Homosexuality and the Bible

Frederick E. Greenspahn
CCAR Journal: A Reform Jewish Quarterly
FREDERICK E. GREENSPAHN is professor of religious studies at the University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado.The Bible has played a significant role in the debates relating tohomosexuality that have raged over the past several years. Invoked
by conservatives and rejected by liberals, the Bible is understood by both sides as condemning homosexuality. Examples of this view are legion. According to David Novak, “there are few prohibitions that are more unambiguous than the traditional Jewish
prohibition of male homosexual acts,”while Gordon Tucker describes it as “about as explicit and unambiguous as a biblical prohibition can be.”Reform authorities echo that opinion; a 1981 CCAR responsum proclaimed, “The biblical prohibition against
homosexuality is absolutely clear.”It is the burden of this paper to challenge that characterization of the Bible’s position. We will seek to show that the Bible’s view is not at all clear, at least with regard to the issues currently under discussion.
Religious leaders who support gay rights need not, therefore, feel constrained by the Bible, while those who disapprove of homosexuality would be well advised to find other grounds onwhich to base their stance. Whatever one’s position, it is important that the biblical evidence not be taken lightly nor its teachings rejected out of hand.Since the authority of religious leaders derives ultimately from the Bible, those who discard it run the risk of undermining their own credibility as well. Moreover, the fact that the Bible has so often been cited in support of restricting and even persecuting homosexuals increases the urgency of understanding exactly what
it says. It would be ironic if Jews who support homosexual rights abandoned the Bible to those who use it to justify intolerance and abuse in much the way that the New Testament has long been invoked by anti-Semites. Removing the stigma and restrictions
connected to homosexuality must be done in a way that maintains respect for tradition. Over time, such an approach is likely to attract greater support and thus achieve longer-lasting success
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