Smart people, help!!!

I knew I shouldn't have tried to debate with my former literature teacher. I need some help, guys!

He posted an article about people being upset that a lot of people agree with the president that homosexuals should be allowed in the Boy Scouts.

I responded: I agree with the president. Homosexual boys should be allowed in scouts.
Him: how can a boy know he's a homosexual?
Me: well most younger boys can't, but once they hit puberty they usually start to realize they like boys instead of girls.
Him: how can one be sure of this?
Me: I know several homosexual men and women and they usually start realizing they like the same gender around and about puberty.
Him: Right, let's stick with the traditional default position! You know, the Judeo-Christian one that has defined sexual behavior in the West for 2,000 years.


I don't know how to respond to that! I don't even know what he means...
Can someone enlighten me? Please?

I think he's just disregarding your entire argument...let's ignore what you're saying kind of thing, and go with what's been done because it's what has always been done.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Autumn Whisper:</b>" I think he's just disregarding your entire argument...let's ignore what you're saying kind of thing, and go with what's been done because it's what has always been done."</blockquote>


I thought as much.  
I also thought he wa throwing something about Christianity at me.

His response doesn't make sense. I would just ignore it.

Quoting Minion:" I knew I shouldn't have tried to debate with my former literature teacher. I need some help, guys! He ... [snip!] ... for 2,000 years. I don't know how to respond to that! I don't even know what he means... Can someone enlighten me? Please?"

sounds like he's going with the christian argument of "woman was made for man" thing. that's what it seems he means by it defining sexual behavior.

that's stupid. ask him how he knows he's heterosexual. ask him when he knew he was heterosexual.

Quoting Minion:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Autumn Whisper:</b>" I think he's just disregarding your entire ... [snip!] ... been done."</blockquote> I thought as much.   I also thought he wa throwing something about Christianity at me."

He is. He is saying that the Judeo-Christian model of human sexuality has defined all sexual relations in the West for 2,000 years. Which is not really accurate, when you account for the fact that 2,000 years ago, it was not exactly that predominant of a religion.

But he's dismissing your argument and saying it shouldn't be okay, because the Judeo-Christian model of human sexuality says it shouldn't be.

Which is ultimately absurd, because if you look at other cultures, past and present, homosexuality is not uniformly considered "sinful" or even discouraged. In fact, in some cultures in history, it was considered a more noble relation than man-woman love, though that was typically only male-male relations.

I would have retorted his "how can a boy know he's a homosexual" with how can a boy know he's a heterosexual? So, I am no help.

He's ignoring your argument and is only looking for his opportunity to try and grand stand his views on the effects of judeo christian influence on the 'gay culture'. I use the term loosely because he's obviously trying to insinuate that culture has a great deal of influence either on the realization of being gay or just plain being gay period. Basically his debate didn't take the route he'd intended and now he's looking for what turned out to be a less than legitimate placement for his purpose.

Humans have bee around longer than Judeo-Christian values and homosexuality has been around for as long as humans have been around.

Judeo-Christian values have this thing where they take completely natural functions and turn it into something sinful and shameful just to make themselves feel better about something that makes them uncomfortable.

He responded just now that why should he fold against his Christian beliefs and listen to men who say homosexuality is ok. He said that why should society force people to accept homosexuality as normal when it goes against their moral and religious code.

Quoting Minion:" He responded just now that why should he fold against his Christian beliefs and listen to men who say ... [snip!] ... that why should society force people to accept homosexuality as normal when it goes against their moral and religious code."

You don't have to accept the practice as normal to accept the people as normal. And none of that has anything to do with letting homosexual boys into the boy scouts, all boys at that age are discovering their sexual orientation no matter which way it goes.

Quoting Minion:" He responded just now that why should he fold against his Christian beliefs and listen to men who say ... [snip!] ... that why should society force people to accept homosexuality as normal when it goes against their moral and religious code."

People do plenty of things I don't agree with. That doesn't mean I think they should make it illegal. ;) Should the practice of another religion be illegal? Should having too many kids be illegal? Should having too FEW kids be illegal? I don't like public schools...should they be illegal? What about using birth control?

That's the approach I usually take with it.

Quoting Autumn Whisper:" People do plenty of things I don't agree with. That doesn't mean I think they should make it illegal. ... [snip!] ... like public schools...should they be illegal? What about using birth control? That's the approach I usually take with it."

  

<blockquote><b>Quoting Minion:</b>" He responded just now that why should he fold against his Christian beliefs and listen to men who say ... [snip!] ... that why should society force people to accept homosexuality as normal when it goes against their moral and religious code."</blockquote>




You don't have to accept it, you can disagree with something but it doesn't mean it should be illegal. Like I don't smoke pot, but I think it's totally silly that is illegal because it doesn't cause harm.