During The Joe Rogan Experience #2566, Joe Rogan and Cody Tucker discussed religion, social pressure, and the treatment of gay people within religious communities. The conversation began while they were discussing Mormonism, Catholicism, and reports of people concealing their sexuality because of religious expectations.
Rogan said, “One of the saddest failings of organized religion is the complete absence of embracing gay people.”
The comment followed a discussion about a woman who had been raised in the church, married young, and later discovered that her husband was gay. Rogan and Tucker suggested that concealed homosexuality may be widespread in religious communities, particularly where people feel pressured to conform.
Rogan challenged the idea that someone could accept a person while rejecting what he called their “lifestyle.” He then questioned whether the biblical passages commonly cited against homosexuality should be treated as uniquely authoritative.
“But you got to look at what else is in Old Testament stuff,” Rogan said. “First of all, the open condoning of slavery. Not just open condoning of slavery, but rules of like who gets the slaves after people die, how you treat the slaves.”
He continued by pointing to other Old Testament restrictions, including rules about clothing, agriculture, and food.
“It’s like there’s a bunch of morally abhorrent things that are in there,” Rogan said. “So why is a man shall not layeth with another man? Like what?”
Tucker noted that religious rules also address subjects such as mixed fabrics, planting crops together, and eating shellfish. Rogan responded by observing that people rarely protest businesses that serve foods prohibited by certain biblical passages.
“You don’t see protests outside of Red Lobster,” he said.
The discussion then broadened into Rogan’s overall view of religion. Tucker clarified that his criticism was not aimed only at Christianity.
“It’s never been my cup of tea. Just religion in general,” Rogan said. “I mean I’m not against people. I think whatever you want to have that makes you feel good and as long as you’re not being a jerk to everybody, then yes, I feel like people should have their own thing.”
