History expert says Jesus was asexual and angels are non-binary
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Rodney Wilson, the initiator of LGBTQ+ History Month, is clarifying the portrayal of LGBTQ+ identities in the Bible.
Following a landmark decision by the United Methodist Church to lift its prohibition on LGBTQ+ clergy, Wilson wrote an article for Advocate targeting global religious figures who justify discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals using biblical texts. He recognised that certain biblical passages “are not friendly” to homosexuals, asexuals, or those who are gender-nonconforming, ‘LGBTQ Nation’ reports.
“Of course,” he stated, “the holy writ can be awfully rough on a lot of people: women generally (‘women are not permitted to speak in the church’); young boys who mock prophets (considering the fate of the 42 boys who ridiculed the prophet Elisha’s baldness); non-virgin brides (‘she shall be stoned to death at the door of her father’s house’); those guilty of adultery (‘they shall be put to death’); slaves (‘slaves, obey your masters’); and the original inhabitants of the land during Moses and Joshua's exodus from Egypt to Canaan (‘they killed everyone, young and old, women and children’).”
He highlighted that the principal message of the Bible is kindness, urging people to “practice peace and harmony while loving one another, even against the backdrop of exclusionary social norms relating to status, class, ethnicity, or gender and sexual identities.”
He then referred to St. Paul’s words, “In Christ, we are neither male nor female,” and noted that both Jesus and St. Paul were asexual. Wilson noted that Jesus “never courted, was infatuated, kissed, or married a woman.” He commented that St. Paul led “an unmarried, asexual life” and promoted this lifestyle to others.
Wilson also mentioned that according to Jesus, gender does not exist in the afterlife. He described angels as “asexual, nonbinary beings who do not engage in romantic or sexual relationships” as per Jesus’s teachings.
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“Heaven,” Wilson remarked, “is a nonbinary paradise according to Jesus. Gone are male and female. Gone are heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. Jesus’ approach to this life invites everyone to the table, and his vision for the afterlife is more rainbow-friendly than many of his conservative followers acknowledge.”
Wilson concluded his essay by asserting that Christianity still holds relevance in the contemporary world through a more inclusive perspective, recognising Jesus’s progressive stances on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“Looking at it this way,” Wilson remarked, “the Christian narrative is a motivation for everyone to love their neighbors, regardless of sexual orientation, gender prescriptions, or which restroom they use.”
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