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From: mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate)
Newsgroups: net.motss,net.religion
Subject: Re: Gay Rights
Message-ID: <86@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 23-Sep-84 21:03:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.86
Posted: Sun Sep 23 21:03:50 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 08:16:02 EDT
References: <135@cybvax0.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD
Lines: 33

> David Brunson writes that homosexuality is a personal/spiritual disease
> that can be cured, and not unchangeable characteristic such as being
> "black".

> One of the basic ideas of sociobiology (which Dave will probably reject out
> of hand as "evolutionary") is that behaviour may be partly determined by
> the genes.

> One example, which is not yet fully understood, is [?] schitzophrenia.

I have three problems with this argument. (BTW, I have reasonable faith in
the truth of evolution.)  First of all, I have serious doubts about the
right of sociobiologists to make claims about behavior as complex as 
homosexuality.  The so-called science is simply to poorly developed; most
of the statements made on its behalf are essentially religion.

Be that as it may, I do admit that some behavioral disorders have chemical
and/or structural causes in the brain.  Schitzophrenia, however, is not
sufficiently like homosexuality to enable me to use it in an analogy.
Schitzophrenia is essentially a breakdown of personality itself, and is
thus fundamentally different from homosexuality or hyperactivity.

Besides, if homosexuality DOES have organic causes, shouldn't we be trying
to find a cure?  (only 1/2 :-))

Finally, there is always one cure for sexual disorders: celebacy.  
Remember that Jesus said, "If your right hand offends you, cut it off."
Obviously, he doesn't mean for christians to practice self-mutilation,
(if he were, I think the neck would be the place to start on most of us)
rather, he is saying to do something about one's behavioral problems,
even as far as avoidance of the situation entirely.

Charley Wingate     umcp-cs!mangoe