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  • Posted By: FabulaMirabilis @ 12/19/2009 9:01:36 PM

    You, like many conservatives, have no factual evidence for your claims; you base your "logic" on what is most convenient at the moment, on what lies closest at hand. When someone illuminates the fallacies behind your premature or inconsiderate judgments, you try to divert attention by calling names or pointing fingers. The only result is a general atmosphere of political chaos and caustic mudslinging, and no progress is made whatsoever. My views on religion are largely irrelevant; we are discussing the nature of homosexuality and the legality of same-sex marriage - fundamentally SECULAR issues - not my personal spiritual convictions. It's not that I presume to "know everything"; I seek pragmatism, that which will help us in the here and the now, in the knowledge that human suffering cannot and should not be the lot of any righteous, equal citizen.

    Indeed, the primary perpetrators of pretending to "know everything" without supporting evidence are the mindless advocates of organized religion - not scientists.

    The world is not ???black and white,??? and it is appalling to realize how few people have the drive to deeply explore the vast spectrum of moral and cultural ???hues??? - and how terribly unwilling they are to step outside their limited frames of sheltered existence.

    Ultimately, folks like you - individuals who deny logic and refuse to understand or empathize with their neighbors, all under the guise of some "greater power" - lead me to question the very goodness of humanity. How can we possibly have the arrogant hope that we will reach "paradise" - that we may enlighten and love - when unfounded myths, prejudices, and dichotomies continue to drive us apart?

  • Posted By: FabulaMirabilis @ 12/19/2009 8:54:44 PM

    III. "Ex-gay" theories are utter fiction. Yes, there are certain individuals who might be willing to repress their true identities (or they may have simply been straight all along, as sexuality is often considered "fluid"). However, "turning heterosexual" is not an option for most. Frankly, most "remedies" for same-sex attraction are scams; they serve only as pitiable and (truly) abominable representations of radical brainwashing projects. The mind is a complex, delicate organ - the chemistry within it is the main determining factor in sexual preference. Genotype determines the encoding of pheromones of the same gender. Consequentially, you have homosexuality, a mere variant in (more common) human sexual patterns - a phenotype. Ignore science if you like. As you've already found, it's quite convenient. The fact remains that most "ex-gays" are in sheer denial. Furthermore, "treatments" for homosexuality (which predominantly involve aversion therapy and foolishly attempting to "pray the gay away") have been found extremely damaging to subjects. Some psychological harm can never be undone, and it is purely wrong to try and change a basic facet of personal identity.

    IV. The Bible doesn't explicitly condemn homosexuality. There are a few vague "claims" in the Old Testament, but there's ultimately very little written about it at all. How do you know that the original "editors" of scripture didn't just intend to condemn, say, "pederasty" (as was prevalent in Greece at the time)? Later translators, likely homophobes like you, might easily have come along and changed the wording. Call it "absurd," kick and scream all you like, but it's a distinct possibility. There is no tangible proof in the Bible - only faith. Let me guess: you are among those "special" individuals who continue to adhere to Creationism, shunning Darwin's overwhelmingly supported observations of natural selection. Am I right?
    (A) Adultery is explicitly condemned by the Ten Commandments, and this is probably still for good reason; it causes social disruption. On the other hand, homosexuality has NO harmful effects - and it is "frowned upon" only by a said few verses in an English translation of a German translation of a Latin transcription of ancient Hebrew. Does that put it in perspective for you?
    In the same literary breath, the Old Testament/Torah advocates stoning and prohibits shellfish consumption. This brings me back to some previous points. Tell me: have you ever stoned an adulterer? No? Shame on you. Have you ever indulged in oyster, shrimp, or lobster? Yes? My, my - if I were as orthodox as you profess to be, I would call your very Christianity into question. The Bible allots equal attention to all three "issues" - and yet (somehow) you cleave to one that should, by all rights, make just as little sense to condemn.

  • Posted By: FabulaMirabilis @ 12/19/2009 8:44:12 PM

    Mr./Ms. "Rocknjocks":

    Again, you lead me to beg the question of whether you are actually capable of reason. However, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt (for nothing less than the ninth time) and assume that you're just tragically misinformed. Here is an enumerated "inventory" of truths concerning the issue of same-sex marriage - as comprehensive a list as I care to compile at this time. As Disraeli wisely stated: "There is no waste of time in life like that of making explanations to fools."

    I. I'm afraid that that "theory" is already a proven fact. Homosexuality is not a choice; it is simply a natural form (yes, it is ubiquitous in nature) of human attraction. Every (legitimate) scientific source in the world will gladly inform you that an LGBT identity is predominantly inborn - with perhaps a slight degree of environmental influence thrown in. Additionally, studies show that sexuality is best evaluated on a continuum (complete heterosexuality at one pole, complete homosexuality at the other, and bisexuality near the middle), which would also account for episodes of same-sex "experimentation" in those who identify as heterosexual.
    (A) Besides, I sure didn't wake up one morning and consciously "decide" to become straight. Did you?

    II. "Of course you can" select a mate. However, the question in this case is whether you can be truly happy with the person you marry - and something tells me that you wouldn't be too pleased if you were forced into a relationship with someone of the same gender. I sure wouldn't be. The same goes for homosexuals, albeit in reverse. When sexual identity is suppressed, cognitive tension results; the individual who has surrendered control over his being is rendered horribly dissatisfied with (and detached from) life itself. Basic psychological experiments have tested this time and time again. Hence the higher rate of suicide among LGBT youth, who ??? without the support and acceptance of their families and peers ??? feel forced to seek permanent ???solutions??? to end their ordeals.

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