Well, if you've read a lot of his posts, fdd,you'll notice a consistent pattern regarding the subjects of homosexuality,morality, child rearing, etc.
Let's discuss nature vs. nurture in regard to homosexuality. Rick clearly states that he has extensively studied psychology. Therefore,we can draw the conclusion that Rick believes he has an informed opinion on the subject,since he has also stated on numerous occasions that those who disagree with him are simply unable to grasp his concept.
If Rick really has extensively studied psychology, and is using his self proclaimed knowledge in psychology as a basis for his argument,he has just contradicted himself as soon as he says homosexuality is abnormal,or "deviant", because that view hasn't been held in modern psychology since 1973. It becomes obvious that he must have been reading old text books.
Now.... if we were to employ the same logic as Rick has and suggest that an abusive familial environment causes homosexuality, how can we explain homosexuals who have grown up in loving, nurturing environments? What about heterosexuals who grew up in abusive environments? Did your mom and dad "make" you straight? Or did you just kinda know you were already without being told? What about parents who tell their children religious nonsense about how it is evil to be gay? Shouldn't those kids always grow up straight, then? Because they've been "educated"? How come some of them end up coming out when they grow up? Because it's biological.
Years ago, the Victorians made all sorts of devices to place on children's genitals or hands to discourage masturbation. It was believed that masturbation was evil. It could kill you. You would become blind, diseased, mad, etc. It still didn't stop people from masturbating completely because it's not a result of loose morals or bad company, it's just a natural biological response to stimulus,hormones, whatever. All they really did was make their kids feel dirty and ashamed about urges they had no control over. We know better now.
People tend to do the same thing with homosexuality...but it's not really much different than heterosexuality in that no one can "teach" you to be one way or another. And implying that the parents have done something to cause their children to be a "sexual deviant" is a hurtful statement which is simply not based in any verifiable fact. Because being one way or another is neither "right" nor "wrong".
Rick isn't saying, "What if." He speaks in absolutes. I simply asked him to explain what qualifies him as an expert on this subject. Especially since the knowledge he browbeats us all with is out of date. That's not a personal attack. I haven't called him names.I haven't made ad hominem attacks against him, even though he has made them against myself and many others when we refuse to agree with him.
If the entirety of his argument is based on what I believe to be outdated or incorrect information, how in the heck am I getting personal with him by calling him out on it?
If he reads an old map of the world and tells me it's flat, am I being mean when I disagree with him? Is my mind closed?
We've seen what discrimination against gays has done in the past,and we know we were wrong. We know it's not a mental illness, even though it was generally accepted that it was in the past. So even if environment did determine sexual orientation, the big question is, "So what?" As long as noone hurts anybody else,who cares if two or more consenting adults want to go get a piece of paper granting them the same legal rights as anyone else who chooses to do the same? Aren't we all supposed to be equal under the law? Don't we all have the right not to go through with the ceremony as well? What if someone told you and your woman you HAD to get married or else you couldn't put her on your insurance? That she had no right to receive any benefits available to her as your partner unless you went and made it all nice and legal? That you couldn't opt out of marriage? Isn't that kinda the same thing we're doing when we tell gay people they can't opt in?
Ok, rant done.
i don't think he is saying that. i think he is saying "
what if it were?". you all can't see past the personal side of the argument to actually address the point. i thought most of you were better than this. instead of actually facing the fact that this is one possibility, you just make personal attacks instead. i don't understand why.
open your minds a little. just for fun if anything. no one is holding you to any of this. well, ....
never mind.