1. July 5, 2009, Seminar to Christian Pastors in Kathmandu, Nepal Other Sheep in Nepal

2. The Bible and... Other Sheep Seminar, Kathmandu, Nepal, July 5, 2009 Created by Rev. Stephen Parelli, Exec Direc of Other Sheep

3. Other Sheep asks: In what context is homosexuality condemned in the Bible? In what context is homosexuality condemned in the Bible? And does that context apply to same-sex loving couples today? And does that context apply to same-sex loving couples today? 1.2.

4. The Eleventh Commandment XI Thoushalt not... Thoushaltnot...

5. Leviticus 18:22 KJV Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 20:13 KJV 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.

6. Leviticus 18:22 KJV Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 20:13 KJV 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. I Does this commandment apply to us today? II Yes, if the same conditions exist today that existed when the law was first given. III To illustrated this principal...

7. Civil Law Religious Law The Leviticus commandment is “limited to” its historical and contextual setting. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” This illustration is taken from The Children Are Free, Miner & Connoley, p. 8

8. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” When a lawyer wishes to argue his position by referring to a decision handed down by the courts on a former case, there are two questions he must answer about that case in order to know the meaning of the case and thereby use it correctly. This illustration is taken from The Children Are Free, Miner & Connoley, p. 8

9. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” First Question: holding “What is the holding of the case?” Holding refers to the rule established by the court’s decision. Now that we know “the rule established” we know what the case means, right? “The rule established is This illustration is taken from The Children Are Free, Miner & Connoley, p. 8

10. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” Second Question: “What were the facts of the case? - a very vital question - In other words, you cannot take a rule that a judge issued in one context and automatically apply it to a different set of facts. “The rule established is The facts of both cases must be carefully examined to determine whether they are similar enough for the rule to apply to both cases. This illustration is taken from The Children Are Free, Miner & Connoley, p. 8

11. Male-Male Sex Chapter IV Part One Robert E. Goss- Gender Role Confusion Gender Role Confusion

12. ve’et zakhar lo tishkav mishkeve ishah toevah hi -And with a male -you shall not lie -the lyings of a woman -it is abhorrent וְאֶת־זָכָר לֹא תִשְׁכַּב מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה תֹּועֵבָה הִוא׃ לֹא תִשכב מִשכב אִשָּׁה “And with a male you shall not lie the lyings of a woman.” Goss: Leviticus is about Gender Role Confusion Leviticus 18:22

13. “And with a male you shall not lie the lyings of a woman.” “Lying down” is a euphemism for “bedding someone” without specifying the sexual act (oral, vaginal, anal or otherwise?). Queering Christ, Robert E. Goss, p. 189-190 Goss: Leviticus is about Gender Role Confusion: However, according to Saul Olyan, a biblical scholar at Brown University, “the lyings of a woman,” means male-to-male anal intercourse. Queering Christ, Robert E. Goss, p. 189-190

14. “And with a male you shall not lie the lyings of a woman.” Saul Olyan concludes that “the male-male sex laws of the Holiness Source (Code) appear to be: circumscribed in their meaning, refer specifically to intercourse, and suggest that anal penetration was seen as analogous to vaginal penetration on some level.” Queering Christ, Robert E. Goss, p. 190 Goss: Leviticus is about Gender Role Confusion: Leviticus 18:22

15. “And with a male you shall not lie the lyings of a woman.” The male-male sex laws of the Holiness Code appear to be: circumscribed in their meaning, refer specifically to anal intercourse Queering Christ, Robert E. Goss, p. 190 Because the ‘lying down of a woman’ seems to mean vaginal receptivity, Lev. 18:22 and 20:13 does not prohibit male-male oral sex male-male masturbation any range of female-to-female sex a bisexual male from engaging in group sex (as long as he doesn’t penetrate a male) Thou shalt not.. Thou shalt... Goss: Leviticus is about Gender Role Confusion

16. The male-male sex laws of the Holiness Code appear to: suggest that anal penetration was seen as analogous to vaginal penetration on some level.” Queering Christ, Robert E. Goss, p. 190 The lying down of a woman is constructed as appropriate exclusively to females; it is gendered as feminine. Saul Olyan The Leviticus text objects to a male who becomes a substitute for a female. A man who functions as a woman is an ‘abomination’. Queering Christ, Robert E.Goss, p. 190-191 Because the penetrated lost his manly honor, the transgression is a confusion of gender roles. Queering Christ, Robert E.Goss, p. 191 Goss: Leviticus is about Gender Role Confusion: “confusion of gender roles” “And with a male you shall not lie the lyings of a woman.”

17. What follows is a Talmudic interpretation of the male-male texts of the Holiness Code. Though it is historically much later, it is consistent with the gender codes of the earlier period (Queering Christ, p 191): There was something pathological and depraved, however, in the spectacle of an adult male allowing his male body to be used as if it were the body of a person of penetrable status. It is sex-role reversal, or gender deviance, that is problematized here.... I suggest also penetration of a male constituted a consignment of him to the class of females... a degradation of status; this constituted a sort of mixing of kinds, a general taboo occurrence in Hebrew culture. Goss: Leviticus is about Gender Role Confusion:

18. “... penetration of a male constituted a consignment of him to the class of females..... a degradation of status...” Women’s Rights ------ Women’s Reform

19. “It is sex-role reversal, or gender deviance, that is problematized here.”

20. Civil Law Religious Law The Leviticus commandment is “limited to” its historical and contextual setting. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.”

21. The Leviticus commandment is “limited to” its historical and contextual setting. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” Religious Law Civil Law

22. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” Civil Law “It is sex-role reversal, or gender deviance, that is problematized here.” “... penetration of a male constituted a consignment of him to the class of females... a degradation of status.” Church Law Leviticus 18:22, 20:13

23. This passage has nothing to say about whether it is possible for two humans of the same sex to have an intimate, loving relationship with the blessing of God. We can, therefore, set aside this “clobber passage.” The Children Are Free Leviticus 18:22; 20:13

24. Male-Male Sex Chapter IV Part Two Jeff Minor and John Tylor Connoley- Homosexual Temple Prostitution

25. The text itself tells us three times that “the rules set forth in chapters 18 and 20 are meant to prevent the Israelites from doing what the Egyptians and Canaanites did. The Children Are Free, Jeff Minor and John Tylor Connoley, p. 10 Miner & Connoley: Homosexual Temple Prostitution

26. “After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do.” Lev. 18:3. Cf. Lev. 18:24; Lev. 20: 23

27. Miner & Connoley: Homosexual Temple Prostitution If we can determine what type of homosexual behavior was common among the Canaanites and Egyptians, we will better understand what these verses meant to prohibit. The Children Are Free, Jeff Minor and John Tylor Connoley, p. 10

28. Miner & Connoley: Homosexual Temple Prostitution Many Canaanites and Egyptians worshipped a goddess of love and fertility called Astarte or Ishtar. The Children Are Free, Jeff Minor and John Tylor Connoley, p. 10

29. Miner & Connoley: Homosexual Temple Prostitution Every kind of sexual practice imaginable was performed at these rituals, including homosexual sex. The Children Are Free, Jeff Minor and John Tylor Connoley, p. 11 Every kind of sexual practice imaginable was performed at these rituals, including homosexual sex. The Children Are Free, Jeff Minor and John Tylor Connoley, p. 11

30. Miner & Connoley: Homosexual Temple Prostitution Sexual intercourse was considered especially effective for gaining the goddess’s favor, because the male worshiper was offering his greatest possession, semen – the essence of life. The Children Are Free, Jeff Minor and John Tylor Connoley, p. 11

31. Miner & Connoley: Homosexual Temple Prostitution It cannot be emphasized enough that Lev. 18 and 20 specifically say they were written to address pagan religious practices, and that both chapters include long lists of sexual practices common in these Canaanite and Egyptian cultic rituals The Children Are Free, Jeff Minor and John Tylor Connoley, p. 11

32. Cf. Daniel Helminiak with Miner & Connoley The Canaanite religion included fertility rites. During these rituals whole families and groups of families all might have sex with one another. What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, Daniel Helminiak, p. 46

33. Cf. Daniel Helminiak with Minor & Connoley Leviticus condemned homogenital sex as a religious crime of idolatry, not as a sexual offense. What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, Daniel Helminiak, p. 45

34. Cf. Daniel Helminiak with Miner & Connoley The argument in Leviticus is religious, not ethical or moral. No thought is given to whether the sex in itself is right or wrong. All concern is for keeping Jewish identity strong. What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, Daniel Helminiak, p. 47

35. Thou shalt have no other gods before me Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. The argument in Leviticus is religious, not ethical or moral. No thought is given to whether the sex in itself is right or wrong. All concern is for keeping Jewish identity strong. What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, Daniel Helminiak, p. 47

36. Miner & Connoley: Homosexual Temple Prostitution Lev. 18 and 20 are clearly directed at homosexual temple prostitution, and that is how they should be applied. The Children Are Free, Jeff Miner and John Tyly Connoley, p. 12

37. Civil Law Religious Law The Leviticus commandment is “limited to” its historical and contextual setting. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.”

38. The Leviticus commandment is “limited to” its historical and contextual setting. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” Religious Law Civil Law Lev. 18 and 20 are clearly directed at homosexual temple prostitution, and that is how they should be applied. The Children Are Free, Jeff Miner and John Tyly Connoley, p. 12

39. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” Civil Law Church Law Leviticus 18:22, 20:13 Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 are the only direct references to male homoeroticism in the Hebrew Scriptures. Orthodox Jews and fundamentalist Christians take the verses as a blanket condemnation of all homosexual practices. Queering Christ, Robert E. Goss, p. 189

40. This passage has nothing to say about whether it is possible for two humans of the same sex to have an intimate, loving relationship with the blessing of God. We can, therefore, set aside this “clobber passage.” The Children Are Free Leviticus 18:22; 20:13

41. Leviticus 18:22 KJV Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 20:13 KJV 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. OK! So it pertains to a different time and a different culture. It doesn’t address homosexuality as we know it today. But... What does the word “abomination” mean?

42. abomination The Hebrew word translated abomination appears six times in chapters 18 and 20 (Leviticus) of the Holiness Code. It occurs nowhere else in Leviticus. It signifies ‘ritual impurity.’ Queering Christ, Robert E. Goss, p. 191 What does the word “abomination” mean? The term abomination is first used in abomination Gen. 43:32: “... the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.” Wrestling With God & Men, Rabbi Steven Greenburg, p. 81 Every people has its own list of things that it finds contaminating or distasteful. Wrestling With God & Men, Rabbi Steven Greenburg, p.81 Depending on its context, abomination can mean moral indignation, visceral disgust, or mere social rejection. Wrestling With God & Men, Rabbi Steven Greenburg, p.82

43. What does the word “abomination” mean? Depending on its context, abomination can mean moral indignation, visceral disgust, or mere social rejection. Wrestling With God & Men, Rabbi Steven Greenburg, p.82 moral indignation, visceral disgust, or mere social rejection What does “abomination” mean in Lev. 18:22? What is meant in the Hebrew is not so clear. Wrestling With God & Men, Rabbi Steven Greenburg, p.82

44. The Leviticus commandment is “limited to” its historical and contextual setting. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” Religious Law Civil Law Lev. 18 and 20 are clearly directed at homosexual temple prostitution, and that is how they should be applied. The Children Are Free, Jeff Miner and John Tyly Connoley, p. 12

45. However “abomination” may be defined, the passage still says nothing about whether it is possible for two humans of the same sex to have an intimate, loving relationship with the blessing of God. We can, therefore, set aside this “clobber passage.” The Children Are Free Leviticus 18:22; 20:13

46. Male-Male Sex Chapter IV Part Three L. William Countryman- Prohibition of Mixing Kinds

47. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds The purity laws of Israel was one of the principal forces that kept Israel separate from the nations. The Torah contains a great deal besides purity rules, but it would be difficult to overstate their importance among its contents. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.22

48. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds The two most substantial collections of purity law are found in Leviticus. The first, Lev. 11-16; the second, Lev. 17- 26. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.22

49. Lev. 11-16 No Given Name Uncleanness that calls for some rite of purification Discerning Uncleanness The kind of purification rite required Section concludes with a description of the rites of the Day of Atonement. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.22 Lev. 17-26 “The Holiness Code” The Historical Conse- quences of Uncleanness God’s claim on the people Removal of offenders from the midst of the people If Israel fails to observe the “Holiness Code,” God will punish and exile them. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.22 L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds

50. Despite their differences, the two codes are alike in offering us a glimpse into the inner rationale of the purity system. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.23

51. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds The inner rationale of the purity system. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.23-24 God’s holiness means wholeness and completeness, not only in God, but in God’s creation. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.23 God’s holiness means wholeness and completeness, not only in God, but in God’s creation. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.23 the first principal

52. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds The inner rationale of the purity system. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.23-24 Leviticus 13 13. Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean. Leviticus 13 13. Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean. Leviticus 13 12. And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; Leviticus 13 12. And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; wholeness and completeness the first principal

53. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds The inner rationale of the purity system. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.23-24 The essence of the impurity occasioned by leprosy is not the disease itself... But that the whole and complete human being ought to be of a single hue. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.23 The essence of the impurity occasioned by leprosy is not the disease itself... But that the whole and complete human being ought to be of a single hue. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.23 wholeness and completeness the first principal

54. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds This was the first principal which shaped the purity law: ‘Wholeness and completeness of the individual; a self- contained specimen of its kind. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.26, 27 the first principal

55. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds The second principal which shaped the purity law: Prohibition of mixing ‘kinds.’ Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.26, 27 the second principal linen and wool

56. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds the second principal This is the reason for the condemnation of homosexual acts. No one person must seek to combine mutually exclusive perfections. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.26 Lev. 18:22 and 20:13 Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.26, 27

57. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds Lev. 18:22 and 20:13 Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.26, 27 the second principal The phrasing “the lyings of a woman” makes clear that a male who fulfills the “female” role is a combination of kinds and therefore unclean like a cloth composed of both linen and wool. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.26 linen and wool וְאֶת־זָכָר לֹא תִשְׁכַּב מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה תֹּועֵבָה הִוא׃

58. L. William Countryman: Prohibition of Mixed Kinds Lev. 18:22 and 20:13 Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.26, 27 the second principal וְאֶת־זָכָר לֹא תִשְׁכַּב מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה תֹּועֵבָה הִוא׃ The act that renders the “female” partner unclean is the joint responsibility of both partners. Lev. 20:13. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.26

59. The Leviticus commandment is “limited to” its historical and contextual setting. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” Religious LawCivil Law wool linen & wool Homosexual acts are termed “abominations,” that is, “disgusting things.” The term toebah and its synonym shiqquts, both translated “abomination”, apply to things as diverse as unclean foods, the sacrifice of a blemished animal, remarriage to a former wife, and idols. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.30

60. The Leviticus commandment is “limited to” its historical and contextual setting. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” Religious LawCivil Law wool linen & wool Homosexual acts must have formed a relatively peripheral aspect of the overall purity system. … The large place homosexuality assumes in modern purity systems has some origin other than a simple reading of Torah. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.30, 32

61. The Leviticus commandment is “limited to” its historical and contextual setting. “Judicial holdings are limited to the facts of the case.” Civil Law wool linen & wool Homosexual acts are a combination of kinds and therefore unclean like a cloth composed of both linen and wool. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.26-27 Religious Law

62. This passage has nothing to say about whether it is possible for two humans of the same sex to have an intimate, loving relationship with the blessing of God. We can, therefore, set aside this “clobber passage.” The Children Are Free Leviticus 18:22; 20:13

63. The Silent Death Torah was the basic law of Israel in all respects, no distinction was made between religious and nonreligious elements. To be a Jew did not mean to primarily confess a certain faith, but rather to belong to a certain people. One was obliged to participate fully. The alternative was to become a nonperson. Dirt, Creed & Sex, L. William Countryman, p.21 The Extreme Christian Fundamentalist Alternative Gay Christians who embrace their orientation become nonpersons. They are obliged to condemn homosexuality (as the worst of sins) or to be separated from the family circle and the church community as an outcast.

64. Other Sheep asks: 1. In what context is homosexuality condemned in Lev. 18 and 20? Homosexuality is referred to in these verses in the context of gender roles, temple prostitution and the mixing of kind.

65. 2. Does the context of Lev. 18 and 20 apply to same-sex loving couples today? Other Sheep asks: Same-sex relationships are not condemned