God will make you gay!?

17 June 2009

Video | ZJ on YouTube | Subscribe

ZJ: One of the most interesting parts of the Bible is the Book of Romans, chapter 1. Specifically, verses 26 and 27, which read:

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

ZJ: And this is typically interpreted as a condemnation of homosexuality. Notably, it's the only part of the Bible that addresses homosexuality among both men and women. And it's quite thorough, denouncing not only gay behavior, but even gay attraction. And since this is in the New Testament, it's not surrounded by laws about how to beat your slaves.

But beyond just disapproving of homosexuality, there is context to these verses, and the complete message is actually rather queer, so to speak. Keep in mind the opening words: "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts." "Because of this"? Because of what?

If we want to understand what's really going on here, let's go back and start from verse 21:

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.

ZJ: So, the real issue is that some people are not being sufficiently reverent towards God, preferring to worship other idols instead. And because of this, God gave them over to the so-called "shameful lust" of homosexuality. And that's an odd way of phrasing it: "God gave them over". So, since these people refused to honor God, he turned them gay?

This has to be one of the most insane episodes in the Bible. I mean, here we have the all-powerful, all-knowing, infinite and perfect creator of the universe (allegedly), and he is still so bothered when people aren't worshipping him that he retaliates in the most hilariously bizarre fashion. He will reach down and tweak your little human brain, just to make you gay. That's what you get when you stop believing in God: If you're not down on your knees praying, you'll be down on your knees doing something else. Seriously, is there anything more absurd than a deity who curses you with a taste for show tunes, interior decorating and penises? This has to be the most fabulous punishment ever.

And really, if God is going to take the liberty of forcing your... hand, as it were, that pretty much rules out any notion that the existence of God is compatible with free will. Your will is not free when God literally changes your mind. And what's the point of criticizing people for being gay, because your religion doesn't like it, if God is the one who made them gay? How utterly self-defeating. If God didn't insist on screwing around with human sexuality because he's just that petty and insecure, this wouldn't be an issue!

Of course, maybe God just doesn't exist. But be careful: do you really want to end up like this?

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