Gay Marriage Debate on CN8

[Veovis]

Tonight on the program It's Your Call on CN8 had a dabate about gay marriage rights. The two liberals on the panel had good arguments but the conservatives could not muster any good arguments not based on religion. When the conservatives asked why western civilization historically accepted only heterosexual marriage, I wanted to grab the TV and yell BECAUSE YOUR OPPRESSIVE RELIGION HAS BEEN CRAMMING ITS MORALS DOWN OTHER'S THROATS FOR THE PAST 2000 YEARS!:banghead:

One of the reverend guys then brought up the point of being 'cured' of homosexuality. Is it really that easy to cure someone of homosexuality? Is it possible without revoking religion?

If anyone was able to watch this program, what are your thoughts on it?

[Loren Pechtel]

Originally posted by Veovis

One of the reverend guys then brought up the point of being 'cured' of homosexuality. Is it really that easy to cure someone of homosexuality? Is it possible without revoking religion?


One can alter one's behavior, but it doesn't make one happy and reversion is quite common.

[Fr.Andrew]

Originally posted by Veovis
Is it really that easy to cure someone of homosexuality?

(Fr Andrew): The notion that homosexuality is some disease for which a "cure" is needed in the first place is silly and harmful.
As Loren says, it's certainly possible to alter your behavior, but sexual behavior and sexual orientation are different animals. It's not so easy to change the object of your attraction--and that's what determines sexual orientation.
So far as I know, it's never been done.

[Alonzo Fyfe]

Whether it is possible to "cure" a person of homosexuality is not a moral issue.

If rape were an innate tendency brought into existence by interactions of hormones during fetal development, and certain individuals had no choice but to be rapists, this would not make rape morally permissible.

And if homosexual acts are permissible, then they are permissible not only for those with homosexual tendencies. It is just as permissible for a heterosexual to engage in homosexual acts. He may not want to, but that is irrelevant to the question of whether it is permissible for him to do so.

The only relevant criterion for moral permissibility is harm to others. NOT whether it is an innate tendency. Harmful innate tendencies are still wrong. Harmless acts may be freely choosen by anybody, not just those with an innate tendency.