Christianity & Slash

[ninety6tears]

Apparently August is officially Anal Sex Month (teehee). Same month as my birthday! lol.
Some of you might be interested in reading galadhir's essay, "A Christian Perspective on Slash Fiction." Even though certain points of it aren't very accessible to me, as I am not a Christian and don't align my morals to the Bible necessarily, I think she makes some interesting points, particularly some that I never could have made justifying homosexuality since I am not religious and don't understand a lot of details about the Bible. What I found particularly affecting about her point of view is that she used to actually think homosexuality is wrong and was ashamed of reading slash, but her views were gradually changed as she found more and more fiction that contained a beauty and purity she could no longer associate with sin.

"Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 condemns lying with a man as with a woman as 'an abomination'. Abomination is an unfortunate translation for the Hebrew word, which means 'something which is unclean under the Purity Law.' Like eating shellfish, or touching a dead pig, it made a person ritually unclean. Since, under Grace, Christians have been released from the requirements of the Law, this does not apply to us.

Romans 1:19-32 equally refers to homosexuality as 'unclean' *not* as a sin. Paul's gist in this passage is that Gentile Idolatry lead to ritual uncleanness *and* it leads to real sin (such as envy, murder, strife, deceit etc). Paul then goes on to attack the notion that anything is unclean, and to maintain that it is only real sin which matters. In saying this, he actually places homosexuality in the category of 'things which are OK for Christians - like eating non kosher food.'"

To read the entire post, go here.

Comments

[ludagurl3d.livejournal.com]

Okay honestly, I'm not religious either. Never been to church a day in my life or read the Bible, and I only know what I know about it from what I hear. Apparently you can take the text and twist it whatever way you see fit. Like Cody said in 404 I think it was...how come Christians can eat shellfish or even pork, but they turn around and condemn gays? Hypocritical much?

Interesting read though.

I reckon I'll never be religious. Why would I let some dude named "Paul" dictate to me LOL.

[vdkapenguin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I couldn't completely relate to the essay because I can't imagine setting my entire ethical thinking around a book rather than thinkig for myself to the point that I comb the pages of it for passages that justify whatever I want to believe in (which sounds a lot harsher than any sentiment I actually have toward Christians, eh). But I do think this is a rather good quote, and wish that more Christians truly took it to heart:

"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

[peripety]

I always think it somewhat strange that some Christians base their faith on the Old Testament stuff that was written by and for Jews and which can't be used as a doctrine on how to live a modern life. What they should be looking at as Christians, in my opinion, is what Jesus said/did. If you don't mind a little quote this is from Mark's gospel, but is echoed in the other disciple's gospels as well.

Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

That is what Christians should be living their lives by, I'd say. Most of the rest is just dogma.

If I go to hell because I write and read slash, so be it, but if I believe God gave me my sexuality, it would be pretty contradictory of God to then condemn me for it, wouldn't it? That only seems like common sense to me.

[http://users.livejournal.com/malli_/]

that's what you get from reading the translation :P
No, seriously. I'm not religious either and that line "Abomination is an unfortunate translation for the Hebrew word, which means 'something which is unclean under the Purity Law.'" just shows again how wrong it is to base a religion on translations.

[ninety6tears.livejournal.com]

That is what Christians should be living their lives by, I'd say. Most of the rest is just dogma.

'Amen' to that :)