Ian McKellen 'Proudly' Rips Leviticus 18:22 Out of All Bibles
Posted Monday 02 November 11:50 AM By: PopEater Staff
Note to hotel managers: unless you want it to be altered forever, remove that
Bible from Sir
Ian McKellen's bedside drawer before he shows up.
In a Q&A with
Details magazine, the openly gay 'Lord of the Rings' star admits to a habit of tearing out the Bible passage that condemns homosexuality -- Leviticus 18:22 -- every time he finds one in his hotel room. The passage: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
"I'm not proudly defacing the book," he asserts, "but it's a choice between removing that page and throwing away the whole Bible."
McKellen says his actions have inspired others to do the same. "I got delivered a package of 40 of those pages that had been torn out by a married couple I know. They put them on a bit of string so that I could hang it up in the bathroom."
The actor, who didn't come out of the closet until he was 49, talks openly about hiding his sexuality in order to build a successful career. "Acting was a means to publicly display my emotions in a way that was illegal for me to do as a private person."
He adds: "It was horrible living this secret life. You could feel a little bit what it was like to be a Jew in central Europe during a certain period. It was horrible."
Asked if he had ever considered getting married, McKellen says the act "never crossed my mind that it'd ever be possible for me."
"That's the scar that I and so many others bear -- we believed ourselves to be second-rate citizens for so long, the idea of being able to say 'This is my husband, these are my children' was not an option. I remember Tom Stoppard saying to me when I came out, 'I feel so sorry for you, because you'll never have children.' These days I would say, 'Well, why not, Tom?' But 20 years ago I accepted his judgment."
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Sir Ian McKellen receives the Donosti Lifetime Achievement Award during the 57th San Sebastian International Film Festival. More Sir Ian >>
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Comments
(534)Add a comment
Monday 02 November
By friendsofpatch
Oh, Gandalf .... why not kist leave it in the drawer?
Reply
Monday 02 November
By Alex
Masenko: Even though lying, cheating, stealing etc are all sins equal to homosexuality, murder and adultery in God's eyes, they are not in human eyes.
Lawyers make a good living off lying. Stockbrokers on stealing and cheating. We accept them and move on. We even accept adultery like it's rain that just drops on our heads. "O, Mike had an affair." "Did you hear celebrity who and what cheated on his wife?" But homosexuality no. People don't get beat up for stealing and screwing around on their SOs. People who divorce over adultery are accepted back into society and can get married without issue.
So I see his point. Pointless though it is.
Monday 02 November
By Elton
I find it funny that he can deface the bible and everybody is cool with it. If another person says they don't believe in gay marriage or homesexuality in general, they are critized. It's really not a level playing field. Gays talk about freedom and non-censorship but here you have some jackasses tearing out part of the bible. I'd rather you just denounce the whole book. You can't take God's word in bits and pieces like a salad. You can't go changing people's religions to make yourself feel better...selfish bastards. Ian, you want to talk about the pain of living in secret, try being black for a day in any era and know you can't hide it from the people who don't like your skin color. So Ian, since you are a man...grow a pair. And for all the gay people out there, you always have the right to do what you want to do...since day one. Be lucky, like me, that you are respected. I don't have "special rights" You can't legislate acceptance.
Monday 02 November
By lmprjones88
TOTALLY DISGRACING GODS WORD~
Monday 02 November
By Elton
I find it funny that he can deface the bible and everybody is cool with it. If another person says they don't believe in gay marriage or homesexuality in general, they are critized. It's really not a level playing field. Gays talk about freedom and non-censorship but here you have some jackasses tearing out part of the bible. I'd rather you just denounce the whole book. You can't take God's word in bits and pieces like a salad. You can't go changing people's religions to make yourself feel better...selfish bastards. Ian, you want to talk about the pain of living in secret, try being black for a day in any era and know you can't hide it from the people who don't like your skin color. So Ian, since you are a man...grow a pair. And for all the gay people out there, you always have the right to do what you want to do...since day one. Be lucky, like me, that you are respected. I don't have "special rights" You can't legislate acceptance.
Monday 02 November
By JOAN
BECAUSE IT EATS AT HIS SOUL & THINKS THIS WILL SOOTH ALL ILLS
Monday 02 November
By Roo
I agree with Krose. These are not his bibles to deface. If he wants to do it to his own copy, then fine, but to do it to somebody elses' is rude, ignorant and childish. He seems to be the one with a huge problem about his sexuality. Compare his attitude with, say Neil Patrick Harris, or with the Australian diver Matthew Mitchem, and he just comes across as totally warped by it. Just sayin'.
Monday 02 November
By NoMoreNyaNya
Oboy!! This whole thread will be like watching bullies vs more bullies in a playgound!! The childlike swings you take at one another here are heartwarming and remind me of my youth. Mud pie anyone?
Monday 02 November
By WallOfVoodoo
Any SEX, and I mean ANY SEX outside of a commitment of marriage is a "Sin"
Man with Woman or Man with Man or Woman with Woman. These are all the SAME SIN... One is not WORSE than the other.
Any of these not only damage your relationship to the CREATOR but also with yourself. WE ALL KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE!!! We have all done at least one of the above. Can anyone out there see thia as a light bulb going on in their head...
Monday 02 November
By Kate
Having homosexual urges is not a sin. The sin is giving into them. Satan uses sex as a tool too, and that's something we often don't remember. Unfortunately, I learned it the hard way.
Monday 02 November
By Jon
sounds like he's having a terrible twinge of conscience biting him in the but..... must be awful doing something you know is wrong so that you try to hide it from the ignorant by pretending that it is not. God provided for procreation as a means of pleasure but most of all to assure to proliferation of all species. no homosexual relationship can ever accomplish that.
Monday 02 November
By me
And Lev 18:19 says it's equally "an abomination" to have sex with a woman who's on her period. Now I guess I'll have to go "deface" some Gideon property!
Tuesday 03 November
By sadgalinsd
Masenko-you got it almost right and I really like what you said. However, it's not enough to believe in God or that Jesus died on the cross, you have to believe in both. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."
Igraine1975-there's so much I could say to you, but what I will focus on is what you said about Paul. The reason why he was included in the Bible is to show you that even people that rant and rave against the Bible will see that it's true, that people can be truly changed through God and that God can use anyone to witness to others, including showing others His miracles-even people that used to curse Him. He was included to show you God's love.
Hotredhead9786-I truly feel pity for you and YOUR ignorance. You're right, the Bible is not the end all and be all of everything. God and Jesus Christ are. If you're right, then there's no hope for any of us and who knows what happens when we die (a fate I wouldn't wish for-to not know and to think that you're all alone on this Earth must be difficult). If I'm right, you can live for eternity in peace and love and happiness and have a good guide for your life here on Earth. Which one sounds better to you? I shudder to think what my adult life would be like without God (became a Christian at 19). By the way, my college roommate was a lesbian then denounced it and became a Christian, just to poke holes in your "being gay has been scientifically proven" theory. I know some Christians that are gay, and some straight people that are not Christian. Born gay or choosing to be gay doesn't really matter-it's if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior that matters. It took years of education from God Himself and from friends, both gay and straight, to get me to see that while homosexuality is a sin, so is a bunch of other stuff and that we're all sinners in need of a Savior. That being said, all I really care about is if someone believes in God and Jesus with all their heart. If they do, it's all good. God will deal with all sins in His own way. And actually, if you look at science closely, you will come to the conclusion, as many scientists have including Darwin, that for everything to happen the way it does, there MUST be a God. If a lot of stuff was off just a fraction, there wouldn't be life on Earth. It's pretty amazing when you think about everything.
Personally, I think it's a shame that he's defacing someone else's property and that he's denying people the ability to read something. He's not American, that's for sure! We don't believe in censorship in this country although the last time I checked, they didn't in his country either. It's a shame he's so proud of it.
Tuesday 03 November
By sadgalinsd
Masenko-you got it almost right and I really like what you said. However, it's not enough to believe in God or that Jesus died on the cross, you have to believe in both. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."
Igraine1975-there's so much I could say to you, but what I will focus on is what you said about Paul. The reason why he was included in the Bible is to show you that even people that rant and rave against the Bible will see that it's true, that people can be truly changed through God and that God can use anyone to witness to others, including showing others His miracles-even people that used to curse Him. He was included to show you God's love.
Hotredhead9786-I truly feel pity for you and YOUR ignorance. You're right, the Bible is not the end all and be all of everything. God and Jesus Christ are. If you're right, then there's no hope for any of us and who knows what happens when we die (a fate I wouldn't wish for-to not know and to think that you're all alone on this Earth must be difficult). If I'm right, you can live for eternity in peace and love and happiness and have a good guide for your life here on Earth. Which one sounds better to you? I shudder to think what my adult life would be like without God (became a Christian at 19). By the way, my college roommate was a lesbian then denounced it and became a Christian, just to poke holes in your "being gay has been scientifically proven" theory. I know some Christians that are gay, and some straight people that are not Christian. Born gay or choosing to be gay doesn't really matter-it's if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior that matters. It took years of education from God Himself and from friends, both gay and straight, to get me to see that while homosexuality is a sin, so is a bunch of other stuff and that we're all sinners in need of a Savior. That being said, all I really care about is if someone believes in God and Jesus with all their heart. If they do, it's all good. God will deal with all sins in His own way. And actually, if you look at science closely, you will come to the conclusion, as many scientists have including Darwin, that for everything to happen the way it does, there MUST be a God. If a lot of stuff was off just a fraction, there wouldn't be life on Earth. It's pretty amazing when you think about everything.
Personally, I think it's a shame that he's defacing someone else's property and that he's denying people the ability to read something. He's not American, that's for sure! We don't believe in censorship in this country although the last time I checked, they didn't in his country either. It's a shame he's so proud of it.
Tuesday 03 November
By Bob
kist?
Tuesday 10 November
By Michelle
God sees all and hears all and he knows your thoughts before you think them. All that matters is that final day of Judgement standing before a mighty and powerful God, each of us individually accountable for all that we do now.
Gods word is not without error - whatever he says, that is what he means - no gray areas - black or white, right or wrong, good or evil - stealing a piece of bubblegum is just as sinful as homosexuality - sin is sin -
That is why this nation has fallen into very deep immoral state is because God is not feared and we have taken control instead of letting God be in control - so judgement has begun.
If america thinks for one moment that God wont punish and judge us for all the evil that is happening now (including homosexuality) he would have to apologize to sodom and Gormorrah for destroying them -
Its coming and every one of us better be ready and get right with God today - when Jesus comes back, there are no second chances.
God Bless each one of you that reads this.
Monday 02 November
By evoyageur
I think he should throw out the whole Bible.
Reply
Monday 02 November
By Master Shake
Just leave some used toilet paper between the pages as a little surprise for the next idiot who actually decides to open it up.
Monday 02 November
By PookieCaru
Hey Ian. Want to get some real publicity. Go to Iran and rip up the passages in the Quoran about your disgusting "lifestyle".
Tuesday 03 November
By KP
Most sodomites do.................