Quote:
Originally posted by Cerek:
how do you explain the fact that gay couples are being denied the "Unalienable Right" of "Pursuit of Happiness"? Unlike heterosexual couples, gay couples are forced to make of choice of "coupling" with the person they love OR "coupling" with an opposite-gender person to gain certain legal benefits granted through a union or marriage?
|
Hope you don't mind me sharing my thoughts here Cerek [img]smile.gif[/img] For this point, I think the legal position is quite clear. Discrimination against a couple who live together and make vows in a civil ceremony, just because they're the same sex is intolerable. If the commitment is there, then they should be treated equally under law. Anything else is simply not equal.
Marriage is something quite different - it is a Christian institution, a matter of faith, and not something that I believe (with my uninformed opinion!) should be legislated over. It's a private matter between a private organisation (the church) and private individuals (the couple). I think the example Timber gave about private associations is extremely relevent here - putting aside the 'personal' relationship with a deity, marriage requires entering in to an association with the church and clergy. It's every bit out of the hands of government as joining a private members club should be.
Quote:
Originally posted by Cerek:
And finally, if you believe that homosexuality is a conscious choice, then (theoretically) you should be able change your current sexual preference (if you really wanted to). Can any heterosexual male here honostly say they could "decide" to start being attracted to other men?
|
I'm going to play Devil's advocate here - I would imagine that most (all?) heterosexual males here would say that this is impossible (as you imply in asking the question).
However, we are making decisions now, after we have formed our preferences and lived with them for years. I don't think that 'could you decide?' is as relevent a question as 'is it possible?'
Consider a counter-proposal - suppose you were raised in a society in which finding other men attractive was the norm. Is it not possible that (whilst being the same person) you would then in fact find other males attractive?
In principle, I cannot see the difference between this and other similar issues. Let me pick a random example that popped into my head:
If ever you've seen particular African tribes who elongate the necks of their women with bracelets for example, obviously the males in that society consider this highly desirable and attractive. The average Westerner however sees a mutilation (both in the large length of the neck and the fact it is so long that her neck would break were the bracelets taken off).
As culture manages to change the opinions of men over something as large as this, it doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility that society could condition us (and therefore our preferences are not absolutely fixed) to like members of the same sex.
[ 04-29-2005, 09:26 PM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]