Does The Bible Really Condone Homosexuality, Premarital Sex?

Jennifer Wright Knust, Baptist pastor and professor of religion at Boston University, makes a number of shocking and unorthodox claims in her new book, Unprotected Texts: The Bible's Surprising Contradictions About Sex and Desire (Harper One). Her primary arguments are more than jarring, and even go so far as to challenge fundamental parts of the Christian faith.

She retells classical Bible stories, such as those of Ruth and King David, and reinterprets them to be stories of seduction and scandal. She argues that Ruth snagged Boaz as her husband by having sex with him one night, and that God blessed their union. She claims that David—as in King David, the one who killed Goliath with a slingshot—obtained his kingship by having a homoerotic relationship with Jonathan, the prince. Once again, she believes that God's blessing was upon him in this instance. A New Study Seeks Genetic Clues To Homosexuality

Yet, the most baffling part of all is that Knust concludes her study by declaring that in light of those arguments, the Bible can no longer be seen as an authoritative reference point for anything. She writes:

"Looking to the Bible for straightforward answers about anything, including sex, can only be a disappointment. When read as a whole, the Bible provides neither clear nor consistent advice about sex... If one biblical writer condemns those who engage in sex before marriage, others present premarital sex as central to God's plan. Just about every biblical commandment is broken, and not only by biblical villains... It is therefore a mistake to pretend that the Bible can define our ethics for us in any kind of straightforward way."

Ouch. As someone who strongly believes that the Bible is God's word to his people, reading Knust's assertions really stung. But more than that, I was left feeling utterly confused. Why would a Baptist pastor who had dedicated her entire life to studying religion want to undermine all that she was seemingly devoted to? Her Hand in Marriage: Biblical Courtship in the Modern World

It made little sense until I remembered the introductory chapter of her book. In it, she tells the story of how she and her family moved to a different state when she was twelve, and how the girls at her new school picked on her. They labeled her a slut for absolutely no reason and, to this day, she said it makes her empathize with others who are marginalized and mistreated by self-righteous religious groups. Knust writes, "It is a tragedy, not a triumph, every time some young person somewhere is crushed by the weight of taunting and shame inspired by cruelty masquerading as righteousness."

Cruelty masquerading as righteousness. Ohhhh... That's what all of this is about, isn't it?