Homophobia
I find there is a serious misunderstanding of the way liberal thinkers use the term homophobia. This is that the word means some sort of sin or evil inclination on the part of the homophobe. In fact the proper meaning of a phobia is an irrational (and probably morbid) fear of something. The claustrophobe is terrified of enclosed spaces, whereas the agoraphobe is scared stiff of the wide open air and the homophobe is seriously frightened by homosexuality. Phobias are notoriously difficult to eradicate; so that some psychotherapists regard some of them as incurable.
The usual way by which sufferers cope with their affliction is simply to avoid what they fear. The arachnophobe can usually find somebody else to get the dreaded spider out of the bath. If he can’t he most probably kills it. The agoraphobe just has to stay indoors; and so on. As for the homophobe he can usually avoid the company of overtly gay people and find sufficient reasons for his abhorrence of homosexuality. Most regrettably our Christian Bible has two passages, one on Leviticus and one in St Paul’s letter to the Romans, which give explicit support to homophobia, regarding it not as irrational but as God’s own law.
Jesus is not recorded as having said anything on the subject, though he was clearly largely surrounded by men in the days of his earthly ministry. Importantly St John tells us that perfect love casts out fear, for fear has torment. The best way to overcome fear, whether awake or in one’s dreams, is to turn and face the feared thing and if possible love it.
-Peter Graham
