Miseducation in the Classroom
I’m good and disgusted with the content in one of my textbooks Human Relations: A Game Plan for Improving Personal Adjustment by Loren Ford. The class is Everyday Psychology and the chapter in question is called Human Sexuality. Throughout the chapter, there is plenty of discussion about homosexuality and how it is “not a choice, you’re born that way” (whatever!) and also a generous amount of “transgender education” as well. We were instructed to watch a Gay Rights video and comment in the forums- all very 2014. What burns me up to no end, however, is what I read in my textbook. Ford states, “One indicator that our society has a homophobic segment is the persistent beliefs that homosexuals are deviant” (2010, p. 196).
The problem I have with this statement is that as a Christian, it’s my right to believe that homosexuality is deviant. My right. If I choose to believe what is in the Bible (and I do) rather than man, that is my choice and again, my right. It doesn’t mean that I’m a “homophobe” and really, I’m good and fed up with people ignorantly labeling Christians as “homophobes” if we think homosexuality is evil or a sin. I will always believe homosexuality is a sin. Always. But the Bible also talks about “love” and that we should love all people. So then, I’m able to love a person- homosexual or not- because I believe we’re all made in God’s similitude or “likeness”, but still able to hate the sinful act that a person does. It is not “sin” to the person, but it is to me. Therefore, I can do as the Bible instructs and “hate the evil and love the good”.
I think it’s dangerous miseducation to add in a college textbook that “if you think homosexuality is deviant, you’re a homophobe”. Really, Mr. Ford? A good many of my friends are homosexuals and I love them dearly- I am most definitely not a homophobe- I just hate the “gay pride” thing and the flamboyancy that goes along with “gay pride”. As a Christian, I believe “pride” in general, is the enemy of humility. So, I ascribe to a belief that embraces humility rather than “being proud”. There is definitely nothing to be proud about by embracing “sin”- but you see, I can say that because these are my beliefs. I can’t speak for anybody else.
Gay people are sometimes quick to slap a “homophobe” label on anybody who doesn’t adopt their mindsets or lifestyles, but it is the right of a person to be able to choose to be straight- without being harassed. “Hating sin” doesn’t make one a “homophobe”. Homophobia has to do with fear. There’s no fear in me saying that I hate homosexuality and find it an evil in this world. Do not confuse that with hating an actual person! There’s a difference. It is the “act” of homosexuality that I hate- not the person.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander though. Straight people have “rights” too. We have the right to believe that homosexuality is a sin. We have the right to reject it. We have “straight rights”.
God allows each person to choose his or her religion, destiny, and beliefs. If God Himself does that, we should do the same and allow others to choose their religion, destiny, norms, mores and sexuality too- free will.
I would never tell a person that he or she needs to “stop being gay”- that is his or her choice. So then I do not want to be “educated” in my college course that my hatred of what I perceive to be as a sin as “homophobia”. When you label a person, such as that, you’re imposing upon his or her right to choose how or what they want to believe. It’s ethically wrong and I’m flabberghasted that that kind of partiality and bias is allowed to be printed in our college textbooks. If you “educate” people about “gay rights” in a Human Sexuality course, then by all means, even it up and include a suptopic on “straight rights” as well. If you’re going to talk about “homophobia”- talk about “heterophobia” also! it exists and is a real problem, just as homophobia is. Stop spinning the information and twisting it so that the “gay agenda” is alive and well in the classroom, but the “straight agenda” is not.
If we’re supposed to respect a person’s right to be gay, then we should respect a straight person’s right to “reject homosexuality”. It’s not a “hate crime”. Everyone’s rights should be considered.
I will always think homosexuality is an evil in this world. But remember, it’s my right to believe what I want to believe. Why do I feel this way? I’ll tell you. Because I was raised in a world where my 4th grade teacher read the Bible/KJV out loud to us in the classroom. We prayed over our food in a public school in the lunchroom before we ate- a public school! We all prayed for the prisoners in Kuwait that were being held hostage, and our textbooks weren’t crammed with “gays rights” this and that. Homosexuality wasn’t part of our curriculum.
Please textbook authors, stop spinning our college textbooks specifically with a gay rights agenda in mind. Not everybody wants to read that.
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” -Ephesians. 6:13
m o n o c h r o m e j u n k i e † 
Well said ! I agree with you 100%. Kudos to you for being brave and speaking up in defense of our right to disagree. I don’t know if it is arrogance or ignorance for one to consider a person an extremist (and that is just what the textbook is implying), just because they don’t agree with one’s own belief. There is no explanation for that mentality other than blatant double standards and hypocrisy. If the gay community wants to be accepted, they must ALSO accept. Those who refuse to have the same open mind they expect of others can’t and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
November 3, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Exactly, J! it’s the double standard that really irks me. We’re expected to embrace a person’s sexuality- no questions. What I embrace though, is the person’s “right” to choose his or her own sexuality- I’ll never “celebrate” their choice of being gay, etc. But I respect their rights to choose, totally.
Generally though, we’re not given the same respect. We’re considered radical or “haters” or some other untruth and we’re labeled if we stand up for Christ (at all) and that’s what the Devil does though: his job is to shut our mouths, shut us down, and push us INTO the closet, so we won’t make anybody “uncomfortable”. The media keeps this thing spinning too though. Any person who even mentions that they choose to not embrace homosexual ideologies is labeled a homophobe- it’s creating mass, wide-spread fear in many people. I think of what Jesus said though in Matthew (5:13): “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
We have to be able to maintain our “stand” in 2014. Soon enough, homosexuality will be the “norm” and there will be “straight-shaming” going on- that’s where we’re headed as a nation, unfortunately. Thanks (again) for sounding off! Glad you did. :0)
November 3, 2014 at 3:43 pm
Wow, this is the first time in my life that I read something that completelly resonates with me. I have been trying to explain this same thing to people for years! The only difference being that I am not a Christian, and that I am bisexual, which in other peoples minds means “half gay”.
I really think the textbook shouldn’t be like this, or any event or anything for that matter that involves teaching and educating, especially young people. It bothers me that there is so much conflict out there being created solely because there is always something that you are being forced to accept, while you already accept it in the first place, like homosexuality in this example of yours. It creates a great social devision, when something is presented as a gaping hole in endless need of affirmation. I cannot understand why would any homosexual strive on dishonesty and love just for the sake of saying it. My best friend is a homosexual and he can’t get it either, hence why the people, in his example, he gets along worst is other homosexuals. This is jsut one example, perhaps too rude or crude, but it is how it is. What it boils down too, in my opinion, is that we should trow those damn textbooks out and jsut learn to embrace Love.
November 3, 2014 at 1:46 pm
Absolutely, O. A great majority of my friends are gay, bi- some can’t even be “specified”- heh. I accept them just as they are and they accept me as a Christian. They know they’re not going to get judgment from me though- just love. We all just simply “love each other”- no labels.
I really hate that our textbooks have an “agenda” and will “spin” the information though. The funny thing is- as a Christian, I firmly believe each person is capable of great darkness and “sin”, so that leaves me without a leg to stand on concerning other people and what I perceive to be “their sin”- this allows me to see others through eyes of love rather than condemnation and hypocrisy. (Because we know there’s no shortage of that!) So to be labeled a homophobe, just because I stand on my Christian beliefs by an “educator” is really disgusting. It’s just as bad as telling an adolescent (who is struggling with their sexuality) that “they were born gay”. That pretty much seals the deal then and pushes them them further in that direction rather than allowing him or her to choose for themselves, you know?
Yeah, our textbooks in school are messed up. Interestingly enough, I read all about the variations of sex, but very little mention of actual “love”. No surprises there! Thanks for stopping by , and as always, it’s great to see you! ;0)
November 3, 2014 at 3:21 pm
Welcome to “1984”…where we will – either – bend and shape you into the type of person WE have determined you should be…or bury you in the process. There are no alternatives. Conform…or be eliminated.
I’m so sick of political correctness…I could puke. :((
November 5, 2014 at 2:05 pm
I feel you there, Partner. Me too!
November 5, 2014 at 5:15 pm