Quiroz 1

Christopher Quiroz

WRI 111

Elisabeth Whitehead

March 23, 2020

A Letter Concerning Your Sermons

Dear Pastor Mark,

While Roanoke, Virginia is a place that we are both thankful

to call home, I do not think that either of us would necessarily

boast about how tolerant and accepting it is, specifically towards

homosexuals. Or bisexuals. Or transgenders. Or... Well, anyone

who is not heterosexual and cisgender. These negative feelings

most definitely stem from widespread Christian beliefs in our

town that homosexuality is not only immoral, but an utter

abomination. I was enlightened to this tragic truth the day that

former Virginia delegate Greg Habeeb visited our class and asked

what our stance on gay marriage was. Out of every person in the

class (except for my friend, Abby, who was genuinely too

frightened to say anything or even hint that her family was

Democratic), I was the only person unsure about the issue. I knew

what the Bible says, but I also had a close friend who was gay,
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and I was conflicted on how it could be wrong to be in love with

someone. So, I said I was on the fence. I thought that would be

the end of it, but my friend, Emory, made a conscious decision to

confront me after class to discuss my response to the delegate’s

question. Seemingly upset, he asked me point blank, “Why would

you say that? It’s clear. It’s wrong.” Emory was far from the last

person I would have in my life who actively condemned

homosexuality on the basis of the Bible.

As you already know, the Bible has a little bit to say about

homosexual behavior; six passages (give or take) are dedicated

to the topic. Having regularly attended four different churches of

four differing theologies and worship practices, I have gathered

that homosexuality is of the utmost importance to our local

churches – they seem to have a lot to say about it, actually.

Lately, I have noticed a similar trend in your sermons. A few

weeks ago I was talking with a few church friends, as well as a

couple day workers and this topic arose. As it appears, we have

all have noticed a pattern of brief, yet recognizable messages

regarding homosexuality that have come up in sermons.

Something to note about these messages, however, is that these

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sermons (for the most part) seem to have nothing to do with

homosexuality at all, yet the topic is given a good deal of

attention. Now, I know that due to the recent buzz about

movements related towards homosexual rights, many churches

feel the need to address these pleas for equality by reminding

people that homosexual actions, as outlined in the Bible, are

immoral and offensive to God. However, should they even be

preaching their stance as firmly as they are? Is it possible that

there is a much larger gray area to these verses than generally

thought and preaching the condemnation of homosexuality is

potentially heresy? I would say, with one hundred percent

confidence, yes. I truly believe, after an examination of the six

passages I mentioned earlier, there can be seen a clear, logical

reason to have doubt in the typical Bible translations we have

been presented with; therefore, it would be unreasonable to so

confidently condemn a theological topic that has so much

ambiguity around it.

The passages I would like you to look at in a new light are

nowadays referred to as the “Clobber Passages,” as these are the

passages many Christians use to “clobber” LGBTQIA+ members

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with unacceptance, intolerance, and even hatred. The first of the

passages is the infamous story of Sodom and Gomorrah located in

the book of Genesis, chapter 19. Dr. Richard Hays, who is widely

considered to be the world’s leading New Testament scholar,

insists that “The notorious story of Sodom and Gomorrah – often

cited in connection with homosexuality—is actually irrelevant to

the topic” (381). In fact, Ezekiel clearly states the sin of Sodom

when he says “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom:

she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous

ease, but did not aid the poor and needy” (English Standard

Version, Ezek. 16.49). The second passage chronologically is a

part of the Levitical Law which states, “You shall not lie with a

male as with a woman; it is an abomination” (Lev. 18.22). In his

National Book Award-winning volume, John Boswell explains “The

Hebrew word ‘toevah,’ here translated ‘abomination,’ does not

usually signify something intrinsically evil, like rape or theft

(discussed elsewhere in Leviticus), but something which is ritually

unclean for Jews...” (100-101). Now, even if this explanation was

somehow incorrect, you and I both know well that the Levitical

Law was fulfilled through the Atonement of Christ. His death and
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resurrection made it so that no one would have to be subject to

the numerous rules laid out in the Old Testament. Moving now to

the New Testament, the apostle Paul writes:

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.

For their women exchanged natural relations for those that

are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural

relations with women and were consumed with passion for

one another, men committing shameless acts with men and

receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

(Rom. 1. 26-27)

While this passage and verses before it are often construed to be

references to “natural revelation” or the perceived natural order

of things, it is equally as likely that Paul is referring to “cult

prostitution known to the Roman Church,” something that would

be very topical to the Romans to whom the apostle was writing

(“The Clobber Verses”). Along that same line of thinking, Paul also

writes to the Corinthians and Timothy, appearing to condemn

men who practice homosexuality – or at least, that’s what most

modern translations say (1 Cor., 1 Tim.). When looked at these

verses in context to the time (and the Greek translation), it

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becomes quite possible that Paul was writing the Corinthians in

regard to pederasty and male prostitution, advising Timothy to

speak to the Ephesians about their rampant male sex trafficking

(“The Clobber Verses”). I admit that these arguments are

condensed, but I highly suggest you investigate the volumes of

articles, books, and debates over these verses for yourself. The

references I pulled from are listed at the end of this letter for your

benefit so that you may gain a more in-depth knowledge on these

subjects.

These passages have been scrutinized for thousands of

years, but even more heavily looked into in the more recent

decades as the demand for LGBTQIA+ rights grew louder and

louder. My brief summary of these debatable instances in

Scripture are barely the tip of the iceberg; The ambiguity of these

verses cannot be understated. With 1 in 5 cases of hate crimes

reported in the United States being anti-gay hate crimes, and at

least one-third of those hate crimes being committed in the

household, should we really continue to preach negative

messages about homosexuality to older parents who very well

may have a questioning child at home (Marzullo and Libman)?

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Adding on to the concern, “26% percent of LGBT youth say that

their biggest problems are not feeling accepted by their family,

trouble at school/bullying, and a fear to be out/open (Growing Up

LGBT in America: View and Share Statistics). Putting aside the fact

that Christ Himself never once preached on the subject, is this

message of negativity and condemnation something that Christ

would preach if He had the audience that you have presently? I

think it is quite fair to say that the majority of the congregation

(which primarily consists of middle-aged conservatives) already

believes homosexuality is wrong. I believe that at this point, there

is no need to continue preaching these anti-gay ideas into their

heads when it has already been conveyed to them their whole

lives. 

Your duty as a pastor is to tell the congregation what you

believe they need to hear, to guide them toward the path the Son

has made available to us. I absolutely love our church and the

people you have led and mentored. When I came to this church, it

was a safe haven for me, and I am so thankful that it continues to

be that to this day. I know that you intend to guide your people

toward what is good, true, and beautiful, as this is our intended

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mission given to us directly by God. While I would love to hear

you preach on the truth that there are gray areas in the Bible

regarding homosexual actions, thereby letting the congregation

decide what they think for themselves, I am not asking you to do

that. Instead, after considering how there is a fair amount of

reasonable conjecture on the translation of the “Clobber

Passages,”  I would much rather hear a sermon on how we should

love every single person around us, regardless of their race,

gender-identification, or sexual orientation. This simple yet bold

choice may not necessarily be what the people of St. John are

expecting. But that, Pastor Mark, is exactly what your

congregation needs to hear.

In Christ,

Christopher John Quiroz

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Works Cited

English Standard Version. Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com.

Accessed 23 Mar. 2020.

Boswell, John. Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality:

Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the

Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century. University of

Chicago Press, 1980.

Hays, Richard B. The Moral Vision of the New Testament:

Community, Cross, New Creation: A Contemporary

Introduction to New Testament Ethics. 1st ed,

HarperSanFrancisco, 1996.

Human Rights Campaign. “Growing Up LGBT in America: View

and Share Statistics.” Human Rights Campaign.

www.hrc.org, https://www.hrc.org/youth-report/view-and-

share-statistics/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.

Marzullo, Michelle, and Alyn Libman. Hate Crimes and Violence

Against LGBTQ People. Research Overview, Human Rights

Campaign Foundation, May 2009,

https://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/Hatecrimesand

violenceagainstlgbtpeople_2009.pdf?
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_ga=2.5860147.1287941555.1584941327-

1466669290.1584941327.

“The Clobber Verses: Six Scriptures Cited at Gays, Lesbians,

Same-Sex Relationships, and the LGBTQ+.” The

PostBarthian, 11 Oct. 2017,

https://postbarthian.com/2017/10/11/clobber-verses-six-

scriptures-cited-gays-lesbians-sex-relationships-lgbtq/.