Religion and Personal Homophobia

1. Religion and Personal Homophobia

3. Historical Overview • Some forms of homosexuality present in several religions and cultures many years ago • Abrahamic religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam – traditionally saw male homosexuality as ‘immoral’ and ‘sinful’ • Primarily based on two passages: Leviticus and Genesis

4. Leviticus • Man shall not lie with man as with a woman, it is an abomination punishable by death • Other Levitican laws ignored e.g. • men should not shave nor cut their hair • you should not wear a garment that consists of both wool and linen • divorced persons who remarry should be killed

5. Genesis: Sodom & Gomorrah Cities punished by god because of vice and homosexuality When local men demanded Lot send out his guests (angels) so that they may ‘know’ them (different interpretations, one of which is to have sexual intercourse with them), Lot refused and offered them instead his two virgin daughters After wife turned to pillar of salt, Lot and his two daughters left the area and slept in a cave, whereupon the daughters said, “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” They got their father drunk, both laid with him and both got pregnant and thus began two new tribes What is the moral of this story?

6. Current religion Currently some religions more accepting whilst others still traditional. In some middle eastern countries homosexuality still punishable by death (as it used to be in Britain) In Iran government support homosexuals to have sex change operations as a ‘cure’

7. Britain gay bishops same-sex marriage European Court of Human Rights – employment law Latter implications for workers in public services

8. Exercise: in small groups • Identify key issues? • Can person who believes homosexuality is a sin and morally wrong provide service to LGBTs that meets their needs? • In what ways might their belief affect their work practice?