Christians and SSM

[howeird]

Some LJ friends have been discussing what makes one a Christian, and are expressing alarm that some very vocal self-professed Christians are vehemently against same-sex marriage. I was raised in a Conservative/Orthodox Jewish household, and can point you to the passages in the Torah (aka Old Testament) which declare same-sex intercourse to be punishable by death, but it's been 30 years since I read the Gospels, and frankly can't remember if Jesus or his gang of 12 ever said anything either way about same-sex sex. If anyone can enlighten me, I'd appreciate it.

And no, I'm not talking about generic "love everyone" missives, I'm talking about lines which are as explicit as the ones in Leviticus.

AdvThanksance

Comments

[damiana-swan.livejournal.com]

Yup, it's all Old Testament stuff. Which means the shrimp cocktail and poly-cotton blend shirt will also get you a date with a bunch of flying rocks.

To the best of my knowledge, Jesus isn't credited with saying anything regarding homosexuality. He did have some very pointed comments about forgiveness and judging others and about using religion to gain money and power, though. In fact, I believe He committed an act of domestic terrorism over that last one.

[fierynotes.livejournal.com]

"To the best of my knowledge, Jesus isn't credited with saying anything regarding homosexuality."

Nothing explicit, but his actions speak volumes. Here and here, Jesus heals a centurion's beloved servant. In English, this isn't so telling. In the original language, one book uses a word for "slave," the other uses a word for "boy." Add a little historical context, it becomes clear that the servant in question attended to the centurion's hygiene, grooming and... ahem, other physical needs. (I forget the exact words used, or where I first read this.)

And yet, Jesus praised the centurion's faith and healed his servant without so much as a "sin no more." I'd guess that a centurion shtupping his male servant didn't really strike Jesus as all that bad.

[howeird]

I don't buy the slave thing. If it were Greeks, yes, but the centurions were not known for using their male servants/slaves for sex. Nothing in either of those passages even hints at anything sexual.