To Hell with Gays, by Walter Wink. Book Review: The Bible and Homosexual Practice. By Robert A. J. Gagnon. Abingdon, 520 pp.

Walter Wink is professor at Auburn Theological Seminary, New York City. He received his Th.D. from Union Theological Seminary, has been active in peace movements throughout the world, and is a Fellow of the Jesus Seminar. His books include: The Powers that Be: Theology for a New Millenium (1999), Homosexuality and Christian Faith (1999), and Cracking the Gnostic Code (1993). This article appeared in The Christian Century, June 5-12, 2002 p. 32-34.

Gays and the Bible: A Response to Walter Wink, by Robert A. J. Gagnon. 

Robert A.J. Gagnon is associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Some of his essays can be found at www.pts.edu/gagnonr.html. This article appeared in The Christian Century magazine, August 14-27, pp. 40 - 43.

Scriptural Perspectives by Robert Gagnon.  This is a long and detailed treatise by Mr. Gagnon on his biblical perspectives and a must read to understand the arguments that suggest the Bible is negative toward homosexuality. 

Homosexuality and the Bible by Walter Wink.  This is a solid and through publication by Walter Wink where he carries through in detail what he lays out in his article listed above.  Again, this is a must read to understand the arguments positive toward homosexuality in relation to the Holy Scripture. 

Biblical texts related to the subject of homosexuality:

• Genesis 2:21-24 - The question here is whether or not male and female coupling is part of the nature of life and therefore everything other sexual expression is contra the nature of life.
• Genesis 19:1-29 - The story of Sodom.  The question here (as with a similar passage in Judges 19-21) is whether or not this is stricktly about homosexuality or is it about hospitality and the householder's desire to protect the strangers and the townspeople's desire to treat the strangers as "less" of a person/man, in a sense "putting them in their place."  For to be less than a man (in other words to be a woman) was not in accord with the cultural norm of male superiority that existed in the biblical world.  
• Leviticus 20:13 (and likewise Lev. 18:22).  “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
• Deuteronomy 23:17-18 - Here the subject at hand is prostitution and through that subject is the mention of male prostitution and by that there is a reference to homosexuality.  The question to consider is if the reference intends to speak to homosexuality or to prostitution - or both. 
• 1 Corinthians 6:9 and following: “Do you not know that evildoers will not inherit God’s kingdom?” in which the list of offenses includes male prostitutes - the assumption is made the reference is to homosexual male prostitutes but it does not say that.  Also, the Greek words in the passage are very rare and their exact meaning are suspect by many Greek Scholars.  The same words are used in a passage from 1 Timothy 1:10.  The meaning is equally unclear the word "sodomite" is even more suspect by many Greek scholars.
• Jude 5-7 - Here is an even more complex question of whether or not the passage is speaking about homosexuality per se. It is very complex passage that relates back to Gen. 6:1-4 where angels "sons of God" come down to earth to have sex with human women, in other words they have sexual relations with a being outside of their own natural place in existence.  The comparison to homosexuality then would be that sexual relations between two men would be sexual relations outside of what is natural. 
• Romans 1:26-27 - Here is one of the strongest of all places in the scripture where homosexuality is condemned.  The passage can be taken just as it is and understood as it is.  It is also pointed out that in chapter one of Romans the whole question under consideration (specifically 1:18-32) is the question of Idolatry.  He is writing from Corinth, a seaport with lots of trade (read modern day Manhattan).  In the Roman Empire a common name for a prostitute was "a Corinthian girl."  Paul writes of people worshipping "images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles" (v. 23)--instead of God.  Paul concluded that because the Corinthians engaged in idolatry, "God gave them up to degrading passions" (v. 26).  

As we held this class Proposition 8 in California had just begun to be a hot topic in the press and along came two articles of differing views on the subject of Gay Marriage.  Here they are: