Sexuality

[Alcoremortis]

Originally Posted by Friar

Greedy. :-P

But yeah, it's nice that the discussion has remained civil. Given the rich background of ethnicities this forum has, I was expecting more people to be opposed. Or at least someone to try and put forward an argument against homosexuality. It seems most of the western world has accepted (if somewhat begrudgingly) us. Most people now are beginning to understand.

Not really. Just go look at one of the horrified articles talking about ParaNorman and the tiny throw-away gay line at the end. Just make sure you haven't eaten anything before reading because you'll probably start feeling a bit sick. I know I did. Then I felt rage. Not sure what happened after that.

I'd really put the more open attitude in this thread to the fact that the people on this board represent a younger element of the population that hasn't yet become entrenched in its ways (for the most part).

[Jen Kollic]

Apparently the SNP are going to make gay marriage legal in Scotland, to the horror of the Catholic church. (but since Britain is pretty secular, especially compared to the USA, most people don't care what the Catholics think) Which is nice, but I'm still not voting for independence, or anything that involves promoting Gaelic.

[Alcoremortis]

Originally Posted by Jen Kollic

Apparently the SNP are going to make gay marriage legal in Scotland, to the horror of the Catholic church. (but since Britain is pretty secular, especially compared to the USA, most people don't care what the Catholics think) Which is nice, but I'm still not voting for independence, or anything that involves promoting Gaelic.

Eh, nobody cares what the Catholics think in the US either. Most Christians view Catholics as pagans and borderline cannibals from my experience.

[BlankCanvasDJ]

Originally Posted by Alcoremortis

Eh, nobody cares what the Catholics think in the US either. Most Christians view Catholics as pagans and borderline cannibals from my experience.

Right, it's those damn baptists that people seem to care so much about.

[Alcoremortis]

Originally Posted by BlankCanvasDJ

Right, it's those damn baptists that people seem to care so much about.

I actually don't really know many Baptists. Then again, California. They don't have much of a presence here. Though most of the Catholics I know are kinda the weird conservative sect that doesn't want gay people to marry but otherwise doesn't care. It's kinda a silent disapproval with the occasional crazy (like my sixth grade teacher). I'm guessing that the Baptists are similar but they get more media attention.

[BlankCanvasDJ]

Come visit the South! You'll see.

[Alcoremortis]

Originally Posted by BlankCanvasDJ

Come visit the South! You'll see.

Actually, I think I'll... not do that. I'd like to live.

[Jen Kollic]

Well, in the Republic of Ireland doctors will let you die rather than give you an abortion...

[Alcoremortis]

Originally Posted by Jen Kollic

Well, in the Republic of Ireland doctors will let you die rather than give you an abortion...

Waitwaitwait. How'd we get to abortion and dying in hospitals?

[Jen Kollic]

Because if there's one thing Catholics hate just as much as homosexual marriage, it's abortion.

ETA: And because if you don't want to visit the south of the USA because of religious crazies, better scratch Ireland off the list of places to visit too.

[Alcoremortis]

Originally Posted by Jen Kollic

Because if there's one thing Catholics hate just as much as homosexual marriage, it's abortion.

Lots of Christian sects hate both. It's not just Catholics. Though the hatred of abortion is a lot more understandable in the context of the Christian belief system than the hatred of gay marriage as abortion involves the termination of a human life. And there's lots of stuff in the Bible about not killing people, though it does seem to happen fairly regularly. I'm kinda hazy on the morality myself, because choosing between two sets of rights is never a fun position to be in.

Also, most religious authorities don't know enough about science to answer the types of questions I have. Like, my primary question: if you create a life via removing a single totipotent cell from a blastula would that still count as a human life, even though it was created completely through artificial means? Everyone I've asked this question to gets caught up on the fact that I used the term blastula instead of baby and claims I'm using scientific terms to confuse the issue.

[Giant Tope]

I find it interesting that religious organizations tend to vocalize on these problems and not on things like poverty and violence. Nobody actively would think "huh i want to actively suppress a lady's reproductive rights. im gonna do that instead of feed the poor".

It must have been a process, but I wonder how it eventually came to this.

[Jen Kollic]

I got the impression that in America people don't want to feed the poor because that would be socialism, the poor just need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get their own food. (and healthcare)

To quote Dom Helder Camara: "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist."

[Alcoremortis]

Yeah... I don't even know what to do at this point. Some people are poor just to live off the system and the people who really are poor you never see and probably wouldn't benefit from reforms because they're off the radar.

[BlankCanvasDJ]

Originally Posted by Giant Tope

I find it interesting that religious organizations tend to vocalize on these problems and not on things like poverty and violence. Nobody actively would think "huh i want to actively suppress a lady's reproductive rights. im gonna do that instead of feed the poor".

To be fair, the Catholic church (and other denominations as well) actually do a lot to help the poor. It's just not talked about nearly as often or as loudly as other issues. For every pedophiliac priest or bishop who rails against homosexuality, there are another half dozen who are providing food and shelter to the homeless or building schools and wells in the third world. It's a shame that the good they do is always overshadowed by the bad.

[Giant Tope]

Originally Posted by BlankCanvasDJ

To be fair, the Catholic church (and other denominations as well) actually do a lot to help the poor.

Well, I don't really doubt that. I mean putting things on the vocal forefront.

[WarpSpeed]

Poor people in the U.S. generally do get food one way or another. That's why you don't see stick-figure people here, as you do in some African countries.

[GaryCXJk]

Originally Posted by Alcoremortis

Not really. Just go look at one of the horrified articles talking about ParaNorman and the tiny throw-away gay line at the end. Just make sure you haven't eaten anything before reading because you'll probably start feeling a bit sick. I know I did. Then I felt rage. Not sure what happened after that.\

[Alcoremortis]

Originally Posted by GaryCXJk

Yes. Yes it did.

[coolsome]

Originally Posted by WarpSpeed

That's why you don't see stick-figure people here, as you do in some African countries.