“Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis” by William J Webb, the second half

[joannebethel]

Here's the second half of the book review I read earlier this week that got me to thinking.  Thanks for weighing on yesterday's post.

What I realized is that I do contextualize scripture when I read it and study it, seeking to understand the full meaning of God's word for the original hearers (and readers) and for me today.  But how can I tell what'

Comments

Re: the point of the post

[underlankers]

It's cultural. Most cultures have no Western-style homosexuality to start with. In the absence of homosexuality, how can somebody be phobic of something that does not exist in those cultures? The Islamic Republic of Iran is the best place on the planet following an Abrahamic religion for transgenders. Ayatollah Khomeini himself ensured that. All the same....Western-style homosexuality does not exist in Iran. Then there's the question of Marind-Anim sexual practices. Because their culture values semen as a life-resource, their women screw multiple men and the men bugger boys to introduce them to Marind-Anim adulthood as an initiation rite. Does that make them right to do so? Is pedophilia right when a culture values it to the point that it is the introduction into their version of adulthood?

To the Marind-Anim, they don't marginalize gay culture, because it doesn't exist. The kind of male-male sex that they do would be unrecognizable to the West, and more than a little perverted. Who gets to dictate to who and why in that case? Are all cultures and all sexual practices equal?

standing up for gays and lesbians against homophobia

[susannah]

Thanks. Well... I wasn't really trying to judge whether homophobia was cultural or transcultural. I was just trying to offer a corrective to the frequent christian mindset that focuses on the 'wrongness' of gay sex, and suggest that instead it would be a good christian impulse to focus on the victimisation of gay and lesbian people that can take place in many societies, and make that a focus of compassion. In other words, gay and lesbian people are so often on the receiving end of unwarranted shit, that as christians we should be concentrating on their vulnerability instead of coming over too heavy and judgmental... regardless of whether biblical statements on homosexuality are 'cultural' or 'transcultural'.

On the secondary point you made, referring to the treatment of transsexual people in Iran - you are correct to observe that there is some liberalism with regard to official attitudes to transsexual people there. But the sad thing is that quite often in Iran - because of the unthinkable nature of gay sex in many people's minds - gay men will actually seek gender reassignment simply so that they can continue a relationship with a man they love. In other words, they love each other so much that - rather than face the cruel hostility of society - one of them is prepared to seek gender reassignment, even though this person may not actual have a female gender or transsexual psychology at all.

My comment was an expression of concern for the marginalisation of gay and lesbian people that can often take place - sometimes in society, sometimes in the church - and the way very sincere and caring and committed relationships can be demeaned... sometimes out of fear and hatred.

So, while there is debate within the church about the legitimacy of gay sex, there should be no debate about the malign effects of homophobia which, like racism, can lurk behind a veneer of respectability, even within christian circles.

And I feel that we should focus on this, as a principle of social justice, because everyone deserves respect, even if we do or do not agree with all aspects of their lives. People deserve protection and care, and though not all christians believe they should affirm and celebrate gay and lesbian relationships involving sex, nevertheless all christians should - in my view - care about principles of welcoming and love and protection from hate crimes or attitudes that engender hatred.

Re: standing up for gays and lesbians against homophobia

[underlankers]

1) That's the point that I'm getting at: the gay and lesbian-as-concept are unique to the West, and thus the issue doesn't really trouble other societies, who may have entirely different sexual ethics and ways of conceiving things. In the West, your point is valid. Not so much outside it.

2) Except that in Iran, the concept of the gay man as such doesn't exist. The Persians have been civilized for longer than my Anglo-Saxon and East Frankish ancestors were, and thus they're entitled to their own definition of sexuality. Male-male behavior in Iran is seen as a very different concept than the Western one. Actually, the concept is engaged in and sometimes unpunished when in the traditional Iranian style. Not so much when they try to shoehorn themselves into a Christianized concept of same.

3) Indeed, and such is the shame of the Church. It's also a much easier taboo to keep than say, worrying about anger or judgmentalism, two that I struggle with quite a bit and also for obvious reasons condemn in others. Most Christians are straight, and thus this is focused on as opposed to more difficult issues that impact larger numbers of people in the Body.

4) Amen. Hate is not a Christian value, and we lose sight of Christ when we are homophobic. He was capable of convicting those who did wrong without hatred, and He had far more to say on the issue of hypocrisy (another big flaw of mine) than he did on the ghey.

5) Again, Amen, and it is our shame that often we do not.