Posted: May 05, 2012 12:49 pm
Lion IRC wrote:Q & A Round
Q. 2
My next question relates to the alarming mental health statistics you posted in relation the homosexual minority and your argument about the degree to which so-called Marriage Equality may help to alleviate the enormous stigma which you and the SSM lobby frequently allude to.
It’s a simple multiple choice question
Much of the literature I have read indicates that many gay people feel so stigmatized that they would give anything to be “straight” if they thought they could change, so in your estimation, what percentage of people who define themselves as “gay” specifically (as opposed to bisexual) would rather be “straight”?
A. Less than 25%
B. Between 25% and 50%
C. Between 50% and 75%
D. Over 75%
NB. Readers should acknowledge that this question merely asks for Crocodile Gandhi’s estimate.
I truthfully do not have a clue what percentage of gay individuals may wish to be straight. So, in order to answer this question, I asked a bunch of friends and acquaintances whether they would give anything to be straight if they thought they could change. All of them said no. So, based on my data, my answer is A.
Now for my next question...
Lion has agreed that some incidences of child-abuse amongst the group known as Catholic priests should not remove the freedom of all people known as Catholic priests to work with children.
The reason gay marriage is not comparable, he argues, is that unlike the freedom to work with children, there is no such thing as an "individual's freedom" to marry a partner of the same sex.
Lion IRC wrote:In talking about the restriction of so-called “individual [sic] freedoms,” there is an inference that those “freedoms” actually do exist. But do they really exist?
Do they?
Well, perhaps this debate has gone on for so long that Lion has forgotten he began by arguing vehemently for "the human right to religion enshrined" in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It unequivocally explains: "everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to...manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
Lion is now vehemently denying the freedom to manifest religion or belief in practice and observance by the sacrament of marriage as it is thought of in good conscience by Christians of The Metropolitan Community Church, United Church of Christ, United Church of Canada, Unitarian Universalists and Unitarians. Each of these churches see fit to marry people of the same sex, in accordance with the Universal Human Right to freedom of religion.
Q. Can Lion confirm that he now believes not everyone has the freedom to practise and observe their religion or belief?
If not, can Lion explain how making it illegal for people to practise and observe the sacrament of marriage according to their religion or belief gives them the freedom to practise and observe their religion or belief?