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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank
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To: briskit who wrote (32587)10/14/2001 5:44:42 AM
From: Solon  Read Replies (2) of 82486
 
I was reading your "Islam on t.v." post and wanted to know if you are Muslim?

No. I am not.

what element of humanity since written history would you call "unnatural" therefore not subject to moral relativism?

None. My point was to emphasize the relative nature of morality by contrasting a behaviour which is deviant from the norm in most modern cultures, with the same behaviour as normative in other cultures. The behaviour was not "good" or "evil"; it was simply socially acceptable or socially unacceptable--and everything in between. My reference to it being "natural" was intended to stress the prevalence of the behaviour in cultures across place and time, and not to make the obvious point that it is part of the natural world and not in the supernatural arena.

I am saying that your point in favor of homosexuality on the grounds of it being "natural" needs to go much further

Let me correct you: I made no point in "favor" of homosexuality. My point was in "favor" of recognizing the truth about it, to wit: that whether or not it is normative is relative to time and place and culture; and that when it is assessed on natural criteria rather than on supernatural criteria, one finds no rational basis on which to call it "sinful", "wicked", or the like.

"I think a sweeping dismissal of religious morality...which invokes "natural elements of humanity" needs a bit of work"

I don't dismiss religious morality on the basis that there is a natural world. Religious morality is dreamed of in the natural world--by real flesh and blood people. The problem with "religious morality" is that it often lacks correspondence and relevence; it is often based on the ignorance of unsophisticated authors of ancient scriptures; and it is often prejudiced, hateful, and anachronous.
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