REAL STORIES/REAL PEOPLE: Biblical ¨clobber verses¨ don´t address Homosexuality...

Joseph and Others

By The Reverend Göran Koch-Swahne


Not only do the 6 so called clobber verses not address GLBT or ”homosexuality” (a medical term from 1869, which has changed its meaning twice since then…) in any way (ancient, pre modern, Modern or late modern), as sometimes is claimed from Rome and American Political Calvinism in late modernity. For instance the Sodom story (Genesis 18-19) is about the Command to Hospitality towards “the Levite, the poor and the stranger”, as Deuteronomy says – a question of survival for those excluded from pre modern Societies). The Passages which really address GLBT-folks are quite different.


Furthermore, the distortion of the Sodom story as sexual comes, as D. S. Bailey showed 1955 in his Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition (causing some 45 references in the Bible, some by Jesus himself like Matt 10:15, 11:24, to be re-directed in trans-lations after c:a 1960 from sexual to material) from 1st century Hellenist Popular Philosophical literature (incl. the Philosophical-ly challenged Philo of Alexandria (of the Museioon) and double traitor “Flavius” Josephus, né Levi (of 1st Jewish war fame, which caused the destruction of Jerusalem, for the infinitesimal time…) who never have been kosher in Judaism or Christianity, but were exceedingly admired by anti Modern academics.


Places which do talk of GLBT-folk are for instance Genesis 37 – 50 (Joseph in Egypt, particularly Potiphar’s wife’s failed attempt at seduction, Genesis 37:9), Ruth’s Book (it is Ruth who says to Naomi “until death do us part”, Ruth 1:16-17) and, of course, 1st Samuel 16 to 1st Kings 2, with the well-known story about David’s ascent to power and his love for Jonathan (e.g. 1st Samuel 18:1-3) and King Saul, and his daughters Merab (1st Samuel 18:21) and Mikal (1st Samuel 18:28), particularly the Partnership formula 1st Samuel 20:24 (binding the descendants!) and Saul’s jealousy (“Thou son of a Harlot” in 1st Samuel 20:30)…


More Eunuchs (cf hidjra in contemporary India) besides Joseph are found in Isaiah 56 (where the god-fearing eunuch and the stranger are praised), Daniel’s Book (Daniel and Aspenas, and others). In the New Testament there are for instance Matthew 19:11-12 (“there are some who by birth, from the mother's womb are such" - i.e. not suited to marry) Luke 7:1-9 and Matthew 8:5-13 (the Centurion’s servant – Mark! the stories in Luke and Matt are quite dissimilar), and Acts 8:26-39 (another eunuch).

“Joseph” is by the way an old byname for GLBT, “Oh, had I been in Joseph’s predicament, Oh! had I been in Joseph’s predicament – I know what I’d done!” Charles Michael Bellman says (Fredman’s Song Nr 38) or “Joseph ein Joseph war” as I read somewhere about his friend and collaborator (e.g. "Adieu my dear child!" about the death of his son Elis) Joseph Martin Kraus. Both referring to the episode with Potiphar’s wife…

And this is authentically Biblical. The anti Modern hysteria may be admired in the present Government Alliance's dithering (over the Pentecostal "Christian" Democrat Party's pains) over Marriage legislation being made Gender neutral in December this year.


¨Inspired by a post on Elizabeth Kaeton's Telling Secrets Blog¨ GK-S
Göran Koch-Swahne, ¨Joseph and Others¨ read it all, click here:

Elizabeth Keaton, Telling Secrets Blog, ¨What would you do?¨ click here:

Thanks to The Reverend Göran Koch-Swahne
Thanks to The Reverend Elizabeth Keaton
Thanks to Flickr Photosharing
Thanks to Fred Schwartz, ¨REAL ANGLICANS¨ blog click here:
and ¨Off Topic Allowed¨ blog click here: