MOLI VIEW™

When I saw the trailer for Dan Karslake's provocative documentary on the chasm between homosexuality and the teachings of the scriptures, For The Bible Tells Me So, I found country singer Johnny Paycheck's "The Outlaw's Prayer" creeping into my brain. In the song, Paycheck drops into a random church on the road — inspired by the singing voices he hears inside. At the door, he's stopped by a parishioner who forbids him entry because of his long-haired, bearded looks. By the song's conclusion, Paycheck observes that if Jesus showed up at the same church, nobody would let him in because he looks like a country singer.

Better country than queer. If Jesus were gay, would he dare tell anyone? Based on a literal reading of Leviticus, he'd be put to death — same deal if he (or any other good Christian) eats shrimp. Harsh.

The point Karslake drives home in his award-winning film is that the teachings of the Bible have been exploited by hard-line Christians, as well as zealot politicians, to promote intolerance and bigotry. Unlike during Biblical times, people are no longer put to death for working on the Sabbath. Karslake suggests that, similarly, it's time to update the church's official stance on same-sex unions.



For The Bible Tells Me So follows the stories of five typical American families of faith who have produced gay offspring and how they've reconciled their desire for traditional religious conventions with the need to love, nurture, and support their children. Former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt (whose gay daughter Chrissy helped him campaign for his 2004 presidential bid) appears in the film, as does gay Episcopal priest Bishop Gene Robinson.

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