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For the Bible Tells Me So

Homosexuality in the Bible

By GERALD PEARY | October 10, 2007

2.5 Stars

The Gephardt family

Daniel Karslake’s earnest documentary offers a string of familiar but poignant true-life stories of young gays and lesbians being alienated from mom and dad. In this case, all the parents are zealous fundamentalist Christians whose dread of homosexuality comes from their church’s teaching that it’s an “abomination,” as the Scriptures call it. For the Bible Tells Me So (title from the children’s hymn that begins “Jesus loves me, this I know”) pits bullying, boorish Bible-literalist evangelists against liberal scholars and religious leaders who explain that those seemingly homophobic words in the Bible have been misinterpreted and need to be contextualized. Meanwhile, we see hopeful examples of Jesus-loving parents learning to live comfortably with their children’s homosexuality. These include ex-presidential candidate Dick Gephardt and his lesbian daughter, Chrissy. Dick and Lynne Cheney didn’t make the cut.

Topics: Reviews , Culture and Lifestyle, GLBT Issues, Special Interest Groups, More

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