The satirical newspaper “The Onion” listed G-d as one of the most influential inventions of humankind in the December 16, 2009 issue. Concerning G-d, the article said, “This multipurpose tool has allowed billions to soothe their mortal fears while easily excusing a wide variety of unconscionable actions such as war and homophobia.”
While I am saddened that this portrayal of G-d’s role in our lives has risen to prominence, I did explain two weeks ago, in an article titled “The People Are Not the Heroes Now”, that the “war” portion is actually entirely upon the conscience of nationhood, and not that of any divinity. As to the “homophobia” portion, that and other types of hate like it constitute exactly what the religious war is: a vestige from bygone times that we do not live in anymore.
Despite not having electronics and having more time to think, overall, the people of the ancient world were not smarter nor wiser than we are today. They may have had much more to fear, and a more of a need for both conformity and lording over nature, all of which equate to greater barbarisms and cruelty.
Regardless of whether the accounts of torture as told by the Romans about the Carthaginians or by the Hebrews about the Canaanites are true, they largely reflect a definite truth—what we would consider as inhumane was, at least on some level, affirming their status as human to them. Tolerating the differences of others was a largely unthinkable notion at that time—or at least, more absurd than it would be considered today.
With that understood, one should also comprehend that G-d speaks through humans, and with the language and mannerisms of the time. If humanity is intolerant, then regardless of whether or not G-d feels tolerant, in order to be accepted by humans to create laws for a nation, he must adopt their customs.
Whereas nations such as the Polis of Sparta and the Roman Empire had no problem in accepting homosexual attachment, Ancient Israel was one nation that attempted to distance itself in practice—as Deuteronomy puts forth—from all other nations. As a result of protecting this form of purity in a somewhat mean-hearted manner, disapproval same-sex relations between men was mandated by the G-d of Israel, for the sake of keeping the state’s identity, something only made possible by the relative barbarity of the Ancient World.
Nowadays, religion has lost its attachment to nationhood, and is largely governed on an individual basis. Were Abraham’s promise repeated in the modern day, it would be “I will make a great nation into you”, as opposed to “I will make you into a great nation”.
One should realize that any laws in the Bible dealing with a national hatred—such as that towards Amalek in Exodus and Deuteronomy—or with executions or other municipal functions—such as putting to death the man who lies with a man as one lies with a woman—are vestiges from the time in which Ancient Israel was still a nation. The Modern Israel has made attempts to detach itself from the Ancient One, as any Israeli National Ceremony will make clear—so even to them, these laws fall out of use.
We should render to our practice the religious laws that govern us on a private scale. Whether or not religion mandated it, those who hate others will continue hating. In the current day at least in the West, religion is no longer a set of national laws, and has no reason to subject itself to the cruel abuses to humanity that a nation may stand for. This means that any homophobia in the name of G-d is just delusionally living in the past.