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ExpressiveDom1 -> RE: Can you serve God and your Master? (4/23/2007 11:58:45 PM)
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This is a topic of great interest to me, as a Christian and dominant. There have been many issues raised (theological, Biblical, historical, philosophical) that it would be profitable for me to discuss with some of you, but I want to focus on this question from a developmental perspective.
My sense is that the OP is asking a basic question of how we, as human beings, reconcile our beliefs (spiritual, religious, moral, ethical, etc.) with our practice (dominance, submission, bdsm, etc.) Identity development addresses these questions in terms of exploration and commitment. One can be high or low in each dimension, and the combination results in four statuses. Diffuse (low exploration, low commitment) is when an individual is very uncertain about his or her beliefs and yet is not looking for any foundaton to which to commit. Foreclosed (low exploration, high commitment) is when someone receives a set of beliefs from an authority without much questoning, but strongly commits to it. Moratorium (high exploration, low commitment) is when one is relatively fluid in what they believe, but exploring alternatives to what they have been taught to a high degree. And, finally, Acheived is when one has explored many alternatives and is highly committed to their beliefs (this can be the same set as they received initially from thier parents/church, but it has become uniquely their own.)
I mention this because I believe it makes a dfference where one is in terms of identity status when one asks the OP question. A Diffuse person is not likely to be exploring D/s, nor asking this question. A Foreclosed person is likely to be the first one to condemn the practice of D/s, even if they may have felt a twinge of excitement in the topic. A Moratorium is likely to be one who is open to exploring alternatives within a belief structure, perhaps allowing D/s to be more easily justified. An Achieved is likely to have reconciled the question for him/herself.
As I read the posts, my sense is that not only are people coming to the question from different religious perspectives, but also from different identity statuses. And being in one status or another changes the substance of the question, as well as the answers which are potentially attractive.
The most problematic status, in my view, would be he Foreclosed. Trying to hold on to a rather static belief system received from an institution is quite challenging when attempting to accomodate a practice which that institution soundly condemns. (Regardless of the Biblical or theological argument, this is the consensus position of the Church currently.) And, for many Christians, I believe, this is the position from which their friends in their faith respond if the question of D/s, etc. ever comes up.
I hope this is a helpful contribution to the discussion.
Expressive
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