fredag, november 21, 2008

Joseph And Others (translation of the below)

Not only do the 6 so called clobber verses not address GLBT or ”homosexuality” (a medical term from 1869, which has changed its meaning twice since then…) in any way (ancient, pre modern, Modern or late modern), as sometimes is claimed from Rome and American Political Calvinism in late modernity. For instance the Sodom story (Genesis 18-19) is about the Command to Hospitality towards “the Levite, the poor and the stranger”, as Deuteronomy says – a question of survival for those excluded from pre modern Societies). The Passages which really address GLBT-folks are quite different.

Furthermore, the distortion of the Sodom story as sexual comes, as D. S. Bailey showed 1955 in his Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition (causing some 45 references in the Bible, some by Jesus himself like Matt 10:15, 11:24, to be re-directed in translations after c:a 1960 from sexual to material) from 1st century Hellenist Popular Philosophical literature, incl. Philosophically challenged Philo of Alexandria (of the Museioon) and double traitor “Flavius” Josephus, né Levi (of 1st Jewish war fame, which caused the destruction of Jerusalem, for the infinitesimal time…) who never have been kosher in Judaism or Christianity, but have been exceedingly admired by anti Modern academics.

Places which do talk of GLBT-folk are for instance Genesis 37 – 50 (Joseph in Egypt, particularly Potiphar’s wife’s failed attempt at seduction, Genesis 37:9), Ruth’s Book (it is Ruth who says to Naomi “until death do us part”, Ruth 1:16-17) and, of course, 1st Samuel 16 to 1st Kings 2, with the well-known story about David’s ascent to power and his love for Jonathan (e.g. 1st Samuel 18:1-3) and King Saul, and his daughters Merab (1st Samuel 18:21) and Mikal (1st Samuel 18:28), particularly the Partnership formula 1st Samuel 20:42 (binding the descendants!) and Saul’s jealousy (“Thou son of a Harlot” in 1st Samuel 20:30)…

More Eunuchs (cf hidjra in contemporary India) besides Joseph are found in Isaiah 56 (where the god-fearing eunuch and the stranger are praised), Daniel’s Book (Daniel and Aspenas, and others). In the New Testament there are for instance Matthew 19:11-12 (“there are some who by birth, from the mother's womb are such" - i.e. not suited to marry) Luke 7:1-9 and Matthew 8:5-13 (the Centurion’s servant – Mark! the stories in Luke and Matt are quite dissimilar), and Acts 8:26-39 (another eunuch).

“Joseph” is by the way an old byname for GLBT, “Oh, had I been in Joseph’s predicament, Oh! had I been in Joseph’s predicament – I know what I’d done!” late 18th century singer-songwriter Charles Michael Bellman says (Fredman’s Song Nr 38) or “Joseph ein Joseph war” as I read somewhere about his friend and collabo-rator (e.g. "Adieu my dear child!" on the death of Bellman's son Elis) Joseph Martin Kraus. Both referring to the episode with Potiphar’s wife…

And this is authentically Biblical. The anti Modern hysteria may be admired in the present Government Alliance's dithering (over the Pentecostal "Christian" Democrat Party's pains) over Marriage legislation being made Gender neutral in December this year.

Inspired by a post on Elizabeth M. Kaeton's Telling Secrets click on the headline!

2 kommentarer:

June Butler sa...

Göran, an excellent post. Sodom is quite easily disposed of, in my opinion. It's obvious that story is about hospitality. The only instance that I would call a stretch is the relationship between Ruth and Naomi. To me, the simplest explanation seems a close mother-daughter relationship between the two. On all the others, I am with you.

Göran Koch-Swahne sa...

I agree that it is indeed also about mother and daughter-in-law, but it is Ruth who says those words, in verse 16:

From the Swedish 1917: "Try not make me abandon thee and turn away from thee. For where thou goes I will go, and where thou stays I will. Thy people is my people and thy God is my God. 17 Dither thou dyest, I will die too and be buried. The Lord punish me now and in the future, if I anything but death ever separates me from thee."

not Eve... (and in Sweden we have never used these words before the 1986 Manual... We always said "for better, for worse..." in the Marriage ceremony... Its the influence of American and British films ;=)