:wink:
Should I assume that you agree with what I said on Biblical interpretation (which was the core of your original message, and of my response)?
angie wrote:Maliagar wrote: "Most of the values we nowadays regard as "good" have been taught to us (monogamy, rejection of incest, heterosexual marriage, value of the family, etc.). " I was thinking more in terms of basic values that define how we, as human beings, interact with each other. Honesty. Compassion. Fairness. etc.
Even if these values were not taught to us, their concrete, practical application is. In which circumstances should we be fair or honest? What about certain types of "unfairness" (affirmative action) or "dishonesty" (white or even necessary lies)? How should we decide between conflicting values? We
learn the parameters that help us decide the best or most acceptable course of action (usually we ask for opinions from others we respect, or think of what a "wise" person we know would do in such and such situation).
Quote:Maliagar: I am trying to have a reasonable dialogue with you and others here, but if and when you try to draw an analogy between denying rights to gay people and denying rights to pedophiles, my ability to stay calm becomes seriously threatened.
The ability to stay calm and listen to the
arguments of those who think differently is key to a civilized discussion.
Traditionally, homosexuality has been seen as a perversion comparable to pedophilia, bestiality, and such (many would like to forget this). Nowadays, most conservatives wouldn't claim that much, but the rejection of homosexuality as a "normal" option remains, and it is at the core of the current controversy about homosexual "marriage".
Anybody who is unable to discuss with an open mind arguments that have a long and respectable history in Western civilization (let alone those novelties that always pop up in a society prone to "innovation"), is not prepared to participate in today's controversies, and is likely to succumb to the temptation of imposing his views by force.
Homosexuality and other issues
are and remain controversial subjects: that is,
they are far from having been settled. Many in this and other forums would like to live as if the other side didn't exist, but the real world is more complicated than that.
Quote:Gay people represent a natural variation of human life.
You're begging the question.
Quote:Pedophiles are sick and hurtful, and IMO, ought to be confined away from society.
The same was said of homosexuals. You're begging the question.
Quote:If it was your intention to suggest that gay people are akin to pedophiles, my dialogue with you is over.
My intention, in that paragraph, was to see how you draw the line between acceptable (moral) and unacceptable (immoral) behavior. Unfortunately, instead of presenting an argument, you throw your indignant self-righteousness in my face.
Tolerance! How many crimes have been committed in your name!
