Homosexuality: religous issue? moral issue? legal issue? or civil rights issue? (God, service)
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Does anyone else think that there is a reasoning behind why people become homosexuals? Obviously, there is but I am convinced that people are not born gay. Sure, they may be born with a predisposition to homosexuality but it is their environment that cements them as a gay.
I think boys who raised with absentee fathers, who don't have a strong male role model, and who don't have girlfriends are almost certain to be either gay or another form of social misfit. Being gay can be classified as being a misfit because being gay means that you can't produce offspring which means that you are going against your natural way of functioning.
I would like to see some data on that. Anecdotally speaking, I just don't see that as being the case. I've know too many people from divorced families who were raised by the mother (even from a young age) that did not turn out gay. My brothers and I are just three of them.
On the other hand, I also known dudes who had both mom and dad, dad was a "strong" male role model (in this case a devoted dad and member/leader of a police tactical unit) and he turned out gay. I don't think there is a strong corollation between the parental situation and being gay. Could be wrong, but I'd have to see some data.
In any case, what does it really matter? What matters is how we respond. Do we treat them like fellow human beings or do we not? I say the former.
I would like to see some data on that. Anecdotally speaking, I just don't see that as being the case. I've know too many people from divorced families who were raised by the mother (even from a young age) that did not turn out gay. My brothers and I are just three of them.
On the other hand, I also known dudes who had both mom and dad, dad was a "strong" male role model (in this case a devoted dad and member/leader of a police tactical unit) and he turned out gay. I don't think there is a strong corollation between the parental situation and being gay. Could be wrong, but I'd have to see some data.
In any case, what does it really matter? What matters is how we respond. Do we treat them like fellow human beings or do we not? I say the former.
No, you're not wrong. According to all the major health organizations, there is no data/study which supports that "theory". The "pray away the gay" crowd like to base all their "therapy" on this idea, because they have the bizarre idea that gay people can change their sexual orientation to straight. Unfortunately for the people they fleece of thousands of dollars and years of their lives, there are also no reputable peer reviewed studies that show that it even works. However there is plenty of evidence that shows that it is ineffective and even harmful. See the APA's 2009 task force report on "reparative" therapy.
No, you're not wrong. According to all the major health organizations, there is no data/study which supports that "theory". The "pray away the gay" crowd like to base all their "therapy" on this idea, because they have the bizarre idea that gay people can change their sexual orientation to straight. Unfortunately for the people they fleece of thousands of dollars and years of their lives, there are also no reputable peer reviewed studies that show that it even works. However there is plenty of evidence that shows that it is ineffective and even harmful. See the APA's 2009 task force report on "reparative" therapy.
They have to believe that it is a 'choice' because that fits their agenda.
Believing people are born gay brings up too many uncomfortable questions for them -- such as "Why would God make homosexual behavior a sin, yet create homosexuals?".
Also, insisting that it's a 'choice' rationalizes the sort of discriminatory laws they support. Discrimination based on inherent, non-choice characteristics is far more problematic that discrimination based on 'chosen' behavior.
And denying inconvenient science is old hat to that crowd, from biology to geology to sociology and every other -ology out there. If it doesn't jibe with they way they desperately want things to be, it must be wrong!
If I'm going to blue-sky a bit it seems to me sexual orientation perhaps could be changed, at least at some point, even if it's purely genetic or neurological in nature. Although we would need to understand it better before we do that. I think we have some sense it involves areas of the brain and possibly also the sense of smell, but not enough to safely alter it even if we so desired.
Still if these could be altered, with a surgery or pill, how would people respond? If a nineteen-year-old decided to take the pill or get the surgery to become straight, or to become gay if they desired that for some reason, it would seem that might have to be their right. At least from the perspective of "My Body, My Choice." (Not that anyone, except a fringe minority, really believes that for anything other than abortion) Although possibly you could say that people do not have a right to suicide and that making such a core-alteration to your brain is in a way "killing" who you are. It's interesting.
The ex-gay thing as it is right now I think might "work" in some cases because I feel that, especially with men, there are people who feel having strong same-sex desires means you're just gay. In the right environment the person may realize they also have opposite-sex desires and then decide to focus on that instead. Most successful "ex-gays" I've heard about are still attracted to their own sex at least some of the time. And there's a part of me that thinks it might be possible to have delusions of being things you're not. I'm not sure if "delusions of homosexuality" actually exists, but I'm not sure why it couldn't considering other delusions that certainly do exist. Although I think it would be very rare and that such people would likely be dysfunctional in pretty obvious ways.
I view it as a civil rights issue. No law-abiding, tax-paying citizen should be treated as a second class citizen.....period.
I don't view it as a religious issue. Our knowledge has advanced quite a bit since the time of the people who wrote the Bible and other so-called holy books. Living in 2011 based on ancient stupidity is absurd. We wouldn't ask anyone who lived back then for medical advice, now would we?
Moral issue? For who? The people who can't mind their own business. They could learn a thing or two about morals.
I have a cousin who's gay. He was brought up in the typical religious enviornment down here, so he can't risk God's wrath or being disowned by not living a lie. I don't think he's ever been in a relationship with another human being (at almost 40), and he's probably gonna die alone. It's quite sad when you think about it.
They have to believe that it is a 'choice' because that fits their agenda.
Believing people are born gay brings up too many uncomfortable questions for them -- such as "Why would God make homosexual behavior a sin, yet create homosexuals?".
Also, insisting that it's a 'choice' rationalizes the sort of discriminatory laws they support. Discrimination based on inherent, non-choice characteristics is far more problematic that discrimination based on 'chosen' behavior.
And denying inconvenient science is old hat to that crowd, from biology to geology to sociology and every other -ology out there. If it doesn't jibe with they way they desperately want things to be, it must be wrong!
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