Book Wiki

I am experimenting with another way to write this book using wiki technology. I have moved everything that I have written down to this wiki: http:/www.heteroculturality.net. From now on I will be posting new content here and I may not be updating this blog anymore. If you want the latest writings as they come out then visit this wiki from now on. You can contribute much more at this wiki so please do so. Thanks for the ongoing support!

The Heterosexual Phenomenon

Most people think of heterosexuality as the norm. But in way is it the norm? Heterosexuality is the norm only in the statistical sense; about ninety percent of people are heterosexual. But in what way is heterosexuality not the norm? Heterosexuality is a love and embrace of the opposite gender. The opposite gender is one's social out-group (people that you don't identify with). Thus heterosexuality is an embrace of one's social out-group and such an embrace is far from the norm.

How do people typically view their social out-group? Do we not feel that "birds of a feather flock together"? Do we not have a strong preference and tendency to stick to our social in-group? In fact, when do we ever see more than half of a community intentionally pursue deep relationship with their out-group? I would say never, barring the exception of gender. It is only in the context of gender that we see well over half of each gender community intentionally pursue deep relationship with their out-group in particular. Heterosexuality is a clear expression of embracing one's gender out-group.

Among all ways of embracing one’s gender out-group heterosexuality is unmatched in intensity. In the context of gender, heterosexuality is the greatest expression of embracing one's social out-group. Most people embrace their social out-group minimally if at all in other social contexts such as race, ethnicity and nationality. The fact that most people are heterosexual means most people significantly embrace their gender out-group. Yet most people generally do not embrace their social out-group with any significance. Thus, heterosexuality is an atypical way of relating to one's out-group. Heterosexuality is the exception and not the rule when it comes to interacting with one's out-group. Thus, heterosexuality is far from the norm in terms of relating to one's out-group.

In the greater picture heterosexuality is most peculiar. There is no other social context in which more than half of a community intentionally embraces their out-group. In the greater picture heterosexuality is far from the norm; it is the exception and not the rule for interacting with one's social out-group. Before we say that heterosexuality is the norm we should be sure of what sense of norm we truly mean.

Do Americans really value different cultures?

I often get the sentiment that Americans think of themselves as people valuing cultural diversity. After all, we're a nation of immigrants right? But do Americans really value different cultures or do we just value individualism? Americans undoubtedly value individuality, that which makes an individual distinct. Culture contributes to the uniqueness of individuals. Because we value unique individuals we value culture. I doubt that Americans really value culture in of it self; I think we value anything that contributes to individuality, such as culture. Our value of cultural diversity may not be as strong as we think. I don't think we really value culture in of itself. I think this will make a significant difference in understanding the real value of culture and the need for heteroculturality.

Theme of visible vs. invisible?

Culture: Invisible collective identity and character evidenced by collective practices and traditions. That is, the essence vs. expression of culture.

Church: Invisible reconciliation to God evidenced by people living in obedience to God through relationships with God and other people.

Marriage: Invisible spiritual union evidenced by public love commitment.

Challenging ideas for the secular thinker

In the book I want to ruffle the feathers of secular people as much as Christian people. I want to address the following ideas held by many secular people. You can share this with some secular friends if it is helpful but please give me feedback.

Secular thought #1: I want to love other cultures

1. Define what it means to love other cultures
1. Love neighbor as self
2. paradoxical relationship with other culture
2. What does it mean to love paradoxically
1. to live as one body with the other culture (the Church)
3. How to reconcile paradox?
1. God is only one who can reconcile the paradox because God is the only being that inherently has unity and diversity
2. Only Christ can unite us to God and each other; when we are reconciled to each other it looks like the Church

Secular thought #2: Why should I value cultural diversity?

1. Cultures have strengths and weaknesses
2. Cultures can use their strengths to mutually benefit others
1. We live as a body, a living organism (the Church)
3. If you don’t value cultural diversity then diversity will destroy people
1. We don’t live in an isolated world so we can’t ignore it
2. We can get rid of it by having one way of living win out and thus achieve harmony (unity via homogeneity)
3. This is inherently destructive and always includes violence
4. “Why don’t we look past it and see everyone as human beings?”
1. Such a statement is very individualistic and thus the prescription for unity is a universal individualism (unity via homogeneity)
2. Part of being human is having culture so it’s not possible to ‘just’ see human beings as individuals

Direction of Book

I just want to share what my intentions are for my book. I also spell out the logical basis for goal #1. The order in which the goals are listed are not listed in order of importance. I use some notation from propositional logic.

Goals for book

1. Positive entry point for understanding need to value cultural diversity
2. Adequate defense for objections to exclusive heterosexuality
3. Provide model for what it looks like to embrace cultures on a mass scale
4. Gain principles for embracing cultural diversity mass scale in other contexts besides men and women

[Christian] Why should I value other cultures?

Definition

• Loving other cultures ≡ (loving neighbor culture as their own culture ↔ having paradoxical, loving relationships w/ other cultures )
• Meaning: Loving other cultures means you are loving other cultures as you love your own culture. Loving other cultures also means that you have a paradoxical, loving relationship with the other culture. There is a paradox because you are one with the other cultures but not actually a part of the other culture. Additionally, loving other cultures as your own culture means you will have paradoxically loving relationships w/ other cultures. This will be proven at a later time.

Proposition 1

• Cultures reflect God ∧ cultures loved → (Godly attributes are affirmed ≡ God is glorified)
• Meaning: If cultures reflect God and cultures are loved then God is glorified.
• Note: When we love/affirm/praise cultures we glorify the Godly attributes of a culture and thus glorify God

Proposition 2

• (God should be glorified in every way ∧ Proposition 1) → Cultures should be loved
• Meaning: If God should be glorified in every way and Proposition 1 is true then cultures should be loved

Note

• Embracing your own culture is joining in a collective worship of God. Loving other cultures is an even greater collective worship of God

Book Chapters: Individualistic and Collectivist interpretation of Golden Rule

Ok, so I'm starting to write the book. There is no particular order to my writing of chapters. I'm posting the tentative outline and two very crude "chapters" which correspond to sections 4 and 5 in the outline. I want honest feedback of all sorts (grammatical, theological, logical,etc). I would also like for you to consider what assumptions appear to be made in these chapters so I can see those more clearly. Please respond to this post with assumptions that you see and any sort of feedback. You can email me personally if you wish. Please tell other people about this if you think it would benefit them. I really would like this book to be a community effort. You can obtain PDFs of the outline and the two chapters in the following links:

Outline, version 0.0.1
Loving Neighbor - Individualistic, version 0.0.1
Loving Neighbor - Collectivist, version 0.0.1