Why Human Sexuality is at the Center of Many Current Controversies

Wayne Grudem
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A chart outlining how every distortion of human sexuality is an attack on the Trinitarian God and that only biblical sexuality retains the mysterious combination of equality, difference, and unity.

Please note: This chart contains many generalizations and is only meant to show tendencies. Most people and many religious systems hold mixed views and have inconsistencies in thinking. Moreover, conscience, social pressure, and the Bible often restrain people from adopting all aspects of non-biblical views. Therefore this chart certainly does not imply that every person of religious system within each column holds to everything in that column. But, there are troublesome patterns and similarities within the columns. And these suggest taht the current cultural struggles are not trivial but are about fundamentally different views of the world. I am grateful to Peter Jones and Dan Heimbach for providing me with some of the ideas that led to the creation of this chart.

This chart may be duplicated for teaching purposes without charge.
  1. Definitions 
  2. God
  3. Man and Woman
  4. Marriage
  5. Children
  6. Family Responsibility
  7. Sex
  8. Natural Desires
  9. Religion
  10. Authority
  11. Sports
  12. Crime
  13. Property
  14. Education


Definitions

The Effeminate Left

No Difference: “All is one”

The Egalitarian Left

Egalitarianism: Removing or denying many differences between men and women

The Complementarian Middle

Equality and Differences and Unity: Emphasizing both equality and difference between men and women

The Domineering Right

Male Dominance: Over-emphasizing the differences between men and women

The Violent Right

No equality: “Might makes right”


God

The Effeminate Left

God=Creation; God as Mother; Sophia worship; New Age Worship

The Egalitarian Left

Mutual submission in the Trinity

The Complementarin Middle

God as Trinity; Father, Son, Holy Spirit have equal value, Different roles

The Domineering Right

Arianism (Son and Holy Spirit not fully God)

The Violent Right

God as one person, not a Trinity, not three persons; Harsh, unloving warrior-God (Allah)


Man and Woman

The Effeminate Left

Emasculation of men; De-feminization of women

The Egalitarian Left

No gender-based role differences in marriage (No “Mars-Venus” differences)

The Complementarian Middle

Husband, wife have equal value, Different roles

The Domineering Right

Men are better than women; Excessive competitiveness to show women as inferior

The Violent Right

Men as brutes; Women as objects; De-humanization of women


Marriage

The Effeminate Left

Same-sex “marriages” approved

The Egalitarian Left

“Mutual submission” Often: husband as “wimp” wife as “usurper”

The Complementarian Middle

Husband: loving, humble headship; Wife: intelligent, joyful submission to husband

The Domineering Right

Husband harsh, selfish, “dictator;” Wife as “doormat”

The Violent Right

Polygamy, harems; Female infanticide


Children

The Effeminate Left

Children murdered; abortion supported by women who reject feminine roles

The Egalitarian Left

Children raised with too little discipline, little respect for authority

The Complementarian Middle

Children loved, cared for valued; Children raised with discipline and love

The Domineering Right

Children raised with harsh discipline, little love or compassion

The Violent Right

Children murdered: Abortion supported by men who reject masculine responsibility for family


Family Responsibility

The Effeminate Left

No family – only “society”

The Egalitarian Left

All responsibilities shared equally between husband and wife, or divided according to gifts and interests

The Complementarian Middle

Husband: responsible to lead, provide for, protect; Wife: responsible to help husband by managing household and nurturing children

The Domineering Right

Wives forbidden to have own job outside home, or to vote or own property, etc.

The Violent Right

Men have all power, women and children are to serve them


Sex

The Effeminate Left

Homosexuality; Lesbianism; Violent opposition to God’s plan for sex as only between man and woman

The Egalitarian Left

Men become un-masculine, unattractive to women; Women become un-feminine, unattractive to men; Ambivalence toward sex

The Complementarian Middle

Monogamous, equally fulfilling intercourse as deepest expression of a great “mystery”: equality and differences and unity!

The Domineering Right

Pornography, Lust, Adultery; Excessive attention to sex

The Violent Right

Violence against women; Rape; Violent opposition to God's plan for sex as only within marriage


Natural Desires

The Effeminate Left

Temptation; unlimited same-sex sexual activity

The Egalitarian Left

Moving “contrary to nature” (Rom 1:26)

The Complementarin Middle

Natural desires fulfilled

Men and women have deep sense of acting as God made them to act

The Domineering Right

Moving in exaggeration and distortion of nature

The Violent Right

Temptation; unlimited unequal sexual activity


Religion
 

The Effeminate Left

Feminized religion in churches

Pantheism

The Egalitarian Left

No governing or teaching roles in church reserved for men

The Complementarian Middle

Some governing and teaching roles in church restricted to men

The Domineering Right

All ministry done by men; women’s rights squelched; Crusades

The Violent Right

Militant forms of Islam religion advanced by violence.


Authority

The Effeminate Left

Hatred of authority

The Egalitarian Left


The Complementarian Middle

Authority exercised with in boundaries

The Domineering Right


The Violent Right

Abuse of authority


Sports
 

The Effeminate Left

No competition; “Everybody wins”

The Egalitarian Left

Anti-competition

The Complementarian Middle

Competition with fairness, rules; Winners honored, losers respected

The Domineering Right

Excessive competition; Losers humiliated

The Violent Right

Violent hard to opponents; World Wide Wrestling; Gladiators fight to death


Crime

The Effeminate Left

No respect for authority, rampant crime, especially by frustrated, angry men

The Egalitarian Left

Criminal seen as victim to be helped, not punished; punishment long delayed

The Complementarian Middle

Punishment is speedy; fair aims at justice plus restoration of criminal

The Domineering Right

Repressive government, little freedom, debtors prisons

The Violent Right

Excessive punishment, de-humanization of criminals (cut off hand of thief), little crime, no freedom


Property

The Effeminate Left

No private property; all possessions equalized

The Egalitarian Left

No one is allowed to be very rich; Large-scale dependence on welfare state and government

The Complementarian Middle

Laws protect private property and care for poor; more work and skill earns more wealth; equal opportunity for all

The Domineering Right

Women cannot own property

The Violent Right

Slavery; de-humanization of the poor and weak; all property in hands of few


Education

The Effeminate Left

All-male schools prohibited by law; prohibitions against educating boys and girls separately

The Egalitarian Left

Systemic pressure to make boys and girls do equally well in all subjects

The Complementarian Middle

Boys and girls both educated, but different preferences, abilities, and sense of calling respected

The Domineering Right

Boys given preferential treatment in schools

The Violent Right

Girls not allowed to be educated