THE NO SIN ZONE

There are currently 11 responses to “Republican Gays are Such Troopers!”

Why not let Betty & Jesus know what you think by adding your own comment? Your opinion is as valid as anyone else not called "Mrs. Betty Bowers", so come on... it's not as if stupidity ever stopped anyone on the Internet from using their keyboard, dear.

1. 1 On February 24th, 2008, Tyson said:

   Read this.
   Christians are meant to be loving,
   Not hateful, prejudice-driven banshees like you.

   I’ll give you the gist of what I’m trying to say before I elaborate on it… Everyone sins; therefore, everybody is a sinner. Does the Bible say that sinners are going to go to Hell? No, it doesn’t—unless the sinner accepts God as their savior. If the sinner does this, then they will go to heaven when they perish. Every Christian believes that, correct? So, dearest reformed sinner, show me a Bible verse that states that a saved person is still going to go to Hell because of their sins, because of their lifestyle. Can’t do it, can you?

   Everybody is familiar with derogatory terms, yes? Nobody likes them. They’re not “politically correct,” and nowadays, everything has to be politically correct or somebody’s going to raise Hell. However, why is it that terms like ‘fag,’ ‘queer,’ ‘homo,’ or ‘dyke’ are accepted more any other religious or ethnical slur? You wouldn’t call out somebody to humiliate him or her for his or her skin color, would you? Hating something about somebody that they cannot help or change is inhumane. Homosexuals and bisexuals cannot help their orientation. They were created this way. Why would God create a child that he was going to cast into Hell, regardless of their lifestyle? God doesn’t do this, being God loves all of his creations.

   “The Bible says homosexuals are going to Hell!” Okay, smart guy. Show me where it says exactly that. Show me a verse in the Bible where it clearly states that a gay man or woman will be cast into the fiery depths of the underworld. There are several verses that make references to sexuality, yes… And guess what? I found a credible source that will thoroughly explain said verses to you.

   Please note that the following is not my own work. It belongs to Reverend Mel White, the co-founder of ‘Soulforce.’

   ~

   Many good people build their case against homosexuality almost entirely on the Bible. These folks value Scripture, and are serious about seeking its guidance in their lives. Unfortunately, many of them have never really studied what the Bible does and doesn’t say about homosexuality.

   We gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians take the Bible seriously, too. Personally, I’ve spent more than 50 years reading, studying, memorizing, preaching, and teaching from the sacred texts. I earned my master’s and doctoral degrees at a conservative biblical seminary to better equip myself to “rightly divide the word of truth.” I learned Hebrew and Greek to gain a better understanding of the original words of the biblical texts. I studied the lives and times of the biblical authors to help me know what they were saying in their day so I could better apply it to my own.

   I’m convinced the Bible has a powerful message for gay and lesbian Christians — as well as straight Christians. But it’s not the message of condemnation we so often hear.

   I’m not expecting you to take my word for it, though. I ask only that you’d consider what my research has taught me about the passages used by some people to condemn God’s gay and lesbian children. Then decide for yourself…
   MY FIRST PREMISE: Most people have not carefully and prayerfully researched the biblical texts often used to condemn God’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children.

   As you may know, biblical ignorance is an epidemic in the United States. A recent study quoted by Dr. Peter Gomes in The Good Book found that 38 percent of Americans polled were certain the Old Testament was written a few years after Jesus’ death. Ten percent believed Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. Many even thought the epistles were the wives of the apostles.

   This same kind of biblical ignorance is all too present around the topic of homosexuality. Often people who love and trust God’s Word have never given careful and prayerful attention to what the Bible does or doesn’t say about homosexuality.

   For example, many Christians don’t know that:

   * Jesus says nothing about same-sex behavior.
   * The Jewish prophets are silent about homosexuality.
   * Only six or seven of the Bible’s one million verses refer to same-sex behavior in any way — and none of these verses refer to homosexual orientation, as it’s understood today.

   Most people who are certain they know what the Bible says about homosexuality don’t know where the verses that reference same-sex behavior can be found. They haven’t read them, let alone studied them carefully. They don’t know the original meaning of the words in Hebrew or Greek. And they haven’t tried to understand the historical context in which those words were written. Yet the assumption that the Bible condemns homosexuality is passed down from generation to generation with very little personal study or research. The consequences of this misinformation are disastrous, not only for God’s gay and lesbian children, but for the entire church.
   MY SECOND PREMISE: Historically, people’s misinterpretation of the Bible has left a trail of suffering, bloodshed, and death.

   Over the centuries people who misunderstood or misinterpreted the Bible have done terrible things. The Bible has been misused to defend bloody crusades and tragic inquisitions; to support slavery, apartheid, and segregation; to persecute Jews and other non-Christian people of faith; to support Hitler’s Third Reich and the Holocaust; to oppose medical science; to condemn interracial marriage; to execute women as witches; and to support the Ku Klux Klan. Shakespeare said it this way: “Even the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”

   We’d like to believe that no person of good will would misuse the Bible to support his or her prejudice. But time and time again it has happened with tragic results.

   In the 16th century, John Selden pointed at two Latin words carved into a marble wall in an ancient church in Rome: “Scrutamini Scripturas,” which means search the Scriptures. “These two words,” Seldon said, “have undone the world.” In one way, John Selden was right. Misusing the Bible has drenched the planet in blood and tears.But in another way, he was wrong. Most people who misuse the Bible DON’T search the Scriptures. They simply find a text that seems to support their prejudice and then spend the rest of their lives quoting (or misquoting) that text.

   The way certain Bible verses are used to condemn homosexuality and homosexuals is a perfect example of this.

   On September 22, 2000, a 55-year-old man named Ronald E. Gay, angry for being teased about his last name, entered the Back Street Café in Roanoke, Virginia, a gathering place for lesbians and gays just a few miles from Lynchburg. Confident that God’s Word supported his tragic plan of action, Mr. Gay shouted, “I am a Christian soldier, working for my Lord.” He also claimed that, “Jesus does not want these people in his heaven.” He shot seven innocent gay and lesbian people. One man, Danny Overstreet, died instantly. Others still suffer from their physical and psychological wounds.

   Most of the people I know who say “the Bible condemns homosexuality” would never condone these acts. Most Christians have no idea that the people killing gay and lesbian persons go around quoting those few verses of Scripture as justification.

   But it’s important to hear these stories, because I’m not writing this little pamphlet as a scholarly exercise. It’s a matter of life and death. I’m pleading for the lives of my lesbian sisters and gay brothers who are rejected by their friends and families, fired by their employers, denied their civil rights, refused full membership in their churches, and kill themselves or are killed by others — all on the basis of these six or seven verses.
   MY THIRD PREMISE: We must be open to new truth from Scripture.

   Even heroes of the Christian faith have changed their minds about the meaning of various biblical texts. It took a blinding light and a voice from heaven to help the apostle Paul change his mind about certain Hebrew texts. A sheet lowered from the sky filled with all kinds of animals helped the apostle Peter gain new insights into Jewish law.

   Jerry Falwell believed the Bible supported segregation in the church until a black shoeshine man asked him, “When will someone like me be allowed to become a member of your congregation?” Through those simple words, the Holy Spirit spoke new truth about the ancient biblical texts to the Rev. Falwell, and in obedience he ended segregation at Thomas Road Baptist Church.

   Even when we believe the Scriptures are “infallible” or “without error,” it’s terribly dangerous to think that our understanding of every biblical text is also without error. We are human. We are fallible. And we can misunderstand and misinterpret these ancient words — with tragic results.

   What if someone asked you, “Is there a chance you could be wrong about the way you’ve interpreted the biblical texts sometimes used to condemn homosexual orientation?” How would you respond? What does it say about you if you answer, “No, I could NOT be wrong”? I am asking you to re-examine these texts — carefully and prayerfully. Lives hang in the balance.

   If heroes of the Christian faith could change their minds about the meaning of certain biblical texts, shouldn’t we be prepared to reconsider our own interpretations of these ancient words when the Holy Spirit opens our minds and hearts to new truth? That’s why we study the Bible prayerfully, seeking the Spirit of Truth, God’s loving Spirit, to help us understand and apply these words to our lives.

   On the night he was betrayed, Jesus told his disciples he was going away from them for a while, but that the Father would send them a “Comforter,” an “Advocate,” the “Holy Spirit” who would “teach them all things.” I believe with all my heart that the Holy Spirit is still teaching us. When we reconsider the texts that are used by some people to condemn God’s gay children, we must fervently seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance, or we risk being misled by our own prejudices.
   MY FOURTH PREMISE: The Bible is a book about God — not a book about human sexuality.

   The Bible is the story of God’s love for the world and the people of the world. It tells the history of God’s love at work rescuing, renewing, and empowering humankind. It was never intended to be a book about human sexuality. Certainly, you will agree.

   In fact, the Bible accepts sexual practices that we condemn and condemns sexual practices that we accept. Lots of them! Here are a few examples.

   * DEUTERONOMY 22:13-21
   If it is discovered that a bride is not a virgin, the Bible demands that she be executed by stoning immediately.
   * DEUTERONOMY 22:22
   If a married person has sex with someone else’s husband or wife, the Bible commands that both adulterers be stoned to death.
   * MARK 10:1-12
   Divorce is strictly forbidden in both Testaments, as is remarriage of anyone who has been divorced.
   * LEVITICUS 18:19
   The Bible forbids a married couple from having sexual intercourse during a woman’s period. If they disobey, both shall be executed.
   * MARK 12:18-27
   If a man dies childless, his widow is ordered by biblical law to have intercourse with each of his brothers in turn until she bears her deceased husband a male heir.
   * DEUTERONOMY 25:11-12
   If a man gets into a fight with another man and his wife seeks to rescue her husband by grabbing the enemy’s genitals, her hand shall be cut off and no pity shall be shown her.

   I’m certain you don’t agree with these teachings from the Bible about sex. And you shouldn’t. The list goes on: The Bible says clearly that sex with a prostitute is acceptable for the husband but not for the wife. Polygamy (more than one wife) is acceptable, as is a king’s having many concubines. (Solomon, the wisest king of all, had 1,000 concubines.) Slavery and sex with slaves, marriage of girls aged 11-13, and treatment of women as property are all accepted practices in the Scriptures. On the other hand, there are strict prohibitions against interracial marriage, birth control, discussing or even naming a sexual organ, and seeing one’s parents nude.

   Over the centuries the Holy Spirit has taught us that certain Bible verses should not be understood as God’s law for all time periods. Some verses are specific to the culture and time they were written, and are no longer viewed as appropriate, wise, or just.

   Often, the Holy Spirit uses science to teach us why those ancient words no longer apply to our modern times. During the last three decades, for example, organizations representing 1.5 million U.S. health professionals (doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and educators) have stated definitively that homosexual orientation is as natural as heterosexual orientation, that sexual orientation is determined by a combination of yet unknown pre- and post-natal influences, and that it is dangerous and inappropriate to tell a homosexual that he or she could or should attempt to change his or her sexual orientation.

   “Homosexuality is not a mental disorder, and thus there is no need for a cure.”
   -The American Psychological Association

   While there are some people now living in heterosexual marriages who once perceived themselves to be gay, there are millions of gay and lesbian persons who have accepted their sexual orientation as a gift from God and live productive and deeply spiritual lives. The evidence from science and from the personal experience of gay and lesbian Christians demands that we at least consider whether the passages cited to condemn homosexual behavior should be reconsidered, just as other Bible verses that speak of certain sexual practices are no longer understood as God’s law for us in this day.
   MY FIFTH PREMISE: We miss what these passages say about God when we spend so much time debating what they say about sex.

   If the Bible is the story of God’s love for the world and not a handbook about sex, then that should shape how we read the Scriptures. So as we take a look at the six biblical texts that are used by some people to condemn homosexuality, let’s ask two questions about each of them:

   First, what does the text say about God that we need to hear but might be missing?

   Second, what might the text be saying about homosexuality?

   [If I were to include these passages, it’d add five extra pages of reading, and I know you don’t want that. However, if you want to read them, they can be found at: http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian
   MY SIXTH PREMISE: The biblical authors are silent about homosexual orientation, as we know it today. They neither approve it nor condemn it.

   We’ve looked closely at the six biblical texts used by some people to condemn homosexuality. But we must also remember that Jesus, the Jewish prophets, and even Paul never even comment on the responsible love a gay man or lesbian feels for another.

   The Bible is completely silent on the issue of homosexual orientation. And no wonder–Homosexual orientation wasn’t even known until the 19th century.

   The discovery that some of us are created and/or shaped in our earliest infancy toward same-gender attraction was made in the last 150 years. Biblical authors knew nothing about sexual orientation. Old Testament authors and Paul assumed all people were created heterosexual, just as they believed the earth was flat, that there were heavens above and hell below, and that the sun moved up and down.

   In 1864, almost 3,000 years after Moses and at least 18 centuries after the apostle Paul, the German social scientist Karl Heinrich Ulrichs was the first to declare that homosexuals were a distinct class of individuals. It was a big moment for all sexual minorities. It’s our Columbus discovering the New World. It’s our Madame Curie discovering radium used for X-rays. It’s our Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. It may seem like one small step for the rest of you, but it’s a giant leap for us.

   Ulrichs assured the world of what we who are homosexual already know in our hearts. We aren’t just heterosexuals choosing to perform same-sex behaviors. We are a whole class of people whose drive to same-sex intimacy is at the very core of our being from the very beginning of our lives.

   Although the word homosexual was not used for the first time until later in the 19th century, Ulrichs recognized that homosexuals had been around from the beginning of recorded time, that we were “innately different from heterosexuals,” and that our desire for same-sex intimacy and affiliation is intrinsic, natural, inborn and/or shaped in earliest infancy. According to Dr. Ulrichs, what may have looked “unnatural” to Moses and Paul was in fact “natural” to homosexuals.

   So this is my sixth premise. The Biblical authors knew nothing of homosexual orientation, as we understand it, and therefore said nothing to condemn or approve it.

   The authors of the Bible are authorities in matters of faith. They can be trusted when they talk about God. But they should not be considered the final authorities on sexual orientation any more than they are the final authorities on space travel, gravity, or the Internet.

   Since the writers of Scripture are not the final authorities on human sexuality, since they didn’t even know about sexual orientation as we understand it today, since Jesus and the Jewish prophets were silent about any kind of same-sex behavior, I am persuaded that the Bible has nothing in it to approve or condemn homosexual orientation as we understand it.
   MY SEVENTH PREMISE: Although the prophets, Jesus, and other biblical authors say nothing about homosexual orientation as we understand it today, they are clear about one thing: As we search for truth, we are to “love one another.”

   We may not be able to use the Bible as our final authority on sexual orientation. But as we search for the truth, we can and should use the Bible as our final authority on how we should treat one another along the way.

   A young Jewish scholar asked Jesus, “What is the greatest commandment?” Quoting the prophets, Jesus replied, “The great commandment is this… to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second command is like it, to love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

   “This is my commandment,” Jesus said, “that you love one another, as I have loved you.” On this the Bible is explicitly clear. Even if we disagree about what the Bible seems to say about homosexuality, we can agree that above all else we are commanded by the Scriptures to love God and to love one another.

   Since God is the God of truth, since Jesus himself told us that the truth would set us free, one way that we love God and love one another is by seeking the truth about sexual orientation wherever we can find it.

   There is a growing body of evidence from science, psychology, history, psychiatry, medicine, and personal experience that leads to a clear verdict: Homosexuality is neither a sickness nor a sin. Unfortunately, the church has always been slow, if not the last institution on earth, to accept new truth.

   In 1632 the scientist Galileo (who was a man of faith) dared to support the radical 15th-century idea of Copernicus that all planets, including the earth, revolve around the sun. Immediately, Galileo was proclaimed a heretic by the Pope who quoted Scriptures in his attempt to disprove what science was proving.

   Earlier, Protestant heroes had joined in quoting Scriptures condemning Copernicus. These weren’t evil men. But they couldn’t admit that the Bible was a book about God, not about astronomy — just as good men and women today have trouble admitting that the Bible is a book about God, not about human sexuality.

   Because Christians refused to let their understanding of God’s Word be informed by science, Copernicus was condemned and Galileo was declared a heretic and placed under house arrest for the remainder of his life. In 1992, 359 years later, Pope John Paul II finally admitted the church had been wrong to ignore science and to interpret the Bible literally.

   The Pope said something we must never forget: “Recent historical studies enable us to state that this sad misunderstanding now belongs to the past.” Unfortunately, the apology came too late to relieve Galileo of his suffering. What if the biblical scholars of Galileo’s day had said to Galileo, “We don’t agree with your Copernican theories, but we love and trust you. As long as you love God and seek God’s will in your life, you are welcome here.”

   Imagine the suffering that could be avoided if the church could say this to their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children: “We don’t understand your views about sexual orientation, but we love and trust you. As long as you love God and seek God’s will in your life, you are welcome here.”

   Instead, well-intentioned Christians are driving their own children away from the church, using Scripture passages that may not even pertain to sexual orientation, as we understand it.
   MY EIGHTH PREMISE: Whatever some people believe the Bible says about homosexuality, they must not use that belief to deny homosexuals their basic civil rights. To discriminate against sexual or gender minorities is unjust and un-American.

   Please consider one last thing. I love the Bible. I read God’s Word in it and hear God’s Word through it. But the United States is not a nation governed by the Bible. Our nation is governed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Our laws were created to protect an individual’s right to disagree. If the Bible (or someone’s view of the Bible) replaces the Constitution as the law of the land, we undermine the great foundation upon which this country was built.

   I hope we can agree that all of us must stand together against those who would replace the Constitution with biblical law. That’s why, when I lecture on a university campus, I carry a Bible in one pocket and a Constitution in the other.

   Can we support full civil rights for all… even if we disagree?

   In this last premise, I’m asking you who disagree with my stand on homosexuality to support my stand on full civil rights for all people, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans.

   “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that al men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
   -Thomas Jefferson

   I hope you’ll agree that we are family, all sisters and brothers of the same heavenly parent. We may be different, but we can still live together in peace.

   posted on February 24th, 2008 at 7:23 pm

2. 2 On February 24th, 2008, Tyson said:

   & Go ahead and delete the last comment I posted on this, you old shrew. You and the rest of your religious cult are just afraid of new ideas. It’s disgusting.

   Your mindset is filthy.

   I’m 15, and a gay Christian. I love my Lord Jesus Christ, and I am saved. I know I’m going to heaven. I’m not going to let close-minded people like you try to bring down the rest of the world.

   You might as well call yourself a Nazi! Honestly!

   posted on February 24th, 2008 at 7:27 pm

3. 3 On February 24th, 2008, Fritzy said:

   Um, Tyson, this is a satirical site. No one here actually believes anyone is going to hell.

   Except, of course, for the homos.

   posted on February 24th, 2008 at 7:55 pm

4. 4 On February 24th, 2008, Fama Keen said:

   Tyson, take a deep breath. I have something to tell you that may come as a shock. This website… Betty Bowers? It’s a satire. It’s using humor to make a point, in this case pointing out that Gov. Rick Perry is a hypocrite because he opposes gay marriage and yet there is (allegedly) a good chance that he is gay himself. The righteous, holier- than- thou attitude is a put on. (Though Betty is undoubtedly holier than most) You’re 15. You should have studied this type of literary genre already. Unless perhaps you’re in a Christian school. Ha! That was a joke! You know what a joke is, don’t you? It’s a lie with a smile!
   So, lighten up, kid, and try being a wee bit more Christian and tolerant yourself. “You old shrew… close-minded… Nazi” Dang, turn the other cheek already.

   posted on February 24th, 2008 at 8:31 pm

5. 5 On February 25th, 2008, Mrs. Harry (Heather) Hardwick said:

   Dearest Betty,

   When will that nancy boy learn? He should just keep his mouth shut (and I’m not just referring to his speeches) and try to keep a lower profile. Honestly, I heard via the grapevine that he and that even nellier former secretary of state of his used to fight over who got to be the one who submits.

   Frankly, I’d be angrier, were it not for my affection for his lovely wife, Anita. She’s made out like a bandit, threatening divorce every time her husband has been caught with his pants down (and orifices filled). Each time, the governor and our Grand Old Party have piled the cash on, for her silence. What a nice secondary benefit that is, on top of the fact that she never has to engage in that unpleasant (and terribly messy) act that male surrogates take care of.

   But you are, indeed, correct. The hypocrisy of our political allies knows no bounds. Honestly, every time I hear my fellow Republicans on TV, I assume they are practicing precisely what they preach against. This makes me wonder how many times Mike Huckabee has visited that Minneapolis airport bathroom.

   See you in church Sunday. I understand the re-cushioning of the platitum-tither pews should be finished early this week. Praise the Lord! I can finally leave my derriere pad at home.

   In Christian Love,
   Heather

   P.S. Of course, anyone reading this should deem all of the above to be prefaced with “alleged.” (That should satisfy our family lawyer — Goldstein, Goldberg, Goldenblatt, or whatever his name is.)

   A Righteous Response from America’s Best Christian:
   

   Dear Sister-in-Christ’s-Healing-Pore-Reducing-Blood:

   I find it a prudent policy to place the word “allegedly” before any fact or recounting not specifically found in the Bible. Indeed, I spend the better part of Tuesday evening going through my son’s so-called “science” book and writing “ALLEGEDLY” before almost every single statement. It was an onerous undertaking. Indeed, next time I think a razor blade will be far more expedient and serve the Lord’s wish that we don’t muddy our minds with facts even more scrupulously.

   Look forward to seeing you Sunday! Do try to leave a bit of the pew for the rest of us, dear.

   Betty

   posted on February 25th, 2008 at 12:20 am

6. 6 On February 25th, 2008, Hon. Reverend Jeffery Lebowski said:

   “… I don’t approve of homosexuals at all..”
   Well AMEN Sister Betty!
   Besides an being an abomination equal to shellfish, why did the Almighty “creationism” them in the first place? And then why (in the image and likeness mode) were the homosexual men made so much better looking than “normal” men. He-tempters they be!

   posted on February 25th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

7. 7 On February 26th, 2008, Paulbe said:

   Er Tyson..You are not “saved” you are however incredibly stupid and ignorant…Like all American christians really. No-one else on the whole planet carries on as hysterically as Americans when it comes to religion, not even the most idiotic of Catholics. Must be something to do with that freedom that we foreigners apparently hate you for.

   posted on February 26th, 2008 at 8:09 am

8. 8 On February 26th, 2008, Betty said:

   Paulbe:

   What a charming way to address a 15 year-old. I see that you have read Mrs. Patsy Ramsey’s handbook on child rearing, a term she embraced quite literally.

   posted on February 26th, 2008 at 8:26 am

9. 9 On March 1st, 2008, Marco said:

   Dear Betty,

   You have nothing to fear from the Boy Scouts. They are as wholesome as Wonder Bread. My scoutmaster taught me how to do funny things with our bodies using suntan lotion or peanut butter, when we forgot the suntan lotion but it was all in good fun, sort of like a fraternity party but without alcoholic beverages. The Scouts don’t want homosexuals or atheists because they just don’t understand heterosexual, monotheistic culture.

   posted on March 1st, 2008 at 3:20 am

10. 10 On March 1st, 2008, Marco said:

    By the way…

    don’t you mean “troupers”?

    posted on March 1st, 2008 at 3:22 am

11. 11 On March 5th, 2008, Glennineh said:

    Tyson, girrrrlllll!!, you need to take one, or three, of mommy’s xanax pills. They will calm all your high strung, high pitched nerves, and make you…well…happy for once!

    posted on March 5th, 2008 at 9:22 pm

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