Christianity and Apopleptics

[Jax Agnesson]

I've spent a while in the last year or two exploring Christian discussion boards, and I note that homosexuality seems to provoke some of the most passionate division and debate.
Some Christians are fine with it, up to and including welcoming gay marriage, gay clergy, very positively.
Some Christians seem to go blue in the face at the very thought of two men twiddling with each other's naughty bits..
Others take varying attitudes between the two extremes.

I'm not here inviting yet another debate about the rights and wrongs of homosexuality per se, but asking (and this is my question for debate) why, of all the 'sins' Christians are not entirely agreed about, homosexuality provokes such strong reaction?

[Haven]

Personally, I think it all boils down to bigotry, ignorance, and personal disgust. Homophobic people are disgusted by male homosexual sex (does anyone else notice how little lesbianism is mentioned on these topics? I don't think the reason is religious) and use religion in an attempt to justify their personal hatred of gay men. They also tend to buy into the myths surrounding gay promiscuity, AIDS, the "gay agenda," etc., which further fans the flames of prejudice.

It's not about "sin," as plenty of other "sins" (remarriage after divorce, adultery, anger, unforgiveness) almost never get mentioned by fundamnetalists. Homosexuality is in a class of its own, and it has little to do with the Bible.

[Goat]

I've spent a while in the last year or two exploring Christian discussion boards, and I note that homosexuality seems to provoke some of the most passionate division and debate.
Some Christians are fine with it, up to and including welcoming gay marriage, gay clergy, very positively.
Some Christians seem to go blue in the face at the very thought of two men twiddling with each other's naughty bits..
Others take varying attitudes between the two extremes.

I'm not here inviting yet another debate about the rights and wrongs of homosexuality per se, but asking (and this is my question for debate) why, of all the 'sins' Christians are not entirely agreed about, homosexuality provokes such strong reaction?

I have a question. On religious boards who starts the "hot topic debates"? Christians or non-believers? The answer to that question might give you an awer to your question.

Well, funny thing at least aobut one board. There were several open Christian gays.. and all the threads about homosexuality in the religion segment was opened by someone proclaiming 'Get out of Sodom and Gomorrah and repent'. and repeated scatological references to anal sex. .. obsessively.

Ok, lets just say "when a normal person" starts this debate is it a non-believer or Christian more often?

What is a 'normal person'? When it comes to various threads, there has been bickering so long on so many different ones, it is practically impossible to figure out who started it all

[JoeyKnothead]

From the OP:

why, of all the 'sins' Christians are not entirely agreed about, homosexuality provokes such strong reaction?

"Iiiiiicccccckkkkkk!"

And by, "Iiiiiicccccckkkkkk!", I mean a god I can't show exists agrees with me!

I'm here to tell ya, the god of two hot chicks hookin' up is totally cool with watching, or hoppin' in amongst, two hot chicks hookin' up!

Only that god doesn't have a fancy book declaring his righteousness.

[Burninglight]

Personally, I think it all boils down to bigotry, ignorance, and personal disgust. Homophobic people are disgusted by male homosexual sex (does anyone else notice how little lesbianism is mentioned on these topics? I don't think the reason is religious) and use religion in an attempt to justify their personal hatred of gay men. They also tend to buy into the myths surrounding gay promiscuity, AIDS, the "gay agenda," etc., which further fans the flames of prejudice.

It's not about "sin," as plenty of other "sins" (remarriage after divorce, adultery, anger, unforgiveness) almost never get mentioned by fundamnetalists. Homosexuality is in a class of its own, and it has little to do with the Bible.

People know anger, unforgiveness and adultery are sins. No one goes around promoting or advocating for things like theft, murder, adultery, anger and unforgiveness. It seems like you are comparing homosexuality to these other sins. At least you got this sin in the right catergory or you know that it is sin.

Some sins are seen for what they are. Others, however, are subtle and spread like a cancer on society. Just because someone calls homosexuality sin doesn't mean they are afraid of men or homophobic. You are confusing when people fear sinning against God with man being afraid of men! The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and knoweldge

[Goat]

Personally, I think it all boils down to bigotry, ignorance, and personal disgust. Homophobic people are disgusted by male homosexual sex (does anyone else notice how little lesbianism is mentioned on these topics? I don't think the reason is religious) and use religion in an attempt to justify their personal hatred of gay men. They also tend to buy into the myths surrounding gay promiscuity, AIDS, the "gay agenda," etc., which further fans the flames of prejudice.

It's not about "sin," as plenty of other "sins" (remarriage after divorce, adultery, anger, unforgiveness) almost never get mentioned by fundamnetalists. Homosexuality is in a class of its own, and it has little to do with the Bible.

People know anger, unforgiveness and adultery are sins. No one goes around promoting or advocating for things like theft, murder, adultery, anger and unforgiveness. It seems like you are comparing homosexuality to these other sins. At least you got this sin in the right catergory or you know that it is sin.

Some sins are seen for what they are. Others, however, are subtle and spread like a cancer on society. Just because someone calls homosexuality sin doesn't mean they are afraid of men or homophobic. You are confusing when people fear sinning against God with man being afraid of men! The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and knoweldge

Care to show a quote from the bible that says 'Anger is a sin'?
how about forgiveness.

[Jax Agnesson]

Personally, I think it all boils down to bigotry, ignorance, and personal disgust. Homophobic people are disgusted by male homosexual sex (does anyone else notice how little lesbianism is mentioned on these topics?

I've noticed this a lot, and not just in specifically religious discussions, but in day to day life..
I wonder if there's any mileage in the following:
I am a heterosexual man. The thought of fiddling with another man's junk is not nice. I can't understand how anyone could fancy doing that sort of thing!.
OTOH, I find women's fiddly bits very interesting. so if other people also find women delicious, well, I can relate to that.
This is an entirely male-hetero perspective, which is to be expected in a male-hierarchical culture.
I think it also fits quite well with the gynophobic tradition of seeing all women as either virgins, mothers, or whores. This avoids recognising that the women I want to play with might actually like playing around with men's naughty bits. So i don't have to think 'Well this woman loves doing this and this to me, and having me do this and this to her, and I don't find that puzzling, it's just that she thinks I'm sexy.'
Instead, being unable to recognise that other minds might be unlike mine and still be sane, I fail to see how anyone could like doing things I really wouldn't. (Autism, much?)
Women therefore have to be forced to submit to sex with a man: they have to be bought and sold like slaves, commanded to be obedient; in other words, controlled.
The woman who acts as though she likes playing with men, or who runs away because she is in love with a man, is obviously a whore, a pervert, as incomprehensible as the queer. They both like doing those disgusting things. Stone them to death.
And naturally, for sheer survival, many women adopt the same attitudes. Including finding male homosexuality much more appalling than lesbianism!
What do folks think of this speculation? Anything in it worth pursuing, in the context of the OP?

[Jax Agnesson]

Just because someone calls homosexuality sin doesn't mean they are afraid of men or homophobic. You are confusing when people fear sinning against God with man being afraid of men!

You are confusing the Latin root 'homo', (man) with the etymology of the word 'homosexual', which is from the Greek 'homeo' (same). Which is why lesbians, not straight women, are also 'homosexual'.

[dusk]

Isn't it also that all Abrahamic religions have had and still have in many cases a somewhat psychotic relationship with sexuality. The whole stance on nudity and sex. They try to hide all nudity and think all sexual arousal, practices, pretty much all things sexual are wrong.
Other religions and cultures didn't have those same problems. In some cultures they run around bear breast all the time. Most athletes are used to community showers and have no problem whatsoever with seeing each other naked. Some people imagine that as horrible and if forced into such a place would shower with a swim suit or pants on. Totally mental IMHO.

Once had a discussion with American bible belters about nudity in public spaces like beaches or community showers. It is just weird how some people have a such a big problem with something that really is so totally harmless. Not all one found it actually very amusing and his own stance rather weird too, he told his wife about some of his own experiences in Europe, which weren't so terrible only odd for him. His wife just couldn't handle the topic. It was so taboo for her it amused me. Though there was zero argument for what's really so bad about it.

I guess for some homosexuality is like that. Wrong because all things but the most standard stuff you cannot get around like kissing and missionary style under the blanket lights off sex is just wrong. The ones that really rant about homosexuality and especially the ones that say it is a choice probably are at least bisexual.

[Jax Agnesson]

People know anger, unforgiveness and adultery are sins. No one goes around promoting or advocating for things like theft, murder, adultery, anger and unforgiveness. It seems like you are comparing homosexuality to these other sins.

The OP compares the passionate reaction of some Christians to homosexuality with their capacity to debate calmly and intelligently their differences about other matters where they disagree about whether a particular behaviour is a 'sin', or how serious a 'sin'..
One p1, I cite the example of a recent debate about abortion.
The abortion question was presented, and discussed, in tones which, although certainly passionate on both sides, (and rightly so IMO) nonetheless proceeded, for the most part, in a spirit of mutual respect, and with many arguments on both sides based on evidence.
The destruction of a potential human being would be a much more serious matter than one guy fiddling about with another guy's bits, don't you think?
So how come it gets so furious and ranty? Why does the debate about whether homosexuality is a sin or not so often reduce itself to groundless fulminations about 'It's wrong because Paul says it's wrong.' '..the downfall of civilizations' and other such foamy but unevidenced declarations.
What's the big deal?

[Burninglight]

People know anger, unforgiveness and adultery are sins. No one goes around promoting or advocating for things like theft, murder, adultery, anger and unforgiveness. It seems like you are comparing homosexuality to these other sins.

The OP compares the passionate reaction of some Christians to homosexuality with their capacity to debate calmly and intelligently their differences about other matters where they disagree about whether a particular behaviour is a 'sin', or how serious a 'sin'..
One p1, I cite the example of a recent debate about abortion.
The abortion question was presented, and discussed, in tones which, although certainly passionate on both sides, (and rightly so IMO) nonetheless proceeded, for the most part, in a spirit of mutual respect, and with many arguments on both sides based on evidence.
The destruction of a potential human being would be a much more serious matter than one guy fiddling about with another guy's bits, don't you think?
So how come it gets so furious and ranty? Why does the debate about whether homosexuality is a sin or not so often reduce itself to groundless fulminations about 'It's wrong because Paul says it's wrong.' '..the downfall of civilizations' and other such foamy but unevidenced declarations.
What's the big deal?

Debating calmly or intensely is all subject to the circumstances evolving around any given event or issue. When abortion was in the process of being made legal, I wouldn't be surprise to see that all energy and focus was on that. I am sure I can make a case it was.

Abortion may or may not be sin. It depends on the circumstances, but homosexuality doesn't have any exception such as an abortion may be done to save the life of the mother.

Sin is anything that keeps people from God, or in the case of Christians, it breaks their fellowship with God and other Christians! All sin will result in eternal death; that is why we need Christ and need to repent of all sin!

Some people don't like this message, because they love darkness and sin more than God. Many live in a weird denial to justify their sin; so, they can have God in the process. It doesn't work. It is deception!