Love, Sex and Gender in the World Religions Essay

Love, Sex and Gender in the World Religions Edited by Joseph Runzo and Nancy Martin Introduction Two forces which gathered strength in the last half of the twentieth century now dominate the world religions at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The first is the globalization of religions and their resulting encounter with each other, and the second is the need to redefine attitudes toward gender as women have stepped forward to insist that their full humanity be acknowledged in the religious as well as the social realm. In a process begun in the nineteenth century and accelerated in the twentieth, the great religions of the world became truly global in the geographic distribution of their adherents and so†¦show more content†¦The Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu was internationally prominent in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, even as the Hindu Mahatma Gandhi had been at the beginning of the century in South Africa and then in the Indian independence struggle, and so on. World religions became part of the social-political-economic global fabric in a way that now has made it increasingly hard to practice religion in isolation from global concerns, and even intellectually dishonest to do so without some global perspective and without taking other religious traditions into account. The second great force at the turn of the century is itself global: the emergence of women in the public sphere, including the public face of religion. This is in part a function of womens growing economic and political power, but also a result of religion itself coming into the public sphere in new ways. Many aspects of religion have long been considered private and relegated largely to the context of home and family, where women have often been the primary practitioners, though men might dominate in institutional leadership positions. As both religion and women move out of the private into the public sphere, new challenges arise. For example, central facets of family and home Ââ€" particularly love and sex Ââ€" which have more traditionally been the purview of women and of religion have entered the realmShow MoreRelatedMonotheistic religions, especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam promote the belief in One God;1600 Words   |  7 PagesMonotheistic religions, especially Jud aism, Christianity, and Islam promote the belief in One God; all that exists is because of God. Through prophets and scripture, God portrays moral goodness and truth. Essentially, these three religions believe that God speaks to us, unveils God’s Being, and seeks to guide us through life. In turn, humans should embody the moral goodness and excellence that is revealed to us by God. These religions are taught based upon both scripture and reason. When readingRead MorePersuasive Essay On Same Sex Marriage1232 Words   |  5 PagesOpposite Sex Marriage The concept of marriage has been around for thousands of years. Marriage is the conjoining of two people who love each other. People get married because they love the other person and can see themselves living together for the rest of their lives. Marriage has always been between man and woman. However, now days people in the same sex want to get married. People do not know what to think about gay marriage, which is why it is a controversial subject in todays cultureRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal1113 Words   |  5 Pagesdeveloping or third world countries, racism or animal rights. However, same-sex marriage can be considered as one of the most arguable issues nowadays. It has been debated all over the world for several years because it relate to cultural components such as cognitive, material or human rights (lang8). Same-sex marriage can be known as a marriage between two people of the same sex. It can be performed in normal marriage ceremony if it happens in the countries that legalized same-sex marriage. BesidesRead MoreGay Marriage Should Be Legal1437 Words   |  6 Pagesthe same rights as opposite sex couples do. In the case of Baker v. Vermont, in the year 2000, â€Å"Vermont’s groundbreaking law establishing civil unions took effect, providing families of samesex couples the same protections, benefits and responsibilities that married couples have under state law except for the powerful meaning conveyed by the word marriage† (Lambda Legal). Obviously, this statement is saying that same sex couples are granted the same benefits as opposite sex couples, but they don’t haveRead MoreThe Banning Of Movies On Lgbt, Religion, Laws, And History1532 Words   |  7 Pagesprejudice happens in the world has been a question that lingered for the longest time. Several factors contribute to the attitudes and views of various cultures towards LGBT, namely religion, laws, and history. Religion has a big influence on the attitudes of certain cultures towards LGBTQ community. The three main religions, Abrahamic religions, Indic religions and Sinic religions, all have different views towards homosexuality for various reasons. Abrahamic religions such as Judaism, Islam, andRead MoreLove And Marriage : A Discussion1295 Words   |  6 PagesLove and Marriage – A discussion Throughout history, love and marriage have been intertwined, sometimes in the most basic and comprehensible ways and some other times in the most bizarre and outright ridiculous ones. We focus on the effects of globalization so acutely, that the changing faces of love and marriage are sometimes not observed. Though the change is subtle, it nonetheless is present. Coontz (2005) describes traditional marriage to be as evident as getting a job. In retrospect, it is hardRead More Argument Supporting Gay Marriage Essay1268 Words   |  6 Pagesthe US Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Marriage is defined as a sacred bond of love between two people. Gay people also feel love therefore, they should be allowed the same rights as everyone else in this country. Homosexuality is an accepted lifestyle nowadays with a proven biological causation. The only thing that should matter in marriage is love and denying them this is a violat ion of religious freedom. According to studiesRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal988 Words   |  4 Pageswith your better half for years and you have now decided that you want to marry that person and spend the rest of your life with them, but you can’t because you’re the same sex. For years this has been the struggle for many same sex couples. The same basic right to share your bond with your loved one for the rest of the world to see through paper and ring has been denied by law and church, until June of 2015. Some argue that they had the opportunity to combine in what is known as a civil union. ButRead MoreGay Marriage: Refutation Researched Argument1465 Words   |  6 Pages Gay sex marriage is the most conflicting issue in the contemporary social world. Marriage is an association of persons through which we perceive the reflection of a particular culture. It is basically a private matter and a fundamental human right. People should have the right to decide with whom they marry, no t the state. If two persons are closed to each other regardless of their gender, they should be allowed to marry with each other  (Eric). Legalizing gay marriage is granting same-sex couplesRead MoreThe Importance Of Studying The Relationships And Subject Formations1688 Words   |  7 Pagesof the categories I belong to. I am an African American, bisexual female studying at a historically black college. In my household, according to society I would be labeled as the middle class. I have no preferences other than Christianity for my religion. Growing up I always lived in predominantly white communities, I’ve always attended in predominantly white schools, and I have a regular American name. So by being African American I always had to prove myself to people. My mother always had this