tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381224391260954323.post8965772233876585458..comments2023-05-26T01:08:22.886-07:00Comments on The Religion Virus: Which Soldiers Hate Gays the Most? The Chaplains!Craig A. Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569974341270668010noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381224391260954323.post-47017009193889782582010-12-08T19:49:22.130-08:002010-12-08T19:49:22.130-08:00Exactly what innocent people are directly harmed b...Exactly what innocent people are directly harmed by my belief that homosexual conduct (or heterosexual activity outside of marriage, or any number of other choices) is immoral? I understand people could be harmed by efforts to force others to act how I think they should, but my belief is not hateful. <br /><br />If thinking that someone else was doing something wrong were hateful, then your comments toward me would have to be considered hateful, even though they are entirely polite and do me no harm.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05201393560100552251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381224391260954323.post-33559204637803181472010-12-08T12:49:04.427-08:002010-12-08T12:49:04.427-08:00Nathan -- You wrote, " But you make it sound ...Nathan -- You wrote, " But you make it sound like it is wrong to hold those values--like holding them is intrinsically hateful." No, it doesn't merely sound hateful. It IS hateful because it directly causes harm to innocent people, and does absolutely nothing good for society. Many Christian "morals" are immoral in my opinion; see my recent blog <a href="http://religionvirus.blogspot.com/2010/11/silly-christian-morals.html" rel="nofollow">Silly Christian Morals</a>.<br /><br />And Christianity isn't "misunderstood" as you say. I understand it perfectly, and I believe it has many serious flaws, both in its tenets and in the behavior of its adherents.Craig A. Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10569974341270668010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381224391260954323.post-5103593194846700602010-12-07T19:19:46.180-08:002010-12-07T19:19:46.180-08:00I fully support freedom for gays to serve openly i...I fully support freedom for gays to serve openly in the military and in any other public capacity. I just decline to call my parents hateful for disagreeing. Does that make me a homophobic asshole?<br /><br />All Christians, including but not limited to gays, are called to restrain natural inclinations. Sometimes very powerful ones. Many people would say that giving up fornication or adultery denies them "love and happiness." Others believe they cannot be happy without amassing wealth. Like all Christians, gay Christians must reject part of who they are in order to become all they can be. So yes, I would say that celibacy is a legitimate option. And many people, not just gays, give up a part of themselves for Christ. (Indeed, anyone who doesn't is not practicing Christianity.)<br /><br />I absolutely don't want the government to impose Christian values on soldiers or anyone else in America. But you make it sound like it is wrong to hold those values--like holding them is intrinsically hateful. That is just as authoritarian as anything you accuse us of.<br /><br />Christianity is often misunderstood on this issue, not least because of the behavior of Christians. Gays are offended because we think there is something wrong with them. And so we do, but I hope it helps that we think there is something wrong with everyone else, including ourselves, too. Everyone has strong natural inclinations that are at odds with God's commands. The natural inclination to homosexual orientation isn't worse than all the other things that come naturally to fallen humans, but neither is it sacrosanct.<br /><br />Universities these days assume that anything which comes naturally and doesn't harm others must be morally acceptable, and (rightly) lampoon Christians for saying homosexuality is unnatural. But that first assumption is hard to defend. At the least, one need not be hate-filled to reject it.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05201393560100552251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381224391260954323.post-23253110220202365972010-12-07T06:32:49.488-08:002010-12-07T06:32:49.488-08:00Opposing DADT repeal is hating the gays. Saying o...Opposing DADT repeal is hating the gays. Saying one is gay while in the military isn't some form of homosexual conduct. Straight people in the military are committing religious transgressions all the time, but the chaplains focus on the gay people because they're homophobic assholes much like you, Nathan... Also, how noble of you to offer gay people the great privilege of permanent chastity, truly you are a saint.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13286115591065960954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381224391260954323.post-40077857900245063912010-12-06T20:13:20.830-08:002010-12-06T20:13:20.830-08:00And finally, celibacy is not the antithesis of lov...And finally, celibacy is not the antithesis of love and happiness. Gay Christians are no more denied love and happiness than are priests, or for that matter straight Christians who're attracted to prostitutes. There are other kinds of love than sex.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05201393560100552251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381224391260954323.post-32759156583540632512010-12-06T20:09:28.394-08:002010-12-06T20:09:28.394-08:00Also, homosexual conduct (as distinguished from or...Also, homosexual <i>conduct</i> (as distinguished from orientation) most assuredly is a choice, just as heterosexual conduct is.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05201393560100552251noreply@blogger.com