After reading Connor Clarke’s “Does God hate homosexuals?” I needed to formulate a response. Immediately. Numerous errors and stereotypes thoroughly riddle his opinion piece, and those errors need illumination.

First, Mr. Clarke fails to specify which omnipotent “god” he intends to speak for. Given his broad opening concerning the “many ISU students” traveling home for Easter, I assume he means “God” in the sense of some form of Protestant Christian god, as opposed to Allah, Adonai, Vishnu, Buddha, etc. Since Christianity claims to be a monotheistic religion, I assume this means that Mr. Clarke speaks for Jesus, too.

So here’s my first challenge to Mr. Clarke and any other reader agreeing with him: Where does Jesus explicitly condemn homosexuality? For those not interested in wasting their time, I’ll give you the answer: Jesus never condemns homosexuality. Not once. 

Apparently the earthly manifestation of the Judeo-Christian god felt that homosexuality did not rank up there with sins like avarice, rage, and jealousy. I guess that makes sense when your prophet’s thesis is “love one another.”

So, Jesus has nothing to say about homosexuality. What does he have to say about judgment? One comes to mind readily: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (KJV, John 8:7). 

Is Mr. Clarke so pure that he feels he may interpret the word of his omnipotent god and cast it at the “sinners” committing acts of homosexuality? If he feels so, let me know; I’ll inform the Pope of the existence of this prophet who understands and speaks for an omnibenevolent being.

My second issue with Mr. Clarke’s interpretation concerns his “close-reading” of Biblical verse. 

If we should take Biblical verse as law, these verses should not contradict each other, nor should they ever be violated, right? Maybe Mr. Clarke, as the divine messenger, can explain a few of these.

Mark 7:10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

Ever argue with your parents, Mr. Clarke? Jesus says you need to be executed!

Luke 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

Those pesky slaves (wholly approved of in the Bible) that do not obey must be beaten. I guess “Spartacus” had it coming, huh?

Deuteronomy 20:13-14 And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.

Rules of engagement are blasphemous! God said our soldiers should rape and enslave the women and children of the cities they capture and plunder.

Deuteronomy 22:21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.

If young women have sex before marriage, they are slut-shamed and stoned to death. What college student remotely supports this concept?

Apparently, stoning was the preferred form of execution for touching Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:13), cursing (Leviticus 24:16), worshiping other gods (Deuteronomy 17:2-5), and for everyone at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Leviticus 20:27)

After reading Mr. Clarke’s opinion, I tried to imagine the article as a joke or in a sarcastic tone. 

I could not take his words seriously, and neither should any individual that considers themselves educated, intellectual, open-minded, accepting, and virtuous by any standard. “Omnibenevolent” does not mean loving all with some exception; it means loving everything at all times and without exception.

If Mr. Clarke feels so thoroughly convinced in his interpretation of the Bible and its criticism of homosexuality, I challenge him to a public debate to take place at the end of the semester. Despite teaching two classes and writing three seminar papers, I’m willing to take the time to do a little extracurricular teaching and put a stop to his bigoted pablum.

---

Lance Sacknoff is a graduate student in English.