Helping People Explore Supposed Anti-LGBTQ+ Bible Verses in Parkersburg, West Virginia
Revs. Cindy Briggs-Biondi and Darick Biondi are two married pastors who live in Kanawha County. Alongside our Director Rev. Jenny Williams, they’re the architects behind Justice & Jubilee’s work on resisting Christian Nationalism.
In the past year, the trio has led multiple full-day workshops, online classes, actions at the Capitol, and even a new Resisting Authoritarianism Bible Study.
Just last weekend, Cindy, Darick, and Jenny traveled to Parkersburg for a new workshop: Disentangling & Discerning Scripture.
Like other Justice & Jubilee workshops, a large part of the day was dedicated to learning about Christian Nationalism and how to resist it. This harmful ideology misuses Scripture to harm already marginalized groups.
“We sort of feel like this is our responsibility because Christianity and the Bible are being weaponized,” Cindy said. “That cannot be the only narrative that is out there. And even if the people doing that are super-duper loud, we have to raise our voices.”
Last weekend’s Parkersburg event examined Christian Nationalism more broadly, while also taking a deeper dive into the ways Christian Scripture is weaponized against LGBTQ+ people. Half of the day was dedicated to exploring the “clobber passages,” six Scriptures that are often used to justify homophobia and hatred.
“With the kind of hate that LGBTQ+ folks face from high-control religion, we see these workshops as harm reduction and the opportunity for repair,” Jenny shared. “Queer folx tell us all the time that their wounds begin to heal through these events and through seeing people of faith engage in public advocacy for and with the LGBTQ+ community.”
So, what does the BIble actually say about LGBTQ+ people?
Strikingly little when you consider that the clobber passages hinge on words that are notoriously difficult to translate.
For example, the Greek words malakoi and arsenokotai show up in a list in First Corinthians: “Idolaters, adulterers, malakoi, arsenokotai, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Malakoi can be translated as “homosexuals,” but it can also refer to men who are self-indulgent or in relationships based on power imbalance. The same is true of arsenokotai. Frequently translated as “perverts” or “sodomites,” it could also refer to sexual traffickers.
“Biblical texts do not explicitly acknowledge the concept of a mutual same-sex relationship,” Cindy said, “Pederasty was a common thing in Paul’s day, where there would be a sexual aspect to a mentor-student relationship. And that’s an unbalanced relationship power dynamic there.”
After centuries of hate toward LGBTQ+ folx, many of America’s mainline Christian denominations have taken big steps to affirm and include queer parishioners. These include the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the United Methodist Church. Same-sex couples can be married in these churches. And gay, transgender or nonbinary clergy can be ordained.
But regardless of this progress, many churches and faith leaders still push the narrative that God hates gay people. And nearly half of Americans believe in the fundamental premises of Christian Nationalism, which includes an explicit agenda to attack and erase transgender people.
Pastors like Cindy, Darick, and Jenny are equipping people with the tools to change that.
“We really care about people gaining Biblical knowledge because there is so much Biblical illiteracy. It’s dangerous,” Cindy said. “And so, part of our goal is to give people the tools to think, interpret, and understand Scripture. So, when they come up against folks who say, ‘The Bible clearly says,’ they actually have the tools to challenge that and respond.”
Attendees gave glowing reviews of Disentangling & Discerning Scripture. The workshop received an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars in 25 evaluations by attendees.
“It’s a lot to process, but I thought it was very well done and thought-provoking,” said one attendee. “I enjoyed both sessions very much! Thank you for doing this!”
Another person said they felt prepared with better Biblical literacy tools.
“I have a much deeper understanding and feel better equipped to walk with what I encounter,” they said. “Specifically, putting together the relationship between Church and State, throughout.”
Prior to this, Justice & Jubilee had already hosted full-day workshops in Charleston and Morgantown. Now, they’ll host two more before the year ends.
First, Cindy and Darick will host another LGBTQ-focused workshop on October 24 in St. Albans, with a special invitation to folx in Putnam County.
“If you’re LGBTQ living in Putnam County, you’re in an incredibly oppressive culture already,” Darick said. “Many of those pastors preach openly and regularly about how LGBTQ individuals are sinful, how they are going to Hell, and often how they are the cause of many of the problems the United States faces. All of this is more about control than what Scripture actually says.”
Then, the entire group will travel to Romney on November 14 for a day-long workshop called “Protecting the Separation of Church and State.” This event will equip attendees with a session about Christian Nationalism and a session about community organizing skills and strategies for resistance.
