Sonia Hollins has responded to my piece on homophobia and prejudice against women in the church — as within the wider society:
What do we know about human co-existence that predates biblical records except (give or take a pointer or two) that provided by archaeology and its related sciences. The only thread I can see as being fairly consistent ("fairly" being included here to account for Jesus as a certain exception) from as far back in history as is credible, is the human species' love & hunger for power.
Well, neither Sonia nor I are scholars, and we have not read enough to give definitive answers — assuming that such are available. However, it may be guessed — at the risk of a sweeping generalisation — that the subjection of women and the prohibition against homosexuality have been assiduously cultivated and maintained for three broad reasons:1/ Fear of the emotional complexity, spontaneity, and sexuality of women: fear, in other words, of being plunged into a maelstrom of emotions, and consequently losing control.
2/ Homosexuals (like ‘witches’) have proved very useful as scapegoats: threatening or demonic outsiders who have provided ‘sanctioned’ outlets for persecution or murder — popular activities for an alarming percentage of the men (though not to forget the recent kicking to death by girls of one of their number).
3/ It has suited men very well to maintain power. Moreover, being physically stronger than women (and not subject to childbirth) has made this projection of the male ego a comparatively easy task.
Some of the above is historical, some restricted culturally and geographically. However, all are still active across the globe — including the killing of ‘witches’ and gays, (and even stoning to death).
However, to return to homophobia and the ‘downgrading’ of women within the church, Sonia writes that it leaves her (in the vernacular!) ‘Gobsmacked’, and asks:
As the pope looks around the world, are these matters all he sees as a cause for concern. Why aren’t the churches only too thankful anybody wants to serve in them. High time to welcome the faithful and good in any form.
Sonia’s conclusion:
It’s all about POWER: ecclesiastical, political, and personal.
That is a broad generalisation, but how close it is to the mark! Moreover, the adamantine rocks of dogma will, in the end, split into a million pieces — each invisible, useless, dead.
Enough words: time now for a small gallery of some of the people who do (or did) things for good in the world — whatever their beliefs.
Camila Batmanghelidjh, Director of Kids Company
Helen Bamber
The Helen Bamber Foundation is a UK-based human rights organisation, formed in April 2005 to help rebuild lives and inspire a new self-esteem in survivors of gross human rights violations.
Mary Robinson
In 2004, she received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award for her work in promoting human rights.
Archbishop Romero
Romero was shot on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass at a small chapel located in a hospital called "La Divina Providencia", one day after a sermon where he had called on Salvadoran soldiers, as Christians, to obey God's higher order and to stop carrying out the government's repression and violations of basic human rights. According to an audio-recording of the Mass, he was shot while elevating the chalice at the end of the Eucharistic rite. When he was shot, his blood spilled over the altar along with the sacramental wine.
Even though the Vatican under Pope John Paul II did not view Romero's closeness to liberation theology favorably (also their attitude toward his involvement in condemning the military's and the government's actions and the guerrilla's acts), it nonetheless blatantly condemned the assassination as a murder and a direct sacrilege, even while not formally recognizing him as a martyr.
Dietrich Bonhoffer, Assassinated by the Nazi's for outspoken opposition to Hitler
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