Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis. By William J. Webb. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2001. 301 pp. n.p.

INTRODUCTION

Sometimes I wonder if egalitarians hope to triumph in the debate on the role of women by publishing book after book on the subject. Each work propounds a new thesis which explains why the traditional interpretation is flawed. Complementarians could easily give in from sheer exhaustation, thinking that so many books written by such a diversity of different authors could scarcely be wrong. Further, it is difficult to keep writing books promoting the complementarian view. Our view of the biblical text has not changed dramatically in the last twenty five years. Should we continue to write books that essentially promote traditional interpretations? Is the goal of publishing to write what is true or what is new?

Supporters of gay clergy are impatient and want changes right now. They believe that traditionalists are too slow in responding to their appeals for justice and mercy. They do not intend to stop short of making as many changes as quickly as possible in every ecclesiastical setting that will hear them out and accept their views. Last week the goal of the gay advocates was to change the present policy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at its annual meeting in Chicago. By the time you read this article a decision will have been made.

In 1974, when I left the States to teach in "godless" France, the cultural revolution was a Left coast/San Fran' phenom', and America was still "Christian." When I returned in 1991, I was in for culture shock, but still never imagined what lay ahead.

One man warned us. In 1978, Pastor Charles Mcllhenny recorded his experiences after his church fired a homosexual organist (When the Wicked Seize a City). Church property was repeatedly vandalized and his family almost killed by a firebomb. "Law enforcement" never found the culprits. Mcllhenny used San Francisco as a striking example of what America might become. Are we "goin' to San Francisco?" as the 60s hit song asked?

Whose Future?
Recently a middle school in Ithaca, NY, cancelled classes and gave the entire day to lectures and discussion groups on homosexuality. A high point in the program featured an eighth grade girl describing her experimentation with lesbianism and declaring how good she felt about her newfound bi-sexuality.

In places farther afield, many school districts now include homosexuality and bi-sexuality as officially recognized and protected life-styles. Though all kinds of life-styles are now "protected," we should note this: it is no longer possible in the public classroom to affirm normative heterosexual morality. School has become a social power tool for a new definition of morals and social "justice."

On Thursday, July 6, the New York Court of Appeals ruled against same-sex marriage, demonstrating again why both the people and the courts of the United States are still unwilling to redefine marriage. The Georgia Supreme Court also issued a decision the same day, ruling unanimously that same-sex marriage has no equal protection under the law. The 4-2New York decision left the Massachusetts appellate court as the sole defender of the "right" to same-sex marriage. And efforts are underway, even in Massachusetts, to reverse this decision in a forthcoming 2008 referendum. Four other states have court cases pending-California, Connecticut, Maryland and Iowa. New Jersey has a particularly intriguing case that may offer the same-sex marriage advocates their best hope of all, given the history of that state's progressive interpretation of the law.

Homosexuals today commonly claim that they cannot help being homosexual. Homosexuality, they argue, is innate: perhaps genetically determined, in any case so deeply ingrained in their very being that it is, for them, an inescapable condition. Therefore, they conclude, church and society should accept homosexuality as natural and normal. Surely, they insist, it is unfair to condemn people for what they cannot help doing.

I saw it, and I'm not gay. I know that a contingent of the Christian community seems to think that by the mere watching of a film like "Brokeback Mountain", with its "communist propaganda" and "homosexual agenda" a straight guy might develop a queer eye, but nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, when I dutifully went to see "Brokeback Mountain" two weeks ago it was sold out. I could have chalked up the red flag to divine providence, but I had also tried to see "The Ringer" and met the same rebuff. Since I didn't want to believe God was overruling my desire to see the comedic star of Jackass fix the special Olympics, I couldn't justify skipping Ang Lee's controversial film that may well win Best Picture or Best Actor this year at the Academy Awards.