A LGBTI Perspective of Religion and its Teachings

Part 1: Religion
By Gary Konecky

This is the first of a series of articles that will explore the issues of sexual orientation and
religion. My goal is to help the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex
(LGBTI) community reclaim their rightful place in organized religion and to help this
community stand up to those who preach hate against this community. My goal is to
educate you so that when someone starts to throw bible verses at you and claims to know
the word of G-d, you will be able to defend yourself.

To accomplish this goal, I am going to start by asking; what religion is supposed

to teach us? The following are a series of quotes that I hope will provide an
answer.

What is our mission? What is expected of us? What does G-d want from us?

“…what the L-rd demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and
to walk discreetly with your G-d.” – Micah 6:8

On being true to one’s self and trying to live up to one’s potential:

"When I die and come before the heavenly court, if they ask me, 'Zusha, why were you
not as great as Abraham?' I will not be afraid. I will say that I was not born with
Abraham's intellectual capabilities. And if they ask me, 'Zusha, why were you not
Moses?' I will say that I did not have Moses' leadership abilities. But when they ask me,
'Zusha, why were you not Zusha?' for that I will have no answer." - Hasidic Rebbe Zusha

The Lord is my Shepherd and he knows I'm gay." - Rev. Troy Perry

On our duties to each other:

"Just as God clothes the naked... so must you clothe the naked. The Holy Blessed One
visits the sick... so you must also visit the sick. The Holy Blessed One comforts
mourners... so must you comfort mourners. The Holy Blessed One buries the dead... so
must you bury the dead." - Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 14a

"If all the sufferings and pain in the world were gathered (on one side of the scale) and
poverty was on the other side, poverty would outweigh them all." - Exodus Rabbah 31:14

On hurting each other:

"That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest
is the explanation; go and learn." - Hillel (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a)
"Not everything that is thought should be said. And not everything that is said should be
repeated. And not everything that is repeated should be remembered." - Rabbi Israel
Salanter

On marriage:

“Marriage should be available to all couples whose relationships are marked by fidelity
and commitment. Those relationships should be recognized by the state and blessed by
the church.” – Mark Beckwith, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark

On the world we live in:

"When God created the first human beings, God led them around the Garden of Eden and
said: Look at my works! See how beautiful they are, how excellent! For your sake I
created them all. Take care not to spoil or destroy My world, for if you do, there will be
no one to repair it after you." - Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13

When I look at this, I do not see preaching about sexual orientation as a priority. I do not
see condemning sin as a priority. I see us charged with caring for ourselves, each other,
and the world we live in. I see us receiving instructions not to do things that are hurtful
to each other. We are told to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with G-d.

If this is the purpose of religion, then why does organized religion single out the LGBTI
community as targets to be vilified, persecuted, and hated? Why is the LGBTI
community the recipients of so much pain from those who should know not to cause hurt
and pain? Could the answer be a simple as hate is a product that sells and generates huge
profits? Let’s look at something from the 2007-2008 GAAMC Pride Guide:

• Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network had 2005 revenue of over $236
million.
• James Dobson’s Focus on the Family had 2005 revenue of over $137 million.
• James Kennedy’s Coral Ridge Ministries had 2005 revenue of over $38 million.
• Alan Sears’s Alliance Defense Fund had 2005 revenue of almost $22 million.
• Donald Wildom’s American Family Association had 2006 revenue of almost $17
million.
• Pat Robertson’s and Jay Sekulow’s American Center for Law and Justice reported
2005 revenue of $14 million.
• James Dobson’s and Tony Perkins’s Family Research Council had 2005 revenue
of almost $10 million.
• Jerry Falwell’s Jerry Falwell Ministries had 2005 revenue of nearly $9 million.
• Tim and Beverly LaHayes' Concerned Women for America had 2006 revenue
over $8 million.
• Louis Sheldon’s Traditional Values Coalition had 2005 revenue of over $6
million.
Every organization on the above list is a right wing Christian organization that uses the
demonization of the LGBTI community as a fund raising tool. This is not about feeding
the hungry, or clothing the naked, or visiting the sick, or doing justice, or loving kindness
as described in the quotes above; this is about using hate to generate millions and
millions of dollars in sales and profits.

Is this to say that every preacher who condemns the LGBTI community is saying it to
make a buck? No. There are preachers who do feel homosexuality is a sin. I will deal
with their beliefs in future installments. I just find it telling that those who seem to
condemn the LGBTI community the loudest seem to have chosen hating us as a business
model and that they are using religion to become multimillionaires.

Religion is supposed to teach us how to relate to G-d and each other. Just as G-d loves us
and helps us, so we should love and help one another.

In the next installment, we follow up this analysis by analyzing this business model
in the light of Leviticus 19:14 and 19:16 to explore if this business model is in
violation of biblical teaching.

Gary Konecky is an interfaith minister. He is available for: marriages, commitment

ceremonies, civil unions, affirmation of vows; house blessings; baby naming; visiting the
sick (at homes, hospitals and nursing homes); funerals, memorial services; Torah study;
and speaking engagements. He can be reached at 201-791-5728 or
minister.konecky@gmail.com. Please visit his blog at http://gkonecky.blogspot.com/