! (I hope all my comments are as relaxed as yours and that I haven't started a Holy War here....)

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  2. Thank you for your post and participating in this blog hop. [A free ebook would be nice! :) ]

    kimberlyFDR@yahoo.com

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    1. Ack, I thought I replied to you! Sorry about that!

      Thank YOU for stopping by and commenting! And for the giveaway suggestion. :)

      Delete
  3. Donating to the local Lost-and-Found is a great idea. Meanwhile, hug your rabbi for us. Are you allowed to hug your rabbi? Just kidding.

    amberly_smith@hotmail.com

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    1. LOL! Our rabbi would probably love a hug. :) Thanks for commenting!

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  4. I think my comment got eaten, so I hope this doesn't double-post! This was really informative (and yay for your rabbi)! I'd love an ebook, but then I know Lost and Found is more than worthy, so do what you deem fit. (Lame of me, I know.)

    Trix, vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com

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    1. I hate when comments get eaten! Grrr....

      Thanks for commenting! And not lame at all, I couldn't decide either. :)

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  5. This was a really interesting post and I like the translation your rabbi used. Thank you for taking part in the hop and for helping to spread awareness!

    humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! I also liked his translation, and it just makes so much sense when you look at the middle-eastern cultures of that time.

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  6. I always knew that translation to abomination (in many cases, not just this one) didn't seem quite accurate. Thanks for this.

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    1. I think there are a lot of mistranslations. Like that game telephone, maybe, but played on paper, over thousands of years, sometimes by people with certain agendas. :) Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. Hi, Delphina, I'm a losing loser and completely forgot to do a giveaway for this blog hop (June was an incredibly busy tine). Please email me with your email address so I can contact you about a gift. bsnow dot writer at gmail dot com. Thanks!

      Delete
  7. Hi Bee, I love your post and enjoyed every word of it. The way you revealed the ignorance of many who are homophobic, bi- and transphobic, and who argue against equal rights for everybody was great fun to read. Thank you for that. Oh, and I love the pictures, especially the tattoo picture made me laugh. I am glad that there are people like the rabbi you wrote about who can help to see things in another way, without all the hatred and prejudice. Thank you!
    Wishing you a great weekend!

    hugs

    Nina

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    1. Thanks! The tattoo picture always makes me laugh, too. Then go, "Hmm, why did you feel the need to have a reminder permanently etched on your body?"

      Let me tell you, I shouldn't have been that astounded when the rabbi gave that sermon -- he was one of the people leading protests when Cobb County made that official anti-gay declaration in 1993.

      https://sites.google.com/site/cobbantigayresolution/

      But he told the whole congregation that day that he would perform same-sex weddings and then explained why. I never talk to him, but that day I told him how happy I was to hear him say that.

      Thanks for commenting, and have a great weekend yourself! :)

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    2. Hi, Nina, I'm a losing loser and completely forgot to do a giveaway for this blog hop (June was an incredibly busy time). Please email me with your email address so I can contact you about a gift. bsnow dot writer at gmail dot com. Thanks!

      Delete
  8. I'm never quite sure where to put myself in regards to religion....I find bible-thumpers pretty repugnant. I guess I'm more of the "God is Love" persuasion...and if he created GLBT people then they must be ok with him. End of story....

    I like the idea of an ebook :)

    leetee2007(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. That's just the thing, religion is like Harry Potter: there are SO many ways you can interpret the stories and the characters. I definitely prefer the "God is Love" version over the "YOU'RE ALL GOING TO BURN IN HELL ARGLEBARGLe!!!!!" version. :D

      Like you said, if everything is God's will, and gay people exist, then....well, it seems obvious enough to us. I guess that's why some people fight so hard to say that being gay is a choice. But if everything is God's will, and that CHOICE exists, well.....Maybe I'm being too logical. :)

      Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the giveaway suggestion! :)

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  9. Thanks for such a great post. I can always use another book.
    sstrode at scrtc dot com

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    1. Oops, missed your comment somehow! I guess it's good that I've forgotten to do any kind of drawing up until now. >.<

      Thanks for your interest!

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