Reviewed by Melissa Garza
Over the years, certain groups have hid behind skewed and manipulated aspects of Christianity to spew hatred and bigotry against gender, religion, race, and sexuality. These groups have purposefully ignored scriptures advocating love, understanding, and non-judgment. Instead, they promote quotes without context to relay a belief system built on feelings of superiority and desires to hold an entire subclass of people down whether by restricting their ability to marry or going as far to verbally condemn them to hell.
“For the Bible Tells Me So,” delves into this topic showing the nonsensical sermons spouted by those who say they are holy but rather than discuss the way in which Jesus lived pushes their own conservative agenda.
One of the evangelical ministers shown was the famous/infamous Jimmy Swaggart who stated that if a gay man ever showed interest in him, he would kill the man and tell God he died. In Swaggart’s defense, he was clearly not serious in the statement. That said, it was still hateful and unnecessary. More so, coming from someone who is notorious for having sex with a prostitute 20 years prior, his rhetoric is not only clearly hypocritical but also in conflict with his own religion. As the Bible is clear when it states only those who have not sinned should cast a stone, Swaggart should remain silent. Even if he believed that the Bible was anti-gay, the Christian stance would be to let God judge rather than spouting hate.
Another key point in the documentary in regards to literalists (those who believe that the Bible is the literal word of God) is how they ultimately choose the elements they wish to fervently oppose. For example, the Bible states that one should rid themselves of all of their wealth and distribute it to the poor. Yet, when looking over famous Evangelicals like Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Farwell, one has to wonder what their motives truly are. After all, they were multi-millionaires and capitalists. Capitalism itself is a philosophy which would seem to be in direct opposition to the teachings of Christ – yet rather than redistributing their wealth, the opted to stand against homosexuality.
One thing that the documentary did not delve into which I always found strange is the often spouted sanctity of marriage and how gay marriage would somehow destroy this. Never do I hear the church or literalists spout on how the divorce rate has skyrocketed and how infidelity is extremely high within their congregations and themselves. According to a study conducted by The Barna Group in 2008, the divorce rate of born again Evangelicals is identical to the average of those non-born again. One third, or thirty-three percent of Evangelical adults have been married and divorced at least once, which matches the national average. If the sanctity of marriage was the reason in which Evangelicals spoke against gay marriage, why is it not with the same fervor they work to make divorce illegal. You would think as this is something which directly impacts their believers, they would work towards this goal with a feeling of even more urgency than Gay Marriage which really shouldn’t impact them at all. This is when the motives of this section of Christians become clear. It is only what they perceive as the teachings of Christ which do not impact them directly will they take a stand against. The spread of financial wealth is not something which is encouraged unless it is that of Pat Robertson’s viewers sending HIM money. The distribution of wealth as Jesus taught is wholeheartedly ignored by the Evangelical community. The breakdown of the family unit due to divorce is not something that is spoken out against. Never do you hear a famous Evangelical spouting how divorcees are going to hell and how the actual process of divorce is anti-God and should be made illegal. Why? Well, the easy answer is that all of the divorcees would take exception and find a more agreeable church. Still, to make money one needs to be controversial and act as though they have a message from above. So, they take on something which is barely mentioned in the Bible (homosexuality), put their own spin on it and make it their enemy. Why? Well, it gives the opportunity of individuals to deny the civil rights of those thus making them feel superior and closer to God, when in reality they are sinners doing exactly what the Bible says not to.
In regards to the way in which homosexuality is discussed in the Bible, “For the Bible Tells Me So,” goes to great length to interview scholars who understand both the context and language behind the misinterpreted scriptures. The most famous and misunderstood declaration from the Bible; Leviticus 18:22 states, “Thou shalt not lay with mankind as with womankind. It is abomination.” Within this same chapter, the Bible also says that eating pork and planting two types of seed within the same garden is an abomination. Funny, you never see Evangelicals protesting farms growing multiple crops! The confusion falls under the word abomination as literalists view the word defined in the manner it used today, however the translation meant that it was merely against the custom at the time. A rational individual should see that homosexuality was not listed in the commandments and therefore was not something that God was adamantly opposed to.
Another story literalists cling to is that of Sodom and Gomorra. This too is one that is misunderstood. Sodom and Gomorra was viewed as in need of destruction because it turned away people in need of refuge in fear of those coming in and taking their wealth. When Lot took in the two angels sent from God, the people of Sodom and Gomorra were angry and demanded Lot send them out so that they could punish them. During this time, a common practice to show dominance over another was to anally rape your enemy. This was their intentions. They were not homosexuals and the story of Sodom and Gomorra was not one that condemned homosexuals, but rather condemned those who turned away the needy out of greed.
“For the Bible Tells Me So,” also visit’s the story of religious parents who have a gay or lesbian child and how they coped at the time, and what they learned on their journey. One tells the sad story of a lesbian woman who is turned away by her mother and subsequently commits suicide by hanging herself. Too late, the mother has a change of heart but in her daughter’s memory she does her best to promote gay rights and tells her story so that her daughter’s death is not in vain.
There will always be opponents of Gay Marriage; however for there to be serious political discussion to prevent adults in love from marrying is ridiculous. Even for those who believe the Bible is anti-gay, they haven’t the right to deny anyone else‘s freewill. They haven‘t the right to push their definition of marriage on anyone else. It is absurd that in this day and age, it continues to be a fight for people in love to be bound in a wedding ceremony. There shouldn’t even be a discussion. True love is such a unique and amazing aspect of human nature that should be celebrated when found, wherever it is found. Regardless of gender, if there is a God, the love is of God and should be honored as such.
Though I am not religious and doubt much of what is in the Bible, I have respect for Christians, Christianity, and the belief system. I do not however have respect for hypocrites who proclaim themselves righteous yet sin against their God and continuously cast stones of judgment to feel better about themselves.
“For the Bible Tells Me So” is a must-see. Though some of the science discussed during a cartoon midway into the production needs some further explanation (how a woman’s body supposedly views baby boys as a virus and fills it with feminine qualities thus making chances higher for the youngest in a series of boys to be gay), the overall production is fantastic. The stories really bring a necessary face to the continued battle of freedom within the Christian lifestyle for the LGBT community.
Netflix watchers – it’s on Instant Watch.
Scared Stiff Review: 9/10
