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A serious request for information regarding gay relationships of any sort

Volos

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So you accept the lack of evidence that interracial marriage is harmful to mean that interracial marriage is harmful but at the same time deny that the lack of evidence that same sex marriage is harmful as meaningful.



An appeal to history/tradition is a logical fallacy (look it up). Simply because something is traditional does not make it good or right as noted with my examples of women’s suffrage, civil rights, the abolition of slavery and many others.



I will tackle these sites individually.


Just as same sex marriage has no different health risks. So what is your point?





We are not speaking of polygamy which is a completely different topic but rather the lack of evidence supporting the oft cited claim that same sex marriage is somehow harmful.


now on to the articles you linked us to...
 
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Volos

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informedforGod said:




I am not sure what your point was in linking us all to this personal opinion essay.





In fact I ma not even certain what the author intended by writing it consider this line form his introduction:

form the link provided by informedforGod
“My conclusions in this article represent my opinion and are not to be considered to be any kind of strong statement of position.”
not the best thing to put out there if you are trying to make some sort of claim or point.



The author goes on to try to find some support for support to defend denying legal recognition of same sex marriage.



form the link provided by informedforGod




This argument is based on defining “harm” passively stating that since as a general homosexuality does not lead to the “good” act of having children so therefore it is “bad”. But by this standard Christian religious orders that embrace celibacy are also “bad” because the people taking said vow of celibacy do not reproduce. Then there comes the sticky question of how does one decline same sex couples “bad” because they cannot reproduce while at the same time avoiding labeling infertile opposite sex couples also as “bad’ no surprisingly the author avoids both of these issues.



Failing in this area the author tries the “its always been this way argument”

form the link provided by informedforGod
prior to this paragraph the author made a number of unsupported and unsupportable claims about marriage in pre-history. The truth is that prior to written records we have no information about the marriage customs or beliefs of any culture.



Ultimately the author falls into the same logical fallacy that informedforGod has, relying on the authority of history/tradition to prop up a claim. To make this argument work one has to show that marriage has always been exclusive to heterosexual couples .



This argument fails on several points:

Even in Christian tradition marriage has not always been exclusive to one man and one woman. The Christian bible lists no less than eight forms of marriage only one of which is exclusive to one man and one woman.



The second problem is that if examples of same sex marriages exist (and it doesn’t take much effort to find hundreds of cultures who recognized and even celebrated same sex marriage) then the argument falls apart because it can be turned back on the one posing it by noting that historically/traditionally same sex marriage was recognized and why should we now accept legal restrictions preventing it.



Third, and most significant, even if it were true that marriage has been exclusive to heterosexual couples that is no reason to support its continued exclusion. If followed to the extreme this line of argument would have prevented woman’s suffrage (we never allowed women to vote in the past) prevented emancipation (slavery has always existed) and many other similar atrocities.





And after much verbal wandering the author goes on to shoot himself in the foot

form the link provided by informedforGod
the author contradicts himself in the space of a few lines. He recognizes that children and/or the ability to reproduce is not a requirement or a prerequisite for opposite sex marriage but then goes on to arbitrarily insist (in essence) that it should be for same sex marriage.





and the real motive comes out…

form the link provided by informedforGod
so just why should non-reproducing heterosexuals be “grandfather” in to being allowed to have their marriages legally recognized? There is no reason beyond the author’s desire to justify discrimination.

form the link provided by informedforGod




Well…if you can’t come up with a real argument why not try the slippery slope? True no one takes it seriously and this line of thinking has the same validity as claiming that if the Untied Sates accepts legalized discrimination against homosexual what next? Racial minorities will loose civil rights s well as women and religious minorities.




on to the next article….
 
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informedforGod

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Volos

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informedforGod said:




form the link provided by informedforGod


“my arguments against same-sex marriage are secularly based and, to the extent that they involve morals and values, these are grounded in ethics not religion.”
sadly the author failed….



form the link provided by informedforGod
“I oppose discrimination on basis of sexual orientation, whether against homosexuals or heterosexuals.”
yet the author is advocating just that.





form the link provided by informedforGod
“I believe that civil partnerships open to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples should be legally recognized and that the partners, whether opposite-sex or same-sex, are entitled to the same benefits and protection of the law.”
calling a can of latex pain a sandwich doe not make it a sandwich. If something is identical to a marriage then it is a marriage not something else.





form the link provided by informedforGod
none of which is or is necessarily exclusive to opposite sex couples



form the link provided by informedforGod
the fact that the author failed completely to explain just how legal recognition of same sex marriage would “destroy its capacity to function” should be noted.

Once again the author is left with the problem of how to promote discrimination against same sex couples because they cannot biologically reproduce while at the same time trying to avoid promoting discrimination against infertile opposite sex couples. Any reasoning here results in the author being arbitrary.





form the link provided by informedforGod


Yet supporting discrimination is entirely what this article is about.







form the link provided by informedforGod
in words of one syllable…if we can come up with any reason, no matter who outrageous then we can pretend that what we are doing is somehow not discriminations.









form the link provided by informedforGod


marriage institutionalizes and symbolizes for society the inherently procreative relationship. It cannot do that if it is changed to include same-sex couples.
and why not?

The author does not say.

The only reason seems to be because that is what the author wishes to believe this (even though I doubt she honestly does) and wishes her audience believe this without bothering to actually examine the claim.





form the link provided by informedforGod
why not?

The author does not say.

The only reason seems to be because that is what the author having made unsupported claims about marriage and her reasoning for why what she is advocating is somehow not discrimination she must follow through and hope no one actually bothers to think about what she is saying.







form the link provided by informedforGod




why?

The author does not say.

The scientific/sociological evidence does not support her ideas.

The only reason seems to be because that is what the author wishes to believe this (even though I doubt she honestly does) and wishes her audience believe this without bothering to actually examine the claim or worse actually bothering to look into the subject for themselves.





form the link provided by informedforGod
Recognizing same-sex marriage would make bringing children into a same-sex relationship part of the norm, rather than the exception.
I agree…. If one’s friends had friends whose parents were of the same gender it would be much more difficult to teach children to hate people like their friends parents,



form the link provided by informedforGod
We should recognize same-sex relationships and legally protect them and any children involved, but not by recognizing the same-sex couples' relationship as marriage.
and why not?

The author (surprisingly enough) fails to say.







In the end the author does nothing but try desperately to find some justification for hoer own personal prejudices.
 
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Volos

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informedforGod said:
http://home.messiah.edu/~chase/h/articles/regenera/4.htm




form the link provided by informedforGod
again:

This argument is based on defining “harm” passively stating that since as a general homosexuality does not lead to the “good” act of having children so therefore it is “bad”. But by this standard Christian religious orders that embrace celibacy are also “bad” because the people taking said vow of celibacy do not reproduce. Then there comes the sticky question of how does one decline same sex couples “bad” because they cannot reproduce while at the same time avoiding labeling infertile opposite sex couples also as “bad’ no surprisingly the author avoids both of these issues.



form the link provided by informedforGod
again this view is not supported by research

In 2001 two researchers, Judith Stacey and Timothy Biblarz, compiled the data form these varrioaus studies and then returned to the families that were origianly studied for follow up interviews.

“(How) Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents Matter?” Judith Stacey and Timothy J. Biblarz The American Sociological Revie, April 2001.



They found that the various studies found “no differences on any measures between the heterosexual and homosexual parents regarding parenting styles, emotional adjustment, and sexual orientation of the child(ren)” parents or their children.”

And:



”studies find no significant differences between children of lesbian mothers and children
of heterosexual mothers in anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and numerous other measures of social and psychological adjustment. The roughly equivalent level of psychological well-being between the two groups holds true in studies that test children directly, rely on parents’ reports, and solicit evaluations from teachers. The few significant differences found actually tend to favor children with lesbian mothers Given some credible evidence that children with gay and lesbian parents, especially adolescent children, face homophobic teasing and ridicule that many find difficult to manage (Tasker and Golombok 1997; also see Bozett 1989:148; Mitchell 1998), the children in these studies seem to exhibit impressive psychological strength.”



form the link provided by informedforGod
truthfully I was shocked that the author used this particular study. Most advocates of discrimination trying to grasp at straws to defend themselves cite a study on single gay men and aids done in the Netherlands in the mid 80’s and try to claim that it is representative of same sex marriages.



Now here is something really interesting, the author of the article talks about the Kinsey institute but does not use a primary source, the source sited is Alan P. Bell and Martin S. Weinberg, Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women, (New York, Simon and Shuster, 1978) p.314.

Aside from trying to draw current culture conclusions from something over a generation old the big issue is in the motive of why the author of this article did not use a primary source but rather a secondary one. Anyone wanting to learn how to rip apart hate documents like this one here is a key point, when secondary sources are used it is a good indication that the author of the piece did not actually want anyone to read the original piece. When confronted with such a thing I just fire up my search engine and go read the original. Often this is a difficult and frustrating chore and this serves as a prime example. The book sited is and has been out of print for years. Online searches lead to many hits form Christian sites repeating the same line time and again. Interestingly when trying to connect these statistics to Kinsey the search engine comes up empty handed. Don’t fret, I will get my local library to track this book down to see just what it says, I would be surprised if Bell and Wienberg were accurately represented.





form the link provided by informedforGod
wow not just a secondary source but something even further removed form the original..



First off “Growing up Straight” is a book telling parents how to “spot” homosexual children and “teach” parents to deal with “the threat of homosexuality”. It is a sick book and it is sad that anyone would write it much less read it.

All this aside the original source is being misquoted. In reality was 73% of the psychiatrists responding said that they thought that homosexual men (seeking counseling from them) are less happy than (those who are not in counseling) others. This is sort of like saying that 98% of all people seeking counseling for depression have been sad at one point.

form the link provided by informedforGod
not true. Interestingly enough I found references to this claim while trying to hunt up the original statements of Bell and Wienberg a couple quotes ago. gay men are no more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual men. However homosexual teens are significantly more likely to do so. research of htose teens who have attempted suicide show the leading causes for the suicide attempts were rejection by parents because of their sexual orientation. Physical, emotional/sexual abuse by parent/guardian. Physical/verbal attacks by peers. Hershberger, S. L. et al. (1997) Predictors of Suicide Attempts Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth. Journal of Adolescent Research, Vol. 12, No. 4, 20, 477-497.



Articles like this which encourage and defend hate are the true culprits not the sexual orientation of the teens in question.





form the link provided by informedforGod
I would comment on the source of this claim but not surprisingly there is none. My guess is that the author is simply desperate to justify his own hatred.



form the link provided by informedforGod
Today most everyone in the country has been “affected by a sexually transmitted disease” in the age of AIDS it is rare to find a person who has not nor does not know someone infected.

form the link provided by informedforGod
Several years ago it was reported that San Francisco had a VD rate that was 22 times the national average
quietly leaving out the fact that this is true for hetersexuals.



form the link provided by informedforGod
Over 70% of those who have contracted AIDS are homosexual or bi-sexual.
untrue

TO quote one of the other sites you provided:

According to a fact sheet from UNAIDS, the joint AIDS program sponsored by the United Nations and The World Bank, between 5-10 % of the total HIV infections in the world at the end of 1996 had been caused by male homosexual intercourse - which corresponds to most estimates of the proportion of homosexuals in the general population. Almost no cases of lesbian sex has resulted in HIV spreading.

[/quote]

http://hem.passagen.se/nicb/threat.htm

the UNAIDS fact sheet link was inactive you can find current copies at:

http://www.unaids.org/en/media/fact+sheets.asp



form the link provided by informedforGod
I would laugh at this blatant lie but for the fact that so many posters on these forms continually try to pretend that this is true.

form the link provided by informedforGod
In areas where there is the greatest acceptance of homosexuality (San Francisco, West Hollywood, New York City), the detrimental effects don't decrease; they increase.
not true at all. in areas of high gay population concentrations discrimination in housing, employment, social services, business services etc are far less likely to take place.
 
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Volos

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informedforGod said:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/homosexuality/ho0075.html





you saved the best for last…



the article is propertied to have been written by a medical doctor. I find it difficult to believe that a medical doctor would be so misinformed or so dishonest.



form the link provided by informedforGod
what is the obsession with very old statistics? Could it be that current statistics don’t support the outrageous claims that the authors try to make.



When ever these statistics crop up I have to question where in the world did anyone find time to have so many sexual partners? Who would have the energy?



form the link provided by informedforGod
Common sexual practices among gay men lead to numerous STDs
someone claiming to be a medical doctor should know that STD’s happen because of unprotected sex with an infected partner





form the link provided by informedforGod
The only epidemiological study to date on the life span of gay men concluded that gay and bisexual men lose up to 20 years of life expectancy.
the “study” in question was created by the infamous Paul Cameron founder of the National Family Institute. Long time readers of these forums should recognize this mans name. in 1884 he was expelled form the APA (and every other legitimate professional organization) for ethics violations, he falsifying research data on homosexuality, published statistics that did not exist and misrepresented(lied about) the research of other scientists. Twenty years later he hasn’t changed. The “study” was conducted by selectively gathering obituaries from gay publications (often mimeographed publications) and then claiming that gay men have a life expectancy of 42 years. Assuming that the deceased person wasn't famous, an obituary appears in a gay community newspaper only if: (1) a loved one or friend notifies the newspaper about the death (and, in many cases, writes the obituary) and, (2) the editor decides to print the obituary.

Consequently, the majority of gay men and lesbians who die never have an obituary in a gay community publication. Here are just a few examples of who is left out of gay newspapers' obituaries: Gay men and lesbians who were not involved in the gay community, Gay men and lesbians who were in the closet about their sexual orientation,

Gay men and lesbians whose loved ones or family didn't want their homosexuality to be known, Gay men and lesbians whose loved ones or family simply didn't think of sending an obituary to a gay community newspaper, Gay men and lesbians whose loved ones did not write an obituary for some other reason (e.g., they were too grief stricken), Gay men and lesbians who died without leaving anyone to write an obituary for a gay publication (e.g., those whose loved ones and relatives died before them). an accurate estimate of the life span of gay men and lesbians would have to count such people. By purposefully restricting their analysis to obituaries in gay newspapers, however, the Cameron group systematically excluded them from the sample.

The Cameron study is a joke and much like looking the obituaries printed in New York City in October 2001 and concluding that New Yorkers have a life expectancy of 34 years and the majority die at work.

One has to wonder why this supposed doctor would include a study so well known to be a lie.



form the link provided by informedforGod


Dr. Xiridou's paper was a review of AIDS transmission among promiscuous gay men in Amsterdam in the early 1980s. it was NOT a study of monogamy (in fact monogamous men were excluded from the study) or the length of time a same sex relationship lasts.

http://www.eurandom.tue.nl/abstracts_seminars/cmb.htm



I could go on but like so many anti-gay articles posted on hate cites the works are riddled with lies and half truths and misdirection.
 
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Volos

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informedforGod said:




Ugh.

Try some legitimate research sites



Leaderu: you have to wonder about any site that that advocates a therapy known to be actively harmful to people.



Familyresarchinst – I already commented about the history of Paul Cameron and his well documented lies and misrepresentations of others research. Look at the research this guy is citing. Stuff form before I was born. Try actually reading these things and actually looking at the evidence presented before bothering the rest of us with hate site propaganda.
 
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Buzz Dixon

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Volos, I've noticed other people are willing to debate; you always deny. I've noticed other people offering alternatives; you insist on getting what you want and to Gehenna with everyone else.

I've pointed out elsewhere that Arafat was offered 93% of what he claimed he wanted and he turned it down, wanting it all. Instead he got bupkis.

There's a lesson to be learned there, compadre.
 
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Clem is Me

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This thread is full of lessons for all kinds of compadres.

But it's empty of the things it was started for.
 
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T

The Bellman

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And I could say the same about you. Not that I've noticed it about you, but nor have I noticed it about Volos. He is usually treated harshly and with ad hominem (as you have done) in debates of this kind for a simple reason - he has that annoying habit of continually citing documentation and studies to support his contentions. So how about rather than attacking him, you debate? Your above post is doing precisely what you criticise him for doing.
 
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Buzz Dixon

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Bellman, I have provided citations again and again, in this debate and others. I don't blow smoke, and anybody willing to Google will find ample citations for everything I've posted.
 
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The Bellman

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Buzz Dixon said:
Bellman, I have provided citations again and again, in this debate and others. I don't blow smoke, and anybody willing to Google will find ample citations for everything I've posted.
I haven't said you do blow smoke. I have merely stated that Volos always has a great amount of support for his claims regarding homosexuality. Far from being unwilling to debate, he is the most willing and prepared person on this forum on the subject.
 
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Sphere

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stray bullet said:
Gays have a right to marry, just not members of the same sex.

Oh let me try, I can replicate that to something which might of been said in the 50's.

Blacks have a right to marry, just not not members of the white race.

Pretty neat huh?

Sola Gratia said:
There is no "discrimination in this. Any Gay man or woman has the same option to marry someone of the opposite sex that a hetrosexual has.

It is discrimination, no matter which way you attempt to justify it. You can deny that until you feel its not, doesnt change the notion that you are wrong.
 
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Buzz Dixon

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Fallacy. Blacks breed true genetically; their ethnic characteristics were passed from one generation to the next. Gays are abberations (in the sense that they are not likely to pass their orientation on to successive generations even if they breed biologically, nor do they usually come from parents who are gay).

Hence, since blacks and whites are capable of reproducing their charactertistics, and since they are capable of blending their characteristics, there is a commonality between the two races that overrides laws and social mores.

Since gays do not reproduce their characteristics, and since a blending of a gay person and a straight person does not produce a bisexual, gays have no inherent right to marry.

It makes no difference if any particular couple chooses to have children or not. We are talking about genetic classifications; gays have never demonstrated an ability to pass their orientation along to their biolgical offspring in anything other than standard statistical deviations from the norm.
 
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Clem is Me

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