From today's reading of Dispatches, I was offered a walk down crazy lane. (Uaragh!) I'm just paraphrasing each paragraph from crazy lane below so you won't have to torture yourself so much. Please bear with me. If you think this is markedly shorter than the original (having glanced over there briefly before you ran screaming from your computer), please realize that I've left out almost all of blokey's supporting drivel (but added parenthetical commentary).
Intro-bit
Athiests are trying to appeal to the gay community because of a perception of religion being anti-gay. Blokey feels like homosexuality has taken up too much of his time, doesn't fit with the teachings of "the Lord", doesn't like the homophobic culture (specifically rap), or the homosexual culture (specifically hedonism). High levels of sexuality common in hedonism is "squalid" regardless of sexual orientation. Blokey then basically says, "I don't come to praise homosexuality, but to bury the notion that atheism is good for the gays." (My own horribly pathetic reference to Julius Caesar.)
Pro-Homosexual Attitudes in Paganism
"Pagan" religions have been tolerant of homosexuality. Here are lots of examples: Babylon, Canaan, Ishtar, look I have done my google research, Greeks, Neo-Paganism, more research on the googles, shamans, Scythians. Sexually-transmitted disease! Transvestism is dangerous. Individual religions may (or may not) condemn the gays.
Lack of Basis for Tolerance to Gays in Atheism
Athiesm is a rejection of theism and theistic values, but not acceptance or tolerance of homosexuality. A BBC poll - which must have included secularists (I love how he mashes "secularist" together with "atheist") - showed that 3/4 of the Brits were against gay marriage. BBC Radio 4 had a documentary on hatred of homosexuals in Caribbean cultures, which Xtian ministers feel was due to the "masculine culture". Blokey guesses that there is a little redirection of hatred going on, since Jamaican gov't has been highly corrupt since the 1980s, and these rappers are just taking it out on the gays.
Postmodernist philosophy is fashionable, but intolerant despite its claim to the opposite. British gay spokesperson was not happy with nihilism, and gays should go beyond this. Apparently going more negative than Nihilism embraces the positive. (Silly little gay Limey.) Nihilism seems to be a fashionable position for those feeling oppressed by society. One cannot condemn gay-bashing without overarching morals necessary for society. Nihilism rejects society (ergo, gays must not hate gay-bashing?). Blokey uses Brothers Karamazov which I haven't read, so I'm not covering here. Blokey then tries a half-hearted attack against Dawkins via proxy, and fails horribly.
Hostility to Homosexuality in Atheist and Anti-Christian Ideologies
Many athiest ideologies can be traced to anti-gay roots. Freudianism. (I didn't know Freud was an "-ism"!) Stalinist Soviet Union. Nazi Germany. (Apparently it wasn't Christian.)
Materialistic Conceptions of Humanity No Guarantee of Tolerance
Scientific claim that there might be a genetic link with homosexuality was done "as part of a campaign to remove the perceived prejudice against gays". (Wow. How nice and well-organized of the scientists. Here's a hand for you/us.) Blokey provides examples from literature with no citation apparent, save for the sole questioning one.
Science tries to overthrow the views of how society is supposed to be run. Science proposes explanations of origins, but no philosophical justification of morals. However, scientific justifications of morals is wrong. Blokey cites Haldan's back-of-the-envelope altruism calculation, but says altruism doesn't work based on kin selection, but on a belief of what is right.
Materialism a Threat to Human Dignity
Much of atheism is based on materialism. Materialism undercuts morality. Reductionist scientists think of humans as organic automatons, but people act as if there is an id. (Oh, the humanity!) Theists believe that the basis of altruism is "the belief that the suffering experienced by people is ... real pain suffered by a real person" This basis of belief will save the gay and the straight from dehumanization!
Reproductive Technology and Children's Right to Life, regardless of Predicted Sexuality
Christian (apparently we've moved from pagan to theist to Xtian) objections to designer babies will save the gays, since legislating a ban on designer babies will ensure that - if there is a gay gene - parents-to-be can't get rid of the gay gene. Xtians believe people are more than the sum of their genes! They have free will! A right to choose! (Wait...) Xtians moral attitudes to the unborn will protect the nascent gay and straight alike!
Christian Attitudes to Homosexuality: A Middle Way
Xtians are right now waging holy Crusades over the morality of gay-ness, but there's a THIRD WAY: Love the sinner hate the sin! (Oh, why didn't someone think of that earlier!) Therefore, while the traditional Xtian hates homosexuality (ya don't say), the Xtian love of the transcendent subject - made in the image of an ineffable being - just might (maybe, if we cross our fingers and wish REALLY hard) protect both the gay and the straight from the dehumanization and mechanism of atheism.
End of blokey's tract.
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