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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2011 : 10:43:48 [Permalink]
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I'm not sure what you are getting at OFFC. Maybe part of the problem is that I didn't elaborate on what poverty as a factor has to do with it. People in poverty tend to have poor access to education as well as other resources, and so it is easy for leaders to manipulate them and spread blatant misinformation. (Of course well educated people are also duped on a regular basis, but not as easily or as often as poorly educated people.) In the better educated parts of the world people have become well aware of the fact that homosexuality occurs naturally in every human society. It just seems to not exist in some because it is heavily repressed by social taboo and laws, and this is the case in most African nations. However, from the perspective of many people in Ghana, homosexuality seems to have appeared in their country and be spreading due to outside influence. This is false information, but regardless of its being false, people believe it and so it has heavy influence.
My point about ethnocentricism is that people in Ghana have particular ideas about what is part of their "true" culture and identity. Growing acceptance of homosexuality threatens that identity, and in this case the growing visibility and acceptance of gays in foreign countries provides easy fuel for the fires of ethnocentricism. It doesn't matter that there were as many gay people in Ghana before Western and modern influence. The fact is the Western and modern influence is making those gays in Ghana more visible and accepted, and now we are seeing backlash from those who do not want to see that change.
Whenever I read or hear reports on the radio about the persecution of gays in African countries, little comments here and there convince me that ethnocentricism is a significant player in this mess. For instance, from here: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/artikel.php?ID=200705
Some people make the claim that homosexuality (sexual relations between people of the same sex) became known in Ghana when tourists, international workers and even missionaries flooded the country in the 70s.
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A Kenyan member of parliament was quoted as saying homosexuality is so unAfrican that we don't even have a name for it. |
And the BBC even did a whole program posing the question "Is Homosexuality Un-African?"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/465849.stm
| The argument among most Africans is that homosexuality is "un-African" - foreign to the continent, against its teachings and traditions and even against what the Bible teaches. In fact, some people would argue there is no word for homosexuals or homosexuality in their local African languages. |
So, yeah, I'm sticking to my argument that religion is not the only major player here. Poverty (with its side-effects of mis-education, undereducation, and desperation) and ethnocentricism are clearly at work, too. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2011 : 11:02:39 [Permalink]
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| I'm not sure what I'm getting at either. I just ask the questions. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
 Posted - 07/25/2011 : 01:18:26 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by On fire for Christ
And how far do you have to go back before you find there are no gays?
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Try far enough for there to be no people at all.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
 Posted - 07/25/2011 : 06:20:47 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Originally posted by On fire for Christ
And how far do you have to go back before you find there are no gays?
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Try far enough for there to be no people at all.
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I think even further than that given that homosexual behavior has been observed in about 150 species. |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2011 : 09:28:57 [Permalink]
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Since we don't consider primates people (though there are people who think we should), I find no conflict between our statements, Val...
Between our closest relatives, the bonobo, there's plenty of homosexual acts to go around.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 07/25/2011 09:40:09 |
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Ghana is rounding up the gays
