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As an atheist, I think Homosexuality should not come into mainstream. What's your take ?

No offence, but my opinion is homosexuality is psychological. I'm straight turned from homosexual, it all happened accidentally. I went through the studies, none had a proof that it's genetic. I've only one explanation to what happened with me & i.e. homosexuality is psychological.

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sourceofdesire 6 Nov 18
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91 comments (26 - 50)

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4

Homosexuality is naturally occurring in over 1,500 species, besides humans.
That anyone is still debating the issue is ludicrous.

4

Ok people. You probably see by now that there is a "hole" in this person's ability to process. Yes, condoning and accepting homosexuality probably will lead to what appears to be more homosexuals. Why? Because people will feel more free to fully explore sexuality itself, thus expanding the possibility of preferring sex with a same sex partner, and because there will be "more" OPENLY gay people. But so what? Even if the number reaches 50% the world is not going to collapse. There is a strong desire to to have offspring even among homosexuals, so humanity would be in no danger of becoming extinct.

Secondly, he is worried that the number should be kept to 10%, and to control that, society should continue viewing homosexuality with disdain, suppress education about it, and make those who may have that proclivity feel not free to choose it. Other than that, he doesn't care one way or the other.

There is something very wrong with a person who can't see the flaw in that line of thought...and all your responses haven't motivated him to reconsider or move off his position. I do however applaud your patience. You're a classy group.

4

If homosexuality is 'psychological' then so is heterosexuality.

With that in mind, when did you decide to "be straight"? What choices other than straight did you consider? Why did you choose to be straight, rather than bisexual, or homosexual? Did you consider being genderfluid or non-binary at all? If not, why not?

My empirical knowledge from my limited experience growing up in a family with 8 children suggests that the upbringing for the first 10 years is the most important factor in the basic beliefs and attitudes towards food, sexuality, race … the whole nine yards. Most likely, if you had been brought up in a different setting, you would not think that homosexuality is “psychological”, and the results from your poll suggest the same (IMHO, of course).

That is also why we should treat religion like alcohol, and ban its consumption until the age of 21.

Some lions in Africa are homosexual (as are many animal species). It is quite natural. [tinyurl.com]

"Bar" and "hole"? You aren't comfortable even talking about sex, are you? Religion has cast a bad spell on sex and sexuality in the US and that is a very bad thing. If men were more comfortable about their sexuality and not ridiculed for not being 'masculine' or 'manly' we would have fewer sexual assaults and a happier bunch of men. Being naked (in and out of public), having sex, having children and breastfeeding are all NATURAL, and none should have any type of negative connotation associated with it - just as which vegetables you eat have no connection to your masculinity. (You eat corn? You fucking PERVERT! You eat lima beans? What kind of man ARE you? You like cauliflower? You probably eat kale, too, you sick m*therf#ckr!) IMHO, anyone who worries about someone else's 'bar' or 'hole' should stop putting their nose into other’s business, and mind their own 'bar' and 'hole'.

You may not have studied history a whole lot, but there have been mainstream societies (like ancient Greece) where the mainstream 'norm' was to have sexual relationships with men and women, boys and girls. Since the ancient Greeks have contributed so much to our society, should we accept their 'norms' as ours? Who decides what is 'norm'? Also, many of the men who answer questions on polls don't answer truthfully, which skews the 'norm', so we probably don't even know what the 'norm' really is. If you trust pornhub.com's information (and why shouldn't we? They had 23 BILLION hits in 2016 alone - 44 thousand visits per minute) they say that the most religious states in the US spend the MOST time on their site, and men are 63% more likely to search for “transgender porn” than woman. So, how do you rate 'norm' now? It sounds like most of the information you use for deciding what is the 'norm' is incorrect.

"In classical antiquity, writers such as Herodotus,[1] Plato,[2] Xenophon,[3] Athenaeus[4] and many others explored aspects of homosexuality in ancient Greece. The most widespread and socially significant form of same-sex sexual relations in ancient Greece was between adult men and pubescent or adolescent boys, known as pederasty (marriages in Ancient Greece between men and women were also age structured, with men in their thirties commonly taking wives in their early teens).[5] Though sexual relationships between adult men did exist, at least one member of each of these relationships flouted social conventions by assuming a passive sexual role. It is unclear how such relations between women were regarded in the general society, but examples do exist as far back as the time of Sappho.[6]

The ancient Greeks did not conceive of sexual orientation as a social identifier as modern Western societies have done. Greek society did not distinguish sexual desire or behavior by the gender of the participants, but rather by the role that each participant played in the sex act, that of active penetrator or passive penetrated.[6] This active/passive polarization corresponded with dominant and submissive social roles: the active (penetrative) role was associated with masculinity, higher social status, and adulthood, while the passive role was associated with femininity, lower social status, and youth.[6]"

[en.wikipedia.org]

4

It doesn't matter if homosexuality is genetic or psychological, mainstream or not. Just let people do their own thing, whether it's homosexuality or whatever else they're into (provided it's between consenting adults, yada yada).

Why shouldn't it be taught about in school?

4

In my non-scientific reply: There are many forms of animals, not just humans, that demonstrate homosexual behavior. I believe it's around 10% of humans. It's 'abnormal' because only a small percentage have this trait, but if we start selecting who we accept or don't accept due to whatever trait, how does that make us better animals?

@sourceofdesire I apologize, but I'm still not getting your point. Are you angry, homophobic, and worried that the 10% will corrupt the 90%?

4

Human sexuality and sexual orientation are not simple things that can easily be categorized.

I've read a great deal and studied a great deal in college (my BA was in Sociology), and I think the best contribution to start understanding it was the Kinsey scale, which said you weren't this or that but fell on a continuum. Most gays have had sex with the opposite sex, and most straight peopel have had at least one same sex experience.

I came to my own definition, in part based on a story one of my college professors told me. She told about haw a guy was first in an opposite sex relationship, but then was in a same sex relationship and then in an opposite sex relationship, and every time he felt like he was in love and each time he also felt like his orientation had undergone a change. It was especially hard to first come out as gay and then gome out to his gay friends as actually beign straight after all.

Now before going on, I'll explain my thoughts on sexual orientation. I dotn' define it by who, or what gender, a person has sex with, but rather by what gender(s) a person develops those feelings, which we refer to as "falling in love", for. It is not too complicated. If you only fall in love with the opposite sex you are straight, if you only fall in love with persons of the same sex as you are then you are gay, but if you are capable of falling in love with either gender, then you are bisexual. Where you fall in the middle of the Kinsey scale woudl determine the likelihood of how often your relationships are with which gender(s).

From what you describe above about first beign "gay" and then becoming "straight", to me would mean you are not at either far end of hte Kinsey scale but land in the middle, and are likely bisexual.

The person describe by my professor above was also bisexual, but would only focus on one gender at a time. This is likely related to a "serial monogamy" behavior, but not much work has been done studying persons who feel their orientation has changed. Those that have been done,m usually have found that feelings for one gender or the other (the gender opposite to the current relationship) has been repressed.

I think that the sex drive must not be primarily viewed in terms of pleasure, but in terms of scope. The genitalia of both men and women have a purpose, and that is the reproductive one; the fact that the act in itself brings a fantastic amount of pleasure must not be taken out of its normal context. One cannot procreate outside one's species, nor cannot bring forth offspring performing the sexual act with a person of the same gender. I used the word "normal" not to label a "category". I consider normal, for instance, to disgorge the stomach contents when you feel you've been (food-)poisoned; but bulimia, the habit to vomit regularly lest you should not gain weight is not... normal. So is anorexia (not eating enough fearing the same weight gain). They are both considered emotional disorders. So should it be the case with homosexuality. Given the great pull of the natural sex drive, there's no wonder that in some cases the individual mistakes the "signals" and envisages the possibility of a sexual relationship with someone of the same gender. I do not know, and I would personally refuse to try to understand how they make this work. I consider that the sexual attraction inside the sphere of the same gender is un-natural. As I cannot know whether homosexuality could ALSO be due to a genetic predisposition, I will always be reserved and unwilling to judge a homosexual couple who would be minding their business. What they do in their own bedroom is of no concern to me. It nevertheless pains me to know that there are children raised in homosexual couples. Our century discovered new facets of acceptance and tolerance. I am for tolerance - but I will never CALL the un-natural as natural. The type of intimacy one has - as sourceofdesire put it - is indeed one's business and no one else's. But if the intimacy we talk about is sexual, then I must say that in my book there are those which are normal (between two consenting adults of different gender) and those that derive their sexual pleasure any other way, recte: more than 2 people involved, rape, homosexuality, kids convinced to have sex, zoophilia, necrophilia etc. I reiterate that I consider sexual excitement as licit and natural as long as it coincides with its natural purpose: Attraction to the opposite gender. If that is not the case, I consider that a man that is sexually aroused by something or someone else than a woman (and vice versa) is defeating Nature's purpose with him or her. We are intelligent and free beings, but to work against Nature and call it emancipation... that could hardly be even called a stretch. To conclude my take on the poll: 1. To punish the homosexuals? NO, let them be what they want to be, as long as they don't start teaching our kids that what they do is perfectly normal, natural and acceptable. It is NOT and will never be. 2. Homosexuals should have all the (common sense) rights heterosexuals enjoy. Although I confess that if I saw two men kissing or walking while holding hands it would freak me out; not in the sense that I would start boo-ing or cast disapproving glances; I would probably blush and pretend I didn't see anything. As for the 3rd point, I made my point. P.S. I have a homosexual friend and I like his company. He is discreet and so am I. I really don't know why anyone should make so much ado, as Shakespeare would have it, about... nothing. 🙂

I must add: The friend I mentioned in my P.S. is discreet in the sense that he doesn't mention anything about his sexual orientation that he knows might make me uncomfortable, and I am discreet in the sense that I do not embarrass him by remarks meant to point disparagingly or ironically at the same point of silent contention. Far be it from me to annoy anyone about this (and anything else). I do not despise my fellowmen for having different views than mine; we can always have an agreeable talk; true love is not erotic. Love is a principle, not an emotion. Treat others as you would have them treat you: respectfully, kindly, with appreciation. One must not necessarily agree with another in order to show love. I do avoid the ill-mannered, the violent and the crude though.

I didn't mention it in my first reply, but there are many studies that show a correlation between some genes and sexual orientation. Some genetic markers are virtually unique to gay persons. Hoiwever, we can't say conclusively that sexual orientation is genetically determined... not yet anyway. We cn say that current evidence indicates that it is highly likely that sexual orientation has a genetic component. We do have enough evidence to say that. What complicates things, is the (relatively) recent study of meta-genetics. We all have a bisic genetic code, but while the fetus is still in the womb, some genetic markers get turned on or off depending on what the mother experiences during pregnancy. There was a very significant long term study that came out of hte former USSR, that showed that women wh ounder went a great deal fo stress in thne seocn trimester, was morel likey to produce homosexual offspring.

Most likely way back in our evolution, when time between birth and the ability to reproduce was very short for whatever animal we evolved from, there was likely an advantage to species survival to produce homosexual offspring when times were difficult, so that over population would not result (and basically eat all the food to a poitn where the species would starve itself out) If homosexuality were limited to humans, you could argue psychological causes pretty easily, but it is pretty ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, which suggests there was an advantage way back in evolutionary history.

Please not that there are a lot of "qualifiers" in the above description/explanation. So this is not proven theory, but it does fit pretty much all the known facts.

3

I honestly think everybody should quit obsessing over what other people like to do in private with other consenting adults. Or toys. Or dolls. Or robots.
Religion invented the idea of controlling people's sexuality, and religion can go fuck itself with a gigantic fucker.

Yup, nothing else to say but that.

3

Mind your own F-------g business. Why on earth would someone want to stick their noses into someone elses sex life? Now they have a real problem. Mike Pence is an idiot. From a straight male who is a big supporter of my brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ community.

3

[Posted on my own page...appropriate to re-post here]:

(Since the poster misses the implications of the need for, and existence of, this site...)

Coming Out. By analogy, having come of age in NYC virtually at the inception of the "gay liberation" movement - I was there for the Stonewall riots - and having observed then and for the years following how difficult and emotional and psychically draining it was for my gay friends to come out (of the 'closet'😉, I am struck by the narratives and observations I read on this site posted by those for whom even expressions of religious skepticism, much less outright rejection of a theocratic imposition of morality, is arduous and daunting. I like to think that I was raised in an environment of unfettered religious, philosophical and political discourse, and I am tempted to regard your complaints as somewhat preposterous, but then I allow myself emotionally to re-visit the pain of my own struggles, and to recall that I too grew up among attitudes of bigotry and prejudice, religious and political, and that it was not until I made my own way into the world where I could make my own, more sympathetic connections, that I was able to shed those ideological shackles. I had for some time been able to take my freedoms for granted - and on that basis would have continued to diminish your struggles - until I moved to Texas, where I was once again thrust into a world of bigoted, "low-information", faux-Christian moralists. And now the struggle is re-joined, but at least I know that I can no longer silently suffer such affronts to reason and true spirituality, because, as it did to my gay friends who never found the way to come out, silently suffering will make you ill, emotionally, spiritually, and physically - these are metaphysical truths. Keep opening your big mouths - nicely if you can - but don't suffer in silence. I support you all.

Well said, brother! Always remember that many in our "community" have your back, both as an atheist & a homosexual. This straight man will stand by & fight by your side!

My daughter was an open, friendly person who had homosexual friends, was in parades, even saw herself as bi-sexual. Then she met a religious nutbag and married him. Now she's a radical nutbag, too, and you can't even hold a conversation with her. Everything is evil. Go figure. Religion is what's evil.

3

I was going to be particularly scathing and probably offensive to you with my initial reply, but a quick look at your profile may has tempered my response somewhat now I have seen where you are from and how old you are.

You say in some of your replies that you do not want homosexuality to become mainstream in case it becomes normal and people are 'encouraged' to be homosexual. This appears to me to be a very nieve view that has been implanted by your social norms. People don't become homosexual because it accepted as normal. People come out as homosexual (or bisexual) because they feel safe to. Gay pride and other parades raise awareness and challenge the stereotyped perceptions of those less educated. In Europe, public perception has been changing over the years and there is less discrimination against LGBT groups year on year. There is still a long way to go, there are still people out there that think you can catch homosexuality or that it is a choice. Until we live in a world where people have equal rights under the law and are treated by their peers as equals, then marches and demos to bring this inequality into the mainstream must continue.

You are 19 years old and probably still exploring your sexuality. You live in a country where I believe the rights of the LGBT community are still in their infancy and culturally unacceptable - certainly if you were further north in Pakistan. Without protests and marches, women still wouldn't have the vote - feminism has been around for far longer and women still struggle to be treated as equals. Could you vote for No discrimination against women - but it shouldn't be in the mainstream?

Hang around the forum, listen to the sane and the crazy, and look at alternative sources for evidence. And keep asking questions.

3

Sexuality in any legal age and consensual act is between those involved and nobody else. I don't even get why it is an issue. I happen to be straight. I really think that is just happenstance, how my brain is wired. If it was wired differently, then I might be gay, or transgender, or a furry. The idea that any sexual form is 'deviant' is just people who consider themselves normal (nobody is normal, if you claim to be normal, you are hiding your weirdness...hehe) telling other people that they are strange.

3

Where do you get the idea that homosexuality is wrong or problematic? That falsehood could only come from religion or superstition.

3

I think this is a ridiculous fear. For one, more acceptance isn't going to make more people gay. More importantly, though, who cares if it does? How does it affect your life at all? The worst that could happen is that you'll feel uncomfortable, but that says more about you than it does them.

3

What is right for you may or may not be right for others. You don’t get to judge what is right or wrong for them, only for yourself. It is the same deal with religion, what is right for you may or may not be right for others.

CS60 Level 7 Nov 21, 2017
3

Do you really wanna oppress people?

3

When I was a younger man I was taught it was EVIL. Now I see nothing wrong to wanting to please another person of the opposite sex or the same sex. I find that doing oral on a guy that wants it is very satisfying to him and me.

3

If it doesn't negatively impact you or anyone else in any meaningful, practical way, then you have no good justification for disapproving of it. I support it because it doesn't affect me in any way and thus I have no reason to oppose it. I'm curious what secular justifications you can provide.

So I don't have to read every comment here, please tell me specifically.

3

Is this supposed to be an argument? It doesn't seem to "hang together." What are you trying to say?

No "marriage" should be recognized, at all, period. Marriage is a chuch institution, and has NO place in civil society. Civil Unions, on the other hand, should be the ONLY recognized union (but being a polite, civil society, allowing marriages to be recognized as a civil union is the nice thing to do - but they are not a civil union until the paperwork is done and filed).

And it has been shown over and over again that gay couples are on average: longer lasting unions with a lower divorce rate; are wealthier; more stable homes and just as loving as any straight couples. Using the data avaiable, everyone should be pleading to allow gay to marry because they offer a better alternative to 'traditional' marriages..

2

I'll go with you're an idiot too. No offense.

2

This is not a lifestyle choice for Homosexual people, contrary to what religious doctrine dictates. Nobody would choose this most difficult path in life voluntarily, it is the way they are born and it is not unnatural to them only to others. I think we should all live and coexist on this planet in harmony and we who are more enlightened than our theist friends should show them respect and dignity. I can't subscribe to the above statement, i do not believe homosexuality is psychological but it is innate. There are of course some people who are bi-sexual, but that is entirely different because their sexuality is fluid and not binary.

2

I don't know which studies you reviewed, but they (Neurologists) have done multiple studies using MRIs that suggest that the heterosexual brain patterns are distinctly different from homosexual patterns, just as bisexual are different frosting homosexual and heterosexual, and that transsexual are as different from all the others too. In other words, the only thing they have in common is they are more similar to those of their own categories that other categories. There is a commonality that allows them to be classified accordingly as distinct patterns. And the only way for that to be possible is that it is indeed genetic. Otherwise that's one hell of a huge set of thousands of coincidences. I know correlation does not equal causation, but it certainly keeps putting in that direction thus far...

2

None of the above. To each his own.

2

Homosexuality is also found throughout the animal kingdom. That is actually irrelevant, tho, as a lifestyle choice (IF it is one) that harms no one else is no one else's business. Trying to keep gays out of the mainstream, IMO is bigoted & misguided. Plus, lot's 'o' luck, I think that barn door has been opened!

2

I choose not to vote. I can only speak from experience. I do have a daughter bisexual, when she open up about that I almost fainted, within 30 seconds my knees buckled and I hold on to the kitchen counter but... It was not because her lifestyle... it was because I knew she made her life harder... when she volunteer the information I just told her... just give me a hug... I don't care you still my daughter forever. We Gave Our Children to Life and To The World... To Live Via Their Own Devices. Later on... she got greedy... She was living with her boyfriend and girlfriend and she was the ring leader. I was not that happy with the arrangement but it was her life not mine. Of course that didn't lasted and he ended up being the Odd Man out. He even tried to enlist my help... he, he, ha, he. I am just very supportive of my children I do find certain behaviour annoying of certain In-your-face approach... not necessary. But Your Life is Your Choice... but you better bring large pockets for what you bring upon yourself. I Will Accept Each of You for What You Are. Mind You I Am of Straight Persuasion but I Won't Stop a Partner from Being Herself Because You Can Not Provide Everything There Is In This World, I know that from experience but that is a different story for another time.

2

You give no justification whatsoever why homosexuality should not "come into mainstream" (what exactly does this even mean?). Why do you even care? If nobody forces you or cares about you being homo or hetero, why do you want to have a say about wat others prefer?

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