This is in response to Geri
Ungurean’s letter (“Nobody is denying rights to gays, transgender people,” May
3). In her letter that speaks out mostly
against abortion but also includes the following: “I also thought about my
right as a Christian, to be able to worship God and agree with Him from His
Word about homosexuality. It’s not
bigotry, it’s called the Bible.”
I am not accusing Ms.
Ungurean of being a bigot, as I do not know her personally. But we have seen and heard so often during
debates concerning the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
individuals and in particular civil marriage equality that it is not bigotry
but that the Bible condemns homosexuality. Keep in mind that Jesus never
condemned homosexuality.
Again, I’m not accusing Ms. Ungurean,
but the inconvenient truth is that bigots have used the Bible to cloak their
own prejudices and quote Scripture to justify their beliefs. We have seen
examples of this not that many years ago when Southern Baptist preachers—all
Christians—used the Bible to condone slavery, segregation and Jim Crow laws
against blacks and opposing interracial marriage. For example, in the Old Testament, slavery
was regulated and by no means condemned:
“However, you may purchase
male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may
also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who
have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them
on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like
this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this
way.” (Leviticus 25:44-46)
My point is that the Bible
was crafted at a time when tribal societies existed and much of what was
written was to control the population as a means of ensuring the survival of
those tribes. As such, Scripture
included scores of verses that demand retribution for myriad sins. Another example: “For anyone who curses his
father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or
his mother; his blood is upon him.”
(Leviticus 20:09)
As we have evolved to a
modern world view, our society has chosen to move past these archaic mandates
and to a more tolerant place. The Bible
was never amended to reflect these changes, but clearly slavery has been
outlawed and parents are not murdering their disrespectful children.
Denying bigotry by saying
they are following the word of the Bible is simply an excuse in some cases
because these people feel their views would be less subject to criticism.
