Is this really about sex?
"Desire is not a trustworthy indicator of human identity"
Janell Williams Paris, Cultural Anthropologist at Messiah College
Several days ago, President Barak Obama stated clearly that he supported Gay marriage. The reaction has been mixed, but very passionate. In light of a recent referendum in North Carolina that banned Gay marriages as well as common-law marriages between a man and woman, it seems that this issue is something Americans are deeply passionate about. Our social media timelines are filled with strongly worded responses of anger, celebration, provocation, and ignorance.
Personally, I believe that this pulls the cover off of a few things. These deep feelings are signposts to some of our hidden fears. However, like an individual with generalized anxiety, our culture has little insight into the genesis of its anxiety. Instead of trying to thoughtfully understand our reactions and fellings, we immediately turn the anxiety we feel into anger we express. Anger demands an object regardless of the subject. Instead of talking about human sexuality, we are yelling at the President, or ridiculing those trying to define marriage as strictly heterosexual. From every perspective, there is no genuine conversation, no one seeking to understand, to inform, or to be loving. We are too threatened, too vulnerable, too angry, and too uncivil to even consider the reasons for our unease.
Our approach to this divisive issue is a combination of cultural, political, familial, and faith-related influences. The combination is not cumulative, but are interrelated as our culture is defined by our poltical, familial, and faith-based influences.
So, what if our simplistic approaches of yes or no are not appropriate for highly complex issues. Its like trying to describe a vibrancy of a Picasso in shades of gray.
Last summer, wrote a 10 part series of Jesus and sexuality with the hope that it would foster real discussion on a complex issue from a Biblical perspective (Jesus and Sexuality),
I would ask that before you have strong opinion, that we take time to understand whats behind your emotion. Does your faith really support your anger? Next blog, I will talk about my thoughts about this issue, but until then, I pray for understanding, civility, and most of all love by the people of God in order to be credible witnesses to the reality of God.
God bless you,
Pastor M Traylor
Janell Williams Paris, Cultural Anthropologist at Messiah College
Several days ago, President Barak Obama stated clearly that he supported Gay marriage. The reaction has been mixed, but very passionate. In light of a recent referendum in North Carolina that banned Gay marriages as well as common-law marriages between a man and woman, it seems that this issue is something Americans are deeply passionate about. Our social media timelines are filled with strongly worded responses of anger, celebration, provocation, and ignorance.
Personally, I believe that this pulls the cover off of a few things. These deep feelings are signposts to some of our hidden fears. However, like an individual with generalized anxiety, our culture has little insight into the genesis of its anxiety. Instead of trying to thoughtfully understand our reactions and fellings, we immediately turn the anxiety we feel into anger we express. Anger demands an object regardless of the subject. Instead of talking about human sexuality, we are yelling at the President, or ridiculing those trying to define marriage as strictly heterosexual. From every perspective, there is no genuine conversation, no one seeking to understand, to inform, or to be loving. We are too threatened, too vulnerable, too angry, and too uncivil to even consider the reasons for our unease.
Our approach to this divisive issue is a combination of cultural, political, familial, and faith-related influences. The combination is not cumulative, but are interrelated as our culture is defined by our poltical, familial, and faith-based influences.
So, what if our simplistic approaches of yes or no are not appropriate for highly complex issues. Its like trying to describe a vibrancy of a Picasso in shades of gray.
Last summer, wrote a 10 part series of Jesus and sexuality with the hope that it would foster real discussion on a complex issue from a Biblical perspective (Jesus and Sexuality),
I would ask that before you have strong opinion, that we take time to understand whats behind your emotion. Does your faith really support your anger? Next blog, I will talk about my thoughts about this issue, but until then, I pray for understanding, civility, and most of all love by the people of God in order to be credible witnesses to the reality of God.
God bless you,
Pastor M Traylor
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