Sexuality and Religion
- Thread starter SoLowHung
- Start date
biguy2738
Experimental Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2007
- Posts
- 2,310
- Media
- 7
- Likes
- 22
- Points
- 183
- Location
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Sexuality
- 50% Straight, 50% Gay
- Gender
- Male
Thank you for your kind words madame_zora...I can only pray that I live up to those words more and more each day.
I apologise for my generalisation about hurt and anger, Guy Love and apologise to everyone that contributed to this thread that aren't coming from a place of hurt and anger.
Though I do not entirely agree with most of what you said, I know that the blame lies with religion that tried to explain things in a simple way like your reference about nuns being married to God, I remember hearing them say the same thing to me. And though they did so to try to help me as a child understand, it really isn't an accurate or true explanation at all. And its all those silly little attempts to simplify and at times mystify that screws up our understanding when we grow up.
I applaud the fact that you turn to scholars for understanding. It is a sign of just how important God is to you. I encourage you to continue with your search for your own truth and reality.
I for one really am practising what I preach.. I have made a decision about what my faith is and decided that I'd like deeper look into my faith. I wanted to know what the human Jesus, the Jewish Jesus is all about. I am currently working on a degree with majors in Biblical Archaeology, Biblical Studies, Judaica and Classical Hebrew. i felt that the culture and the context of the Bible was important. so much depth has been lost through translation etc. I'm doing this through a non religous university so that there is no Catholic approach bias in the material. I have good so far as to learn how to read and interpret the Bible the way that Jewish people do. I am blown away by their depth and spirituality. You have motivated me to also look into was it mythology..need to refer back to your post. Any books, scholars you'd recommend?
I apologise for my generalisation about hurt and anger, Guy Love and apologise to everyone that contributed to this thread that aren't coming from a place of hurt and anger.
Though I do not entirely agree with most of what you said, I know that the blame lies with religion that tried to explain things in a simple way like your reference about nuns being married to God, I remember hearing them say the same thing to me. And though they did so to try to help me as a child understand, it really isn't an accurate or true explanation at all. And its all those silly little attempts to simplify and at times mystify that screws up our understanding when we grow up.
I applaud the fact that you turn to scholars for understanding. It is a sign of just how important God is to you. I encourage you to continue with your search for your own truth and reality.
I for one really am practising what I preach.. I have made a decision about what my faith is and decided that I'd like deeper look into my faith. I wanted to know what the human Jesus, the Jewish Jesus is all about. I am currently working on a degree with majors in Biblical Archaeology, Biblical Studies, Judaica and Classical Hebrew. i felt that the culture and the context of the Bible was important. so much depth has been lost through translation etc. I'm doing this through a non religous university so that there is no Catholic approach bias in the material. I have good so far as to learn how to read and interpret the Bible the way that Jewish people do. I am blown away by their depth and spirituality. You have motivated me to also look into was it mythology..need to refer back to your post. Any books, scholars you'd recommend?
All of these replies have been good. Thank you again for your interaction and respecting each other's views.
One of the hardest things about religion for me is disagreement and tolerance. Faith is sometimes a hard thing to keep and when others present a different point of view or believe otherwise many people take that as a challenge to their faith. This, to me, is the root of most organized religion's biggest downfall. One thing at the base of most every religion/spiritual path is tolerance and love and kindness. It's a wonder how the fundamentals can be spoken every day then ignored within moments or piled upon with rubbles of hate and judgment.
Now, I also believe we are suppose to keep a clean body which throws a whole new twist on sexuality. I for one don't jump into the bed of a complete stranger; not because I think it is wrong, don't think I would enjoy sharing with the unknown, or that I am too good for such actions. It is because it simply scares the shit out of me.
One of the hardest things about religion for me is disagreement and tolerance. Faith is sometimes a hard thing to keep and when others present a different point of view or believe otherwise many people take that as a challenge to their faith. This, to me, is the root of most organized religion's biggest downfall. One thing at the base of most every religion/spiritual path is tolerance and love and kindness. It's a wonder how the fundamentals can be spoken every day then ignored within moments or piled upon with rubbles of hate and judgment.
Now, I also believe we are suppose to keep a clean body which throws a whole new twist on sexuality. I for one don't jump into the bed of a complete stranger; not because I think it is wrong, don't think I would enjoy sharing with the unknown, or that I am too good for such actions. It is because it simply scares the shit out of me.
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2004
- Posts
- 5,842
- Media
- 0
- Likes
- 2,611
- Points
- 333
- Location
- Memphis (Tennessee, United States)
- Gender
- Male
There is a lot of truth to that. But let's do some comparing.
Which countries have the most liberal laws concerning sex?
Nations where Christianity has been the dominent religion for centuries.
Which nations have the most repressive laws concerning sex?
Communist countries which don't believe in religion. Either in second place or maybe tied for the commuist countiries is Islam which is extremely restricted in sexual matters.
In Christianity, it depends on which branch of Christianity you are referring to. There is a wide difference between the different groups of peopel professing to be Christians. Some Christians are extremely open. Some are extremely closed. Most are somewhere in the middle.
If you check it out, it is in "Christian" nations where equal rights for women and acceptance of gays has happened. It hasn't happened in Muslim nations and while communist nations accept equal rights for women. They are very hostile toward homosexuality.
Christinaity being the largest religion in the world gets a lot dumped on it. Some deserved. And some maybe no so deserved.
kalipygian
Expert Member
Michaelangelo and Cellini both made for themselves crucifixes with rather sexy Jesus's, carved of ivory and marble respectively. Cellini intended his for his own tomb. His finances obliged him to sell it, after years of pestering, to Phillip II of Spain. He had it placed in the Habsburg mortuary chapel in the Escorial.
What there is a difference between laws and cultural attitudes.
It may surprise many to know that the United States is actually one of the most fundamentalist Christian countries in the world. This is why everyone flips out when Janet Jacket shows her nipple. In Europe, they laughed at that incident. Italy is the seat of the Vatican, the very center of the Catholic Church. And yet sexual attitudes in Italy are not as uptight as they are in the United States. In other words, many of the Christian nations that you refer to are not necessarily practicing Christian nations. Many of them are just Christian in theory. In the United States, the Religious Right is a powerful voting bloque, so powerful that no man has a chance to be president if he doesn't declare himself a Christian. This is why the United States is one of, if not THE only, nation among the developed nations to still squabble about things like evolution and stem cell research.
About the Muslim nations, I've been told that the oppression of women in many Muslim nations in fact has nothing to do with what is in the Koran. There is nothing in the Koran, apparently, that says that women must cover their heads and cannot leave their homes without the permission of the husband. That is a cultural practice; not a religion practice. There is a lot of variety among the Muslim nations.
About gays in the Muslim nations, I remember hearing that it is actually very common for Muslim men to have sexual relations with other men, in large part because there is such a taboo against sex before marriage. It seems to be one of those unusual cases where gay sex isn't really "sex" and so it is okay -- as long as you don't talk about it.
It may surprise many to know that the United States is actually one of the most fundamentalist Christian countries in the world. This is why everyone flips out when Janet Jacket shows her nipple. In Europe, they laughed at that incident. Italy is the seat of the Vatican, the very center of the Catholic Church. And yet sexual attitudes in Italy are not as uptight as they are in the United States. In other words, many of the Christian nations that you refer to are not necessarily practicing Christian nations. Many of them are just Christian in theory. In the United States, the Religious Right is a powerful voting bloque, so powerful that no man has a chance to be president if he doesn't declare himself a Christian. This is why the United States is one of, if not THE only, nation among the developed nations to still squabble about things like evolution and stem cell research.
About the Muslim nations, I've been told that the oppression of women in many Muslim nations in fact has nothing to do with what is in the Koran. There is nothing in the Koran, apparently, that says that women must cover their heads and cannot leave their homes without the permission of the husband. That is a cultural practice; not a religion practice. There is a lot of variety among the Muslim nations.
About gays in the Muslim nations, I remember hearing that it is actually very common for Muslim men to have sexual relations with other men, in large part because there is such a taboo against sex before marriage. It seems to be one of those unusual cases where gay sex isn't really "sex" and so it is okay -- as long as you don't talk about it.
biguy2738
Experimental Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2007
- Posts
- 2,310
- Media
- 7
- Likes
- 22
- Points
- 183
- Location
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Sexuality
- 50% Straight, 50% Gay
- Gender
- Male
I can only respond to your reference to Christianity as I haven't studied Islam much and I do agree with you.
The key word is fundamentalism, its so easy to take a phrase out of the Bible and use it to reinforce a point...irregardless of the context. I've been faced with it time and time again...and it drives me batty. Which is why I referred to religion being turned into an idol.
Ideas and ideals can so quickly overrule the whole Jesus event and his teachings on love, acceptance and tolerance.
There are many Christians that always refer to people being saved or unsaved. I literally cringe with fury and have to hold onto my seat for dear of jumping up and giving them a tongue lashing. It is so exclusive and contradicts the foundations of the faith. Jesus challenged religious attitudes which now prevail in Christianity. As a Christian, am I called to be a courthouse of judgement or a temple of love?
The key word is fundamentalism, its so easy to take a phrase out of the Bible and use it to reinforce a point...irregardless of the context. I've been faced with it time and time again...and it drives me batty. Which is why I referred to religion being turned into an idol.
Ideas and ideals can so quickly overrule the whole Jesus event and his teachings on love, acceptance and tolerance.
There are many Christians that always refer to people being saved or unsaved. I literally cringe with fury and have to hold onto my seat for dear of jumping up and giving them a tongue lashing. It is so exclusive and contradicts the foundations of the faith. Jesus challenged religious attitudes which now prevail in Christianity. As a Christian, am I called to be a courthouse of judgement or a temple of love?
biguy2738
Experimental Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2007
- Posts
- 2,310
- Media
- 7
- Likes
- 22
- Points
- 183
- Location
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Sexuality
- 50% Straight, 50% Gay
- Gender
- Male
Sorry, I forgot to say that this has been a fantastic thread (despite my long ramblings and not really sticking to the original theme) it has truly opened my eyes to Christian attitudes and behaviour and made me very sensitive to it.
A friend of mine sent me one of those Christiany email chain letters filled with guilt trips for rather sending out jokes than religious emails. i kinda lost it and replied saying that God have free will and quite frankly if Jesus wanted to be rammed down peoples throats, he'd have come as a hotdog. I haven't heard from him since.
A friend of mine sent me one of those Christiany email chain letters filled with guilt trips for rather sending out jokes than religious emails. i kinda lost it and replied saying that God have free will and quite frankly if Jesus wanted to be rammed down peoples throats, he'd have come as a hotdog. I haven't heard from him since.
Similar threads
