Why is homosexuality attacked so much by Christians?

[otseng]

I'm not exactly sure where this thread best fits, but "Faith and Nonviolence" seems to be best one. As least the "faith" part does.

I'd like to ask the audience - Why do you think homosexuality is attacked so much by Christians? I don't see the fervor by Christians in attacking other things such as divorce, adultery, pornography, gambling, etc. But, with homosexuality, it seems like it's the number one target among Christians. Why do you think it is so?

[BruceChris]

It's late, and I'll give this my best shot. Why? You can get almost all of the answers that we've come up with by reading our threads, if you do a little digging.

Why? Because we say that what has always been considered a sin is not so, if you read the Bible a bit more carefully. Because some of us say that we are born this way, and that there is more and more scientific evidence to show this. I get the impression that many fundies LOVE being "attacked" by science, as they see it. It gives them an excuse to be "defenders of the faith".

Because I suspect that many of them fear that if prohibitions against homosexuality are shown to be wrong, their whole belief system will be threatened, or just collapse. Because as I see it, most conservative Christians have a fear-based belief system, and need to have a fear-based belief system. They need to have an enemy, an outside threat. Once they know what that threat is, they can concentrate on destroying the threat, and not have to face their own inner doubts. That's about all I've got, right now. I'm gonna go to bed.

Some of you other guys must ahve sumptin' to say. Guys/gals?

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris

[Zerbie]

Great question, I'd like to see this one stay up top for a while. But if I'm to weigh in at all on this one, it'll HAVE to wait til morning, and maybe another few days til I have ample time to put two brain cells together on a challenging topic I'm not the best informed on. . .

This question has sooooo many layers. . .Chris hit on a few points that from my own observations, seem valid.

[otseng]

Originally Posted by BruceChris

Because we say that what has always been considered a sin is not so, if you read the Bible a bit more carefully.

This is a possible explanation. There aren't many people out there claiming that adultery is not a sin. But, then again, I think most people (including Christians) would say that divorce is not a sin. But there's no outcry against divorced people. And there's no outcry against pornographers either. So, it's probably more than just saying that it's not a sin.

I have my own theories on this, but I'd like to hear what others have to say.

[NathanATX]

Originally Posted by otseng

I'm not exactly sure where this thread best fits, but "Faith and Nonviolence" seems to be best one. As least the "faith" part does.

I'd like to ask the audience - Why do you think homosexuality is attacked so much by Christians? I don't see the fervor by Christians in attacking other things such as divorce, adultery, pornography, gambling, etc. But, with homosexuality, it seems like it's the number one target among Christians. Why do you think it is so?

Simple:

Fundamentalism requires an enemy, a target. It can't exist in a vaccum of love and equality.

Typically, targets are chosen because they seem to have little connection to the fundamentalist.

The fundamentalist Muslim attacks "the infidel."
The fundamentalist straight Christian attacks the flaming queers.

Fundamentalists see glbt people as "other" and "less than" they are. They convince their followers that glbt people are evil, sick, and dangerous and have nothing in common with the loving, human, God-fearing characteristics they all possess. The followers then have no problem committing violent and atrocious acts against glbt people.

Churches condemn glbt members to hell and excommunicate them.
Families abuse, disown and abandon their glbt children.

All in the name of God.

...

So, it's not really about sexuality after all. It's about who God is. It's about their theology. It's about their superiority, feeling they are the only "true Christians. It's about them subduing God and using Him to reinforce their prejudices, fears, and attempts to hold power over others. It is heresy.

[Daniel]

The matter of gay people and their being attacked by 'Christians' has eveything to do, in my mind, with politics, which is a key factor. One has only to look at the last two presidential elections to observe how those professing the Christian faith used gay people as a wedge issue. There was a time when politicos got a great deal of mileage from the controversy over abortion, but the latter does not produce the same dividends that the controversy over homosexuality and gay marriage now yields. One wonders who is using whom. Do 'Christians' think they are influencing candidates or is it the other way around?

Conservative Christians also seem to be greatly concerned with the legislation of their version of morality- being gay is, after all, considered a sin- as well as the 'christianization' of the country. My AG days tell me that they need everyone on their team. This may seem overly reductive, but the logical conclusion of their own thinking makes their version of faith totalitarian in expression. You either join the team or you go to hell.

[keltic63]

there are a lot of good points in this thread. I agree with Daniel's analysis of the politics and moving toward a theocracy. I don't think this is a new concept, just a new "target" when the old one gets worn out. I'd say at this point, abortion has run its course, evolution just doesn't get the kind of play nor does it provide the kind of enemy the far right needs, and the war on drugs is so 1980's! I remember sitting in a church history course in college (religious studies minor in addition to my music major) and being very intrigued about the causes of the Civil War. Back then the Abolitionists believed that they needed to prepare the Earth for the Return of Christ, or that Christ would not return to such an evil world. They decided to clean it up by getting rid of slavery; this was the one thing that would herald the return of Jesus. So while there were political and economical aspects involved, much of the driving force was religious. Today we have a situation in which the fundies have found something so foreign to them as straight christians that it is a great rallying point. They get to persecute us, hide that persecution in a veil of "love" because they "love the sinner, hate the sin." They claim to be rescuing society from evil and leading sinners (homos) to Christ, so they get to fulfill the Great Commission. As Nathan said, Fundies need the "other" because they get to say "I'm a sinner saved by grace, but thank God I'm not like 'those' people." It just so happens that glbt people are the ones filling in the blank for 'those' people.

[NathanATX]

Originally Posted by Daniel

The matter of gay people and their being attacked by 'Christians' has eveything to do, in my mind, with politics, which is a key factor. One has only to look at the last two presidential elections to observe how those professing the Christian faith used gay people as a wedge issue. There was a time when politicos got a great deal of mileage from the controversy over abortion, but the latter does not produce the same dividends that the controversy over homosexuality and gay marriage now yields. One wonders who is using whom. Do 'Christians' think they are influencing candidates or is it the other way around?

Conservative Christians also seem to be greatly concerned with the legislation of their version of morality- being gay is, after all, considered a sin- as well as the 'christianization' of the country. My AG days tell me that they need everyone on their team. This may seem overly reductive, but the logical conclusion of their own thinking makes their version of faith totalitarian in expression. You either join the team or you go to hell.

I just read this...
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/0...war-on-terror/

The last paragraph is chilling... should we start preparing for the onslaught?

[marutidas]

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/217/...ives.html#john
This is an excerp from NOW on PBS.
I hope it brings us on step closer to the original question of why GLBTI is under fire. I think the answer lyes with the quote,
Religion is the Opiate of the people.

[otseng]

Originally Posted by NathanATX

Simple:
Fundamentalism requires an enemy, a target.

Perhaps it requires a target. But why would homosexuality be the chosen target?

Originally Posted by keltic63

I don't think this is a new concept, just a new "target" when the old one gets worn out. I'd say at this point, abortion has run its course, evolution just doesn't get the kind of play nor does it provide the kind of enemy the far right needs, and the war on drugs is so 1980's!

If this is true, then the Christian attack on gays would be temporary also.

Originally Posted by keltic63

I agree with Daniel's analysis of the politics and moving toward a theocracy.

I would agree with this and I think it's part of the goal of the religious right. Though I wouldn't want to see a theocracy, there's a fine balance of legislating morality. Though we need some laws to keep people "good", there shouldn't be laws to make everyone the same.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by marutidas

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/217/...ives.html#john
This is an excerp from NOW on PBS.
I hope it brings us on step closer to the original question of why GLBTI is under fire. I think the answer lyes with the quote,
Religion is the Opiate of the people.

Religion comes quite naturally. People ask questions about the meaning of life, who God is, who we are, etc. A number of people on this board who are not Christian still seem to be religious/spiritual, seeking out the answers to life's questions. In interacting with them, I can hear their fundamental spiritual beliefs coming through. Religion--seeking out God--is natural. And even those who would say they are not religious have thier own religions--whether it is worship of thought and enlightenment--philosophy; worship of self--materialism; worship of nature--science; worship of human ability--humanism. (by the way, several of these do have a place in Christianity, but cannot be central).

Edit!
Just have to edit this last part a bit--there is no room for worship of science, human ability, or philosophy in Christianity. Only God through Jesus Christ is worshiped. But science, human ability and philosophy are all gifts from God that we can use for God's glory.

[NathanATX]

Originally Posted by otseng

Perhaps it requires a target. But why would homosexuality be the chosen target?

Because they can easily cast the homosexual as "the other" and demonize them. They can play on people's ignorance and prejudice. They can incite fear and anger easily.

Why? We are an easy target... Or at least they think we are.

If this is true, then the Christian attack on gays would be temporary also.

Absolutely.

[keltic63]

Originally Posted by otseng

If this is true, then the Christian attack on gays would be temporary also.

I believe it will be temporary. The question is "how long will it last?" and/or "how ugly will it get?"

[Dash]

Why is homosexuality attacked?

Maybe simply because we resist...



C.S. Lewis was also baffled by the focus of Christians on homosexuality. I don't have the book I need to quote from now, but I'll look it up tonight. (though my internet has been down for a couple days at home, so...)

[dewdrop_world]

Not much said so far about the politics of the reconstructionists and dominionists, who are quite plainly looking for a scapegoat to divert attention away from the utter bankruptcy of their own theology. What is galling is that so many mainline Christians fall for the rhetoric, hook, line and sinker.

There was a thread about that somewhere here, don't have time right now to search it out.

James

[Emproph]

Originally Posted by Dash

Maybe simply because we resist...

We are unrelenting in our insistence that we are fundamentally natural.

I agree that if it wasn’t us it would be someone else, but I do think we are the end of the line in that regard.

If we truly are natural, then unnatural is natural. It doesn’t get any more confusing than that. And the entire purpose of an all or nothing ideology that cannot possibly be wrong is to avoid confusion.

Technically speaking, if we exist then God does not. We represent the ultimate fear, a universe without meaning – without the meaning of God they love anyway.
__

And besides, what good is a universe without the power to define the God who created it?

I know I’d have to go insane...

[pnggrad79]

Why are we attacked? Because fundamentalists insist upon focusing on crucifying Jesus over and over again. They have no concept of grace or God's boundless love. They pay lip service to grace and faith and can't comprehend God loving someone different than they are. So they hide behind the spirit of religion and blast glbt people because they can't get outta their boxes, nor do they let God outta the box they have put him in.

[tdogg]

Originally Posted by dewdrop_world

Not much said so far about the politics of the reconstructionists and dominionists, who are quite plainly looking for a scapegoat to divert attention away from the utter bankruptcy of their own theology. What is galling is that so many mainline Christians fall for the rhetoric, hook, line and sinker.

There was a thread about that somewhere here, don't have time right now to search it out.

James

I think you have something James! Yup, if a few powerful extremists can focus the population's attention on one topic - in this case successfully on homosexuality - then their sins don't see so bad. Adultery - hey, it's not nearly as bad as HOMOSEXUALITY. Divorce, remarriage - well, gee, Jesus forgives so it's ok. Or my favorite, I wasn't a Christian at that time, so this is the only marriage that really counts. Smoking, drinking, gambling, and the like - nothing compared to the homos. So, by diverting attention elsewhere, they can live with themselves, the 'sheep' still look up to them, and they can keep on sinin'.

I also firmly believe that money is a huge factor - the few extremist leaders who excel at collecting 'sheep' who do not bother to think for themselves, exploit their favorite hate topic (LGBT) and rake in the bucks. Literally, rake it in, huge bundles of it, and as long as this is working they will not let us rest. If LGBTs become less of an issue, or no issue at all, then their money mill is gone. And I don't think they have a lot of topic choices for future focus.

This is an interesting thread, and I think everyone brought well thought ideas to the table, all of which most likely hold some degree of validity.

[Emproph]

Originally Posted by Emproph

We are unrelenting in our insistence that we are fundamentally natural.

Our consciences are clear.

Now the question remains as to why that bothers them so much.

To them we are litterally blind to the sea of "sin" that we swim in.

-That's all I got for now.

[otseng]

Originally Posted by Dash

Maybe simply because we resist...

Originally Posted by tdogg

Smoking, drinking, gambling, and the like - nothing compared to the homos. So, by diverting attention elsewhere, they can live with themselves, the 'sheep' still look up to them, and they can keep on sinin'.

I also firmly believe that money is a huge factor - the few extremist leaders who excel at collecting 'sheep' who do not bother to think for themselves, exploit their favorite hate topic (LGBT) and rake in the bucks.

This is similar to what I have in mind.

Homosexuality is a target because it is a highly contentious area and gets lots of press. It is easy to whip up the emotions from participants on both sides of this issue. If two people are calmly debating a point, it's not going to draw a crowd. But if two people are fist fighting, then people will start gathering to see what is going on. Then reporters will come and tell even more people to come watch. The highly emotional charge will also cause people to take sides and not remain nuetral.

It is also a target because there are relatively few homosexuals in churches. So, it's easy to attack without offending one's own congregation. If divorce and pornography were attacked, then it'd hit too close to home.

Another reason is that homosexuals are organized as a group and have agendas. So, it becomes easier for someone to attack. There aren't groups of murderers or pornographers trying to lobby for legislation. If there were, murder and pornopraphy would probably be on the hit list of Christians too.

Another thought, I do think Christians should respond to homosexuality, but in a way different from how it's mainly approached now. But, that'll be another thread...