G Thomas Hobson: His Anti-Gay Rhetoric and Misuse of Ἀσέλγεια Relative to Jewish Mishna

Hi, JeremiahA--

G. Thomas Hobson cites T. Levi 17,11 attempting to defame Gay persons by equating us to “licentious persons…the lawless, pederasts, those who practice bestiality.”

He says ἀσέλγεια “may have been used to refer to what were regarded as the most shameless violations of the sexuality taught in the Torah.” The key phrase is “may have been used.” Hobson doesn’t advance a definitive statement because he can’t.

For Jews, the clarifying teaching of Torah is made in Talmud. Mishna neither uses the term “ἀσέλγεια” nor does it discuss Genesis 19 in terms of homosexuality - another fact Hobson conveniently omits.

He says, “Jewish writers almost always use this word in its sexual sense” appealing to the pseudepigraphical “Testament of Levi” to make his case. However, T. Levi has never been embraced by the Jewish community and its attribution either to Jewish sources which have been emended by Christians - or solely to Christians who foisted as a forgery is highly debated (see J. Davila, 1997). In any event, Hobson fails to cite the primary source, much less the actual Greek quote. Given his record, I’m unwilling to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Frankly, I’ll have to wait until summer break to counter the misinformation in Hobson’s article.

Thank you though, for making me aware of the anti-Gay rhetoric of Hobson and “The Presbyterian Coalition.” It’s good to know one’s opponents.

--ez duz it Copyright © 25 April 2011