Homosexuality should be accepted by humanity

Thanks as well to my opponent for providing a thorough and detailed argument, much enjoyment was obtained from reading it. That being said, this round is strictly for rebuttals, no new arguments may be introduced. 1) "The Bible is against homosexuality" -As my opponent is already aware of, I am an atheist. I do not agree with your first paragraph that states the Bible is inerrant. I would, in a different argument, attempt to refute such claims; however, I will remain on topic and only refer to your arguments that strictly relate to homosexuality. 2) "Marriage ought to be between a man and a woman" -You make the assertion that "If a homosexual couple were to adopt a child it would deny that child a father figure or a mother figure. That child will never have a role model to look after. " -I strongly disagree. The sex of your parents is irrelevant, it is the quality and effort that is exerted into the act of parenting that matters. Homosexual men and lesbian women possess the same nurturing capabilities as heterosexuals, their maternal and paternal instincts are not null and void simply because they have a different orientation. "The scientific research that has directly compared outcomes for children with gay and lesbian parents with outcomes for children with heterosexual parents has been generally consistent in showing that lesbian and gay parents are as fit and capable as heterosexual parents, and their children are as psychologically healthy and well-adjusted as children reared by heterosexual parents,[3][4][5] despite the reality that considerable legal discrimination and inequity remain significant challenges for these families. [4] Major associations of mental health professionals in the U. S. , Canada, and Australia, have not identified credible empirical research that suggests otherwise. [5][6][7][8][9] Literature indicates that parents" financial, psychological and physical well-being is enhanced by marriage and that children benefit from being raised by two parents within a legally-recognized union. [5][6][22][23] Statistics show that home and childcare activities in homosexual households are more evenly split between the two rather than having specific gender roles,[24] and that there were no differences in the interests and hobbies of children with homosexual or heterosexual parents. [25]" . https://en.wikipedia.org... 3) "Homosexuality is against nature" -Again, the majority of your argument has nothing to do with homosexuality. The first 4 paragraphs do not reference the term homosexuality whatsoever. I will refrain from refuting the aforementioned argument because it does not pertain to the topic. I also am not as well versed in the morality that is espoused by the bible, nor do I believe the bible is a viable source of knowledge concerning natural or sexual law. -In the last paragraph, however, you make the claim: "What do animals have to do with the business of humans? There is a noticeable difference, mainly being that man has society, art, culture, language, wears clothes, has creativity, has a spirit, and most importantly has a conscience. Animals have nothing to do us. " -I wholeheartedly disagree with you. Other species of animals posses society, art, culture, and creativity. I do not believe any species has a soul, that being the reason I left it out of the list. Every animal also has a language, evidenced by clicks, chirps, squeaks, etc. , these noises are not just incoherent dribble, they are a means of communication. . http://news.sciencemag.org... . http://www.wired.com... . http://www.npr.org... . http://www.huffingtonpost.com... -Those are a few of my favorite articles that elaborate on the fascinating ability of animals, an ability that extends far beyond the conventional notion of "animal instinct". 4) There is a difference between religion and God's law -Again, the mentioning of god's law and church's identification of homosexuality as acceptable is beyond the scope of the debate. The chasm that apparently exists between god and man is something that belongs in another debate, while interesting, it does not correlate to anything empirical within the range of the topic. 5) Homophobia -I never considered you to be a homophobe, nor did I accuse any individual in particular of being a homophone. Every source I referenced and my preceding argument outlines how rampant homophobia actually is in society. I will politely reiterate it. "Recently published as a doctoral thesis in clinical psychology, this investigation examined environmental risks and protective factors that counterbalanced them in LGB youth. "Compared to their heterosexual peers, suicide rates are up to 14 times higher among lesbian, gay and bisexual high school and college students," says Michael Benibgui, who led this investigation as part of his PhD thesis at Concordia's Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Human Development. " "Depression and anxiety are widespread," he continues. "To learn why this occurs, we studied the physiological impact of homophobic social environments on a group of healthy young LGB adults. " . http://www.sciencedaily.com...... -The argument above that I used in the previous round articulates the negative effects of homophobia on homosexuals. Discrimination and hate is unfortunately quite prevalent in contemporary society. 6) Quotes from my arguments -Yes, I am aware that HIV/AIDS was first reported in 1981 and was carried by five homosexual men. This does not mean that they are the cause of this deadly disease, they were merely the first to contract it. The true source has yet to be found. -In referring to homosexual adoption, you supported a majority of what I said. The last statement, however, I believe is false. While I am an atheist, my mother is a Christian and she has informed me that the church she attends has LGBT attendees who teach their adopted children the word of god. Anecdotal, yes, but it does allude to the possibility that homosexuality and Christianity may not be mutually exclusive. -The remainder of what you quoted from me I have already addressed in a previous rebuttal. -Thank you for once again for taking part in this debate and providing me with some material to ponder over concerning this highly important topic. Also, your suggestion to read the bible and ruminating over its messages has been taken into consideration.