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Homophobia

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Re: Homophobia
Post by Dilandu   » Wed Nov 26, 2014 4:35 pm

Dilandu
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Posts: 2541
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Zakharra wrote:
For the same reason any religion wants: more followers and worshipers. The more followers the Church has, the more power they wield (and remember that pretty much everyone believed to their bones that the CoGA is a true and -very- real religion.



Make no sence. The CoGA never have any limits of followers; in fact, all peoples on Safehold are Chirch followers! There are no competing religions at all; so, the "more power for Church" isn't vital. More, the small population actually would be easier to control: one of the reasons, that the Church influence was weaker in Charis was simply distance.


After all they have written proof of go's work in creating Safehold and of the Archangels. So they wanted as many followers as possible (not to mention it was a part of the original plan to have humans repopulate from their near extinction.


Make no sence. The demographical influence of 5-to-8 percents of homosexual, lesbians and others are completely insignificant. Moreover, a lot of them would be eager to have childrens from surrogate females.

That didn't change when Langhorne hijacked the plan). It gives the Church something to do, more worshipers also means more people growing food, producing goods, offering more in tithes as well as more people for the Church hierarchy to rule over.


Make no sence. In short time scale - which is the main for Church hierarchy personal wealth and power - any demographic results would be invisible.

Homosexuals aren't going out to 'be fruitful and prosper' ie having children. That's likely the reason it would be frowned upon.


So, the most logical way to deal with problem would be "it's okay, as long as they don't forget their sacred duty to marry and make childrens."
------------------------------

Oh well, if shortening the front is what the Germans crave,
Let's shorten it to very end - the length of Fuhrer's grave.

(Red Army lyrics from 1945)
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Re: Homophobia
Post by TN4994   » Thu Nov 27, 2014 11:23 am

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Posts: 404
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Highjohn wrote:Holy lands owned by Popes, Cardinals, Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Monasteries, Abbeys, and Cloisters? Yes
Married Priests and above? Yes (Although the Popes were either unmarried or widowers.)

Yes agreed they have that in common.



Specific Cardinals designated to handle the secular and spiritual well being of the Mother Church? Yes

What exactly is your point here. It seems to be that both the Roman Catholic Church and the CoGA both have employees with defined job roles? What exactly does that prove?


Roman Curia (Council of Cardinals, Bishops, Etc.). Yes

Where are you getting that that the Council of Cardinals was anything even remotely like the Vicariate? The only things the two have in common is they are have members who vote on things are both part of a religious group. Here are some differences. Fixed size(Vicariate). Fixed membership(Vicariate, you don't get to join by being a senior church member in the city). Internal selection of members(Vicariate). Ordained specifically in holy texts(Vicarate, Langhorn wrote the rule abut how vicars are elevated for one thing). Has representatives (theoretically) from every area on the planet(To be fair the Curia church would only need to have representatives from every catholic area on the planet). Finally and most importantly. Not always in session(Council of Cardinals).




Donations to Church Dignitaries for absolution. Yes
Donations from royalty and others for preferred placement of Bishops, etc. Yes

Yes, agreed.


Secular Control of Church offices? mabye.

I added that one. The Catholic Church had that problem. The CoGA has an intermixing of dynasties in Harchong. Which isn't the same thing but is evidence of that sort of problem.



Swiss Guard. Yes

No. The temple guard is stationed all over Safehold. The Swiss Guard were not even stationed all over Europe or even Catholic Europe.



Modification of Holy Writs (Church Dogma and Bible)to promote personal agendas. Yes (Also in other religious cultures. Shan-wie, they all did it.)

No. There has been exactly one modification to the holy writ. See OAR when Merlin is just waking up. The CoGA does not and never has had the authority to make changes to the holy writ. Nor have they. Changes to the interpretation yes. But changes to the text? Hell no! Have there been changes to the bible? The question "Which bible?" should answer that.


Papal Bulls to impede technological and medical advancement. Yes

Ish. There were some. They also failed miserably. See crossbows for a easy example.


Procuring national armies to fight off heretics and conduct Holy War. Yes

Yes, they both had holy wars and both had states which fought in those holy wars. So what? A better comparison is examining the composition of the knights of the first crusade. They were largely French. Not German, the most powerful state in Europe at that time. Or English(Saxon?) or Hungrian. (Hungary was rather annoyed at the crusaders for that matter) The equivalent of this would be the CoGA only using Dohlarans without any Harchongese or Desnarians.


Maintaining its own army? Yes

Small local army. But yes.



Constructing a Grandiose Place of Worship that also houses the Church Hierarchy? Yes

No. No. No. No.
No. No. Who built the Temple exactly? Not the church. Who built St. Peter' Basilica? The church. Different church but you get the point.


Elimination of people practicing unorthodox procedures? Yes

Yes. So does every organization with orthodox procedures that has ever existed. Most don't kill the people but plenty do. So what is your point?



Turning a blind eye and even promoting slavery? Yes

So? Who didn't? Seriously name a state which existed in an area with a large slave population which didn't. Note, states which changed their mind later don't count. Though they are great. See Great Britian. Pun intended.


Also known to declare mammals as fish. And finaly allow coffee.

So? What is your point here? Another difference to support me. Yay.






TN4994 wrote:Do you know that a few Christian type religions keep the books of the bible separate? Several eliminated certain scripture and added phraseology to justify their teachings. Others add a gnostic text. The book of Noe (Noah) is longer than in most known English translations. Seems he had two sons and one daughter. All married.


Yes. I not sure I have ever, in my entire life, said or written anything supporting biblical inerrancy. So what is your point and why are you bringing this? Also are you aware that some Sects of Christianity disagree on what books to even use. Much less their organization?

TN4994 wrote:Leviticus attempts to be a listing of things not to do; incorporating certain knowns of the time about diet, disease and letting land go untended every seven years for example.

The cure for leprosy? Some translations indicate it was a minor skin rash caused by mites/louse and not really leprosy. Thus the house cleaning.


I'm aware of the problems with translation. I never said they weren't there. The point was the massive differences between on one hand detailed descriptions of how to produce asbestos and on the other hand witch craft as a cure for anything.

Also the problems with translation highlight another difference. Further supporting me.


TN4994 wrote:Similar is not identical.


I was the one arguing that similarities in one area do no add up to similarities in another. I have been describing the massive differences to make a point that your also wrong about the similarities. You were arguing from the start that they do. So are you trying to state that you have been convinced by me and that I am right?

We are off topic. Sent you private post.
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Re: Homophobia
Post by Zakharra   » Thu Nov 27, 2014 11:53 pm

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Posts: 619
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Dilandu wrote:
Zakharra wrote:
For the same reason any religion wants: more followers and worshipers. The more followers the Church has, the more power they wield (and remember that pretty much everyone believed to their bones that the CoGA is a true and -very- real religion.



Make no sence. The CoGA never have any limits of followers; in fact, all peoples on Safehold are Chirch followers! There are no competing religions at all; so, the "more power for Church" isn't vital. More, the small population actually would be easier to control: one of the reasons, that the Church influence was weaker in Charis was simply distance.


After all they have written proof of go's work in creating Safehold and of the Archangels. So they wanted as many followers as possible (not to mention it was a part of the original plan to have humans repopulate from their near extinction.


Make no sence. The demographical influence of 5-to-8 percents of homosexual, lesbians and others are completely insignificant. Moreover, a lot of them would be eager to have childrens from surrogate females.

That didn't change when Langhorne hijacked the plan). It gives the Church something to do, more worshipers also means more people growing food, producing goods, offering more in tithes as well as more people for the Church hierarchy to rule over.


Make no sence. In short time scale - which is the main for Church hierarchy personal wealth and power - any demographic results would be invisible.

Homosexuals aren't going out to 'be fruitful and prosper' ie having children. That's likely the reason it would be frowned upon.


So, the most logical way to deal with problem would be "it's okay, as long as they don't forget their sacred duty to marry and make childrens."



I had a nice rebuttal all typed out and ready to go this morning and the forums here ate it. So I will cut it down to this, Dilandu. It doesn't matter. That it doesn't make sense to you is irrelevant. If the original plan had been kept, it wouldn't have made any difference, but it was changed.

In all likelihood those who are homosexual 9male and female) keep quiet about it. There isn't likely any raging homophobia to the point of lynchings and beatings, but it's likely discouraged because the point it the original plan and the modified one both had the intention of increasing the human population as much as possible. The plans call for children, lots and lots of children, and its likely pushed heavily by the Church.

Without modern technology, it's very hard for homosexuals to have children without adoption (and given the cultures that seem to be present in Safehold, adoption isn't something most realms would allow except for children whose parents are dead/vanished. They'd likely adopt out to traditionally intact homes. Single Mothers don't seem to be that common or mentioned). And a homosexual couple that isn't married to others of the opposite sex isn't a couple that is having children. I am going to guess, but I would gather than most open homosexuals don't have much to do with the opposite sex, so it would be difficult for males to father children and women to get impregnated. They might find it repugnant to be with the opposite sex.

Another likely reason is the more followers/people there are, the more people there are for the secular and clerical rulers to rule over. Both the secular rulers and the Church need people. A LOT of people. Not only to rule over, but also for financial reasons. The more people/citizens you have the more taxes/tithes you can get and the more land is under production/goods being produced and such. That means there was/is a strong need for children and likely a social stigma against anyone not producing children.

That being said, I don't think open persecution and discrimination where homosexuals would be prosecuted like they have been here on Earth, but I don't think they would be officially approved of either. The Church might think of homosexuals as a minor problem and misguided and offer guidance to help them attain fruitful lives, ie productive as the Church and society sees it.

You also have to remember, Safehold morals aren't Earth morals and Safehold has been, until very recently, a pre-industrial society where every pair of hands was needed. Give it time to wear away the Proscriptions and society will open up, but until then I think that homosexuals on Safehold will likely stay in the closet unless they have a high enough position to deflect most criticism. And for whatever reasons, RFC has chosen to downplay the entire question (for good reason, it's a tricky minefield to walk), but there is, as far as I know, nothing to suggest homosexuality is openly accepted or approved of, and nor is there anything to suggest they are hated and/or persecuted like they have been here. It's just not addressed.
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Re: Homophobia
Post by Madeye_Malk   » Sat Nov 29, 2014 11:01 am

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Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:49 pm

I don't post regularly but I would say on this topic that ancient language and word usage in the bible was that the restrictions on homosexual acts, was in fact a commandment for reproduction, the usage of abomination was to say the act was against ritural or custom. to eat pork was an abomination for example. People that promote hate and fear can find that the promotion of one could be used as the denouncement of another. Stories that where meant to teach moral stories such as the law of hospitality are misinterpreted today as god destroying two cities for immoral sexual acts. This is to say that it's not unthinkable that the Writ could have been reinterpreted in a similar way and it's commands of things could be use to denounce people that society finds abnormal or outside their worldview, not just homosexuals.
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