Homosexuality

[Daystar]

Italy's nominee to become the European Union's Justice and Home Affairs commissioner failed on Monday to win the backing of the European Parliament's Justice Committee, days after testifying that he considers homosexuality a sin.

The panel narrowly failed to endorse Rocco Buttiglione, who is currently Italy's European Affairs minister, said Jean-Louis Bourlanges, chairman of the Justice Committee.

Buttiglione said that he would fight for the rights of homosexuals, but would not back away from his statement that the lifestyle is sinful.

Isn't this the way it should be? Fight for the rights of homosexuals, but individuals, but define their lifestyle as sinful (Lev. 18:22).

[Chimp]

The state is the body that sanctions marriage. A priest/pastor/judge only
presides over the ceremony. It's a civil contract.

You should do some surfing and look up inter-racial marriage opinions
from the early part of the 20th century. The arguments are identical
and based on nothing but prejudice.

[McCulloch]

Catholic schools in Ontario pay for their own education. B.C. can change its laws to let us pay for our own education so we won't be double taxed.

I agree to a point. Ontario's education policy is in violation of the UN human rights code. Clearly the Ontario government has three choices:

1. keep the status quo and ignore human rights
2. fund all religious school systems fairly
3. fund only one government run secular school system

So, let's relate this discussion back to the point of this thread. I do not believe that a democratic government should be financing teaching that goes against human rights. Most religions which wish to run schools, teach principals which are contrary to the human rights of homosexuals. Therefore, democratic secular governments should not fund any religious schools.

[melikio]

So, let's relate this discussion back to the point of this thread. I do not believe that a democratic government should be financing teaching that goes against human rights. Most religions which wish to run schools, teach principals which are contrary to the human rights of homosexuals. Therefore, democratic secular governments should not fund any religious schools.

There was a time when I felt that I wanted everyone to adhere to MY religious beliefs; I eventually realized that MY WAY wasn't the way things needed to be for everyone else (no matter what I felt/believed).

Law and government serve certain purposes indeed, but it shouldn't be supporting religious beliefs (of which there are literally thousands). Violent criminal behavior needs to be CONTROLLED, certain subtances needs to be CONTROLLED...etc. The need for public safety and the social or legal infrastructures to maintain those things are essential. I do not advocate that "anything" people may want, is always acceptable (because certain things may lead to people becoming victims).

But this "issue" of homosexuality is a moral issue. That doesn't cause it to be unimportant or insignificant, but it's not something that politics, law or government should be attempting to control. "Homosexuals", unless there is some crime or infringement of rights issue related to their behavior, should be left alone and/or accepted as human beings. Homosexuality need not define religious values, and people who are religious should not believe that they can control or stereotype all homosexual people with their beliefs.

No one has to agree that homosexuality is RIGHT, to be the kind of person they need to be toward homosexual people (or at least better towards them).

While everyone clearly isn't "gay", there are a tremendously significant number of human beings, who don't fit into the standard "perfectly-straight" category.

I think it is reasonable for those who practice religion, to address the moral issue/s, but we are bound to reach a point where many more people will realize that it is not right for any particular religion to be allowed to control people (or have the government using legal definitions derived primarily/exclusively from religion to do the same). That doesn't really work, for so many reasons which HISTORY has shown us repeatedly.

-Mel-