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Jesus May Have Been Gay


AlanBrooks

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Posted

He never married, had no children.

He associated with men mostly (His disciples).

Alan, welcome.

 

Maybe. Or maybe he was just too busy traveling around to settle down and support a family. In any event, should we care?

 

George

Posted

Actually, given cultural standards and norms of the time and place, according to the gospels, Jesus seems to have hung out with women more than was considered proper at the time. Quite a few women are mentioned in the gospels as friends and disciples.

 

It was not unusual for men without property and means to remain life-long bachelors. Quite unlike today, men were expected to have established means to support and provide for a wife and children before seeking or taking a wife. This is why most common men, those that did not inherit wealth, tended to marry at a more advanced age than we consider usual now. This was because their early adult years were spent establishing themselves in a trade or occupation, and accumulating means to aquire a home before marrying. There is little in the gospels to suggest Jesus ever established himself in a trade, or of his having worked at gainful employment at all. The common representations of him as a carpenter has been an assumption based on references to Joseph, his father, or if one accepts Mary's virgin conception, his step-father, being a carpenter. It is interesting that Jesus is so commonly referred to as a "son of a carpenter" by those that also hold belief that his conception was supernatural and involved no earthly human father.

 

Whether married or unmarried, men were expected to socialize and form friendships, even very close friendships, with other men only, not women. This was both for that women were considered inferior company, seldom educated or otherwise informed on topics men might discuss, and that sexual mores of the time demanded women be kept sheltered from casual contact with men outside their family.

 

So neither that he hung out with mostly other men or that he is not recorded as having ever married is suggestive of anything about his sexual orientation.

 

And as George observed, of what matter is it anyway?

 

Jenell

Posted

As one of my gay friends pointed out... I don't view myself as "Steve the heterosexual " and he shouldn't be expected to view himself as "Jay the homosexual". Equality won't occur until when someone in introduced we simply think what a nice person.

 

steve

Posted

There is a verse I like. It is 1 John 4:8 and it says "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

I fail to see how anyone can love and then judge a person as unworthy of love on the bases that they are Gay, Heterio, bisexual, asexual, transgendered, male or female. It makes no sense to me.

Was Jesus married or single? Was he Gay or Heterio? I have no definite answer, but it feels good to me that he was human.

Posted
There is little in the gospels to suggest Jesus ever established himself in a trade, or of his having worked at gainful employment at all.

 

However Jesus was a priest, a profession held even more in esteem 2,000 years ago than it is today- in fact it was more than a calling back then. At any rate, IMO Jesus was bi, all that time He spent with his disciples, they weren't celibate all of the time. I consider much of what we think about history to be gullible: thinking Washington never lied, say; or that Reagan was saintly.

Or, take those who thought JFK could have remained vertical in the company of women!

Posted

Jesus was called "rabbi' as 'teacher'...he was not a priest, and only Levites were priests, which Jesus was not of that tribe.

Posted

Jesus was called "rabbi' as 'teacher'...he was not a priest, and only Levites were priests, which Jesus was not of that tribe.

 

Bah, you and your factual information. (I kid ;))

 

 

 

More on topic (well, a bit more on topic), here's an honest question: what depictions of Jesus' sexuality are there in the Gospels? Off the top of my head, I cannot remember any; if I remember correctly, he is presented in relatively asexual ways. Additionally, is Jesus depicted in a sexual fashion in any of the non-canon Gospels, like the ones that the Westar Institute published? I ask because I've never read those. I'm aware of the Holy Blood, Holy Grail argument that Dan Brown stole about Jesus & Mary Magdelene, but IMO that seems to be read into the text more than something presented in the text.

Posted

Its been a while since I read any of the non-canonical gospels, but seems I'm recalling that in the Gospel of Thomas, some of the disciples were jealous of his attention to Mary Magdeline, even that he kissed her on the mouth? Been so long I cant remember for sure, but I think that was in the Gospel of Thomas I read that. But overall, you are right, the gospels do seem decidedly lacking any hint to a sexual aspect of his behavior or nature. But then, that, too, could have simply been consistent with the times and culture, it just wasn't a practice to make note of sexuality in writing about anyone, and/or simply not relevant to anything about the ways he seemed special and worth writing about. Even now, writing or other relating someone's notable accomplishments or work commonly mentions nothing of sexuality as being not relevant.

 

Jenell

Posted

The topic isn't an important one; however it isn't entirely irrelevant. Rightists in America (the GOP being one of the most conservative parties in the world) use every method to have at gays- esp. selective Biblical quotes to not only dismiss what I call alternative-orientation, but also to attack alternate-orientation in the most confrontational way. So if there were to be any evidence indicating Jesus was different in actuality from the conventional image presented to us, then I want to know about it.

And some of you have furnished some clues above.

 

Say for Jesus being a teacher, priest, or any other title, it does not interest me. Whether one calls a priest "Father", or Man (or woman) Of The Cloth, or a protestant a "preacherman", or merely "spiritual adviser", or whatever is something I wont go with. One reason I mistrust churches yet attempt to trust those inside the churches: is too much pendanticism for my liking. I am interested in Jesus, not Christianity and nothing you write will change that.

Posted

The topic isn't an important one; however it isn't entirely irrelevant. Rightists in America (the GOP being one of the most conservative parties in the world) use every method to have at gays- esp. selective Biblical quotes to not only dismiss what I call alternative-orientation, but also to attack alternate-orientation in the most confrontational way. So if there were to be any evidence indicating Jesus was different in actuality from the conventional image presented to us, then I want to know about it.

Alan,

 

Even if there were any reasonable evidence that he was gay (of which there is none other than speculation), do you really think that would influence homophobic people? In spite of overwhelming (which is an understatement) evidence that the world is older than 5,772 years and developed over more than 6 days, some people insist on 'creation science.'

 

Further, homophobia is not limited to Christians, it exists among in other religions and among seculars (see bans in the USSR and Red China).

 

George

Posted
Further, homophobia is not limited to Christians, it exists among in other religions and among seculars (see bans in the USSR and Red China).

 

Of course, however America bills itself as the most freeand the Greatest Country (which would make it conceited!) In The World. We can go on with this point-counterpoint until Kingdom Come, but the prospect of hearing, for the rest of my life, mealymouthed anti-gay propaganda from alleged Christians in the Greatest Country In The World is something I can no longer countenance. No purpose in talking to Rightists anymore; it moves at a snail's pace. You may think it is the marketplace of ideas, etc.-- I think it is good cop- bad cop. Yes, I do. It is stringing people along;.

A runaround.

Posted

Alan,

 

I have neither said nor implied that homophobia should be tolerated whether it is with Christians or Atheists. But, I do question the value of claiming that Jesus was gay, particularly when there is no evidence that it is so.

 

George

Posted

AB wrote: "One reason I mistrust churches yet attempt to trust those inside the churches: is too much pendanticism for my liking. I am interested in Jesus, not Christianity and nothing you write will change that."

 

 

This statement is right on point of perhaps the single most important factor that from an early age in my life, and continued even now, that dreated a wedge between myself and "church Christianity". Perhaps I was even as a child a critical thinker, and often saw the mismatch between what I could read for myself in biblical scripture and what some preacher, teacher, or self-right Christian presented when they began with "now what God is telling us here is....."

 

I witnessed the most dramatic and clear example of that attitude just several years ago, while attending services at an AoG church very prominent in my area...Their practice there is to coordinate everything on any particular Sunday, from SS classes, mornnbing and evening services, bible study, around a particular "theme" selected for that day.

 

On the particular day in question, that "theme" was "God's special annointing upon/authority granted to all preachers, teachers, and officers of the Church." The idea was that God "protects" the "church", and its "true believers" from "wrong beliefs" and "errors in doctrine". That anyone given a position of teaching/influence within the church are inerrantly guided by God in everything thing they say!!! This was presented not as just what they might say in the course of presenting a SS lession or sermon, but even their personal and casual private conversations with other church members. This "theme' was further developed down to such fine detail as that if one of these "annointed ones", annointed by mere means of holding such a position in the church, even offered "advice" to a member with a personal problem in a private conversation, the member was to keep in mind that advice was coming directly from God's annointing on that person!

 

Even more distrubing, to my pov, was that also "worked into" this "theme of the day" was encouragement for all members to bring any and every private problem and matter of concern in their personal life to one of these "annointed" people in the church for advisement and "spiritual assistance" in whatever they might be dealing with.

 

That this church was at the time and had been for several years experiencing considerable internal strife and division involving power plays and games between several rivaling power/control factions, which was obvious even to me, an occasional casual visitor, and a serious decline in membership, seemed evidential enough to me that any and all those "annointed" were by certainly not, by God's guidance, "inerrant" and "of one mind in Christ." But that seemed lost on their reasoning.

 

It seems to me the ultimate desperate power play to declare that one is "right" because what one says is neccessarily "guided by God" whether what they say makes resaonable sense or passes a reality check or not.

 

Jenell

Posted

Generalizations about 'churches' or 'the church' are not valid. It may be true of many, but absolutely not all including the PCUSA church that I attend.

 

George

Posted

He never married, had no children.

He associated with men mostly (His disciples).

 

Alan,

 

As noted by Will Durant in Our Oriental Heritage, there are numerous parallels between Jesus and Buddha. While Buddha married and had a child, he left both his wife and (male) child to pursue a spiritual life similar to that of Jesus ... and with a very similar message. As a gay male I am reluctant to claim that either Jesus were Buddha were 'gay'. There is, perhaps, something deeper at work here.

 

Myron

Posted

Again, it isn't an important issue to me. However, when I hear that J. Edgar Hoover wore dresses, just for example, I think:

"is anything the way it appears on the surface?"

Posted

New International Version (©1984)

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

Children don't see any difference between them. They don't think she is a girl or boy. I feel the spirit doesn't know gender either. I think it is good if gay people think Jesus was gay and straight people think he was straight as long as it deepens the spiritual relationship. We all deserve the spiritual experience of true love.

Posted

Again, it isn't an important issue to me. However, when I hear that J. Edgar Hoover wore dresses, just for example, I think:

"is anything the way it appears on the surface?"

 

Alan,

 

Straight men can be cross-dressers with no connection to sexual orientation. The 'surface' you refer to is a social persona, or mask, that perhaps you mistake for real. If I follow your reasoning, then what about you is real? Unconfuse me if you can?

 

Myron

Posted

Still, perhaps Jesus and Buddha were bi, say.

 

But, based on what can you make this assertion?

 

I don't mean to be unfair toward you, but your reasoning seems to be that if Jesus was gay or bi, then it would make "rightists" uncomfortable. Therefore, Jesus was gay.

 

I'm pretty squarely in the 'straight but not narrow' camp, and am quite happy my denomination allow ordains gay pastors, but that seems to be ... flawed argumentation.

 

And Hoover has nothing to do with the price of tea in china.

Posted

Greetings Alan,

 

Welcome to the forum. Its okay with me and the forum if its your perception that Jesus was gay or Buddha for that matter. It fine even if there seems to be no conclusive evidence. However, what i would like to ask you is to properly introduce yourself in the Introductions area as you see others have done so we can get better acquainted and learn a little bit about your background and where you come from. It is customary for a guest member when coming to a new community such as ours that a member formally introduces themselves telling us a little bit about themselves, how they found us and what they hope to find here or share. This allows other members to more formally welcome them and share similarities in their journey before getting involved heavily in threads. It is especially important in this particular area of the forum which allows no debate and has some restrictions. Thanks for your understanding.

 

Would you be so kind to post a bit about yourself in that area at this time?

 

JosephM (as Moderator)

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