Statements by Senator Marcelo Crivella (PRB-RJ) about homosexuality caused outrage in the gay community. On March 19, the senator from the evangelical bench said in plenary that homosexual behavior “is clearly unnatural”. Crivella used the Bible to justify his hatred against homosexuals. The Harpazo gay group, from Brasília, presented a very enlightening response letter to the senator. Instead of just attacking him or trying to discredit his religion, the NGO presented historical facts and pertinent analyzes about biblical texts and refuted fundamentalist preaching that being gay is synonymous with being a sinner. The text says: “We want to remind the senator that the State is secular. The senator is unaware of the reality, and remains oblivious to the violent consequences of homophobia that the GLBT population suffers. Every day in Brazil, homosexuals suffer physical and verbal violence (and even murder) for not being able to freely express their sexuality, which is a human right that must be respected.” Regarding the passage from the Bible used by the senator as proof that being gay is a sin (“a man who lies with a man as if he were a woman commits an abomination in the eyes of God” – Leviticus 18:22), the response letter is more than scathing. “According to some authors, the biblical verse appears to refer to temple prostitution, a common practice in the Middle East in the time of Moses. Qadesh referred to men who practiced religious prostitution as a form of idolatry, a common practice among polytheistic peoples.” “Some Christian churches have always condemned homosexuality because they consider it to be contrary to the laws of nature. The same Bible, in the Old Testament, stipulates that women must be socially isolated while menstruating, that parents must kill their children if they worship any god other than the One God and that those who work on Saturdays must be executed. Currently, few Christians agree with these practices prescribed by Leviticus”, they argue. For Harpazo, religious fundamentalists have forgotten the most important commandment left by Jesus, “the Gospel of Love”. Finally, the text notes that using two weights and two measures for equal things is, to say the least, paradoxical. “Interestingly, what is observed today is that all these prohibitions, with the exception of the expression of homosexuality, have been forgotten. People cut their hair, shave and eat pork or hare meat as if these practices had never been prohibited by Leviticus. However, homosexual practice continues to be considered impure in the eyes of God, while other prohibitions have been “revoked” by the Creator. Read the full text: HARPAZO (Christian Movement for Diversity), hereby responds to the criticisms of Senator Marcelo Crivella (PRB-RJ) in Plenary, this Monday (19/03), to the Chamber's Bill (PLC 122/06) which criminalizes – in the form of an opinion offense – any type of offensive criticism of homosexuals. According to Crivella: “The decision of the deputies to approve the Law in the Chamber ended up confusing the respect due to a person's individual choice with the use of the power of the State, through its body of laws, to impose on all citizens a behavior that is clearly unnatural.” The senator substantiated his argument that homosexual orientation is wrong by resorting to the biblical passage “a man who lies with a man as if he were a woman commits an abomination in the eyes of God”. (Leviticus 18: 22) Before anything else, we want to remind the senator that the State is secular. There is no confusion on the part of the deputies who approved PLC 122/06. There is confusion in the mind of the senator who is unaware of reality, and who remains oblivious to the violent consequences of homophobia that the GLBT population suffers. Every day in Brazil, homosexuals suffer physical and verbal violence (and even murder) for not being able to freely express their sexuality, which is a human right that must be respected. The senator is confused when he states that homosexuality is unnatural. Some Christian churches have always condemned homosexuality because they consider it to be contrary to the laws of nature. Likewise, if we interpreted the biblical text in a fundamentalist way, we could argue that celibacy, defended for centuries as the highest state of Christian life, would be “contrary to the laws of nature”, as it opposes the biblical paradigm of “grow up and multiply” (Gen 1,28:XNUMX). However, this is certainly not the most honest procedure for discerning the Word of God. The same Bible, in the Old Testament, stipulates that women must be socially isolated while menstruating, that parents must kill their children if they worship any god other than the One God and that those who work on the Sabbath must be executed. Today, few Christians agree with these practices prescribed in Leviticus. When we ask members of a church what their opinion is on these passages, they usually say that times are different and that we should no longer treat others with such cruelty. “After all, the greatest of all commandments is love”, they say without blinking. However, the same “Christians” do not appear to have the slightest qualms when condemning homosexuals, without at least considering that they are children of God and that they deserve to be treated as such. They decided, with no known authority, to apply the “law” of Leviticus (18: 22), naked and raw, ignoring the Magna Carta left by Jesus, which is the Gospel of Love. We also want to remind Senator Crivella that, on May 17, 1990, the WHO general assembly approved the withdrawal of code 302.0 (Homosexuality) from the International Classification of Diseases, declaring that “homosexuality does not constitute a disease, disorder or perversion” . The new classification came into force in United Nations member countries in 1994. This marked the end of a 2000-year cycle, during which ecclesiastical institutions presented homosexuality, first as a sin, then as a crime and, finally, as a disease. Confused is the senator who uses a biblical passage to support his mistaken argument and, on top of that, does not take into account the historical and cultural context of the Hebrew people 4.000 years ago! This condemnation of homosexual acts, referred to in the verse from Leviticus cited by the senator, comes from several causes: social, cultural, ritualistic and historical. The term “abomination” (to'ebah or toevah) is a religious term, usually used to condemn idolatry and not exactly a moral evil. According to some authors, the biblical verse appears to refer to temple prostitution, a common practice in the Middle East in the time of Moses. Qadesh referred to men who practiced religious prostitution as a form of idolatry, a common practice among polytheistic peoples. Sex between equals was seen as something outside the standard accepted by that culture, as it was associated with the practice of idolatry and violence. Today, with the exception of a few groups, many scholars treat these questions as interesting historical data that no longer make sense when they are applied “literally” in a more scientifically and socially advanced culture. Unfortunately, the biggest mistake made by biblical fundamentalists is their failure to observe the cultural context at the time of the creation of the Levitical law. Interestingly, what is observed today is that all these prohibitions, with the exception of the expression of homosexuality, have been forgotten. People cut their hair, shave and eat pork or hare meat as if these practices had never been prohibited by Leviticus. However, homosexual practice continues to be considered impure in the eyes of God, while other prohibitions have been “revoked” by the Creator.
