For The Bible Tell Me So is a documentary that takes on a controversial topic- Christianity and homosexuality. When I watched the film, I was heartbroken at some of the persecution Christian homosexuals have endured, but I was also impressed with the scientific approach taken to persuade the audience that homosexuality is not a choice.
The documentary is a combination of theological interpretations of homosexuality in scripture and interviews with five Christian families about their gay children. Film maker Dan Karslake clearly is advocating for acceptance and love towards gay people. One especially sobering statistic shared with the audience is that gay and bisexual people are three to seven more times likely to commit suicide.
The Bible-study component includes interviews with members of clergy and religious scholars who calmly rebut literalist interpretations of Scripture passages. The most notable among these individuals is Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. These scholars explain that the Bible must be read within the context of its original culture and customs. One such scholars pointed out, “The Bible is an incredibly powerful weapon that can be used to justify violence and death. We must be clear that the Bible’s message is about compassion and love.” Archbishop Tutu adds, “I can’t for the life of me imagine that God sees these things as I will punish you because you are homosexual. You should have been heterosexual.”
The Rev. Dr. Laurence C. Keene- a wise, soft spoken theologian- calmly pointed out that there’s a difference between what the Bible reads and what it actually means. The idea of reading the Bible at face value without considering the context is a surprising 20th Century phenomenon. Before now, it was widely understood that the spirit and context of Biblical manuscripts were to be considered in addition to the actual words.
Interestingly enough, only 7 Bible verses cover the divisive topic of homosexuality. The most often quoted one is Leviticus 20:13, which reads, “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood with be on their own heads.” Romans 1:26 also mentions homosexuality- “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged sexual relations for unnatural ones.” A Jewish rabbi observed, “Just because its written in the Bible doesn’t mean thats the way we do it today.”
Although the interpretations and scholarly insights will cause a Biblical literalist to re-examine their beliefs, the true power of For The Bible Tells Me So lies in the interviews with real-life families. Gene Robinson-the first openly gay Episcopalian bishop- shares the struggles he has faced as a homosexual, Christian man. Robinson discussed the lack of integrity between what he was showing to the world and what he felt inside while he was still in the closet about his sexual orientation. When he finally came out to his wife, they both decided to let each other go, give back their rings before God, and release their vows respectfully and peacefully. However when Bishop Robinson came out to his parents, it made for an uncomfortable, secretive situation. Eventually, his mother and father came to accept their son’s homosexuality, and when Gene was ordained as a Bishop in the Anglican Church, his parents were completely light-hearted, relieved, and proud.
By contrast, the Poteat family from North Carolina was still working to accept their daughter Tonia’s homosexuality. Both preachers, the parents are still uncertain, saying they cannot yet rejoice the fact that her daughter is in love with another woman. Fortunately, Tonia went to Yale where she started a support group for fellow LGBT people, so she did not fight alone. Mary Lou Wallner and her daughter Anna didn’t have a happy ending. Anna committed suicide not long after Mary Lou wrote to her a strongly worded letter of disapproval. Mary Lou is now an activist for acceptance of gay people within the Christian community, and she says, “I now have hundreds of surrogate gay and lesbian Annas, and I love and accept them just as they are.”
Perhaps the most gripping story in For The Bible Tells Me So is that of the Reitans, a Lutheran family living in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. When teenage son Jake told his parents he is gay, his traditional parents were shocked. “It hit me so hard I felt like I had just had a death in the family or someone had kicked me in the stomach and it was that way for months,” his father recalls. With time, Jake’s parents came to join him in his activism, horrified by the anti-homosexual stances of James Dobsen’s Focus on the Family. Dr. Dobsen has taken an unquestionable stance against all forms of homosexuality, calling it a preventable disorder that must be eradicated from young men and women. “My daughter is dead because of the mistruths taught by [James Dobsen’s] church, Mary Lou In a peaceful protest outside of Dobsen’s organizational headquarters, Jake stands with his arms around his parents. “This is what it means to be a family!,”, he shouted. They were arrested for trespassing as they tried to deliver a letter to Dr. Dobsen.
For The Bible Tells Me So avoids demonizing the religious right by simply presenting the families affecting by literalist interpretations of Scripture and letting them tell their story. Karslake accomplishes two things with this film. First, through theologians and everyday people, he reminds us that Scripture should never be used as an excuse to persecute human beings. Second, it refutes the commonly held notion that you can either be gay or religious.
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