How Relevant is the Bible to Our Values?

There has to be a reason – an explanation for the extreme polarization today between right and left. After watching a PBS  documentary on the subject last night, I felt justified about my explanation. Which isn’t that complicated.

I believe it’s is a matter of biblical values versus humanistic values. The right is far more inclined to place high value on biblical values while the left tends to dismiss biblical values as irrelevant to our modern sensibilities.

For Orthodox Jews the biblical values I am referring to are in the category of Mitzvos Bein Adam L’Makom (BALM) versus Mitzvos Bein Adam L’Chavero (BALC). There are 5 letters of the alphabet where this explanation becomes evident: LGBTQ. 

When a panel of  Christian conservatives was asked why they were so opposed to Democrats, they answered that Democrats have turned their backs on biblical values that were once the backbone of this country’s ethos.  Instead they have embraced a culture of moral decadency which is antithetical to their Christian beliefs. 

That is best reflected by how each sides views LGBTQ rights. The right believes that Democratic support for equal rights for LGBTQ people violates their religious principles since homosexual sex is considered a sin forbidden by God. A belief that was reflected in our sexual mores until the 70s when the APA removed  it from their DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).  Until then, Homosexuality was considered abnormal behavior to be treated with psychotherapy. That is the way I studied it in college.

When the APA removed it from their DSM and decided to call it an alternate lifestyle, that changed everything. Which eventually led to what we have today - seen by the right as the moral decay of the country. 

This of course has nothing to do with how gay people should be treated in our day and age. Which is with kindness dignity and compassion. But it does very much have to do with how biblical values are treated. 

If you are a religious Christian you consider gay sex as a violation of God’s law. and therefore consider equating it with heterosexual sex to be immoral and not to be normalized. (Making Pope Francis’s recent edict permitting priests to bless gay couples kind of ironic. But I digress.)  

The religious right’s opposition to granting full equal rights to LGBTQ people fits nicely with the pre 70s ethos. But it does not fit with the ethos of the left whose modern sensibilities override biblical prohibitions.  In other words only BALC matters. BALM does not exist if it conflicts with of BALC.

Truly religious Jews take both BALM and BALC seriously. Which to me means treating LGBTQ people with dignity and compassion. But realzing that BALM matters too. To religious people normalizing gay sex violates BALM.

One may wonder why I would talk about Christian values in the same breath as I do Jewish values. Doesn’t the Christian belief in their deity violate one of the fundamentals of Jewish belief? 

Of course it does. But I am not addressing their theology.  I am addressing values that both religions share based on a common bible: Our Torah and their ‘old testament’. That is what is being discussed here. Not theology. Nor is the Christian right trying to promote their theology by voting for Republicans and rejecting Democrats. That is not what their fight is all about.  It is about restoring the biblical values upon which they believe this country was founded. 

This is a very important difference. And it is why so many Orthodox Jews tend to be on the same political page as Fundamentalist Christians and religious Catholics. LGBTQ issues are seen in pretty much the same way by both religious Jews and religious Christians based on the shared values of the bible. Biblical values is also why Fundamentalists are so supportive of Israel. Which is why the left is less supportive. In fact the further left one goes, the less supportive they are. What the bible says about God giving thee land of Israel to the Jewish people has absolutely no sway for them

This is not to say that there aren’t other issues that divide us. There surely are. But the divisiveness that now exists between the left and the right is mostly based whether one values BALM or not.

The disdain the left has for the bible was illustrated by a comment made in 2008 by then presidential candidate, Barack Obama. Who said the following in his frustration over his inability to gain the support of the working class:

 "And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion 

The disdain for the bible is written all over that comment. Denials to the contrary notwithstanding. Which was cheered by the left who obviously feels the same way. Those among the left who claim any fealty to biblical values will point only to  BALC values. Never to BALM values.

The secular Jewish majority of this country is clearly in the BALC only camp only. That’s why most Secular Jews are Democrats. And why Orthodox Jews who also value BALM are increasingly becoming Republicans. 

As American sexual mores keep deteriorating so does the polarization increases. What’s true here is equally true in Israel, The divisiveness is along the same political/religious lines. Until October 7^th.that dominated the news cycle. 

Israel has bigger problems now. Which has united Israelis in common existential cause. It is heartening though to see some secular Jews becoming more observant because of the war. But for the most part , the underlying tensions are still there. They will resurface after the war and may tear  the country apart. 

I hope I’m wrong.