The Fallacy of Choice
This article is an interesting read about framing, religion, and homosexuality (and thanks to fiona64 for posting it to her LJ and thus drawing my attention to it). In it, the editor of the Mormon Times is quoted as asking, "is 'behavior' generally, or certain behaviors specifically, actually a civil right?"
Now, it seems to me that, as a member of a church from which many people would like to pull tax-exempt status for their part in last November's passing of Proposition H8, this is a question the MT editor shouldn't examine too closely.
Because religion is a protected civil right - employers (for example) are not allowed to discriminate against personnel "based on an individual's: race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and childbirth), age (40 years or more), disability (physical or mental)..."
Let's see, here:
Of course, I don't believe homosexuality is a choice. There have been scientific studies proving that the identical twin of a gay man has a better than 70% chance of also being gay, even when raised in different environments. There have been studies showing that the structure of a homosexual person's brain is different than the structure of a straight person's brain. I don't remember ever choosing to be attracted to the opposite sex, nor does any non-straight person I know remember choosing to be attracted to the same sex - or even both sexes. And I don't see how anyone would choose to be a member of a group that has the potential to be, at best, ostracized from their community and, at worst, beaten to death - simply for being who they are. All this tells me that Nature has much more to do with the issue than Nurture (though the latter does also have an effect).
It comes down to this: Thanks to civil rights laws, people who choose to follow a religion are afforded legal rights that homosexuals do not have. So does it matter if homosexuality is a choice or not?
*"Other Personnel Practices Prohibited by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and Executive Order 11478... no personnel action in the federal government may be based on an individual's: marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation..."
Now, it seems to me that, as a member of a church from which many people would like to pull tax-exempt status for their part in last November's passing of Proposition H8, this is a question the MT editor shouldn't examine too closely.
Because religion is a protected civil right - employers (for example) are not allowed to discriminate against personnel "based on an individual's: race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and childbirth), age (40 years or more), disability (physical or mental)..."
Let's see, here:
- Race - Not a choice
- Color - Not a choice
- National origin - Not a choice (possibly your parents' choice, but)
- Religion - Choice
- Sex - Not a choice (sans gender reassignment surgery; and one could argue that becoming pregnant is a choice)
- Age - Not a choice (no matter how hard we try)
- Disability - Not a choice (short of someone purposefully harming themselves and winding up in a wheelchair)
Of course, I don't believe homosexuality is a choice. There have been scientific studies proving that the identical twin of a gay man has a better than 70% chance of also being gay, even when raised in different environments. There have been studies showing that the structure of a homosexual person's brain is different than the structure of a straight person's brain. I don't remember ever choosing to be attracted to the opposite sex, nor does any non-straight person I know remember choosing to be attracted to the same sex - or even both sexes. And I don't see how anyone would choose to be a member of a group that has the potential to be, at best, ostracized from their community and, at worst, beaten to death - simply for being who they are. All this tells me that Nature has much more to do with the issue than Nurture (though the latter does also have an effect).
It comes down to this: Thanks to civil rights laws, people who choose to follow a religion are afforded legal rights that homosexuals do not have. So does it matter if homosexuality is a choice or not?
*"Other Personnel Practices Prohibited by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and Executive Order 11478... no personnel action in the federal government may be based on an individual's: marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation..."