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boobsforme) wrote2008-11-16 12:13 am
boobsforme) wrote2008-11-16 12:13 am
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Homosexuality and The Bible.
Discussed a million times, right? I know many of you aren't Christian or many of you aren't of any religion at all; there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, I thought these passages would be really interesting, be you a Christian or not. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, though.
There are a couple of passages in the New Testament that not only accept homosexuality, but values it as well as heterosexuality.
In the original Greek text (the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, the New Testament written in Koine Greek.), the centurion refers to his servant as "PAIS" (παῖς), while when other refer to their servant in a generic term, it is "DOULOS" (δοῦλος). The word "pais" is Greek term of endearment, which can mean a young male slave/concubine. It can also refer to a female slave/concubine, but in this case, the centurion refers to his pais as a male. In Luke, the word "entimos" is added when referring to the sick servant. "Entimos," meaning beloved, carries the connotation of an "intimate relationship."
Taken from the book Greek Homosexuality:
Paidika is the diminutive of pais. Meaning that "paidika" and "pais" essentially means junior homosexual partner, even who is full grown.
Anyhow, back to the Matthew 8:5-13.
Note how Jesus, though aware of this centurion's term for his servant, does not refuse to heal his pais. The centurion humbles himself, and tells Jesus that he has faith in his word alone. Jesus admires this man's faith in him, as he has never seen such faith in all of Isreal, the Holiest land of the world. Matthew adds that Jesus said that even though those who are born into Isreal and into patriarchs of the chosen nation, does not mean they will be accepted if they refuse to believe in Jesus. "There will be wailing and grinding of teeth": the first occurrence of a phrase used frequently in this gospel to describe final condemnation.
Meaning, that no matter who you are, where you are from, what family you are born into, as long as you have unyielding faith and love, you will be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven. He uses the centurian as an example because of his admirable amount of faith and love in Him and his fellow human beings, even if they were a servant.
Another point to bring up is, in a time when regular slaves were replacable and often times were not respected, why would a master care deeply for a slave that is sick, one which he refers to as his "pais"? Unfortunately, this depends mostly on translated interpretation, like many things in the Bible.
Take into account that "eunuchs" have three different meanings according to Jesus; people who were castrated thus were "man-made" eunuchs, people who chose to be chaste or sexually abstinent, or those who simply do not wish to breed but remain sexual individuals (those who do not lay with the opposite sex; i.e. homosexual).
Not only does Jesus acknowledge that some are born eunuch, but he also places them in the same value as those who are eunuchs by choice, which those were usually priests and most honourable to God.
Taken from wikipedia:
(The word "Odalisque" is a young concubine, a female servant who was sexually available to her master.)
Meaning that, in several cultures, those who are "eunuchs" aren't always necessarily chaste, but only chaste in bearing children and having heterosexual sex.
Taken from Would Jesus Discriminate?:
Perhaps this overlooked quote of Jesus actually proves that God accepts homosexuality and values the faith of those who are homosexual as much as those who are heterosexual, as Jesus mentions that one can be born as such.
I am definitely not a scholar of either Koine Greek nor of the Bible, so I expect this to be riddled with flaws. I would love for anyone to critique me on this if they so please to. I didn't add the story of Ruth and Naomi, the story of David and Jonathan, and the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch because it's bedtime for me. Perhaps I'll do that tomorrow, if you'd like. Those are very interesting passages as well, and I didn't want to exclude them.
Questions? Opinions? Discussions? Critique?
There are a couple of passages in the New Testament that not only accept homosexuality, but values it as well as heterosexuality.
Matthew 8:5-13: When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him."
The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
And Jesus said to the centurion, "You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you." And at that very hour (his) servant was healed.
(A centurion: a military officer commanding a hundred men. He was probably in the service of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee; see the note on Matthew 14:1.)
In the original Greek text (the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, the New Testament written in Koine Greek.), the centurion refers to his servant as "PAIS" (παῖς), while when other refer to their servant in a generic term, it is "DOULOS" (δοῦλος). The word "pais" is Greek term of endearment, which can mean a young male slave/concubine. It can also refer to a female slave/concubine, but in this case, the centurion refers to his pais as a male. In Luke, the word "entimos" is added when referring to the sick servant. "Entimos," meaning beloved, carries the connotation of an "intimate relationship."
Taken from the book Greek Homosexuality:
“The pais in a homosexual relationship was often a youth who had attained full height.” p. 16.
“The Greeks often used the word paidika in the sense of ‘eromenos.’ ”[Meaning “the boy you are in love with]. p. 16.
Paidika is the diminutive of pais. Meaning that "paidika" and "pais" essentially means junior homosexual partner, even who is full grown.
Anyhow, back to the Matthew 8:5-13.
Note how Jesus, though aware of this centurion's term for his servant, does not refuse to heal his pais. The centurion humbles himself, and tells Jesus that he has faith in his word alone. Jesus admires this man's faith in him, as he has never seen such faith in all of Isreal, the Holiest land of the world. Matthew adds that Jesus said that even though those who are born into Isreal and into patriarchs of the chosen nation, does not mean they will be accepted if they refuse to believe in Jesus. "There will be wailing and grinding of teeth": the first occurrence of a phrase used frequently in this gospel to describe final condemnation.
Meaning, that no matter who you are, where you are from, what family you are born into, as long as you have unyielding faith and love, you will be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven. He uses the centurian as an example because of his admirable amount of faith and love in Him and his fellow human beings, even if they were a servant.
Another point to bring up is, in a time when regular slaves were replacable and often times were not respected, why would a master care deeply for a slave that is sick, one which he refers to as his "pais"? Unfortunately, this depends mostly on translated interpretation, like many things in the Bible.
Matthew 19:10-12: For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Take into account that "eunuchs" have three different meanings according to Jesus; people who were castrated thus were "man-made" eunuchs, people who chose to be chaste or sexually abstinent, or those who simply do not wish to breed but remain sexual individuals (those who do not lay with the opposite sex; i.e. homosexual).
Not only does Jesus acknowledge that some are born eunuch, but he also places them in the same value as those who are eunuchs by choice, which those were usually priests and most honourable to God.
Taken from wikipedia:
In cultures that had both harems and eunuchs, eunuchs were sometimes used as harem servants (compare the female odalisque) or seraglio guards.
(The word "Odalisque" is a young concubine, a female servant who was sexually available to her master.)
Meaning that, in several cultures, those who are "eunuchs" aren't always necessarily chaste, but only chaste in bearing children and having heterosexual sex.
Taken from Would Jesus Discriminate?:
It is clear from the ancient literature that eunuchs as a class had a reputation for being attracted sexually to men, rather than women. For example, an ancient Summarian myth about the creation of eunuchs says they “do not satisfy the lap of women.” They were specifically created, the myth says, because they can resist the wiles of women. The book of Sirach, found in the Old Testament of the Catholic Bible, says that embracing a girl makes a eunuch groan. (Sirach 30:20) The Roman playwright Juvenal (who lived near the time of Christ) stated, “When a soft eunuch takes to matrimony. . . it is hard not to write a satire.” Lucian, a Greek satirist who lived about one hundred years after Christ, compares a eunuch with a concubine to a deaf man with a flute, a bald man with a comb, and a blind man with a mirror. In other words, a eunuch has as much need for a woman as a fish has for a bicycle.
Instead, eunuchs were commonly associated in ancient culture with sexual interest in men. For example, the Kama Sutra (an ancient Eastern sacred text) has an entire chapter on eunuchs seducing men. Quintus Curtius, an historian who wrote about Alexander the Great, reports that Alexander’s palace included “herds of eunuchs, also accustomed to prostitute themselves [like women].” Quintus Curtius also reports that Alexander the Great fell deeply in love with a eunuch named Bagoas and they entered into a relationship of mutual love.
Perhaps this overlooked quote of Jesus actually proves that God accepts homosexuality and values the faith of those who are homosexual as much as those who are heterosexual, as Jesus mentions that one can be born as such.
I am definitely not a scholar of either Koine Greek nor of the Bible, so I expect this to be riddled with flaws. I would love for anyone to critique me on this if they so please to. I didn't add the story of Ruth and Naomi, the story of David and Jonathan, and the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch because it's bedtime for me. Perhaps I'll do that tomorrow, if you'd like. Those are very interesting passages as well, and I didn't want to exclude them.
Questions? Opinions? Discussions? Critique?
no subject
Just like I've argued before, a homosexual has just as much potential as a heterosexual to be either kind-hearted or wicked, pure or perverse. Just because their sexual relationship does not bear children does not mean that their sexual relationship is all for pleasure and without love.
I wish that more people on both sides would at least take more details into consideration... If both sides could transform their useless hatred into deep and neutral thought, I believe that the truth would be much more easily sought...or sought at all, anyway.
Keep on learning, Becky. And thank you for sharing this.
no subject
I mean, honestly, what? It's a fallacy.
no subject
Yeah, Idk either.