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Australian Survey Defines "Homophobia" as Belief that Homosexuality is Immoral CANBERRA, July 27, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The terms "homophobia" and "intolerance" are used in the media a great deal but few have dared to define them with any certainty since they carry a weight of political baggage. Many Christian and other religious objectors to the homosexual political movement have assumed that they are defined by homosexual activists simply as, "anything or anyone that differs with us," with traditional religious morality topping the list. A report by an Australian research group has confirmed that this view is accurate. The report by The Australia Institute, a leftist public policy think tank, was titled "Mapping Homophobia in Australia, and adheres openly to the homosexual lobby's broad definition. "In this study homophobia is identified with those who believe that homosexuality is immoral.," the report says succinctly in its preamble. The report admits that the term is technically inaccurate, saying that few experience an actual 'phobia' about homosexuals, but that "the term 'homophobia,' is a useful term of social description for everyday emotional tension about sexual identity that is widespread among heterosexuals." The report by the Australia Institute examined the results of a previous survey by Roy Morgan Research that asked approximately 25,000 Australians to say whether they agree or disagree with the following statements: "I believe that homosexuality is immoral," and "Homosexual couples should be allowed to adopt children." A 'yes' to the first, and a 'no' to the second equals "homophobia." Significantly, the study notes that "Catholics are the most tolerant in Australia, with only 34 per cent believing that homosexuality is immoral." (see important statistical note at bottom of article) Other studies have shown a strong connection between traditional sexual morality and other indicators of religious adherence such as regular church attendance. This study of "homophobia" has confirmed, perhaps unintentionally, what others have shown: that religious belief and practice by many Catholics in Australia has been seriously eroded by the new libertine sexual mores and widespread moral and religious relativism both in and out of the Catholic community. With Catholics placed just above "no religion" in their "tolerance" of homosexuality, the study may alert Church leadership that average Catholics are, literally, one small step away from outright non-belief. Baptists, Other Christians, Methodists, Presbyterians, respondents who 'Wouldn't Say' their religion, those of 'Other Religion'(s), those identifying as "Uniting" and Anglicans all faired better according to the survey in adherence to basic Christian morality which considers homosexuality immoral. "While Roman Catholic doctrine is seen to be clear in its condemnation of homosexuality, Catholics are the least homophobic of those Australians with a religious affiliation. This suggests that there is a gap between the official teachings of the church and the everyday beliefs and values of those people who share its faith," the report concludes. While the study did not point it out, it should be noted that the numbers presented are based on averages and due to the fact that Catholics represent about 27 percent of the population whereas other Christian denominations are vastly smaller the actual number of Catholics considering homosexuality immoral are in many cases greater than numbers of persons of other denominations presented considering homosexuality immoral. For example even though 70% of Baptists in Australia consider homosexuality immoral compared to 35% of Catholics, due to the difference in population size among the two denominations, Catholics who consider homosexuality immoral outnumber Baptists of the same belief by a factor of eight to one. Read the Australia Institute report (pdf format - Acrobat required) http://www.tai.org.au/Publications_Files/Papers&Sub_Files/Homophobia%20webpaper%20Final.pdf See demographics on Religions in Australia: http://www.adherents.com/loc/loc_australia.html
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Originally posted by DocBrian:
[QB] Australian Survey Defines "Homophobia" as Belief that Homosexuality is Immoral Notice the totally intolerant, anti-Christian bigotry in this "report: Mapping Homophobia in Australia
Australia Institute Webpaper July 2005
Michael Flood and Clive Hamilton1
Summary
Homophobia refers to the unreasoning fear or hatred of homosexuals and to antihomosexual
beliefs and prejudices. While not a phobia in the literal sense, it is a
useful term of social description for everyday emotional tension about sexual identity
that is widespread among heterosexuals. While not everyone who is homophobic
engages in discriminatory behaviour towards gay men and lesbians they are more
likely to contribute to a general attitude of intolerance. Thus derogatory and insulting
remarks about gay men and lesbians by, for example, prominent radio personalities
reinforce intolerance and appear to sanction discriminatory behaviour.
The forms of discrimination faced by gay men and lesbians include:
denial of access
to housing; refusal of health treatment; inconsistent laws regarding the age of consent;
lack of official recognition of same sex relationships; and various forms of vilification
including violence.
A large database compiled by Roy Morgan Research using self-completion interviews
with 24,718 respondents aged 14 and over has been used in this study to identify the
extent of homophobia in Australia. In this study homophobia is identified with those
who believe that homosexuality is immoral.
Overall, 35 per cent of the population aged 14 years and above believes that
homosexuality is immoral. When broken down by gender, nearly 43 per cent of men
and 27 per cent of women take this view.
Queensland and Tasmania are the most homophobic states and Victoria is the least,
although among men the Northern Territory is the most homophobic area. By and
large city areas in all states are less homophobic than country areas, but there are
exceptions. For example, the Newcastle and Hunter region of NSW is less
homophobic than several areas of Sydney.
Within the major cities there are substantial variations in the level of homophobia by
region. In Sydney, the Central region is the least homophobic and the Southernsuburbs the most. In Melbourne, the Inner City is the least homophobic and the Outer
South & East the most. The study identifies the three most and three least
homophobic areas of Australia. Overall the most homophobic areas are the Moreton
area of country Queensland (excluding the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast),
Central/South-West Queensland and the Burnie/Western district of Tasmania where
50 per cent believe homosexuality is immoral. The least homophobic region is the
Inner City of Melbourne (14 per cent), followed by Central Perth (21 per cent) and
Older Australians are considerably more homophobic than young adults.
However,
those in the 14 to 17 age group, especially boys, are much more inclined to hold antigay
views than young and middle-aged adults. Homophobic attitudes are closely
related to levels of education − 25 per cent of those with tertiary education hold
homophobic views compared to 40-50 per cent among those who did not complete
Among those who declare a religious affiliation, Catholics are the most tolerant in
Australia, with only 34 per cent believing that homosexuality is immoral (although
those affiliated with the Anglican and Uniting Churches have similar scores). The
least tolerant are Baptists (of whom 68 per cent believe homosexuality is immoral)
followed closely by evangelical Christians (62 per cent). These counter-intuitive
findings suggest that the Catholic Church has less doctrinal authority over its
congregation than some other Christian and non-Christian churches and that Catholics
have become adept at interweaving their own moral instincts with the various proscriptions of their church.
1. What is homophobia?
Homophobia refers to the unreasoning fear or hatred of homosexuals and to antihomosexual
beliefs and prejudices.2 It is based on the belief that heterosexuality is
normal and natural and that homosexuality is unnatural, sick or dangerous.3
Homophobia also lies behind discrimination and various forms of oppression.
Gay men and lesbians experience cultural invisibility, they are routinely told
that their innermost feelings and desires are disgusting, dangerous, just a phase
or non-existent, they are denied civil and legal rights and the recognition of
their partners and relationships, their consenting sexual relations are
criminalised and policed, and they are subject to verbal and physical harassment, bashings and even murders.4
According to researchers Tomsen and Mason, while few suffer from a literal phobia
of gay men and lesbians, the term �homophobia� is a useful term of social description
for everyday emotional tension about sexual identity that is widespread among
heterosexuals.5 Homophobia is not a phobia or morbid fear in the usual sense because
it is characterised more by anger and contempt than fear. Nor is it seen as a clinical
problem for those afflicted by it but as an attitude or set of beliefs that is widely
accepted or tolerated. For many the problem lies with the object of the fear or anger
rather than the phobic him or herself. Therefore, while the victim of a phobia is the
one damaged by it, homophobia hurts everyone; it locks people into rigid patterns and
beliefs, inhibits the capacity to form intimate relationships with members of the same
sex, encourages macho behaviours and can be used to stigmatise heterosexual people
who are seen to have �gay� characteristics.6
Of course, not everyone who is homophobic engages in discriminatory behaviour
towards gay and lesbian people. But they are more likely to contribute to a general
attitude of intolerance that is interpreted by those who are actively homophobic to
condone their vilification of gay and lesbian people. It is for this reason that
derogatory and insulting remarks about gay men and lesbians by, for example,
prominent radio personalities contribute to and reinforce the intolerance of those
already homophobic. Indeed, it is likely that the small minority who are prone to
commit acts of violence against gay men and lesbians are encouraged to act
aggressively because they feel that their homophobia is sanctioned by influential
voices in the community.
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anything or anyone that differs with us Then with the definition above I would say our Lord Jesus Christ was a homophobic. I try to always follow in our Lords footsteps. I guess I am coming out of the closet as a "homophobic?"
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A friend in Australia is simultaneously an Orthodox priest, a university professor, and an active member of the government's civil rights commission. I'll send him an e-mail and ask what he knows about these surveys.
Meanwhile, "homophobia" is, to the best of my knowledge, a relatively new term and probably used in several ways not necessarily consistent with each other. Etymologically the word is nonsense, but etymological considerations don't always govern when new words arise (the expression "the Tridentine Mass" is a misnomer, but since most people who are interested in discussing that form of liturgy are agreed on what this term designates, there's not much point in arguing that the term itself is inaccurate).
Does anyone know when and in what context "homophobia" first appeared in print? And does it appear now in any of the standard dictionaries published for general use?
As to anti-Christian bigotry, that certainly exists in Australia, though I'm not sure to what extent. Australian society is not like the USA or Canada; church attendance in Australia is well under five percent of the population. Even within the churches there is much polarization, not to use stronger terms, between Biblical fundamentalists and those who do not share that understanding of Christianity.
Incognitus
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I knew it would not be long before people started viewing those of us suffering with acute TRV's (traditional religious values) as psychologically disturbed! :p Of course, to call it a "phobia" demonstrates that one cannot have a rational disourse on this particular moral issue. You are clearly regarded as emotionally wounded and neurotic if you disagree with the prevailing winds or trends. Is there such a thing as "homophobicphobia" (the irrational fear of people disagreeing with those who approve of homosexuality)?  Gordo
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By sheer coincidence - or the Plan of God - I just happened to watch the film Inherit the Wind. I suggest it to all of us.
Incognitus
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Originally posted by CaelumJR: I knew it would not be long before people started viewing those of us suffering with acute TRV's (traditional religious values) as psychologically disturbed! :p
Of course, to call it a "phobia" demonstrates that one cannot have a rational disourse on this particular moral issue. You are clearly regarded as emotionally wounded and neurotic if you disagree with the prevailing winds or trends.
Is there such a thing as "homophobicphobia" (the irrational fear of people disagreeing with those who approve of homosexuality)?
Gordo My thoughts exactly...by applying this nice little label to those with traditional values, we are made to look irrational, unreasoning, and as if we suffer mental affliction somehow...  Gaudior, who notes that the demographics are no surprise, as our media nad our schools have been busily telling the world that homosexual acts are a lifestyle choice.
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Originally posted by incognitus:
By sheer coincidence - or the Plan of God - I just happened to watch the film Inherit the Wind. I suggest it to all of us.
Incognitus My my, why wuuld you offer this in this forum? Dan L
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Originally posted by incognitus:
By sheer coincidence - or the Plan of God - I just happened to watch the film Inherit the Wind. I suggest it to all of us.
Incognitus Hmm .. actually, I've seen it. And it is a wonderful film. However, I've also read transcripts and books about the Scopes trial, and "Inherit The Wind" - the play as well as the movie - played fast and loose with with the facts. Not that surprising, considering that's what Hollywood USUALLY does with facts ... still, a good reminder that movies are not reality!  (And by the way, I'm with Dan L. on this one - what does "Inherit the Wind" have to do with homophobia??  )
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There is a difference between traditional religious values and psychological difficulties. I've known people who had both, as well as people who had either one or the other, and people who had none. My preference is for the traditional religious values and the absence of psychological problems.
What does "Inherit the Wind" have to do with the debate in process? Heavens, how would I know? But it's a good film. Maybe the connection is that a monkey appears in the film (briefly) and monkeys are blamed for giving AIDS to humans.
Incognitus
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I remember hearing the term "homophobia" around 10-15 years ago. I find it a strange term, since I have no fear of homosexuality or the people who practice it. Actually, I'm more bored with it and them than afraid. It is a non-productive dead end that is doomed to ultimate failure and self destruction. What is there to fear?
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Here's an interesting article. this comes from a marvellous site on therapy for homosexuality. I heard a bishop on Catholic Answers radio recommend this website: National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality http://narth.com/ Of course, there is also the Courage website: http://couragerc.net/ There is even a Slovenia chapter: http://www.kapis.org/ Here is the article... Gordo -------------------------------- Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) High School Leader Threatens To Sue School Over Homophobia June 14, 2005 - Justin Haley, head of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club on the campus of West High School in Tracy, California, is threatening to sue the school over homophobia. Gay Straight Alliance clubs are sponsored by the national Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). According to a report in the Tracy Press (June 13, 2005), Haley is talking to the American Civil Liberties Union about pursuing a law suit against the school unless all teachers are required to go through anti-homophobia training. "I'm giving them time to redeem themselves," Daley. "If the problems are fixed, then I won't move any further with it." Daley is a junior in the Institute for Global Commerce and Government program at the high school. An ACLU spokesman has noted: "We help school districts comply with anti-harassment laws both by referring them to trainers and doing training ourselves. We also do the same thing of protecting students when school districts fall down on the job, and when a lawsuit is the only approach to ensure that students are not harassed on campus." Once Again In the News Justin Daley gained regional notoriety in April, 2005 when his GSA club was involved in pressuring West High School to punish math teacher Richard Thompson for telling his students that homosexuality is unnatural. Thompson indicated he was resigning at the end of the school session. When his resignation was announced, Daley told a local newspaper: "That is so pleasant, but I'm scared for the students in which he teaches in the future. Mr. Thompson is a big part of the problem. There are still issues." The ACLU has a long history of promoting the gay agenda on high school campuses in California and elsewhere throughout the country. In 2004, for example, it won a major lawsuit against the Morgan Hill school district in California over the gay agenda. It not only won a cash settlement but the right to force teachers, students, and administrators to take a gay-affirmative sensitivity training program. Counter Offensive In an effort to counter the political agenda of Gay Straight Alliance clubs on high school campuses, the Pro-Family Law Center has published a 15-page legal brief on the liability of hosting such clubs. The report, "The Legal Liability Associated With Homosexuality Education In California Public Schools," notes that one of the key arguments against imposing pro-homosexual education upon students is that it amounts to religious discrimination. Most of the world's religions condemn homosexuality. "In light of this fact, the adoption by schools of any policy which defines opposition to homosexuality as wrong, harmful, immoral or 'homophobic' directly attacks the religious beliefs and values of many students." The report also notes that pro-homosexual education violates parental rights; creates a hostile academic environment; endangers the physical health of children; violates freedom of speech; and more. Pro-Homosexual Programs Impact Brain Maturation Dr. Sander Breiner, Professor of Psychiatry at Michigan State University, and a member of NARTH's Scientific Advisory Committee, presented a compelling paper at the November, 2004 NARTH conference on the impact that pro-homosexual teachings can have on the maturing adolescent brain. According to Dr. Breiner, research indicates that the adolescent brain is still maturing and can be impacted by experiences and stresses. Sexually questioning teens can be derailed in their normal development if they are exposed to confusing sexual messages in junior high or high school. Dr. Breiner notes that pro-gay teachings won't "make someone homosexual, but certainly will contribute to problems in their development. Adolescents have enough problems in establishing gender roles and this will increase these problems." Dr. Breiner observes: "I am convinced that gay affirming materials are injurious to children and will add to the psychological problems they already have as a normal part of development. It is wrong to say that homosexuality is a viable alternative to heterosexuality. If teens are to be protected, they must be given the facts about homosexual behavior, not fantasies from the gay community."
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Homophobic goes back to the time when homosexuals were beaten by thugs...but that was quite a while ago.
About twenty-five years ago, the ACLU and the Homosexual and Lesbian organizations started with the courts. I believe that was one of the main reason for Pat Robertson starting the Christian Coalition and also the ACLJ which takes on cases of Christians discrimination free of charge.
You know these battles have been going on in the courts for over twenty years.But it's been to no avail. The left fought hard, mostly because of Roe vs. Wade.
Had the Abortion issue been left down on the burner, maybe, just maybe we might have had more conservative judges that could have changed our society. Certain individuals by emphasizing the abortion issue managed to destroy the very society that in the end would have changed it.
It is a societal problem. I recall reading the authorized biograhy of Saint Lawrence of Arabia. His friend, who was a homosexual and loved Lawrence said that the very thought would have revulsed Lawrence. That one had to realize the era. Homosexuality was something unheard of.
This was confirmed by a book published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Gilded age. It said that even though Lesbianism was looked on humorously, homosexuality was something that was unheard of. Of course after reading the Brothers Karamazov and seeing the affectionate kissing among women, I can't help but wonder if the affections shown in that age is considered Lesbianism because it is being interpretated by the 'mores' of our own age.
Again, reading the biography of Lord Byron, he loved the Islamic world because it was such a morally free society and he loved boys and girls equally.
Now it didn't mean he was a homosexual in our sense of the word. What it meant was that young boys were considered equal to women...and that goes back to ancient Greece and it's paganism. Homosexuals though that are effeminate and take on feminine characteristics were always frowned on in the pagan world... as it is in many parts of the world today.
The word 'homophobic' should really should refer to the fear of young boys at a succeptible age that are being encouraged to experiment with that which is immoral and physically harmful.
But then we live in a weird society. We detroy the very people we should do everything to protect. Our children.
Zenovia
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Dear Zenovia,
"Saint Lawrence of Arabia"? Hadn't heard of his canonization! He's an interesting and fairly important figure for anyone concerned about the 20th century history of the Middle East, but I know nothing about his relationship, if any, to organized religion. Still, data would perhaps be of some help in gaining insight into his thinking.
Thugs using physical violence on homosexuals (and others, of course) is not, alas, exclusively a phenomenon of the distant past!
I must admit that I've paid much more attention to litigation on the abortion issue. You may well be right in suggesting that somehow the two issues are connected so far as litigation is concerned.
Is the term "homophobic" a product of the various efforts at litigation which you allude to?
And do any of our posters know whether (and if so, when) "homophobic" has begun to appear in the major English dictionaries?
Incognitus
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I think the survey is not representative enough due to ambiguity in term of 'homosexuality'.
What that term means?
same sex attraction urge?
homosexual act?
I think the Church is clear cut when say that homosexual act is immoral while a person who have same sex attraction urge is not an immoral person because of his/her tendency per se.
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