W.S.T.A.J.H.S?

1. W.S.T.A.J.H.S? Introduction to Moral Issues

2. Homosexual Sex is “Unnatural” • Many things that people value- housing, medicine, government- can be considered unnatural in some way • Things people detest are also viewed as “unnatural "include disease, suffering, even death • So does homosexuality necessarily fit into the category of bad things which are “unnatural”?

3. What is Unusual is Abnormal • Most people engage in heterosexual relationships. • But does it follow that it is wrong to engage in homosexual relationships? • According to the Ramsey Colloquium, a group of Jewish and Christian Scholars who oppose homosexuality: “The statistical frequency of an act does not determine its moral status.” • So even for most people who oppose homosexuality, the fact that it is unusual makes it morally irrelevant

4. What is Not Practiced By Other Animals IS UNNATURAL • Some people argue, “Even Animals know better than to behave homosexually, homosexuality must be wrong.” • This argument is flawed, it rests on a false premise • Numerous studies have shown that there are homosexual parings in animals • We don’t need to concern ourselves too much with animals, they are far below our reasoning skills

5. What Does Not Proceed from INNATe Desires is UNNATURAL • Some supporters of homosexuality claim that gay people are “born gay” and this makes the sexual acts right. • Other supporters claim that the fact that it is innate shows some kind of deformity • Both sides cannot make a value judgment based on the claim of innateness, “good” and “bad” predispositions exist • …the origin has no bearing on whether an action is good or bad

6. What Violates our Organ’s Principle is Unnatural • When people say homosexuality is unnatural, they mean that it cannot result in procreation. • Our organs are not limited in their purposes, e.g. mouths are used for talking, eating, breathing, licking stamps, chewing gum, kissing women or men, • It is arbitrary to claim that all but the last of these are natural • Should sterile people be discouraged from getting married?

7. What is Disgusting or Offensive is Unnatural • Plenty of morally neutral activities are disgusting… • The unnaturalness argument is flawed…at best it expresses an aesthetic judgment, not a moral judgment.

8. Homosexual Sex is Harmful to Society and Individuals • The Ramsey Colloquium: Homosexuality leads to the breakdown of the family and , ultimately, of human society. • It points to the “alarming rates of sexual promiscuity, depression, and suicide and the ominous presence of AIDS within the homosexual subculture.” • But correlation does not necessarily lead to causation • Engaging in homosexuality does not necessarily lead to the problems which opponents point out. • Perhaps the denial of institutions like marriage lead to promiscuous behavior.

9. HomosexualitY and Child Abuse • Some opponents of homosexuality claim that it leads to child abuse • Statistically, the vast majority of reported cases of child sexual abuse involve young girls and their fathers, stepfathers, or other familiar adult males. • Child abuse is a terrible thing…But when a heterosexual male molests a child (or rapes a woman) the act does not reflect on ALL heterosexuals • According to statistics, many men convicted of molesting young boys are sexually attracted to adult women and report no attraction to adult men. • To call such men “homosexual” or even “bisexual” is probably to stretch such terms too far.

10. Homosexuality and Children • Does it matter that increasing visibility of homosexual relationships make children more likely to become homosexual? • Not really…One cannot prove that doing X is bad by arguing that it causes other people to do X , which is bad • One must first establish independently that X is bad • There is no evidence that exposure to homosexuality leads children to become homosexual

11. Homosexuality and the destruction of Society • The continuation of society requires procreation…it does not follow that everyone must procreate • Perhaps at best, opponents of homosexuality may insist that homosexuals procreate through methods like artificial insemination • Tommy and Jim’s homosexual relationship harms neither them nor society. • It benefits both of them because it makes them happy, in a “big picture” way • It benefits society since it makes Tommy and Jim more stable.

12. Religion and Sexuality • Without independent justification for condemning homosexuality, the best one can say is, “My religion says so.” • But in a society that cherishes religious freedom, that reason alone does not normally provide grounds for moral or legal sanctions.

13. Incest, Polygamy, etc. • If we can accept Tommy and Jim, why shouldn’t we accept other taboo sexual relationships? • My Car is My Lover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjeqlmb7Ri8 • The others may be up for debate, but there is enough evidence to suggest by proponents of homosexuality that homosexual relationships are not harmful to a productive society.