Is religion the major source of homophobia?

[Zorro1227]

Homophobia has been found to be more common among religious people. Is the heterosexism expressed in some religions the reason for this? Or is it that bigots, in trying to justify their prejudice, turn towards religion as an excuse? And if not religion then what is the source of homophobia?

I believe that certain religions absolutely embrace homophobics; however, I do not believe they are soley responsible for homophobia itself. I think because homosexual acts are seen as "different" or "weird" some people steer clear of it. In a way if you really think about it all sexual acts can be weird. However, I do not know a lot of heterophobics.

 

[Willamena]

Homophobia has been found to be more common among religious people. Is the heterosexism expressed in some religions the reason for this? Or is it that bigots, in trying to justify their prejudice, turn towards religion as an excuse? And if not religion then what is the source of homophobia?

I think "an irrational fear of behaviour that is perceived to not uphold and support traditional gender roles" is the major source of homophobia.

Seriously, though, religion could play a part. There is an aspect of reality that has us, as individuals, bound to the greater whole of which we are a part. In that role, we play a part of holding the worlds of being and non-being together; and in that role, where our own gender roles are symbolized as the parts, concretized and glorified, there could be room for religion to be a catalyst for something to fear.

Or it could just be nonsense.

 

[Sunstone]

So pretty much, barbarism is commited by people's own misguided ideas. That some may use religion to hide behind is not a condemnation of religion but misguided people. Religion doesn't kill people, people kill people.

Some things seem remarkably easier for misguided people to employ to their own misguided ends than do other things. For instance, the Abrahamic scriptures seem in some respects remarkably easier for misguided people to use for their own ends than do the Taoist scriptures. You can say all you want that people have full responsibility for how they use matches, but when and at what point do you sanely recognize you have supplied them with gasoline while someone else is only supplying them with dish washing soap?

 

[Jeremiah]

So pretty much, barbarism is commited by people's own misguided ideas. That some may use religion to hide behind is not a condemnation of religion but misguided people. Religion doesn't kill people, people kill people.

If we say religion cannot impart "evil", then on those same grounds religion cannot impart "good". It is a two way street.

 

[TheKnight]

Homophobia: irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals

Is religion the source of homophobia? No. After all, religion is not homophobic. It is ignorance that creates, within the mind of any people, an irrational fear of, aversion to or discrimination against homosexuals (or anyone for that matter).

As for the gay lobby branding of all opponents to their "rights" as 'homophobic'....well that too is sourced in ignorance.

 

[Jeremiah]

"homophobia" & "heterosexism"

[FONT=arial, helvetica]
Homophobia [/FONT]

Society's rethinking of sexual orientation was crystallized in the term homophobia, which heterosexual psychologist George Weinberg coined in the late 1960s. Weinberg used homophobia to label heterosexuals' dread of being in close quarters with homosexuals as well as homosexuals' self loathing. The word first appeared in print in 1969 and was subsequently discussed at length in Weinberg's 1972 book, Society and the Healthy Homosexual. The American Heritage Dictionary (1992 edition) defines homophobia as "aversion to gay or homosexual people or their lifestyle or culture" and "behavior or an act based on this aversion." Other definitions identify homophobia as an irrational fear of homosexuality.

[FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1] Heterosexism [/SIZE][/FONT]

Around the same time, heterosexism began to be used as a term analogous to sexism and racism, describing an ideological system that denies, denigrates, and stigmatizes any nonheterosexual form of behavior, identity, relationship, or community (Herek, 1990). Using the term heterosexism highlights the parallels between antigay sentiment and other forms of prejudice, such as racism, antisemitism, and sexism. Like institutional racism and sexism, heterosexism pervades societal customs and institutions. It operates through a dual process of invisibility and attack. Homosexuality usually remains culturally invisible; when people who engage in homosexual behavior or who are identified as homosexual become visible, they are subject to attack by society.
Examples of heterosexism in the United States include the continuing ban against lesbian and gay military personnel; widespread lack of legal protection from antigay discrimination in employment, housing, and services; hostility to lesbian and gay committed relationships, recently dramatized by passage of federal and state laws against same-gender marriage; and the existence of sodomy laws in more than one-third of the states.
Although usage of the two words has not been uniform, homophobia has typically been employed to describe individual antigay attitudes and behaviors whereas heterosexism has referred to societal-level ideologies and patterns of institutionalized oppression of non-heterosexual people.

[FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1] Limitations [/SIZE][/FONT]

By drawing popular and scientific attention to antigay hostility, the creation of these terms marked a watershed. Nevertheless, they have important limitations. Critics have observed that homophobia is problematic for at least two reasons.

First, empirical research does not indicate that heterosexuals' antigay attitudes can reasonably be considered a phobia in the clinical sense. Indeed, the limited data available suggest that many heterosexuals who express hostility toward gay men and lesbians do not manifest the physiological reactions to homosexuality that are associated with other phobias (see Shields & Harriman, 1984).
Second, using homophobia implies that antigay prejudice is an individual, clinical entity rather than a social phenomenon rooted in cultural ideologies and intergroup relations. Moreover, a phobia is usually experienced as dysfunctional and unpleasant. Antigay prejudice, however, is often highly functional for the heterosexuals who manifest it.

As antigay attitudes have become increasingly central to conservative political and religious ideologies since the 1980s, these limitations have become more problematic. However, heterosexism, with its historic macro-level focus on cultural ideologies rather than individual attitudes, is not a satisfactory replacement for homophobia.

http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/prej_defn.html

 

[Sunstone]

Homophobia: irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals

Is religion the source of homophobia? No. After all, religion is not homophobic. It is ignorance that creates, within the mind of any people, an irrational fear of, aversion to or discrimination against homosexuals (or anyone for that matter).

As for the gay lobby branding of all opponents to their "rights" as 'homophobic'....well that too is sourced in ignorance.

It's fascinating when folks argue their religion has less influence over people's attitudes towards homosexuality than a common foot deodorant ad is admitted to have over people's attitudes towards their feet.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

So pretty much, barbarism is commited by people's own misguided ideas.

Misguided ideas they wrote down in books like the Bible, yes.

I mean you could argue (for example) that books which said blacks are biologically inferior have nothing to do with hatred/violence against blacks. People are racist, not books, and racist people simply misused and twisted arguments about biology to justify their sick racist hatred. Okay, that probably happened. But clearly it works both ways, such books surely enhanced racism in people as well. It's possible to believe blacks are biologically very different from whites and not be hateful, but it certainly doesn't help. Same with the belief that our loving creator spies on gays in the bedroom and is mortified by what He sees.

 

[yohonron]

Homophobics is not do to most of the reasons that I read along this thread. First of all, homosexuality is an abomination acoording to God's word-in the OT and NT. So, clearly homosexuality is not the work or will of God and if it's not His then whose will is it? You got it the Devil's... I think it might have been better to not ask what "demons" are. I have heard many answers in different forums concerning what demons are. Personally, I believe that they are "fallen angel's" that have gone estray following satan in his rebellion against God (Rev 12:4).
Finally, I think that homosexuality is the work of devil's/demons and there is only one way to rid oneself of this attack and that's through the precious Blood of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Nanda]

And there you have it.

 

[MissAlice]

Homophobics is not do to most of the reasons that I read along this thread. First of all, homosexuality is an abomination acoording to God's word-in the OT and NT. So, clearly homosexuality is not the work or will of God and if it's not His then whose will is it? You got it the Devil's... I think it might have been better to not ask what "demons" are. I have heard many answers in different forums concerning what demons are. Personally, I believe that they are "fallen angel's" that have gone estray following satan in his rebellion against God (Rev 12:4).
Finally, I think that homosexuality is the work of devil's/demons and there is only one way to rid oneself of this attack and that's through the precious Blood of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Well you've clearly proven the reasons given in this thread.

Thanks for sharing..:jester5:

 

[Jeremiah]

Homophobics is not do to most of the reasons that I read along this thread. First of all, homosexuality is an abomination acoording to God's word-in the OT and NT. So, clearly homosexuality is not the work or will of God and if it's not His then whose will is it? You got it the Devil's... I think it might have been better to not ask what "demons" are. I have heard many answers in different forums concerning what demons are. Personally, I believe that they are "fallen angel's" that have gone estray following satan in his rebellion against God (Rev 12:4).
Finally, I think that homosexuality is the work of devil's/demons and there is only one way to rid oneself of this attack and that's through the precious Blood of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Let me get this straight...

We need the blood of Christ to ward off demons? I think I saw this in a movie once.

 

[Smoke]

It's true, as some have pointed out that not all religions and not all religious people are homophobic. Still, Judaism, Christianity and Islam have historically been and for the most part still are intensely homophobic religions. Most expressions of Christianity and Islam and some expressions of Judaism are also intensely dualistic and authoritarian.

I think some people who might not be homophobic in other circumstances are homophobic because of their religious beliefs. When you have religious leaders hammering away at the subject over and over with such vehemence, it's simply naive to imagine they have no influence at all.

I also think that homophobia and these types of religions feed each other. A person who follows a dualistic and authoritarian religion tends to see those who challenge that dualism and authority as evil, and as some kind of threat or insult to his religion. If I naturally tend to fear and despise those who are different (in ways I believe to be significant), and my religion reinforces that tendency, it's not surprising if I say something like this:

Homophobics is not do to most of the reasons that I read along this thread. First of all, homosexuality is an abomination acoording to God's word-in the OT and NT. So, clearly homosexuality is not the work or will of God and if it's not His then whose will is it? You got it the Devil's... I think it might have been better to not ask what "demons" are. I have heard many answers in different forums concerning what demons are. Personally, I believe that they are "fallen angel's" that have gone estray following satan in his rebellion against God (Rev 12:4).
Finally, I think that homosexuality is the work of devil's/demons and there is only one way to rid oneself of this attack and that's through the precious Blood of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Homophobia, dualism, and authoritarianism go together very well, a kind of toxic cocktail for the psyches of the insecure, the simplistic, the hateful, and the fearful.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

If we say religion cannot impart "evil", then on those same grounds religion cannot impart "good". It is a two way street.

This only shows ignorance of one of the basic tenets of Christianity. It is not a reversable equation. The Bible says that man is inherently evil and that what is good, in the eyes of God, only comes from Him. While it isn't "religion" per say that imparts good, it is the God, that followers of the Christian religion look towards for goodness, that imparts good and not evil. That some follow it poorly is the fault of the individual.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Misguided ideas they wrote down in books like the Bible, yes.

I mean you could argue (for example) that books which said blacks are biologically inferior have nothing to do with hatred/violence against blacks. People are racist, not books, and racist people simply misused and twisted arguments about biology to justify their sick racist hatred. Okay, that probably happened. But clearly it works both ways, such books surely enhanced racism in people as well. It's possible to believe blacks are biologically very different from whites and not be hateful, but it certainly doesn't help. Same with the belief that our loving creator spies on gays in the bedroom and is mortified by what He sees.

Yet the Bible condemns everyone. That some choose to persecute one sin as greater than another is not the fault of the Bible.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

It's true, as some have pointed out that not all religions and not all religious people are homophobic. Still, Judaism, Christianity and Islam have historically been and for the most part still are intensely homophobic religions.

There is nothing about the inherent teachings of Christianity that make it homophobic. That religionists pervert the practice of the teachings is the problem.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Homophobics is not do to most of the reasons that I read along this thread. First of all, homosexuality is an abomination acoording to God's word-in the OT and NT. So, clearly homosexuality is not the work or will of God and if it's not His then whose will is it? You got it the Devil's...

Could you please offer scripture to prove that homosexuality is the work of the devil.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

Yet the Bible condemns everyone. That some choose to persecute one sin as greater than another is not the fault of the Bible.

Yes, it is the fault of the Bible because the Bible does not simply condemn everyone. The Bible says "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live". It does not say "thou shalt not suffer a slave-owner to live". The difference between how slave-owners vs. witches were treated throughout history, by people with Bibles raised in the air, is not simply a coincidence.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Yes, it is the fault of the Bible because the Bible does not simply condemn everyone. The Bible says "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live". It does not say "thou shalt not suffer a slave-owner to live". The difference between how slave-owners vs. witches were treated throughout history, by people with Bibles raised in the air, is not simply a coincidence.

Yet nowhere in the Bible is a Christian commanded to kill anyone.

 

[Scott C.]

I have a nephew who's gay. We had a family reunion this past summer and I spent some time with him. I shook his hand, I talked to him, we laughed together, and I enjoyed his company. He's always been a likeable and funny guy since he was a little boy. I don't feel fear when I'm with him. I don't feel sick or dizzy or exhibit any signs of having any type of phobia. Yet, I believe that homosexual behavior is a sin. Could it be that I actually have a phobia and don't know it?

I also think that pre-marital sex is a sin. I'm not sure, but I think that some of the people I know might be engaging in this behavior. They seem nice enough. When I'm around them I also enjoy their company. I don't think that they're going to rub off on my or attack me and force me to engage in their life style. As far as I can tell, I don't have any phobias relating to them either. Could it be that I am premaritalsexphobic and don't know it?

Help me out here, folks. I need your diagnosis.