One of the things which turned me against you back in the day, Dave, was this idea you have that homosexuality is a moral wrong.
I saw simply accepting that or excusing it as akin to tolerating racism. I could not be quiet and be true to my central core belief that all are equal, and that if gender preference does me and mine no harm, then that preference is an inalienable liberty-based right in a democracy. I still cannot tolerate it, many years later.
If someone starting, even in the most polite manner, talking about blacks or Asians or Hispanics in a derogatory way, I would not tolerate that for a moment. And so, I can't tolerate deliberately misinformed commentary about gays.
I know I can't change your mind, and I have no real desire to do so. But I can say, in case someone else should ever read this and think the rest of us sat back and tolerated what you've written, that your views on this are foolish and are fueled by misunderstanding and hatred.
And that's where you went off the deep end, T-Dave. Because I can listen to your arguments, and understand your perspective, but not agree with it, and just agree to disagree.
Whereas you seem utterly incapable of understanding my perspective, that the advance of gay marriage (a political push that's really not necessary, because for decades gays already live together, can frequently share health insurance benefits, and can will property to whoever they want, just like everyone else) means a diminishment and intrusion on the life of religious conservatives.
You seem utterly incapable of understanding that gay marriage is a stepping-stone to further intrusions on the rights of religious conservatives, toward a point where their merely voicing scriptural quotation of the Biblical verses of right and wrong, that outline the immorality of homosexual behavior, could be labelled as "hate speech" punishable by large fines or imprisonment.
Further --as I just detailed in my post above-- my "racist/homophobe/bigotry" has been the standard on which marriage has been defined (one man/one woman) for the entire 6,000 years of recorded human history, and the standard of the scientific psychiatry/psychological community as well until at least 1973, up till which time homosexuality has been labelled as a compulsive --and treatable-- psychological disorder.
And that many psychologists --as I outlined in a previous topic, with links-- still DO treat as a disorder. That thousands of men and women have left the homosexual lifestyle, been able to marry, and lead happier lives.
Is THAT "hate"?
Or is it hate to irrationally dismiss, insult and slander those who may have a valid argument that homosexuality is not proven to be an inborn condition, and may in fact be a treatable disorder.
Like drug abuse and alcoholism.
Like pedophilia.
Like sadomasochism.
Like gambling addiction.
I'm not even self-righteously saying I'm absolutely right and anyone who disagrees with me is a bigot or just stupid. I'm just saying that there is a valid counter-perspective to your view, and the scientific basis for homosexuality is far from definitively proven.
So... just take it down a notch, will you?
