The question is,
why did our idea of "normal" change? Where does the (apparent) homophobia in the Bible come from, if not from some pre-existing concept of normality? Given that it was written by people and not actually by God. It's easy and fashionable to blame "the Bible" for everything we regard as retrograde but it distracts us from the real root of the problem.
The turn against homosexuals in particular seems to have massively accelerated lately. In Russian society, displays of passion between two men was seen as acceptable into the 20th century (see images I posted below). And now they ban two men kissing in public.
Putin doesn't speak for his people, though, he's very much in bed with the Russian Orthodox Church these days, I don't know what their history is on this.
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Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Wed 23 Jan 2013, 19:49,
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No, but I think the bible added to the longevity of it.
When I've seen Russians interviewed about their homophobia, they always seem to explain it as part of their religion.
I think the recent rise is in some parts a weird meme that being anti-gay = being Christian. Psychologically, it can't help that the homophobia of the church is so often used by atheists to knock it (probably guilty myself on that one). That is just going to confirm that belief in people's heads.
It is a dangerous meme, too, as it easily allows for scapegoating.
There is also the way that bigotries do seem to come and go in fashion. Look at the rise of Islamophobia in recent years.
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monkeon schmonkeon, Wed 23 Jan 2013, 20:04,
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I think Islamophobia is all tied into it,
the trouble seems to have started with that whole 9/11 thing (or at least that really brought it out). There was a documentary someone posted here a while ago about the rise of American-style Christian fundamentalism in this country, and one of the guys interviewed seemed to be possessed of the motivation that, if we let go of our Christianity, the Muslims will take over, so we have to be extra Christian to counteract it.
The situation in Africa is also a concern, a lot of the African churches are now being essentially bribed by American evangelical benefactors to promote their ultra-right-wing agenda in the continent.
Russia is still coping with the fall of Communism and trying to create a new identity out of it. I guess it left an ideology vacuum.
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Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Wed 23 Jan 2013, 20:11,
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