In response to Mr. Tews’ Feb. 10 letter, “Bible, Christianity define gay as sin,” I would like to offer another interpretation of the Bible. This sacred text is a very complicated compilation of documents written by multiple authors across many years. As any other text, it often addresses the political and social issues of the day, and a realistic reading acknowledges its subtle ties, contradictions, parables, metaphors, old laws, new commandments, etc.

One must carefully weed through the many historical tales of battles and family feuds; but in the New Testament, we find the history and words of a great social progressive. Jesus was a radical activist who broke all the rules of the religious/political establishment by associating with, even breaking bread with, the pariahs of the time: prostitutes, tax collectors and lepers. The religious institution constantly harassed him, trying to trap him in doctrinal contradictions, chastising him for healing on the holy Sabbath day, but Jesus revealed that he was more concerned with a higher law: the law of love.

When asked during one of these interrogations what was the greatest commandment, Jesus replied that it was to love God and that the second was to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:28-34). He clearly taught love and compassion were far more important than judging sinners.

Aside from just being contrary to the spirit of love implicit in Jesus’ teachings, Mr. Tews’ interpretation of the Bible’s stance on homosexuality ignores the historical setting. Many of this book’s verses have been, and must be, reinterpreted in the context of modern morality — remember that the Bible may be used to justify slavery (Ephesians 6:5-9).

When deciding what passages of the Bible to take literally as moral imperatives, we may look to the compass found in Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 13:8-10), “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Laura Hatfield

Senior

Genetics