Is homosexuality a choice or is it genetic?

[Dr.Who]

Re: Who is right on the money

Yahoo for Dr Who!!!

Your paragraph about arranged marriages supports a hypothesis that many marriage counsellors and ministers have. Briefly, a lasting and loving relationship must first be based on committment. If two are committied strongly to each other, then the warm fuzzies will follow in time.

I tied the knot 32 years ago and the knot is still tied. There have been times in our marriage when I did not feel love for my wife and I know she didn't feel love for me. But the committment we made to each other carried us through those times of no loving feelings and each time the snugglebuns stuff returned.

If you and your partner really mean "till death do us part" and actually have the backbone to carry it out, then a relationship can really last and be full of warm fuzzies and snugglebuns stuff. And the committment is much more important than the transient feelings.

I agree that is starts with committment.

I have known couples that were committed who have weathered adultery and come out on the other side better for it.

Yet I see that for most people adultery would spell an automatic divorce.

Fortunately neither my wife nor I are going to be starting any affairs and if one of us did the other would be ready to work through it.

 

[Dr.Who]

Organized religion has done a lot of harm, over the centuries, that's for certain.

No denying that.

Have you done any sort of survey to see if the harm outweighs the good. I have looked (at least for Christianity) into it and the good is easily 100 times the harm. That is a better track record than for a few other belief systems.

Furthermore, at least in Christianity, the harm has been done by people who have been departing from what what their religion teaches rather than by those who are adhering to it.

 

[Dr.Who]

The political role and rule of the Christian church is one of the most defective ideas that ever came out of Western thought.

Why don't you start a thread so I can shoot that idea down.

 

[invest07]

Organized religion and Islam

While the record of the Catholic Church has not always been one of tolerance and enlightenment, the Papists have been harmless for a few hundred years. The remainder of Christianity (and I am excluding the cults from Christianity) has been harmless since the mid 1800's.

I'm writing my $24.00 check now to the Christian Children's Fund. That pays for one kid for one month. Has anyone ever heard of the Atheist Children's Fund?

Is there such a thing as the We Reject Salvation Army?

There is one notable exception to this and that is Islam. Islam is the only religion I know of that openly espouses violence. Islam is the only religion I know of that gives women a zero in the human rights department. Islam is the only religion that believes in a religious state (as opposed to a secular state). Islam is the only religion I know of that is totally intolerant of other beliefs. Islam is the only religion that wants to replace laws of man with Islamic laws (which originated in the 6th century AD).

Islam is the only religion with armed soldiers. Islam is the only religion which denies the right of anorther state to exist (Israel).

samsara15, why don't you take all that misdirected anger raging inside you toward the Baptists and Methodists and direct it in a postive direction. Do all within your power to defeat Islam.

 

[numinus]

Organized religion has done a lot of harm, over the centuries, that's for certain.

Undoubtedly more good than harm.

 

[Dr.Who]

Undoubtedly more good than harm.

Yep, no doubt.

Again I have only surveyed Christianity and am not speaking for Islam which I saw when I was researching the good versus harm question on Christianity was purported to have started half of the religious wars in history. The other half were started by a variety of religions and were sometimes as justified as any other war. Additionally, religious wars (even including Islamic religious wars only accounted for a minority of all wars). The real culprit - authoritarian governments.

 

[numinus]

Yep, no doubt.

Again I have only surveyed Christianity and am not speaking for Islam which I saw when I was researching the good versus harm question on Christianity was purported to have started half of the religious wars in history. The other half were started by a variety of religions and were sometimes as justified as any other war. Additionally, religious wars (even including Islamic religious wars only accounted for a minority of all wars). The real culprit - authoritarian governments.

I have recieved kindness from a number of muslim strangers. That's more than enough to redeem the entire religion from any of its faults in my book.

 

[invest07]

Homosexual "marriage"

Anyone have any thoughts on this topic?

I am not in favor of redefining marriage to include anything but 1 man/1 woman.

If you begin redefining marriage, where do you stop?

Example: If marriage is defined as 1 woman/1 woman or 1 man/1 man, then how can you deny 1 woman/2 men? Or 1 man/18 women? Or 1 man/1 adolescent girl?

Once you open Pandora's Box, you can't close it.

 

[*Government~Mule*]

Re: Homosexual "marriage"

Anyone have any thoughts on this topic?

I am not in favor of redefining marriage to include anything but 1 man/1 woman.

If you begin redefining marriage, where do you stop?

Example: If marriage is defined as 1 woman/1 woman or 1 man/1 man, then how can you deny 1 woman/2 men? Or 1 man/18 women? Or 1 man/1 adolescent girl?

Once you open Pandora's Box, you can't close it.

While I find your exclusion of heterosexual couples to be ludicrous, I agree that those with other sexualities should be included. To answer your question, you draw the line based on age. Marriage should be exclusive to consenting adults. We can rightfully exclude children from such contracts without much of a fuss I think.

 

[Dr.Who]

I have recieved kindness from a number of muslim strangers. That's more than enough to redeem the entire religion from any of its faults in my book.

Was that a joke? How would the kindness of a few Muslim strangers redeem the entire religion that has accounted for near half (I can't say if it is over half or under half) of religious wars? I could see redeeming it if the religion is not to blame for those wars but misguided Muslims were, but not because a few people are nice.

And I do want to point out that devout Muslims have said that their religion is a religion of peace and that wars which have sprung out of it were the result of those who do not follow the religion. Be your own judge.

 

[tarheelconservative]

I agree that it is a choice. As is any other lifestyle.

 

[dahermit]

I agree that it is a choice. As is any other lifestyle.

Homosexuality is not a lifestyle, it is a sexual orientation.

 

[numinus]

Was that a joke? How would the kindness of a few Muslim strangers redeem the entire religion that has accounted for near half (I can't say if it is over half or under half) of religious wars? I could see redeeming it if the religion is not to blame for those wars but misguided Muslims were, but not because a few people are nice.

And I do want to point out that devout Muslims have said that their religion is a religion of peace and that wars which have sprung out of it were the result of those who do not follow the religion. Be your own judge.

That, most certainly, is not a joke.

To my mind, the true essence of islam was manifested in those acts of kindness. What I see in the news is an entirely defective idea that can only come from hateful and ignorant people.

 

[numinus]

Homosexuality is not a lifestyle, it is a sexual orientation.

I disagree. This definition gives rise to some major contradictions -- a non-practicing homosexual, for instance.

 

[jimitheretard]

I am straight. I like women. I want them all the time. Many and often. Society doesn't understand my urgent need to have sex with all the girls. I love them all so bad. I don't want my wife or the people at church to know. They think badly of me. I am not a horny beast. I get so upset when I can't make sense of what I want and what people say I'm supposed to do. I don't want to be be so ashamed. I want to be a priest, but I know I would only want to fornicate with the nuns and nice ladies and girls of age. (no kiddies, that's disgusting!) I wonder if I have this in my genes, or is it only in my bulging jeans?
Do you think I may have inherited this urgent desire to smash the face of anyone who doesn't agree with me also?
If you could help us know that it's not really our fault, I and many serial rapists, killers, pedophiles and politicians who suffer like I do would be very grateful for the insight.
I love you guys,
JtheR