Free Republic

It is utterly irrelevant what any individual religion, including Christianity, has to say about homosexuality, from a public policy standpoint. This nation was founded on Enlightenment ideals, so I think its important to show the practical harm of homosexuality both to the individuals practicing it and to the politity at large. Now, the consensus against homosexuality by the world's religions. including Christianity, may come into play, as does the fundamental status of secular radicalism as a religion in its own right, with fundamentalists adhering to it that make Christian fundamentalists look like lukewarm Episcopalians.

" Iw ill say that I disapprove of Alan Keyes and his wife cutting her off.. a parent's love should be unconditional and the 'tough love' approach backfires as often as not... BUt pushing her to keep exclusively company that agrees with her sexual orientation and politics is no way to either treat her generally, or 'salvage' her eventually, if that's the right word.
Isn't that the bone of contention we're all gnawing on? Do you bring any new support for your claims?"

What claim do you mean? I just said that I disagree on principle with kicking out one's child from the house and/or ceasing all support just because they announce that they are gay. That it has caused her to keep exclusive company with fellow sexual travellers and their sympathizers is a reasonable supposition from reading her site. If there is soemthing else you are agguing I didn't see it though I didn't scroll too far bac in the posts

IN case anyone is interested, here is what I posted on her site's comments area (latest post), in response to her complaining that she has had a bunch of abusive comments from here:

Naturally, anyone who disapproves of homosexuality in any way must be a gramatically - challenged Freeper. One of the earliest signs of maturity is when a child suddenly realizes that perfectly intelligent and well intentioned people disagree with his or her parents. Seems that many voices here are having analogous issues, only the gay rights movement has taken the place of authority.

I think that anyone who has ever known gay people well is quite aware that sexual orientation is not so cut and dry an issue as many would have us believe. Many people 'go gay' for only a year or two, and afterwards are as heterosexual as can be. Some do it when adolesence hits and then cease as they mature. Some , the best publicized, remain in the closet for awhile, often breaking out in middle age. Some even show the tendencies before adolesence, and stay pretty unshakeably gay throughout their lives, but they are not a majority, in my experience. But the gay rights lobby emphatically focuses on the dualism of gay vs. straight, probably because if the grey area's extent were known there would be more public sentiment behind attempts to change sexual orientation, and less patience for the agendas of such organizations generally. My point is that human sexuality is a very arbitrary and complicated issue, and that viewing it in extremist moral terms, whether of the "You must accept and celebrate homosexuality, or you are a Nazi!" ilk, or the "God hates fags" cretinism, is inaccurate and counterproductive. And yes, I do put them on the same level, with many more advocates of the former out there.

My opinion that homosexuality is not the equal of heterosexuality is bourne out and echoed by virtually all recorded history, the antics of a small class of privedged ancient Greeks, scattered hunter-gatherer tribes, and Bonobo Chimps notwithstanding. If you dismiss me as some uninformed redneck, you dismiss 99.9% of all humans in recorded history similarly. And if you think that there is anti-gay hostility today in the USA, just see what happens if the 'right' to a non-heterosexual (and/or non-monagamous) marriage is forced down the throats of the public. Would you prefer mandatory and legally obligatory celebration of homosexuality, or informal and widespread private tolerance? Because you can't have both.

I posted on the daughter's site's comments area.. firmly but respectfully, I think. I hope that no one here on Freep would send here pejorative-laces comments.

I will say that I disapprove of Alan Keyes and his wife cutting her off.. a parent's love should be unconditional and the 'tough love' approach backfires as often as not. She is a deeply misguided girl, but there is always stil hope. BUt pushing her to keep exclusively company that agrees with her sexual orientation and politics is no way to either treat her generally, or 'salvage' her eventually, if that's the right word.