Frei Betto beim Website-Interview 2011 im Dominikanerkonvent von Sao Paulo.

http://www.hart-brasilientexte.de/2011/01/10/mehr-morde-an-homosexuellen-in-brasilien-eine-grauenhafte-fuhrungsrolle-laut-uni-anthropologe-luiz-mott-angesehenster-schwulenaktivist-des-tropenlandes-lula-erfullte-verfassungspflichten-nic/

GAYS AND THE BIBLE

Frei Betto*

The pressure being put on the Senate towards avoiding the law which criminalises homophobia is surprising. Those who insist on segregating, discriminating, satanising and condemning same sex couples suffer from amnesia.

During Jesus’ time the pagans, the sick and those who exercised certain professional activities such as butchers and tax collectors, were discriminated against. Jesus had an inclusive approach to all of them.

They subsequently victimised indigenous and black peoples, heretics and Jews. Today it is homosexuals, Muslims and poor migrants (including “people who are different”).

Relationships between persons of the same sex are still illegal in more than 80 countries. In some Islamic countries they receive corporal punishment or are sentenced to death (Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Nigeria etc.).

On the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2008, 27 European Union member countries signed a UN resolution for the “universal decriminalisation of homosexuality”.

The Catholic Church gave a small step forward when it included in its Catechism the demand that all discrimination of homosexuals be avoided. However, ecclesiastical authorities remain silent when it comes to denouncing homophobia. We did hear, though, of their disagreement with the STF (Supreme Federal Court) decision to approve the right to civil union between same sex couples.

No one decides whether to be homo or heterosexual. A person is born that way. And, in the light of the Gospel, the Church has no right to name a person as being homo or hetero, but as a child of God, called to communion with Him and with one’s neighbour, the recipient of divine grace.

The number of aggressions and murders of homosexuals in Brazil is alarming. Urgency towards a law against homophobia is required not just because of the physical violence suffered by transvestites, transsexuals, lesbians etc. What is more serious is the symbolic violence which institutes social behaviour and increases the culture of satanisation.

The Catholic Church no longer condemns homosexuals, but it bars them from showing their love for persons of the same sex. Now, does all love not come from God? Does the First Letter of John (4:7), not say that “those who love know God”? (note that John doesn’t say that whoever loves God, loves…).

Why pretend that we don’t know that love demands union and then demand that union to remain on the margin of the law? In marriage the bride and groom are the real ministers. Not the priest, as many imagine. Can theology deny the essential sacramentality of the union of two people who love each other, even if they are the same sex?

Now, if you read the Bible literally then yes, in the patriarchal context in which it was written it would be strange for it to approve of homosexuality. But many passages infer it, like the love between David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18), the Roman centurion wanting  his servant to be cured (Luke 7) and those who were “born eunuchs” (Matthew 19). If we took the Bible literally, we would have to cut the throat of all who profess beliefs which differ from ours and hate father and mother, in order to truly follow Jesus.

We need to move from exclusive hermeneutics to hermeneutics which are open to various interpretations. The Catholic Church used to accuse the Jews of murdering Jesus; it condemned unbaptised babies to limbo; considered slavery legitimate and censured loans with interest. Why exclude same sex couples from civil and religious rights?

Sin is the acceptance of the mechanics of exclusion and the selection of human beings by biological, racial, ethnic or sexual factors. All are God’s beloved children. All have the essential vocation to love and be loved. The law is made for the person, Jesus insists, and not the person for the law.

Zeitungsausriß – auf Schwule spezialisiertes Todeskommando ermordete zwei Männer in Rio.

http://www.hart-brasilientexte.de/2011/05/17/brasiliens-homosexuellen-aktivist-und-schriftsteller-joao-silverio-trevisandie-menge-an-verheirateten-mannern-die-in-brasilien-ihre-homosexualitat-heimlich-ausleben-ist-skandalos-und-erschreckend/

http://www.hart-brasilientexte.de/2011/05/17/brasilien-hangt-deutschland-bei-den-homorechten-abder-freitag-mehr-morde-an-homosexuellen-eine-grauenhafte-fuhrungsrolle-luis-mott-schwulenaktivist/

Auswanderungsland Brasilien:  http://www.hart-brasilientexte.de/2011/05/24/brasilien-wurde-unter-lula-rousseff-zum-auswanderungsland-bye-bye-brasil-sergio-costa-soziologie-professor-an-der-fu-berlin-bestatigt-die-entwicklung/

Frei Betto zur Libyen-Intervention:  http://www.hart-brasilientexte.de/2011/05/12/das-system-libyens-die-dortige-regierung-ist-popular-hat-im-lande-die-mehrheit-hinter-sich-ich-befurchte-das-wie-im-falle-von-bin-laden-ein-solches-kommando-in-libyen-eindringt-um-gaddafi-zu-to/

http://www.hart-brasilientexte.de/2011/04/25/jesus-nicht-gekreuzigt-sondern-lebendig-verbrannt-auf-autoreifen-scheiterhaufen-in-oster-schauspiel-der-slums-von-rio-de-janeiro-protest-gegen-fortdauernde-scheiterhaufen-gewaltkultur-brasiliens/

http://www.publik-forum.de/autor/klaus-hart