Monotheism and LGBTQ Marginalization, Oppression, and Murder

In 2005, I wrote a short editorial regarding events occurring in Israel in what could be viewed as extraordinary. There, the leaders from three major monotheistic world religions that were often at odds with one another — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — joined in a united demonstration to protest and prevent a 10-day international LGBTQ Pride festival planned for Jerusalem in August that summer.

While the Middle East has been a flash point of conflict and warfare for millennia, this coalition between religious leaders indicated that agreement, at least of sorts, was possible. In bringing these leaders together, I, therefore, nominated the International LGBTQ Community for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, an award well deserved for converting warring religions into allies and for reducing tensions that have traditionally separated them.

My point, though filled with irony, was simple: the prime stimulus keeping oppression toward LGBTQ people locked firmly in place and enacted throughout our society — on the personal/interpersonal, institutional, and societal levels — are the destructive doctrines and judgments emanating from primarily orthodox and fundamentalist religious communities.

Polytheism and Monotheism

Many ancient and non-Western cultures – including, for example, Hindu, most Native American, Mayan, and Incan cultures – base their spirituality on polytheism (multiple deities). In general, these religious views seem to attribute similar characteristics to their gods.

Particularly significant is the belief that the gods are actually created, and they age, give birth, and engage in sex. Some of these gods even have sexual relations with mortals. The universe is seen as continuous, ever-changing, and fluid. These religious views often lack rigid categories, particularly true of gender categories, which become mixed and often ambiguous and blurred. For example, some male gods give birth, while some female gods possess considerable power. Also, these gods come in more than two genders.

In contrast, monotheistic Abrahamic (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) religions view the Supreme Being as without origin, for this deity was never born and will never die. This Being, viewed as perfect, exists completely independently from human beings and transcends the natural world.

In part, such a Being has no sexual desire, for sexual desire, as a kind of need, is incompatible with this concept of perfection. This accounts for the strict separation between the Creator and the created.

Just as the Creator is distinct from His creation, so too are divisions between the Earthly sexes in the form of strictly defined binary genders and gender roles. This distinction provides adherents to monotheistic religions a clear sense of their designated socially constructed roles: the guidelines they need to follow in relation to their God and to other human beings.

Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Fortunately, there exists no monolithic conceptualization of religion, for some faith communities’ policies and values are progressively welcoming toward LGBTQ people, our sexuality and relationships, and our gender identities and expressions. These communities are working tirelessly to abolish the yoke of oppression directed against us.

Throughout the ages, however, individuals and organizations have employed “religion” to justify the marginalization, harassment, denial of rights, persecution, oppression, and murder of entire groups of people based on their social identities.

At various historical periods, people have applied these texts, sometimes taken in tandem, and at other times used selectively, to establish and maintain hierarchical positions of power, domination, and privilege over individuals and groups targeted by these texts and tenets.

Prior to the concept of a single God and the creation of holy texts, which followers purported were “inspired” or written directly by this God, condemnations against same-sex sexuality were relatively rare. This changed radically with the writing of the Jewish Bible and extended in the Christian gospels, and to an extent later in the Quran.

Fundamentalists often cite certain biblical passages to justify their denial of legal protections for LGBTQs, even though there is great disagreement among scholars over the interpretation of these passages. Such texts related to same-sex sexuality and gender non-conformity include but are certainly not limited to:

Jewish Texts

From the Hebrew Bible (the “Old Testament”), references are frequently made to Genesis (the story of Sodom and Gomorrah):

Genesis 19: 1-25: The story of the destruction of Sodom is frequently cited to justify condemnations of same-sex sexuality. However, there are several problems in interpreting this story as an argument for a divine proscription of homosexuality. Many early Jews and Christians, and some current Biblical scholars interpret the sin of Sodom to be that of inhospitality toward strangers, and unrelated to sex, while others argue that the sin is sexual in nature.

Leviticus 18:22: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination.”

Leviticus 20:13: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them”.

Another often quoted text is 1 Kings 22:46: “And the remnant of the Sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.”

Christian Texts

In the Christian scriptures (the “New Testament”), four passages in particular have been interpreted as condemnations of same-sex sexuality.

Romans 1:26: “In consequence, God has given them up to shameful passions. Their women have exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural.”

Romans 1:27: “And likewise also the men, giving up natural relations with women, burn with lust for one another; males behave indecently with males, and are paid in their own persons the fitting wage of such perversion.”

Timothy 1:10: “For whoremonger, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.”

1 Corinthians 6-9: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.”

Roman Catholic Church

Catechism 2357 related to same-sex sexuality:

“Basing itself upon Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are gravely/intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of love [i.e., children]. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.”

“Gravely disordered” in this passage refers to acting on same-sex desires with another person while not necessarily applying to the person or people involved: the old “we hate the sin but love the sinner” slight-of-hand.

For individuals within the Church who cannot or will not change to a heterosexual orientation, they are tolerated in the Church if they are able and willing to scale the unreasonable and inhumane heights of the Catholic ramparts by following Roman Catholic Church Catechism 2359:

“Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.”

Pope Francis fortified this at a Vatican conference on so-called “traditional marriage” in November 2014 that marriage is between a man and a woman and that “[t]his complementarity is at the root of marriage and family.” He added that this union between a man and a woman is “an anthropological fact…that cannot be qualified based on ideological notions or concepts important only at one time in history.”

He also asserted: “Children have the right to grow up in a family with a father and mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child’s development and emotional maturity.”

As a relatively new Pope, at an impromptu news conference aboard his papal jet on July 29, 2013 while returning to the Vatican from Brazil after completing his first international trip where he spoke to millions celebrating “World Youth Day,” he responded to a question about gay priests, and stated:

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

Who indeed! Either he lied at the time, or he was being ironic because he has negatively judged LGBTQ people virtually all throughout his tenure. The Vatican statement dated December 8, 2016, on the ordination of priests, “The Gift of the Priestly Vocation,” states:

“[T]he Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to seminary or holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called ‘gay culture.’ Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women. One must in now way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.”

Previously in 2015, the Vatican hierarchy fenced off Alex Salinas, a 21-year-old transman from Cadiz, Spain, by informing him that it had denied his request to become the godparent of his nephew because being transgender is incongruent with Catholic teaching. According to the Church’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, its doctrine-enforcing agency:

Transgender status “reveals in a public way an attitude opposite to the moral imperative of solving the problem of sexual identity according to the truth of one’s own sexuality. Therefore, it is evident that this person does not possess the requirement of leading a life according to the faith and in the position of godfather and is therefore unable to be admitted to the position of godfather or godmother.”

The Vatican asserted that there is “no discrimination toward [Salinas], but only the recognition of an objective lack of the requirements, which by their nature are necessary to assume the ecclesial responsibility of being a godfather.”

Natural Law:

A key factor in the development of orthodox Catholic ethics since the 13th century is the concept of “Natural Law,” which includes a set of standards that the Church has inferred follow an ordering of nature.

Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican scholar born in 1225 was an early exponent of “natural law,” which asserts that morality is based on certain constraints of human nature. Aquinas believed that same-sex sexuality (and any sexual act not intended specifically for procreation, including masturbation) are vices against nature, which violate the will of God.

Thus, the Church has concluded that the expressions of homosexuality, plus many forms of heterosexual sexual behavior are “gravely and intrinsically immoral” or “gravely and intrinsically disordered” (as clearly stated in the Catholic Catechism).

Taking a brief glance back in time, not so long ago a position similar to that of “natural law” was used by some Christian leaders to preach what they determined was the “naturalness” in the subjugation of black Africans and in the institution of slavery. A direct reflection of this position is evidenced by the names of the ships used to transport slaves across the sea, four of which were the “Jesus,” the “Gift of God,” the “Liberty,” and the “Justice.”

Southern Baptist Convention “Resolution on Homosexuality and the United States Military” 2010:

“RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention…affirm the Bible’s declaration that homosexual behavior is intrinsically disordered and sinful, and we also affirm the Bible’s promise of forgiveness, change, and eternal life to all sinners (including those engaged in homosexual sin) who repent of sin and trust in the saving power of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).”

Evangelical Covenant Church, Resolution on Sexuality, 1996.

“We human beings misuse God’s creation of sexuality and distort its role in our lives. In I Corinthians 6:9-10 and Romans 1:24-27, Scripture succinctly declares this sin and God’s judgment on it. Throughout the Scriptures we see how sin in sexual relationships damages relationship with God and others. We live in a society characterized by imperfect and sinful sexual relationships of many kinds….Evangelical Covenant Church resolution to care for persons involved in sexual sins such as adultery, homosexual behavior, and promiscuity compassionately recognizing the potential of these sins to take the form of addiction.”

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)

The Handbook of Instructions, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).

“Homosexual behavior violates the commandments of God, is contrary to the purposes of human sexuality, distorts loving relationships, and deprives people of the blessings that can be found in family life and in the saving ordinances of the gospel. Those who persist in such behavior or who influence others to do so are subject to Church discipline. Homosexual behavior can be forgiven through sincere repentance.”

These words supposedly expressed God’s revelation to the leadership of LDS and reaffirmed in 1995 when the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles entered the debate on the parameters of marriage by issuing “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

It stated in part, “We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His Children” and claiming that the power to create children “is not an incidental part of the plan of happiness. It is the key – the very key….This commandment has never been rescinded.”

Leaders and members of the Church, therefore, justified contributing an estimated 20 million dollars to the 2008 California Ballot 8 initiative campaign, which succeeded in limiting the rights and benefits of marriage to one man and one woman.

If the Church’s position on same-sex attractions, expression, and marriage for same-sex couples was not clear enough, LDS President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, Boyd K. Packer, referred to homosexuality throughout a sharply worded sermon as “wrong,” or “basically wrong,” “wicked,” “impure,” “unnatural,” “immoral,” “against nature,” “evil,” and as a threat to civilization. Packer’s sermon, delivered to the more than 20,000 participants in the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, and millions more watching on satellite television at the Church’s 180th Semiannual General Conference in October 2010, stated in part:

“We teach a standard of moral conduct that will protect us from Satan’s many substitutes or counterfeits for marriage. We must understand that any persuasion to enter into any relationship that is not in harmony with the principles of the gospel must be wrong. From the Book of Mormon we learn that ‘wickedness never was happiness’….There are those today who not only tolerate but advocate voting to change laws that would legalize immorality, as if a vote would somehow alter the designs of God’s laws and nature. A law against nature would be impossible to enforce….To legalize that which is basically wrong or evil will not prevent the pain and penalties that will follow as surely as night follows day….If we do not protect and foster the family, civilization and our liberties must perish.”

Islam

Though Mohammed warned against the abuse of sexuality, the Quran does not condemn same-sex sexuality per se and does not recommend specific punishments for it. The references to the story of Sodom are more of an illustration of God’s power rather than a condemnation of male same-sex sexuality per se.

Quran: 26:161: “Your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful, Lot’s people, too disbelieved their apostles. Their compatriot Lot said to them: ‘Will you not have fear of Allah? I am indeed your true apostle. Fear Allah then and follow me. I demand of you no recompense for this; none can reward me except the Lord of the Creation. Will you fornicate with males and leave your wives, whom Allah has created for you? Surely you are great transgressors….’”

Quran: 27:54: “And tell of Lot. He said to his people: ‘Are our blind that you should commit indecency, lustfully seeking men instead of women? Surely you are an ignorant people.’ Yet this was their reply: ‘Banish the louse of Lot from your city. They are men who would keep chaste.’ So We delivered him and all his tribe, except his wife, whom We caused to stay behind, pelting the others with rain; and evil was the rain which fell on those who had been warned.”

Quran: 29:28: “And We sent forth Lot to his people. He said to them: ‘You commit indecent acts which no other nation has committed before you. You lust after men and assault them on your highways. You turn your very gathering into orgies.’ But his people’s only reply was ‘Bring down Allah’s scourge upon us, if what you say be true.’ ‘Lord,’ said he, ‘deliver me from these degenerate men.’ And when Our messengers brought Abraham the good news, they said: ‘We are about to destroy the people of this town, for they are wicked men.’”

Quran: 37: 133: “Lot, too, was an apostle. We delivered him and all his kinsfolk, except for an olf woman who stayed behind, and utterly destroyed the others. You pass by their runins morning and evening: will you not take heed?

Quran: 55:33: “The people of Lot disbelieved Our warning. We let loose on them a stone-charged whirlwind which destroyed them all, except the house of Lot, whom We saved at dawn through our mercy. Thus We reward the thankful. Lot had warned them of Our vengeance, but they doubted his warning. They demanded his guests of him. But We put out their sight and said: ‘Taste My punishment, now that you have heard My warning.’ And at daybreak a heavy scourge overtook them….”

“Hudud” (literally meaning “limit” or “restriction”) is a punishment mandated by God in the Quran, and “liwat” is the term for the act of anal sex between males. For ISIS, the hudud for liwat is death.

In addition, in Iran since the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979, which replaced the Shah with an orthodox Shiite theocracy, many segments of the population have experienced repression under Iranian Sharia law. Among the segments include LGBTQ inhabitants.

Since 1979, some human rights activists estimated between 4000 – 6000 LGBT people have been executed in Iran. Same-sex sexuality between consenting partners in private is defined as a crime. Iranian law condemns males involved in sexual penetrative acts (sodomy or lavat) with the possibility of death, and so-called non-penetrative acts with flogging. After the fourth non-penetrative “offense,” the penalty is death.

Females convicted of engaging in same-sex sexuality (mosahegheh) may be made to undergo flogging with 50 lashes. And following the fourth conviction, they too are eligible for the death penalty (Articles 127, 129, 130).

Following the Islamic Revolution, trans identity and expression were also classified as crimes. However, the government reclassified these in 1986 as “heterosexual” if the person undergoes gender confirmation (formerly known as “sex reassignment”) procedures. Today, Iran stands as the country performing the most gender confirmation surgeries in the world, second only to Thailand. Iranian trans people, however, still suffer frequent harassment and persecution.

What If?

But what if Leviticus had not included 18? Would the Christian gospels and Quran have had nothing on which to pattern their homophobic discriminations? In this event, would they have invented their own, or would there have never been these “religious” justifications to persecute people for the past several millennia based on same-sex sexuality and gender diversity?

Biblical scholar Idan Dershowitz believes that 18 did not appear in the original text of Leviticus:

“Like many ancient texts, Leviticus was created gradually over a long period and includes the words of more than one writer,” Dershowitz wrote. “Many scholars believe that the section in which Leviticus 18 appears was added by a comparatively late editor, perhaps one who worked more than a century after the oldest material in the book was composed.”

Well, maybe God simply had not decided to condemn homosexuality on first draft and it took another Earthly century to come to a decision. Much more likely, though, this thing we call “God” is simply a human creation in our often-desperate attempts to make sense of the mysteries of the universe regarding creation and existence.

More ultimate questions need to be raised as the world spins around, as individuals and nations since recorded history have attempted to explain the mysteries of life, as spiritual and religious consciousness first developed and carried down through the ages, as people have come to believe their way stood as the right way, the only way, with all others as simple pretenders, which could never achieve the truth, the certainty, the correct and right connection with the deity or deities, and as individuals and entire nations raped, pillaged, enslaved, and exterminated any “others” believing differently.

In reality, all religious doctrines stem from uncertainty and conjecture, from multiple gods, hybrid gods and humans, from Mount Olympus and before, to Earthly deities and the heavens, to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, to the Burning Bush, to the Covenant and the parting of the Red Sea, to the Immaculate Conception and Resurrection, to Muhammad’s rising to Heaven from the Rock, to the Golden Tablets, all beginning with the human creation of god(s).

“Truth” is what the dominant group declares to be “Truth.” “Knowledge” is anything the dominant group defines as “knowledge,” though “knowledge” itself is socially constructed and produced.

How many wars are we going to justify in the name of “God,” our “God” versus their so-called “false gods”?

When religious leaders preach their damaging interpretations of their sacred texts on issues of same-sex relationships or identities and gender identities and expressions within and outside their respective houses of worship, they must be held accountable and responsible for aiding and abetting those who target and harass, bully, physically assault, and murder people perceived as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or queer.

In addition, they must be held accountable as accomplices in the suicides of those who are the targets of these abusive actions, and who grow up in religious denominations and larger societies that teach them to deny, to hide, and to hate themselves.

Anyone can believe anything they wish, whether others find those beliefs laudable or offensive. When, however, the expression of those beliefs denies other individuals or groups their full human and civil rights, a critical line has been crossed, for their actions have entered the realm of oppression.

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This post is republished on Medium.

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