Essay Sample on Homophobia in the African American Church

Introduction

Studies indicate that marriage of the same-sex is greatly opposed by the Black church community than other communities. Homophobia is less opposed by the overall population. Homophobia relationships are seen by most people in the USA the blacks included as a behavior that is unacceptable and morally wrong. Most churches do not support gays. Black churches in the USA are very influential and holds a central position in society. The black church is a combination of several Protestant Christian denominations. The black church teaches social values that are conservative. Traditional family values prevail when it comes home. The church sees a nuclear family as one made of a man as the one providing and a woman as the staple of the home. The church only accepts heterosexuality and condemns homosexuality as it is seen as condemnable by God.

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Black churches in the United States play an important role in people's social lives and culture. Black churches are a dominant force in the lives of Black Americans (Douglas and Brown 2018). Among all ethnic groups in the US, the Black Americans are most affiliated in religious institutions. Most people believe that religion is essential in their lives. The fundamental theologies that facilitate the prevalence of homophobia and heterosexism in the black communities are; one, love the sinner and hate the sin. There is a belief that the behavior of homosexuality can be separated from the identity of homosexual. Second, don't ask don't tell. The matter of homosexual should be kept private. Thirdly, your body is the temple of the Lord. The church believes that the spiritual and physical beings are interconnected.

The Christian tradition is shaped by an influential strand known a Platonized theology. The antagonistic relationship is placed with the soul and the body by the theory. The body is demonized whereas the soul is divinized. The spirit is recognized as the answer to redemption while the flesh is criticized as the origin of sin. The body sins because of people's temptations. The collection focuses on worldly pleasures. The Christian theological tradition is permitted by the 'sacred' contempt for the sexual body, mainly because the body has paved the way for a sexual ethic that is definite. The Platonized Christianity has advocated a dualistic sexual ethic. Platonized Christianity suggests two ways of engaging sexually. One is an activity that is tolerable and not inherently sinful and two an activity that is intolerable and sinful. A procreative engagement is tolerable and non-creative is intolerably evil. A third likelihood is not allowed. A sexual ethic that is Platonized is not allowed to be a sexual activity that is expressed as an intimate or loving relationship. There is a division of intimate sexuality from a loving relationship by Platonized Christianity.

The Platonized Christianity greatly influenced the black faith during the religious revival. Most black women and men were converted to Evangelical Protestant during this revival. The improvement was thought to be a principle of connecting Platonized Christianity in America. Paul's assertions of one should make no presentation of the body, but if one must be sexually active, they should marry than to burn, affected many people who were influenced by the evangelic tradition. The black church sees homoerotic sexuality as a lustful and sinful behavior. Homoerotic sexuality is not viewed as procreative thus it is not an appropriate way of expressing sex. The shelter of marriage is not deserved by homoerotic. White patriarchal heterosexist norms do not drive the hyper-proper sexuality of black people, but Platonized Christianity inspires it. Homosexuality and homophobia coincide when associated with the two narratives.

Platonized Christian theology and white patriarchal also coincide when women are involved. The capacity of a woman to procreate sexually is defined by the two narratives, thus about men. Black women are denied the possibility of non-procreation. The Platonized theology and white patriarchal heterosexist social narratives disown the non-heterosexual expressions of sexuality. The two narratives team up to endorse the center of patriarchal authority. A family that is heterosexual includes one which is male-centered, and the woman has to support the husband and procreate

Marriages reflect a Theo-historical dynamic in black churches response by people of the same sex. Platonized theology grounds the Theo-historic dynamic and is driven by a racial sexualized oppression history. It is an offense for people of the same sex to marry. These are because the sense of people is struggling, the feeling of oppression and religious beliefs are reflected in the black people - the social, historical and theological factors that merge to reveal black attitudes towards non-heterosexuality that are prevailing. The issue may result from homophobia and heterosexism which may curb the soul options of non-heterosexual females and males and even cause hostility to them. The must be a way of doing away with the difficulties of homophobia by black people and heterosexism.

The church has an important role to play in producing homophobias within the black communities. Pastors give messages of love and acceptance, but they greatly believe that homosexuality is a sin and have difficulties in accepting homophobias. There is an existence of homophobias within various customs, class and Christian groups. The beginning and characters of gay people in black churches evolve from Christian faith, historical, social explanation and race survival awareness. The black slavery intimately influences the three origins. Homophobia is associated with the theological field of vision. There is a direct relation of homophobia to the authority that interprets the scripture in black churches. Slaves searched for freedom in churches and scriptures. Thus the Black Churches had some members who were slaves. The black people thus criticized homosexuality by using bibles.

Homophobia may be part of an aspect of more general dismay of sexuality. Exploitation of blacks historically brings the fear of sexuality and homosexuality by the whites during slavery. Homosexuality morals were affected by African traditional beliefs and Western cultures. Black masculinity in the struggle against white denominations was created. The blacks had ethnical awareness tactics of surviving and preserving among the blacks. There is also a belief that black men are athletes, criminals, and sexual predators. Racism may be an assault on one's identity, which may include environmental, verbal or non-verbal which may either be intentional or unintentional. Disapproving homophobias may be familiar, but it damages the people concerned.

The U.S community brought Africans to slavery. There was a separation of slavery's families and culture. The blacks were forced to adapt in tough situations and living conditions. Laws that separated blacks and whites in any aspect of life as possible were enacted. Organizations were formed to terrorize the black community. Several major religions have supported slavery. There is a passage in the bible that has been interpreted to mean black soul and black skin being condemned to slavery. Non-believers were also seen as potential slaves by Christians. Prisoners of war could be enslaved under Sharia war. In Christianity, setting free a slave was an act of charity. Nonbelievers in Christianity were subjected to hereditary slavery. Some Christian organizations were slaveholders. They contained several slaves. The black culture was destroyed by slavery in the United States of America.

Conclusion

Condemnation of homosexuality by the black churches in the United States is the root of homophobia. The church teaches against homosexuality which people follow. Black people must reclaim their faith. It must be noted that real redemption is not merely what happens to the spirit but it includes even what happens to the fresh. There is faith by the black communities that salvation of the soul means nothing like the freedom of the body. There is a relationship between salvation that is heavenly and freedom that is earthly. Women and men who are enslaved find the urgency to save their souls and freeing their body. The black church should reclaim its own Platonized religious heritage. If the church found its own Platonized religion heritage, then there will be a more consistent and equitable matter of sexuality in black churches. The black church problems of homophobia are complicated. Although the issue is involved, the church must address it. The church must affirm and live according to justice social, political, historical and theological tradition. Any manifestation of the sin of homophobia will thus be eradicated

Bibliography

Douglas, Kelly Brown. What's faith got to do with it? Black bodies/Christian souls. Orbis Books, 2018.