“Made for Man, Not for the Sabbath”: Queering the Boundaries of Heteronormativity and National Conservatism

Abstract

When national conservatism entrenches rigid gender binaries as ideological strongholds, how might Jesus’ radical declaration – “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27) - disrupt the heteronormative echo chambers that silence queer voices? This article reveals heteronormativity as a self-perpetuating regime, intensified by authoritarian state actions such as recent U.S. executive orders redefining “sex” in restrictive, exclusionary terms, thereby marginalizing transgender, non-binary and intersex lives on a vast scale. Drawing on Judith Butler’s theory of queer performativity, Nguyen’s notion of epistemic bubbles and the UN 2030 Agenda, the article critiques national conservatism’s anti-gender campaign as a grave assault on human dignity. It urges a decisive ethical reorientation: law must advance human flourishing, not sustain oppressive norms. A biblically grounded ethic of love has to challenge today’s populist patriarchies.