Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Everyone has the right to change her or his mind. The events of our daily lives can over time cause us to change our outlook, beliefs, habits and so on. Even Saint Paul who often comes across as one absolutely certain of his opinions in his writings, underwent an enormous change in his conversion experience related in today's reading from The Acts of the Apostles (Acts 9:1-6). Saul, one of the chief persecutors of the followers of Jesus becomes Paul, Super Apostle.

Many theologians and scripture scholars attribute not only the rapid spread of Christianity to Paul, but also attribute the foundational structure of the faith to him due to his grounding Christianity in classical Greek philosophy. In so doing, Paul makes Christianity a new religion separate and distinct from the Jewish faith. Jesus was a Jew with little interest in creating a new religion. We have Paul to thank (or not) for the foundational thought we recognize as "Christianity".

I can't help but wonder what Paul would make of the arguments over equality for LGBT people. Often branded as "the heavy" in the condemnation of the LGBT "Lifestyle" by the churches and individual believers, I think Paul would be marching in the Pride parade in downtown Ephesus and demanding full access to the benefits of society and equality for LGBT persons. What our adversaries in the struggle for equality either don't know or don't care to admit is that the word "homosexuality" (itself a 19th century construct) did not appear in the bible until 1946+.

I'm no scripture scholar, but many I've read argue that the writings of Paul have nothing to do with LGBT people and are not a justification for denying equality. I'm not going to, nor am I qualified to expound further, but I will offer that the churches and individuals who justify their bigoted stance against LGBT people on the writings of Paul need to rethink their stance. They stand upon the shifting sands of a "scissor theology" that ignores the overall thrust of scripture which is ever on the side of love, inclusion and equality. If stubborn St. Paul was capable of changes, so are they!




* Painting: The Conversion of Saint Paul by Caravaggio
+ New Revised Standard Version, 1946 edition