I sometimes feel that there is a double standard when it comes to orientation, and there shouldn't be. For example, the Boy Scouts of America have emphasized homosexuality as violating the "morally straight" phrase of the scout oath, but there is no similarly strong caution against irresponsible heterosexual behavior. In fact, it appears that behavior is less important than ideology. There's no statement that a man who lives with his girlfriend would not be allowed to be a scout leader. But a celibate homosexual would not be allowed. That appears to be a double standard.
But it goes both ways. I was at a tolerance workshop when the story was told of a wife and mother who realized that she was a homosexual, and left her husband and child to pursue a lesbian relationship. Her husband was described as supportive and her employer applauded her bravery. I was appalled. If someone left their family to pursue a new heterosexual flame, most people would have thought that the person was irresponsible, and their actions inappropriate. But if it's a homosexual flame it should be celebrated? It appears to be another double standard.
Officially, the church has a single standard, that reproductive behavior must be between a legally married husband and wife to be considered responsible and healthy, regardless of whether or not either is attracted to anybody else of any gender. I'm okay with that. It's not a double standard. I realize that some people are more greatly affected by this standard than other people. The standard is not set centrally in public opinion nor in human experience. Some people are in a position that makes it harder to comply than others, and that's unfair. I completely agree. The mortal world is an unfair place with situations and standards that are not perfectly equitable. I yearn for the day when all things will be made right, and charity, the pure unconditional love of Christ, will be the standard for everything. But we're not there yet.
It's my hope that the church can be a place of comfort and safety for those of any orientation against the storms of the world and the fiery darts of the adversary. Through the gospel of Christ, we can all have hope of great blessings and happiness both in this life and in the hearafter, regardless of the situation we find ourselves in during our mortal probation.
Wise observations. I lapse back and forth between agreeing with and contending with some of your statements, but there is most definitely a double standard in lots of ways
ReplyDeleteThe idea of a single standard suffers from the grue-bleen paradox, too, where definitions can be made so that a single standard becomes a double standard. Imagine a group of people that believe that there is a color they call grue, that is green before 12-21-12, and blue thereafter. Another color, bleen, is blue before the end of the Mayan calandar cycle and green afterwards. If suddenly on that fateful day, all blue and green things switch color, to this group of believers, there was never a switch, grue stayed grue and bleen stayed bleen. However, if, on December 22nd, all colors seem to have stayed the same, this group can claim the miracle of all grue things changing to bleen, and bleen to grue. So what appears to be a single color by our definition, is a change of colors by another definition.
DeleteSo, what I'm saying is, even the basic assumptions of my above post are up for interpretation. I could contend with a lot of my own points, and I often do. I'd be curious to hear which points you feel should be questioned.