Bibbia, genere, sessualità. A che punto è la discussione nelle chiese sulle relazioni omosessuali?

Text taken from the book by James V. Brownson, Bible, gender, sexuality: reframing the church's debate on same-sex relationships (Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships), Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2013, chapter 1, part I, freely translated by the Gionata Project volunteers

The Churches find themselves stuck on the issue of homosexuality. In many North American evangelical denominations, despite countless votes and debates on the topic, questions remain open, tempers flare up so peace and clarity seem unattainable. Over the past two decades, no topic has been more polarizing or controversial, especially for major churches.

Although the debate has often focused on the possibility of ordaining gays or lesbians in stable relationships in positions of responsibility in the Churches, the fundamental question is not simply a matter of ecclesiastical politics.

For most churches born of the Reformation, this question directly calls into question Scripture and ethics: What is the moral vision regarding gender and sexuality that Scripture recommends? How flexible and adaptable is this vision to different contexts and cultures? And where do gay and lesbian people, gender identities and marriage fit into this vision, in the context of a post-Christian North American society (ed and otherwise), marked by high rates of divorce, sexual promiscuity which Do you feel threatened by sexually transmitted diseases and abortions?

These questions and the broader issues surrounding gender and sexuality in North American culture explain why the topic of homosexuality is so polarizing.

The position of the traditionalists

I cristiani tradizionalisti ritengono che la Chiesa debba leggere “con chiarezza” le Scritture su questo tema. Per loro, la Bibbia considera ogni comportamento erotico tra persone dello stesso sesso come moralmente sbagliato. Si chiedono: come può la Chiesa trovare la forza per testimoniare le altre verità bibliche sulla sessualità in un contesto culturale che ignora sempre di più la visione biblica sul matrimonio, causando così profonde fratture nel suo insegnamento?

Per i tradizionalisti, quindi, la questione dell’etica dell’omosessualità rappresenta una “linea nella sabbia”, che determinerà se la Chiesa perderà la sua capacità di parlare con chiarezza a una cultura decadente.

La posizione dei progressisti

I cristiani progressisti considerano questa “linea nella sabbia” come fondamentalmente mal posta. Per loro, il dibattito sull’etica dell’omosessualità rappresenta un’occasione per consacrare le unioni omosessuali, per integrare le persone gay e lesbiche in una visione biblica e tradizionale con unioni fedeli e impegnate. Tali unioni, secondo loro, potrebbero fungere da testimonianza contro i modelli di promiscuità, divorzio e disgregazione familiare che caratterizzano gran parte dell’esperienza sessuale nella cultura nordamericana.

Progressives also note that the broader alarm raised by traditionalists about sexual confusion in society often has the character of scapegoating. They point out that drawing a line on homosexuality will not reduce divorce rates, abortion rates, or heal rifts among heterosexuals who struggle to live healthy moral lives. According to them, gay and lesbian people are being forced to pay the price for a Church that has lost its ability to make its voice heard on these issues in the current context.

A hermeneutic knot

This polarization is easy to document, but finding a path forward is much more difficult. Even if we put broader cultural issues on hold, and even if traditionalists and progressives made a sincere commitment to listening to and understanding each other, the deep divisions would remain. These divisions arise from a different approach to interpreting the Scriptures.

The need for interpretation

The central question is not so much what the biblical text says, But what meaning it has for christians today. It is about understanding how the Scriptures should be interpreted.

An example helps to clarify this point. Most Christians agree that it is not necessary for Christians today to observe the dietary laws of the Old Testament (Lev. 11; Deut. 14). This is because the New Testament, thanks to the work of Christ and the guidance of the Spirit, relativizes these laws (Acts 10, 15; Rom. 14:14; Gal.). In this case, the meaning of a text like Leviticus 11 depends on its role in the larger testimony of Scripture.

Likewise, there are biblical passages that are read differently today than their literal application.

For example, new testament christians Are Exhorted to greet each other with a “holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 1 Pet. 5:14), but today this exhortation is often translated into forms of more culturally appropriate greeting. The profound principle - expressing affection and closeness - remains, even if the requested gesture changes.

This hermeneutic approach teaches us to see each individual biblical text in the broader context of the Scriptures. This allows us both to extend biblical principles into new areas and to address particular situations not directly mentioned in the biblical text.

In summary, reading and understanding the Scriptures means going beyond an isolated or literal reading to grasp the richness and depth of divine revelation as a whole. It is on this basis that my approach to the topic of homosexuality and homosexual relationships in the Church is developed.

Original text: Introduction and Overview