From: smithw@col.hp.com (Walter Smith)
Newsgroups: alt.rush-limbaugh,alt.fan.rush-limbaugh,alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.homosexuality
Subject: Re: Sexuality
Date: 30 Dec 1992 00:32:06 GMT
Organization: Colorado Springs IT Center
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: fajita19.cs.itc.hp.com

harp@netcom.com (Gregory O. Harp) writes:
> 
> The difference between most
> straight people and myself is that I'm not afraid of or uncomfortable
> with sex.  I overcame the "Sex is a horrible, dirty thing that you
> only share with the one you love" message that confuses most children
> in the U.S.

I'm a little confused here.  Most people don't think "Sex is a horrible, dirty thing".
On the other hand, you said you were monogamous; and then said "...that you
only share with the one you love" part.  Are you only monogamous out of safety, 
or are you monogamous out of love?  Why do you feel monogamy is the right 
thing to do? 

> In my opinion, the reason that lesbigay people have the reputation
> they do is because most straight people think that the outspoken ones
> are the only ones out there.  

Yeah, it tends to be the same with Christians...

> The problem here is that in respecting your views, others' views are
> ignored.  You must respect theirs as well.

Which is always the hard part, when the views differ to such a radical 
extent.  But it is a challenge that needs to be accepted and dealt with. 

> The teachings of YOUR God conflict with the views of billions of
> people on this planet.  What gives you the right to force them on
> others?  You may say that you are not forcing these views on anyone,
> but the default in this country tends to suit your views, so you
> simply don't notice.

Greg, you were doing good till there.  Wheather or not Christianity 
conflicts with other religions around the world isnt the point; we're 
talking about the US.  Please don't mess up a good line of thought with
needless exxageration.   

> Last I
> checked, the parents were supposed to be the ones responsible for the
> child in the first place.  When did that change?

Well, that's part of what ticks people off about the COTR issue; some 
people in this forum (Tim Pierce?) said that if we, as parents, don't 
do a good enough job of educating our kids that it is 'ok' to be gay, 
then the school should do it for us, if we like it or not.  It's the 
fact that people want to *take away* that responsibility that has 
people in an uproar. 

> However, removing all of these things from the school environment is
> impossible, and IMO, not the best solution anyway.  Instead, we have
> to teach children (at home and in school) to feel free to have
> whatever views they (or their parents) wish, but to learn and
> understand that others don't necessarily share those views, and that
> they should not be persecuted for that reason.

I'll buy that; everyone is a valuable person, and should be respected 
as such, regardless if you agree with their lifestyle; I *strongly* 
disagree with the Jehovahs Witnesses and they me; but I can be 
friends with a JW, because we can *tolerate* the things about each 
other that we don't *accept*.  We can disagree strongly, and still 
respect the other person.  Unfortunately, from what I've read in USENET, 
this is not the case for gay folks in general.  I've seen articles saying 
that if a friend can only 'tolerate' your homosexuality, and not accept 
it as ok, then you shouldn't be their friend.  I really think this 
is too bad. 

> In the case of sexuality, we must stop teaching by default that
> homosexuality and bisexuality is wrong.  

How does the school system teach that now?  They don't teach it 
at all.  They may, by the typical examples of families used, teach 
that a hetro family is 'normal', but that doesn't mean by default 
that they teach a homosexual fmaily is wrong.   

> kids this at home (or hand them off to the church like so many
> parents) that's fine by me.  Just don't be surprised when their
> opinion is in the minority.  

Well, first of all, I don't know *anyone* who just "hands their kids
over to the chuch".  Nice but of anti-religious-slam, though.  As for 
their opinions being in the majority, I think the opposite is true. 
I think the majority things homosexuality is not a 'good thing', but 
also think that diversity should be tolerated, and people should not 
be harassed or persecuted for it.  

Walter

Newsgroups: alt.rush-limbaugh,alt.fan.rush-limbaugh,alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.homosexuality