The other day I was watching a special on Logo (in essence, the “Gay” channel, to some people) called “Equality U.”

The documentary followed 38 college-aged activists and LGBT Christians on the Soulforce Equality Ride, in reference of the Freedom Riders of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. Their goal was to spark a conversation and a move to examine and overturn anti-gay policies at a number of private Christian colleges and universities across the nation.

Did they face prosecution and even jail time if not compliant with school outrageous policies? Yes. In fact, in the documentary, they are innumerous times that individuals on the Soulforce Equality Ride were jailed, arrested, or hindered from their activities because of school security or police action.

This sort of intolerance at a place of higher learning, where students should be challenged to think outside the box and to recognize the diversity of our great nation, is incredibly reminiscent of the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah.

As most of LGBT folks realize, most conservative anti-gay Christians will use this story to attest to the Bible’s disapproval of homosexuality. Specifically, they cite that Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities that God destroyed with fire and brimstone, were destroyed by God, because the cities participated in rampant sexual perversion, including, as they say, homosexuality.

I am here to say that that is not true…at least, in my opinion and interpretation of the story.

I would summarize the story, but the Bible actually does a semi-decent job of keeping the main concepts of the story succinct…so hear it is:

 
So…there it is. Without really looking into this passage, one might actually believe that the men trying to “have sex” with these angelic visitors are homosexuals, and that these two cities were destroyed because of homosexuality.

Here are some things to consider:

(a) Sodom was a rich city that did not like sharing their wealth or entertaining guests or foreigners. EZEKIEL 16: 49-50 (Karslake, 2007)

(b) Gang rape was an ancient form of humiliation. Sodom’s men wanted to humiliate them, not “be gay with them.” (Karslake, 2007)

(c) If all these men were “gay”, why would Lot offer them his virgin daughters? (Sanchez, 2007, p. 77) Since Lot was righteous enough to do all that he could to save those who were strangers to Sodom, that is why in the end only his family made it out of the city. “Gay” men would not be satisfied with having their way with young girls. It can be assured then that at least Lot believed that the men of Sodom were heterosexual.

(d) In biblical times, it was very socially unacceptable to turn down guests or not to entertain them. (Karslake, 2007) This was because travel was a life-or-death situation. Foreigners did not have civil rights in other territories, and were at the mercy of the citizens when they did arrive. Hospitality was crucial in a foreign place, which is why Lot did all that he could to protect his guests. (Main, 2008, p. 73)

(e) The sources of the notion that homosexuality is the prime theme actually are derived from non-biblical literature, the Muslin Qur’an and Greek philosophy. (Rogers, 2006, p. 71)

(f) Sodomites feared that allowing outsiders into their cities would compromise their great wealth, which was not explained all too well in this passage. However, this was explained in some other biblical passages: LUKE 10: 10-13; ISAIAH 19: 13-14; JEREMIAH 23: 14; EZEKIEL 16: 49; ZEPHANIAH 2: 8-11. Jesus even warned his disciples of the inhospitality that they might encounter in their travels, and referred back to Sodom and Gomorrah. (Rogers, 2006, p. 71)

Hopefully, one has picked up that God’s wrath against Sodom and Gomorrah was not about their homosexuality, which really did not exist there, but instead was about their inhospitality and their cruelty towards outsiders and foreigners. One could say that some cities or churches in America are like Sodom and Gomorrah, where ill feelings and discrimination toward a certain crowd turns to inhospitality and cruelty towards them.

What I am saying is that colleges that enact or sustain policies that prohibit “homosexual behavior or conduct” or “non-gender normative attire or behavior,” do not include “sexual orientation” or “gender identity and expression,” and resist recognizing bias cases based on such criteria are acting in the way that Sodom and Gomorrah did. They are enact such policies for fear that their university’s moral standards will be laid suspect if they choose to be gay-friendly.

I say, in the Bible, God destroyed two cities, because they treated visitors with intolerance and cruelty. I surely am NOT saying that God will destroy anti-gay colleges and universities, like the movie 2012. RATHER, I’m saying that there is visible disapproval in this Biblical passage to intolerance and cruelty.

If private Christian colleges are going to use this passage as a precedent for anything, they should probably rethink their position on homosexuality.

Next time: Looking at the Book of Leviticus.