Keeping the Faith

Dr. Laurence Keene — featured in the powerful, moving documentary, For The Bible Tells Me So — talks God and gays

BY JONATHAN RIGGS

FRONTIERS: How did you get involved with For The Bible Tells Me So?

DR. LAURENCE KEENE: Dan Karslake, the producer and a very close friend, was a member of the church where I ministered for many years. My wife and I performed the love commitment ceremony for him and his significant other. When he asked me to be the first person interviewed, I was more than happy to participate in this meaningful venture.

What would you say to someone who asks, "Can you be gay and a Christian?"

I would say that the scriptures do not condemn homosexuals. The scripture did not even discuss sexuality (homosexuality or heterosexuality). It only discusses certain kinds of behavior, not the sexual “essence” of people. Whether the scripture actually even talks about loving, committed relationships between people of the same gender is the discussion we are having today. I think it does not. Yes, I believe gay people can be Christians—and vice versa.

What's the reaction been to the film?

I have had people—both straight and gay—write me from all around the country speaking of how they have been helped. I am in communication with people who have asked for further instruction about how they can understand the Bible passages (better) that seem to address the subject of homosexuality. There will be those who will be bothered by the film's conclusions about this subject, but this documentary is the first means we have had to get this matter out into the open and discussed. It should be good for all of us.

In the film, you talk about the difference between "what the Bible says" and "what the Bible reads." What is it?

When we read the Bible, our first inclination is to assume that what we are reading in “plain English” is what it is saying. First of all, what we read is not always plain (even though it may seem so). This is all the more true of scripture that has been written two and three thousand years ago. It is not always an easy task—great skill and scholarship have to be invested in such an activity. It is the height of arrogance to think that we can always just open the Good Book and understand what is being spoken without giving careful consideration to the history, the social and geographic context of the spoken words, the cultural ideas prevalent at the time, who is doing the speaking and to whom they are speaking, etc. What the Bible “reads” is simply the sum total of the words being read. What the Bible “says” is what it “means” after careful and prayerful consideration of the meaning of the text. That is why we are having this sometimes heated discussion on homosexuality and the scripture.

What would you say to a Christian struggling to accept his or her own homosexuality?

“To thine own self be true.” One's identity is a non-negotiable matter. Admit it. Honor it. Thank God for it, for it is your gift from God. Affirm it. Be proud of it.

What do you think is the best thing about religion?

The best thing is also its worst—religion helps us to feel greater than we are. It gives us an elevated sense of reality and enables us to identify with that greater good. It helps us to experience “transcendence.” But the danger of such a heady experience is sometimes arrogance…egotism…self-centeredness. Humility is the antidote for such an evil. It is important that humility comes to us all in large doses.

What is the true essence of Christianity?

To love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Love is always good, regardless of the form it takes.

For the Bible Tells Me So will be screened at Christ Chapel of the Valley (www.christchapel.com; 11050 Hartsook St. North Hollywood) for free on two nights: Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 12 and 13. Dr. and Mrs. Keene will appear after each screening for a Q&A. Dr. Keene also welcomes questions at keene_talk@sbcglobal.net.

ON SCREEN

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

Starring Anamaria Marinca, Vlad Ivanov
NR, 113 min. (IFC First Take/Red Envelope Entertainment)
****

When it comes to using short descriptions in trying to recommend a film, “the Romanian abortion movie” is not the kind of tag line that makes people run to the cineplex. But 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days—a drama about a woman trying to help a friend secure an illegal abortion in the waning days of the repressive Ceaucescu era—demands to be seen. For one thing, it's not really about the politics of abortion itself; already, both pro-life and pro-choice activists have said the film speaks for them, and that in itself is high praise. What director Cristian Mungiu has created is a taut thriller of Hitchcockian proportions—the takes run long, and we see the characters desperately trying to pull off this illegal procedure, as the clock ticks, potential squealers see or hear something they shouldn't, and anyone who has power to abuse will do so. Bolstered by powerful performances and almost unbearable stretches of chest-tightening suspense, 4 Months is 2007's best film. Do. Not. Miss. It. —ALONSO DURALDE

Teeth

Starring Jess Wexler, John Hensley, Lenny von Dohlen
R, 88 min. (Roadside Attractions)
**

The myth of the vagina dentata is as old as man's fear of female sexuality—which is to say, as old as time itself. But gay filmmaker Mitchell Lichtenstein (son of Roy, star of The Wedding Banquet) doesn't have gynephobia on the brain with Teeth, his comedy-horror spin on ladyparts with a bite. If anything, it's female empowerment he's after, with his abstinence-preaching heroine Dawn (Wexler) evolving from a girl terrified of her own sexuality to a woman who understands and appreciates her own power in a male-dominated society. (Once the sexual floodgates are opened, she's forced to use her chompers over and over again.) As a first-time filmmaker, alas, Lichten-stein encounters difficulties in trying to be both satirical and scary at the same time, and it's this imbalance of tone that puts Teeth in the “nice try” category. He's absolutely a new filmmaker worth watching, though. —A.D.

LIMITED RUN

The Violin

The most internationally awarded film from Mexico (surpassing Amores Perros), follows the story of a harmless violin player who tries to recover ammunition hidden by the military in a seized village, as he supports the guerrilla movement. For one week only. Nuart Theater. Fri., Jan. 4. www.landmarktheatres.com.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Director Julian Schnabel introduces his dramatization of French Elle magazine fashion editor, who suffers a stroke that rendered him completely paralyzed with the exception of one eye. His jet setting lifestyle is cross-examined by his active imagination. Aero Theater. Thur., Jan. 10. 7:30 p.m. www.americancinematheque.com.

Classic Mexico: Three Films by Gabriel Figueroa

Considered the preeminent cinematographer of Mexico's Golden Age of Film, Figueroa captured landscapes as beautiful as the women he photographed. Enamorada takes place during the Juarez Revolution when a liberal general falls head over heels for the hotheaded daughter of the town's wealthiest reactionary. Harold M. Williams Auditorium at the Getty Center. Sat., Jan. 12. 7:30 p.m. Free. 310/440-7300. www.getty.edu.

Caramel

A Beirut beauty salon plays unassuming stage to the lives of five vibrant women whose adventures in life and love encapsulate the rhythms of the surrounding city. A dazzling cast made this ensemble comedy a sleeper hit at Cannes Film Festival. Billy Wilder Theater, Hammer Museum. Mon., Jan. 14. 7:30 p.m. $10. www.cinema.ucla.edu.

HOMO MUST

Of Men And Gods

Shot in Haiti, this documentary shows how some gay men regard themselves as “children” of the gods through Vodoo, therefore provided with divine protection. These men attempt to find meaning in their lives amid a society, in which their sexuality remains a taboo subject. Rigler Theatre @ The Egyptian. Wed., Jan. 16. 7:30 p.m. www.outfest.org.

Worth Repeating

The Gay Deceivers [1969]

There's nothing like an obscure filmmaker's take on gay life, especially in the waning years of the 1960s, and I can honestly say that I don't think there's much out there quite like The Gay Deceivers, a film as full of clichés as the sets' shag rugs are deep. In order to avoid being shipped off to Vietnam, Danny (Kevin Coughlin) and Elliot (Lawrence P. Casey) pose as lovers in an attempt to fool the draft board. Unfortunately for the boys, a dubious Colonel doesn't buy the ruse and begins to investigate the two, and thus whacky hijinks ensue. The pair rent a cottage built just for two in the gayborhood, a cottage that is almost as wretchedly camp as their landlord Malcolm (Michael Greer), a character that could only be described as the would be lovechild of Paul Lynde and Bruce Vilanch. While there's better acting and writing in most of the fare being offered on Lifetime Television, and the film does portray gay men en masse as mincing rococo laden poufs, The Gay Deceivers does have some fine fun filled moments—the final scene is a great comment on the American military machine—and if nothing else, it's great to have around for when a party begins to lull and you need something for the crowd to crow about, for there is one particular party scene of note, and nothing pleases a bunch of bitchy queens more than sniping about another bunch of bitchy queens. —JAMIE BARTON

DVD Throwdown

POLITICS VS. PAGEANTS

I have to confess—I've never been very politically minded. Oh sure there was the “He Did It” button pinned to my book bag during the Clarence Thomas hearing back in high school and I've participated in numerous “Take Back the Night”-style marches since moving to West Hollywood—but I'm just not the type to keep up with what's going on with our government, local or otherwise. Of course when something really ruffles my feathers I dig in with both heels and my Southern love for anything grassroots takes hold.

Which brings me to our first film: Ballot Measure Nine from Sovereign Distribution. This documentary tells the story of a group of small town conservatives calling themselves the Oregon Citizens Alliance (O.C.A.) who, in 1992, petitioned to have discrimination against gays written into the state's constitution. The ballot measure would have added the following text to Oregon's constitution: “All governments in Oregon may not use their monies or properties to promote, encourage or facilitate homosexuality, pedophilia, sadism, or masochism. All levels of government, including public education systems, must assist in setting a standard for Oregon's youth which recognizes that these behaviors are abnormal, wrong, unnatural and perverse and they are to be discouraged and avoided. “ Thankfully this was defeated with a vote of 638,527 in favor and 828,290 against.

This is one of those films in which I had to fight the urge to snap the television off. Watching these misguided citizens and the hate being spread by the O.C.A. made my blood boil. At one point my boyfriend stuck his head in the room and asked if I was arguing with the television again. The answer was a resounding yes.

The other side of our Throwdown coin is another documentary—this one dealing with the heartbreak and elation of The World's Most Beautiful Transsexual Pageant—Trantasia from Smocko Productions. Entertaining? Certainly, with it's profiles of the contestants and all the backstage drama you can eat—and I'm sure it would have earned high marks from me had it not been paired against something that elicits such overwhelming emotion as Ballot Measure Nine.

So the winner is clear: Ballot Measure Nine takes home this crown (sorry ladies). Not that this is a film I ever want to watch again but it is one I think every gay man and woman should see. This documentary puts a face on the enemy and gives insight into the tools they use against us in this war. Add this title to your Netflix queue and settle in for a night of unsettle—the big bad wolf is closer than you think. —GEORGE SKINNER

ON DVD

Indie Sex

John Cameron Mitchell, Dita Von Teese
***

This often-fascinating IFC miniseries explores sex on celluloid from film’s first frame shot until now. What’s particularly interesting is that the commentary goes beyond the expected mainstream multiplex fare and also looks at super-indie flicks and stag films to explore why the Hays Code was abolished, a ratings system was initiated and how the market place sometimes dictates censorship itself by forgoing art for the sake of money. With the same talking heads in each segment, the series can seem too repetitive for one sitting, but things get gay, gay, gayer as the segments go on, with glimpses of Cruising, Boys In The Band, Shortbus, and Showgirls. There’s even a whole segment about the “forbidden penis” on film and, yes boys, they show the goods. —WALLY KING

Torchwood: The Complete First Season

John Barrowman, Eve Myles
**

This Dr. Who spin-off created by Russell T. Davies (Queer As Folk) was a rating success for fledgling BBC America when it aired, but honestly, I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. Sure, I can see the appeal of its easy-on-the eyes cast—especially its tall drink-of-water lead John Barrowman—but this sci-fi/fantasy plays more like a CSI knock-off set in a space-age UK than a true sci-fi fanboy, gayboy fantasy. Yes, the rumblings are true: actor Barrowman is gay, and his character Captain Jack Harkness is bi-sexual). Maybe that’s part of the problem: Torchwood tries to be many things to many people, and having a bi-sexual lead character leaves too many options open. He leads a troupe called the Torchwood Three (which is actually a team of five—don’t ask) and they’re true 21st century bad asses who take on aliens of all shapes and forms (yes, one episode features an alien who eats orgasms. Not a typo.) Okay, it can be fun. If the writers’ strike continues stateside maybe I’ll flip over to BBC America for season two…and a tall drink of water. —W.K.