Rainbow and values of diversity

By Steven L. Shields

According to the Bible, a great flood in ancient times inundated the earth, killing everything in its wake. That is all except for Noah, his family and an extensive collection of animals on a giant barge. We don't know how many creatures there were, for some Bible accounts say two of every kind; other accounts note there were seven. When the waters receded, the writers of the Bible stories tell us that a rainbow appeared in the sky as a sign from God that there would never again be a flood of such magnitude.

Although I've seen rainbows in the sky after a rainstorm, they aren't common. The light, the angle of the sun, and the water droplets need to be "just so" for a rainbow to appear. Yet, in everyday life, we see the rainbow of the Grand Creation everywhere. From the many kinds of flowers and trees to animals and sea creatures to the many people that walk our cities' streets.

Such variety is found in the hues of human flesh, language, cultures, and so many other facets of life. That's one reason the LGBTQIA+ chose a multi-colored, striped flag as a symbol to represent the many ways the human creation identifies and understands life and love, gender and sexuality. Such a flag represents the entire spectrum of humankind, for our differences are beautiful.

A few weeks ago, Queer Culture Festival participants celebrated at Seoul City Hall Plaza. City Hall Plaza, in the heart of the old city, is a secular place for citizens and friends to gather. The space has been used over the decades for many kinds of events, including Protestant-Cross-topped Christmas trees and giant sized Buddha images.

The Queer Culture Festival is a celebration of the diversity of the human population and the many ways life is experienced. Thousands gathered to celebrate, including several ambassadors to Korea from various nations and many religious leaders ― ministers, monks, priests ― from Christian communities (Catholic and Protestant), Buddhist communities and others. Sadly, the day was marred by the presence of imposter Christians who loudly try to disrupt the event.

Year in and year out, these folks smugly insist their interpretation of God is the "only" one that counts. They criticize those who reject their narrow interpretation of the Bible and their narrow understanding of the teachings of Jesus, the one they claim is their savior. Frankly, it's impossible to reason together with them.

Imposter Christianity has embraced unbridled capitalism, greedy consumerism and the power structures of modern Korea. The proponents of such "Christianity" and their followers seek power, fame and often riches. Yet, even a casual reading of the four gospels in the New Testament shows that Jesus pushed against the power structures of his society.

He was against control by the religious elite and had a counter-cultural view of economic matters. Indeed, he said, "give to Caesar what is due," but the Jewish council (Sanhedrin) and temple priests went far beyond that, setting aside many of their own morals and practices. They embraced the Roman rulers and used that powerful position to try to control society. Many countries, including Korea, have experienced such conditions in modern times.

The imposter Christians who shouted opposition to the Queer Culture Festival argued that City Hall Plaza should be used for "healthy leisure and cultural activities for members of the public as well as gatherings and demonstrations."

Yet, somehow in their minds, the Queer Culture Festival didn't fit that description, oddly not even their claim for demonstrators to express counter-opinions. They feel that the general public cannot decide which events to attend. They feel that they, and only they, should make the rules for the rest of society. Imposter Christianity is the ultimate hypocrisy.

The committee of Seoul City that approves events at City Hall Plaza failed to do their civic and secular duty. They were cowed by imposter Christians and shortened the festival to just one day. They also imposed other restrictions on the organizers, some of which were never part of the organizers' plans in the first place.

On the date of the festival, Jesus was found not among the imposters but among the several ambassadors who openly embraced the LGBT community on the day of the festival. Jesus was found in that small band of faithful pastors and priests who marched in solidarity with the LGBT community.

Some of these imposter Christians in Korea have conveniently mistranslated the Bible to fit their agenda. They cite specific passages to support their anti-LGBT power play. In some of the Korean language translations, they include the Korean word translated as "homosexual." Yet that word does not appear in the Hebrew and Greek texts. It's a modern interpolation that has been inserted by biased translators based on faulty understanding of both the intent of the language and the cultural context. This is nothing short of a power play on the part of imposters.

There are so many problems in society that need to be given attention. So I can't help but wonder why these imposter Christians are always thinking about sex. Also, I wonder how well they observe all the other "rules" in the ancient scriptures. For example, many types of seafood are strictly prohibited, such as eating shrimp. You cannot pick and choose. Literal interpretations of the Bible are a feeble attempt to hold on to an imagined past or a dreamed-of future detached from reality.

Rev. Steven L. Shields (sshields@gmail.com) has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. He served as copy editor of The Korea Times in 1977. He is president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea.