Subject:  A great article with remarkable originality! |
Author:
Liberal
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Date Posted: 04:38:11 06/23/04 Wed
In reply to:
Lil bow mike
's message, "Seeking Jesus in Queer theory (LOVE)" on 23:12:21 06/18/04 Fri
A remarkable paper indeed. Congratulations.
Let me share my stupid thoughts. Sorry for shortening your article a bit to ease my comprehension and thinking.
Restriction of choice has already been created in our binary world and mind, and so for rethinking the truth it should be redefined outside the binary system. Queer theory breaks the binary system and expands our range of choices. Not only does it show that gendered and sexual identities are socially and culturally constructed, but also Queer theory gives us a space for rethinking the "truth" in our binary world.
Queer theory is similar to what Jesus taught, Jesus broke the binary logic in our human knowledge and taught us what is the true meaning of Queer theory – ‘Love’. Through Queer theory, I will argue that Jesus breaks down three categories: the body; the bible; and sex(uality) (with reference to the birth of Jesus).
the body:
divine/human
right/wrong
divine/sin
Jesus breaks down the dichotomy logic and the distinction between divine and human through his death (Romans 7:14-25 and 8:1-17). We understand that our bodies are biologically constructed and we use discourse to determine what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. However such a perspective is restricted by the binary perspective. The scripture said, “but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of sin at work with my members What a wretched man I am!” (Roman 7:21-24) According to the Scripture (Roman 7:14-15), we realised what is right or wrong in our heart or spirit, and not through a binaristic law. Thus, we see that the death of Jesus broke the binary system between the divine and sin. The Death of Jesus helped us understand the true meaning of Queer theory that is love; and it broke down the categories between the law of God and the law of sin.
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My opinion:
1. It is the living Jesus (as God-Man), not his death, which breaks down the divine/human dichotomy.
2. You set the key idea of this paragraph in the first sentence as a discussion of the divine/human dichotomy. Then why you switched to right/wrong so quickly after just touching on divine/human so briefly? Why so many confusing dichotomies are included in one paragraph (it seems to me that your discussions of Jesus' divine/human and Paul's right/wrong are unrelated)?
3. Instead of challenging the right/wrong dichotomy, Paul's struggle in Romans 7:21-24 was precisely due to the dichotomous right/wrong dilemma between his will and his bodily desires. And Romans 7:14-15 confirms the binaristic law of body/spirit too (instead of breaking it).
4. The Bible says we sense right and wrong by our spirit. But queer theorists or deconstructionists will disagree. They will say right/wrong is cultivated by the culture in which we are born; the Bible, by referring to the spirit, is just rationalizing the cultivation process.
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Through the death of Jesus Christ we are set free from the binarism of sin/divine. Jesus was tempted in every way like us in the world. Yet, Jesus was without sin. What's more, the death of Jesus did allow us to rethink God’s mercy outside the binary logic . As Jesus said accordance to the bible, “I am the way and the truth and the life, ” no one can seek the truth without him outside or within the binary logic. Love is always the answer for seeking truth in every situation. Queer theory is not a deconstruction but it is a theory for showing the Love of God. The death of Jesus had already showed a significant evidence for breaking the binary logic.
Not only did Jesus break down the category between the biological (sinful) and divine body, but also our body became spiritual. The death of Jesus broke the binary logic and The Holy Spirit is the way for seeking truth outside the binary logic.
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1. "Jesus was without sin." Is this affirmation a confirmation of the divine/sin binarism rather than breaking it? Jesus, being without sin, is divine; Jesus, being divine, successfully refuse sin. A real breakage of divine/sin binarism should have been a sinful God.
2. Why biological = sinful?
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bible:
revealed (text)/general (nature)
Secondly, Jesus breaks down the binary logic between the revealed truth (sacred text) and general truth (nature). Jesus, like Queer theory, breaks down the binary system between truth versus the sacred text (the Bible). Christians wholly accept the bible = truth and truth = bible in their binary-sense system. However Queer theory gives Christians an insightful mind to rethink what is mercy of God. Therefore, as a Christian, we should not blindly follow the word of the bible; but we should be flexible to understand what is the truth - according to the bible.
Let us look at how Jesus viewed the binary system of sacred text versus / and truth. The Law of Moses established that Jews cannot do anything in the Sabbath. However, Jesus still healed the shrivelled hand. What was the reason for breaking the law? The answer is simple - Love. Jesus breaks this binary logic, because the Law of Love is the greatest Law.
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Good. Jesus rejects biblical legalism because of love.
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sex:
sexual birth/miracle birth
Finally, the birth of Jesus itself broke the binary system that is perpetuated throughout sexual practice between men and women. Queer theory breaks the biological and sociological system in our heterosexual world. Similarly, the birth of Jesus Christ as a "miracle" birth, not from sexual intercourse, broke the binary system and denaturalised the birth process; due to whereby a baby must be produced through the sexual practice between male and female.
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Can "miracle" birth a myth? Can Jesus' birth a sexual birth from intercourse in reality?
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on obedience to chruch and bible
Christians often blindly obey the church and the bible in their traditional understanding; therefore, they will not understand the ‘other truth’ in our binary world. As Christians, we can interpret the bible in an alternative way by using Queer theory. Personally, my approach is to assume for a minute that I am not a Christian, and to get involved in the Queer community and to think back to what the reaction of Jesus would have in that situation. Of course, following on from the argument above, the Love of Jesus would embrace them.
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Good.
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on sexual orientation
Queer theory shows how the glory of God might be revealed through homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexuality. As mentioned in Exodus, God already has recognized the fear and suffering of GLBT people. Therefore, Jesus came down to rescue them – and everyone else - from the heaven. (Exodus 3:7-10) However, both Leviticus (18:22) and 1 Corinthians (6: 9) condemned practicing homosexuals because of the sin and death penalty. If so, we are all deserved to die but the mercy and the death of Jesus did break down the binary system between divine and sin. Love is not religion or Christianity, but it is the most significant character trait of God, because ‘Love’ means you do not have to categorise what gender you are. God loves everyone because he creates you according to his image .
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1. Exodus 3:7-10 talks about the suffering of Jews in Egypt. Extrapolation of its meaning to cover GLBT is rather arbitrary and hence unwarrantable.
2. When sexual orientation has been shown to be physiological, should we still take seriously those obsolete biblical passages, which are based on backward knowledge, which condemn homosexual acts?
3. Agree. Love means you do not have to categorise what sexual orientation you are.
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right/wrong and love
Furthermore, Queer theory gives us an opportunity for rethinking the definition of Love of God. Many Christians seem to fall into the binary logic between conservative and liberal groups. Many Christians or ministers would like to argue or set up a debate over what is "right" or "wrong". In doing so, we easily forget what the meaning of Love is and love can build up everything . Love is always the simple answer for breaking the binary logic between liberal and conservative. For example, with the homosexuality issue, we should love them and give them a chance as Christ did.
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Agree. Love does not ask right/wrong. That is good. But as a responsible ethical being, Man cannot avoid the consideration and decision of right and wrong.
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God
Queer theory is an intellectual theory for rethinking our view of God. Many poststructuralists or postmodernists totally reject everything including the creator- God. In contrast, Queer theory goes beyond poststructuralism and imagine what is God’s mercy, God’s glory and God’s love. Love and Jesus can be identified as the only ‘truth’ across different categories in every generation. Both Love and Jesus break down every binarism, and neither of these can be restricted by any binary logic or categories because they are the ‘truth’.
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When a person "rejects everything, including the creator-God," he is adopting skepticism. The Queer theory is skeptical in nature. How can Queer theory refute skepticism and enable imagination of "God's mercy, God's glory and God's love"?
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Finally, Queer theory possibly shifts the emphasis away from specific acts and identities to the numerous ways in which gender organizes and disorganizes society. Queer theory threatens every binarism; everything and everybody could be potentially identified as Queer. On the other hand, Queer theory could be thought in a positive way for rethinking the Love of God and the truth outside the binary logic.
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Agree. An example of specific acts: pre-marital sex might be intolerable in the past, yet it is being widely practiced now; a queer in the past is so normal now.
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In conclusion, Queer theory is not just a rejection or deconstruction of identity, subjectivity and discourse by human philosophy. It also gives an insightful Christian perspective to rethink God with regard to the body, the bible, and the birth and the death of Jesus. Queer theory could be the answer we have been looking for: Love. The Love of Jesus can break down everything because Love never fails .
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Agree. Queer theory questions right/wrong, true/false. Love surpasses right/wrong, true/false.
But why restrict to the love of Jesus? Can universal Love itself "break down everything because Love never fails"?
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