Is homophobia linked to religion?
Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2016 6:37 am
http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/10/public_opinion_gay_marriage
Majority of atheists support same sex marriage.
It's no big secret that abrahamic faiths traditionally condemned sodomy, although these days those against have mellowed from stoning to just disowning, and a few maybe even actually embrace it. Christianity seems far lot more modernising with same sex love and sex than Islam is, from what I've seen, but hey. There is area for progress. But it seems to be religion's traditional values (on topics like marriage) and the word of god that predominately fuels one's hostility to anything non heterosexual and monogamous.
What I'm interested in, is something that challenges this paradigm. Homophobic atheists. I mean if homophobia does boil down to religion, and one denounces all religion, then would homophobia still exist? If so, what's really the cause?
You could say ignorance, but then you do still get sexist atheists a lot more, but not really many homophobic ones, and awareness of that homophobia is why many openly challenge religion.
One hypothetical theory is the age in which someone becomes atheist. If they become one too early, they may not have had a chance to shred any cultural/emotional baggage from their social conservative backgrounds, and as such still harness some homophobia from religion.
Some may feel that even with science trumping religion, homosexuality might still be against nature, since it is not necessary for human survival. In which case religion doesn't actually come down to it.
Thoughts?
EDIT: It's worth noting that militant homophobia has existed in many secular states like China, USSR and Cuba (back then anyway) where homosexuality was a serious crime, which included suppressing homosexual desires and 're-education of heterosexuality'.
Majority of atheists support same sex marriage.
It's no big secret that abrahamic faiths traditionally condemned sodomy, although these days those against have mellowed from stoning to just disowning, and a few maybe even actually embrace it. Christianity seems far lot more modernising with same sex love and sex than Islam is, from what I've seen, but hey. There is area for progress. But it seems to be religion's traditional values (on topics like marriage) and the word of god that predominately fuels one's hostility to anything non heterosexual and monogamous.
What I'm interested in, is something that challenges this paradigm. Homophobic atheists. I mean if homophobia does boil down to religion, and one denounces all religion, then would homophobia still exist? If so, what's really the cause?
You could say ignorance, but then you do still get sexist atheists a lot more, but not really many homophobic ones, and awareness of that homophobia is why many openly challenge religion.
One hypothetical theory is the age in which someone becomes atheist. If they become one too early, they may not have had a chance to shred any cultural/emotional baggage from their social conservative backgrounds, and as such still harness some homophobia from religion.
Some may feel that even with science trumping religion, homosexuality might still be against nature, since it is not necessary for human survival. In which case religion doesn't actually come down to it.
Thoughts?
EDIT: It's worth noting that militant homophobia has existed in many secular states like China, USSR and Cuba (back then anyway) where homosexuality was a serious crime, which included suppressing homosexual desires and 're-education of heterosexuality'.