The Silver Screens of Sodom

The Bible is as much a guide to sex as the Kama Sutra is a guide to satellite repair. But fundamentalist Christians have extracted two statements from its pages and used them to rule out tolerance of homosexuality – other than the “love the sinner” sort. For The Bible Tells...

By Penn Bullock

October 4, 2007

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The Bible is as much a guide to sex as the Kama Sutra is a guide to satellite repair. But fundamentalist Christians have extracted two statements from its pages and used them to rule out tolerance of homosexuality – other than the “love the sinner” sort. For The Bible Tells Me So, an award-winning documentary by Daniel G. Carlslake, reinterprets those hot-button passages, bringing Christianity and homosexuality into harmony. In its quest to transform Sodom and Gomorrah into the ´burbs of Eden, the film appeals to high authorities, among them Bishop Desmond Tutu, a Harvard expert, and Richard Gephardt. The latter, an ex-Speaker of the House, explains how he’s reconciled his religious views to include his lesbian daughter. The film also explores other Biblical “abominations,” like the consumption of shrimp. The film screens tonight at 6 p.m. at Cinema Paradiso (503 SE Sixth Ave, Fort Lauderdale) as part of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Tickets range $5 to $8. Call 954-760-9898, or visit www.fliff.com.
Wed., Oct. 10, 2007

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.