Iron Chariots Wiki - User contributions [en]

User:Blue Lithium

2007-09-16T10:03:45Z

Blue Lithium: /* Articles Written By Me/Articles In Which I Am A Big Contributor */

Blue Lithium is an [[atheist]] and [[skeptic]] who is interested in [[religion]] and the question of God's Existence. Areas of interest for me include [[philosophy]], [[science]](particularly evolutionary theory), politics, and GBLT issues.

== Articles Written By Me/Articles In Which I Am A Major Contributor ==
(Not including minor stubs)

* [[Reparative therapy]]
* [[Exodus International]]
* [[National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality]]
* [[Joseph Nicolosi]]
* [[Meme]]
* [[Jerry Falwell]]
* ''[[Letter to a Christian Nation]]''
* [[Testimonium Flavian]]
* [[Argument from personal experience]]
* [[Koran science]]
* [[Homosexuality]]

== External Link ==

I maintain a blog at http://passionateskeptic.blogspot.com/

Homosexuality

2007-09-16T10:00:49Z

Blue Lithium: /* The Bible on homosexuality */ spacing

{{wikipedia}}
'''Homosexuality''' is romantic or sexual attraction to members of one's own sex. The rights of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals is a contentious [[political issue]] in much of the world, due in part to [[religious]] views on the perceived [[moral]] incorrectness of homosexuality. One particularly fierce debate at the time of this writing is the legality of [[gay marriage]].

Many conservative [[Christian]]s, [[Jew]]s, [[Muslim]]s and [[Sikh]]s prefer to continue current restrictions against gays, lesbians and bisexuals — including prohibition of same-sex marriage. Some advocate the restoration of [[law]]s which once criminalized same-sex behavior. Many oppose the extension of existing [[Wikipedia:Hate crime|hate-crime laws]] to include sexual orientation.

==The Bible on homosexuality==

* In {{bible|Genesis 19}}, [[God]] destroys the cities of [[Sodom and Gomorrah]]; some say that widespread practice of homosexuality was the main reason.
* {{bible|Leviticus 18:22}}: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
* {{bible|Leviticus 20:13}}: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."
* [[Deuteronomy]] ({{Bible|Deuteronomy 23:17}}) and [[1 Kings]] ({{Bible|1 Kings 15:12}}) state that there shall be no sodomites allowed in [[Israel]].
* {{bible|Romans 1:26-27}}: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence [sic] of their error which was meet."
* {{bible|1 Corinthians 6:9-10}}: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, '''nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind''', Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (emphasis added)
* {{bible|1 Timothy 1:9-10}}: "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, '''for them that defile themselves with mankind''', for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." (emphasis added)

==Counterarguments to the Bible's stance==

* Genesis 19, while commonly held to describe the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for the "sin" of homosexuality, more likely describes their destruction because of wickedness in general rather than just for homosexuality. They wanted to rape the angels, it makes sense that the sin was in fact rape, not consenting homosexuality. {{Bible|Ezekiel 16:49}} (KJV) reads as such:
{{Quote|Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.}}
This supports the view that the sins of Sodom were not homosexuality.
* Leviticus 18:22 can have more than one interpretation. Some people have suggested what is condemned in this verse is pagan rituals, which involved homosexual acts. This fits in with the context of the verse, as {{Bible|Leviticus 18:27-28}} specifically says that the pagans defiled the land with such acts.
* Although the book of 1 Kings does say that there will be no sodomites in Israel, that's only in the [[King James Version]]. Other, more accurate modern translations render the word "male temple prostitute".
* The translation of 1 Corinthians 6:9 as "homosexuals" is contentious. The words translated as "homosexual"(RSV) are "malakoi" meaning soft or effeminate, and "arsenokoitai" whose meaning as debatable but literally translates as "male-bedder". It is possible that Paul in this verse is condeming prostitution. There were temple prostitutes in Corinth at the time who were involved in worshipping other gods.
* There is also '''no''' indication that homosexuality is somehow a more severe sin than [[fornication]]. So ''at worst'' homosexuals should be treated the same as anyone else who has sex outside of [[marriage]]. Have you ever seen an angry mob opposing unmarried couples?
* {{bible|Romans 1:26-27}} describes clearly how God '''himself''' made people homosexual. This passage could also be a reference to idol worship and prostitution, due to the context of the preceding passages.

==The Qur'an on homosexuality==
* Surah 7:80-81: "And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination such as no creature ever did before you? Lo! ye come with lust unto men instead of women. Nay, but ye are wanton folk."
*Surah 26:165-166: "What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males, And leave the wives your Lord created for you? Nay, but ye are froward folk."
*Surah 27:54-55: "And Lot! when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination knowingly?"
*Surah 29:28-29: "And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Lo! ye commit lewdness such as no creature did before you. For come ye not in unto males, and cut ye not the road (for travellers), and commit ye not abomination in your meetings ? But the answer of his folk was only that they said: Bring Allah's doom upon us if thou art a truthteller!"

==Arguments for the naturalness of homosexuality==

* The discovery of homosexuality in many thousands of other species including goats and penguins, and even our closest relatives the bonobos and chimpanzees, has shown that homosexuality most likely isn't a choice, but rather something a person is born with. See [[Wikipedia:Non-human animal sexual behavior]].

==External links==
* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu.htm Homosexuality articles] at [[Religious Tolerance]]

* [http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian Soulforce]

* [http://www.whosoever.org/bible/ Whosoever, gay Christian group]

== See Also ==
[[Gay marriage]]

[[Reparative therapy]]

[[Category:Social issues]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Bible]]

Homosexuality

2007-09-16T10:00:10Z

Blue Lithium: /* The Bible on homosexuality */ bible verses

{{wikipedia}}
'''Homosexuality''' is romantic or sexual attraction to members of one's own sex. The rights of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals is a contentious [[political issue]] in much of the world, due in part to [[religious]] views on the perceived [[moral]] incorrectness of homosexuality. One particularly fierce debate at the time of this writing is the legality of [[gay marriage]].

Many conservative [[Christian]]s, [[Jew]]s, [[Muslim]]s and [[Sikh]]s prefer to continue current restrictions against gays, lesbians and bisexuals — including prohibition of same-sex marriage. Some advocate the restoration of [[law]]s which once criminalized same-sex behavior. Many oppose the extension of existing [[Wikipedia:Hate crime|hate-crime laws]] to include sexual orientation.

==The Bible on homosexuality==

* In {{bible|Genesis 19}}, [[God]] destroys the cities of [[Sodom and Gomorrah]]; some say that widespread practice of homosexuality was the main reason.
* {{bible|Leviticus 18:22}}: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
* {{bible|Leviticus 20:13}}: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."
* [[Deuteronomy]]{{Bible|Deuteronomy 23:17}} and [[1 Kings]] {{Bible|1 Kings 15:12}} state that there shall be no sodomites allowed in [[Israel]].
* {{bible|Romans 1:26-27}}: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence [sic] of their error which was meet."
* {{bible|1 Corinthians 6:9-10}}: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, '''nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind''', Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (emphasis added)
* {{bible|1 Timothy 1:9-10}}: "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, '''for them that defile themselves with mankind''', for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." (emphasis added)

==Counterarguments to the Bible's stance==

* Genesis 19, while commonly held to describe the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for the "sin" of homosexuality, more likely describes their destruction because of wickedness in general rather than just for homosexuality. They wanted to rape the angels, it makes sense that the sin was in fact rape, not consenting homosexuality. {{Bible|Ezekiel 16:49}} (KJV) reads as such:
{{Quote|Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.}}
This supports the view that the sins of Sodom were not homosexuality.
* Leviticus 18:22 can have more than one interpretation. Some people have suggested what is condemned in this verse is pagan rituals, which involved homosexual acts. This fits in with the context of the verse, as {{Bible|Leviticus 18:27-28}} specifically says that the pagans defiled the land with such acts.
* Although the book of 1 Kings does say that there will be no sodomites in Israel, that's only in the [[King James Version]]. Other, more accurate modern translations render the word "male temple prostitute".
* The translation of 1 Corinthians 6:9 as "homosexuals" is contentious. The words translated as "homosexual"(RSV) are "malakoi" meaning soft or effeminate, and "arsenokoitai" whose meaning as debatable but literally translates as "male-bedder". It is possible that Paul in this verse is condeming prostitution. There were temple prostitutes in Corinth at the time who were involved in worshipping other gods.
* There is also '''no''' indication that homosexuality is somehow a more severe sin than [[fornication]]. So ''at worst'' homosexuals should be treated the same as anyone else who has sex outside of [[marriage]]. Have you ever seen an angry mob opposing unmarried couples?
* {{bible|Romans 1:26-27}} describes clearly how God '''himself''' made people homosexual. This passage could also be a reference to idol worship and prostitution, due to the context of the preceding passages.

==The Qur'an on homosexuality==
* Surah 7:80-81: "And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination such as no creature ever did before you? Lo! ye come with lust unto men instead of women. Nay, but ye are wanton folk."
*Surah 26:165-166: "What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males, And leave the wives your Lord created for you? Nay, but ye are froward folk."
*Surah 27:54-55: "And Lot! when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination knowingly?"
*Surah 29:28-29: "And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Lo! ye commit lewdness such as no creature did before you. For come ye not in unto males, and cut ye not the road (for travellers), and commit ye not abomination in your meetings ? But the answer of his folk was only that they said: Bring Allah's doom upon us if thou art a truthteller!"

==Arguments for the naturalness of homosexuality==

* The discovery of homosexuality in many thousands of other species including goats and penguins, and even our closest relatives the bonobos and chimpanzees, has shown that homosexuality most likely isn't a choice, but rather something a person is born with. See [[Wikipedia:Non-human animal sexual behavior]].

==External links==
* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu.htm Homosexuality articles] at [[Religious Tolerance]]

* [http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian Soulforce]

* [http://www.whosoever.org/bible/ Whosoever, gay Christian group]

== See Also ==
[[Gay marriage]]

[[Reparative therapy]]

[[Category:Social issues]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Bible]]

Talk:Homosexuality

2007-09-16T09:58:03Z

Blue Lithium: /* Sodomites in Israel? */ reply; found out which verses this is referring to.

== Sodomites in Israel? ==
Could someone please find out where in [[1 Kings]] it says that no sodomites will be allowed in Israel? {{Bible|1 Kings 14:24}} says "And there were also sodomites in the land" and that they did all sorts of mean and nasty things, but doesn't explicitly say that they'd be evicted from Israel (or whatever).
--[[User:Arensb|Arensb]] 10:01, 20 July 2007 (CDT)

I believe it is meant to be a reference to the verses 1 Kings 15:12, "And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made." and 22:46 "And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land." I'll add the verses to the page now. --[[User:Blue Lithium|Blue Lithium]] 04:58, 16 September 2007 (CDT)

Sodom and Gomorrah

2007-09-15T19:08:18Z

Blue Lithium: added a category to this page

Sodom and Gomorrah were two [[Bible|Biblical]] cities which, according to many [[Christian]]s, were destroyed for the [[sin]] of [[homosexuality]]. The story of their downfall occurs in the Bible in {{Bible|Genesis 19}}.

[[Category:Bible]]

Meme

2007-09-15T19:07:10Z

Blue Lithium: added a category to this page

{{wikipedia}}
{{wiktionary|meme}}
A '''meme''' is a basic unit of cultural information that is passed on by imitation. The term was coined by the biologist [[Richard Dawkins]] in his 1976 book, ''[[The Selfish Gene]]''. It is a replicator that is in some respects analogous to the biological unit called the [[gene]], thus the similar-sounding name.

Like genes, memes attempt to get themselves replicated. They do this by getting their human hosts to pass them on to other people, or to a transmission medium such as the internet. (Note that it is common to speak of memes and genes as if they act with intent, but of course this is merely a linguistic convenience.)

== Examples of memes ==

One example of a meme is a catchy song: people are likely to remember it long after they hear it, humming the tune to themselves, for example, and telling their friends about it. They might place links to an online version of the song on a blog or other website. As the song becomes more popular, radio play may increase, enabling the song to more quickly permeate the culture.

Another good example might be a funny joke or slogan that people are likely to imitate and pass on to others.

== Memes for religion and faith ==

Some memeticists (studiers of memes) have described [[religion]] as a complex set of memes that are complementary, otherwise known as a ''memeplex''. (Other memeplexes might include, for example, political beliefs or ideologies.)

Religion is a highly successful memeplex, as many people believe in religious ideas and spread them. The idea of [[faith]] is a particularly effective meme, because it prevents questioning of other memes within the memeplex.

==External link==
*[http://www.cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/Dawkins/viruses-of-the-mind.html ''Viruses of the Mind'' by Richard Dawkins] — an essay on religions as viral memes

[[Category:Psychology]]

Letter to a Christian Nation

2007-09-15T19:06:14Z

Blue Lithium: added a category to this page

''Letter To A Christian Nation'' is a book written by [[Sam Harris]] about some of the problems with the views of [[Christian]]s today, particularly American ones, at whom the book was aimed The book is written as addressed to religious fundamentalists rather than moderates.

==Synopsis==

First of all, Harris starts by noting that either Christainity is true or it is false. He also argues that [[Muslim]]s often believe different things than Christians but for basically the same reasons.

===The Wisdom of the Bible===

Harris discusses a lot of the problems with a Bible-based [[morality]], and examples of atrocity contained within both the pages of the [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]]s.

===Real Morality===

Harris argues that [[religion]] is not a basis for morality, and actually is often a basis for immorality because "it tends to divorce morality from the reailty of human and animal suffering."<ref>Sam Harris, ''Letter To A Christian Nation'', Transworld Publishers [2006] 2007 pg. 25</ref> He argues that because of this religion can give people moral concerns that are deeply immoral, such as opposing condom use to prevent the spread of AIDS.

===Doing Good for God===

What about the people who do good things in the name of their faith? Harris says that compassion is not dependednt on religion and that religion can cause compassion to be misguided.

===Are Atheists Evil?===

Harris argues that if religion were the only basis for morality, one would expect all [[atheist]]s to be immoral. Although religious people often argue that Stalin was an atheist and that he was much worse than religious believers, Harris counters by saying that they embraced other irrational dogmas—and that atheism is not dogmatic. He also argues that countries with high levels of atheism tend to be healthier and better off than highly religious societies.

===Who Puts the Good In the "Good Book"?===

Harris argues that we decide which parts of the Bible to accept as moral and which not to, thus the Bible cannot be a basis for morality.

===The Goodness of God===

This section discusses the fact that [[God]] does nothing to prevent the suffering of human beings.

===The Power of Prophecy===

Many religious people argue that the [[prophecy|prophesies]] fulfilled in the New Testament are evidence for God's existence, but Harris criticises this claim by saying that the prophesies are not specific enough, and they are nowhere near as good as what an [[omniscient]] being could come up with.

===The Fact of Life===

Discusses the fact of [[evolution]] and some problems with [[intelligent design]].

===Religion, Violence and the Future of Civilisation===

Talks about religious conflict, and why moderate religious people do not undestand the motivations of extremists.

===Conclusion===

He concludes by saying that we need discourse on [[ethics]] and [[spirituality]].

[[Category:Books]]

National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality

2007-09-15T19:04:11Z

Blue Lithium: added category to this page

The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) is an organisation that promotes and provides [[reparative therapy]] as a means for [[homosexual]]s to change their sexual orientation to heterosexual. They are a small group of around a thousand mental health professionals.

== Origins ==

NARTH was founded in 1992 by three therapists, [[Joseph Nicolosi]], Charles Socarides, and Benjamin Kaufman. They were founded because they disagreed with the decision to remove homosexuality from the ''Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders''(DSM), and they felt that the reason for its removal was political, rather than based on scientific enquiry.

== The Purpose of NARTH ==

One of the aims of NARTH is to get [[homosexuality]] reclassified as a mental disorder. They aim to provide therapy to gay and lesbian people who are unhappy with their sexual orientation, and promote the idea of choosing to change. They are a secular organisation, unlike most ex-gay groups, and do not explicitly promote a religious agenda. Another aim of NARTH's is to demonstrate that there is no genetic basis for homosexuality.

== Controversy over Dr. Gerald Schoenewolf's article ==

Dr. Gerald Schoenewolf, one contributor to NARTH, famously wrote an article in which he claimed that:

"With all due respect, there is another way, or other ways, to look at the race issue in America. It could be pointed out, for example, that Africa at the time of slavery was still primarily a jungle, as yet uncivilized or industrialized. Life there was savage, as savage as the jungle for most people, and that it was the Africans themselves who first enslaved their own people. They sold their own people to other countries, and those brought to Europe, South America, America, and other countries, were in many ways better off than they had been in Africa. But if one even begins to say these things one is quickly shouted down as though one were a complete madman."
-- [http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_nart.htm Religious Tolerance]

This provoked outrage from many people, including the National Black Justics Coalition. NARTH removed the article and issued a disclaimer on their website.

[[Category:Psychology]]

Joseph Nicolosi

2007-09-15T19:03:17Z

Blue Lithium: added categories to this page

'''Dr. Joseph Nicolosi''' is a psychologist who is the current president of the [[National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality]] (NARTH), an organisation that provides [[reparative therapy]].

Nicolosi graduated from the California School of Psychology in 1977. In 1980, he started a psychological clinic that supported Catholic ideals. Nicolosi was influental in starting NARTH as an organisation in 1992.

== Nicolosi's Views and Therapeutic Ideas ==

Nicolosi's views are generally in line with the ideas of earlier therapists like Charles Socarides. He--and his organisation--consider homosexuality to be a form of psychopathology. He believs homosexuality to be caused unequivocally by poor parenting.

Nicolosi has even been known to attempt to treat children as young as three for "prehomosexuality".

== Quotes ==

"[T]he boy's father has to do his part. He needs to mirror and affirm his son's maleness. He can play rough-and-tumble games with his son, in ways that are decidedly different from the games he would play with a little girl. He can help his son learn to throw and catch a ball. He can teach him to pound a square wooden peg into a square hole in a pegboard. He can even take his son with him into the shower, where the boy cannot help but notice that Dad has a penis, just like his, only bigger." [http://www.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000264.cfm Focus On The Family Article]

"A kid gets killed in Wyoming, and we can't even have a scientific meeting." --On the death of [[Matthew Shepard]]. [http://www.sfbaytimes.com/index.php?sec=article&article_id=5594 San Francisco Bay Article]

[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:People]]

Jerry Falwell

2007-09-15T18:45:36Z

Blue Lithium: /* Quotes */ sorted out the links

{{Stub}}
'''Jerry Falwell''' (August 11, 1933 – May 15, 2007) was a famous [[Christian]] pastor and [[televangelist]]. He founded both the [[Moral Majority]] and [[Liberty University]].

== Quotes ==

"[Tinky Winky of [[Wikipedia:Teletubbies|Teletubbies]]] is purple — the gay-pride colour; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle — the gay-pride symbol." [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/276677.stm BBC Website]

"I really believe that the [[pagan]]s, and the [[abortion]]ists, and the [[feminist]]s, and the [[gay]]s and the [[lesbian]]s who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the [[ACLU]], [[People For the American Way]] — all of them who have tried to [[secular]]ize America — I point the finger in their face and say, 'you helped this happen.'" —Jerry Falwell's view on 9/11 [http://www.actupny.org/YELL/falwell.html Transcript of the incident]

"The idea that [[religion]] and [[politics]] don't mix was invented by the [[Devil]] to keep Christians from running their own country." —on America's [[separation of church and state]].

"[[AIDS]] is the wrath of a just God against [[homosexual]]s. To oppose it would be like an [[Israel]]ite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of [[Pharaoh]]'s charioteers ... AIDS is not just [[God's punishment]] for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."
[http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/stupidquotes/a/falwellquotes.htm?terms=jerry+falwell%20quotes About.com's Jerry Falwell quotes]

[[Category:People]]

User:Blue Lithium

2007-09-15T18:43:09Z

Blue Lithium: /* Articles Written By Me/Articles In Which I Am A Big Contributor */ bullet point them

Blue Lithium is an [[atheist]] and [[skeptic]] who is interested in [[religion]] and the question of God's Existence. Areas of interest for me include [[philosophy]], [[science]](particularly evolutionary theory), politics, and GBLT issues.

== Articles Written By Me/Articles In Which I Am A Big Contributor ==
(Not including minor stubs)

* [[Reparative therapy]]
* [[Exodus International]]
* [[National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality]]
* [[Joseph Nicolosi]]
* [[Meme]]
* [[Jerry Falwell]]
* ''[[Letter to a Christian Nation]]''
* [[Testimonium Flavian]]
* [[Argument from personal experience]]
* [[Koran science]]

== External Link ==

I maintain a blog at http://passionateskeptic.blogspot.com/

User:Blue Lithium

2007-09-15T18:42:30Z

Blue Lithium: added my

Blue Lithium is an [[atheist]] and [[skeptic]] who is interested in [[religion]] and the question of God's Existence. Areas of interest for me include [[philosophy]], [[science]](particularly evolutionary theory), politics, and GBLT issues.

== Articles Written By Me/Articles In Which I Am A Big Contributor ==
(Not including minor stubs)

[[Reparative therapy]]
[[Exodus International]]
[[National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality]]
[[Joseph Nicolosi]]
[[Meme]]
[[Jerry Falwell]]
''[[Letter to a Christian Nation]]''
[[Testimonium Flavian]]
[[Argument from personal experience]]
[[Koran science]]

== External Link ==

I maintain a blog at http://passionateskeptic.blogspot.com/

Reparative therapy

2007-09-15T18:15:44Z

Blue Lithium: /* Success rates */ 60 should read 60%, this has been changed.

'''Reparative therapy''' is a type of therapy designed to change a client's [[sexual orientation]] from [[homosexual]] to [[heterosexual]]. It is usually of a [[religious]] nature, and is not endorsed by professional psychological organisations, such as the [[Wikipedia:American Psychological Association|American Psychological Association]] or the [[Wikipedia:American Psychiatric Association|American Psychiatric Association]].

== Origins ==

Before 1973, [[homosexuality]] was considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and was present in the association's [[Wikipedia:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders|''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM)]]. Certain methods, as extreme as electroshock therapy, aversion therapy, or castration, were sometimes used in attempts to change a client's orientation. In 1973, homosexuality was removed from the DSM because it had been demonstrated that there was no scientific basis for such a classification.<sup>[http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_mental_health.html]</sup>
Many therapists disagreed with the decision to remove homosexuality from the DSM — for example, Charles Socarides (who has an openly gay son) and Bieber. The fact that the APA no longer classed homosexuality as a disorder meant that there was no approved therapies available for gay people who wanted to attempt to change orientation. This lead to the beginnings of the "ex-gay" ministries, the first of these being [[Love in Action]].

== Advocates of reparative therapy and "ex-gay" ministries ==

There are many groups that advocate and provide reparative therapy.
The [[National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality]] (NARTH) is one such group, whose current president is [[Joseph Nicolosi]]. NARTH is not an openly religious ministry.
The biggest ex-gay ministry is [[Exodus International]], an [[evangelical]] [[Christian]] ministry that promotes "freedom from homosexuality". Other groups include [[Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays]] (PFOX), [[Evergreen International]] (a group for [[Mormon]]s), and [[Homosexuals Anonymous]].

== Ideas and methods ==

Most reparative therapists promote the idea that male homosexuality is caused by a lack of bonding with the father, which causes the male to seek affection from other men, causing homosexual attractions. This idea is without merit, however, because there is no scientific support for such a claim. In addition, expected trends (such as increase in homosexual males that grew up without fathers during WWII) have not been demonstrated, and appear to be non-existent.

Methods based on this hypothesis involve attempting to get the male to form a nonsexual bond with a person of the same sex, replacing the love and affection the homosexual never had in childhood. The treatment also often involves attempting to get gay men to behave in a more [[Wikipedia:Masculinity|masculine]] manner.

Reparative therapy of female homosexuality is along similar lines, with the female not forming the correct bonds with the mother rather than the father.

== Success rates ==

There is very little evidence to suggest that homosexuals can successfully change orientation.
In 2001, Dr. [[Robert L. Spitzer]] presented a study claiming that some of his clients could change, claiming that 66% of the males and 44% of the female clients in his study claimed "good heterosexual functioning". The study was heavily criticized for several reasons:
# The clients appeared to be handpicked from a large number of people that entered the ministries.
# Many of the participants were referred from ex-gay ministries, who were likely to send only the most successful clients.
# Many of the clients — up to 60% of Spitzer's participants — were bisexual, which would cause an inflation of success rates.
Even if these problems were overcome, Spitzer's methodology was merely talking to each client for 45 minutes on the telephone, with no follow-up interviews. Self-reporting is unreliable, especially in this case, as 78% of participants had publicly spoken positively about attempts to convert homosexuals to heterosexuality. In fact, Spitzer himself did not claim that his results were representative of participants in ex-gay therapy, or that most of clients who go through reparative therapy can successfully change.

In 2002, two psychologists, Shidlo and Schroeder, published a study about the experiences of 202 clients of reparative therapy. They reported that only 8 of those 202 claimed to have changed sexual orientation, and 7 of those had positions in ex-gay ministries.

== Evidence of harm ==

There have been many suggestions and indications that reparative therapy actually causes harm to clients. Shidlo and Schroeder found that the vast majority of their clients were harmed by the attempt to change. These harms involved:
* [[Depression]], [[suicidal]] feelings and suicide attempts after failure to change orientation;
* Lowered self-esteem and reinforcing of already internalized [[homophobia]], as therapists often had very strong anti-gay biases;
* Distorted perceptions that curing homosexuality would sort out other life problems that are unrelated;
* Intrusive imagery and sexual dysfunction;
* Monitoring of effeminate or butch tendencies;
* Harm to relationships with parents as they were often blamed during therapy for the homosexuality;
* Alienation, loneliness and [[social isolation]];
* Interference with relationships and friendships;
* Fear of being a [[child abuse]]r;
* Delay of [[emotional]] development due to not coming out;
* Loss of religious [[faith]];
* Excommunication and abandonment by religious groups.

There have also been problems with certain ex-gay counselors abusing clients sexually. For example, [[Chris Austin]] was recently arrested for this crime.

There have also been anecdotal accounts of suicides. For example, [[Stuart Mathis]], a gay Mormon, killed himself over his failure to change.

Many people believe reparative therapy, even if successful, to be unethical, because there is no real reason for a person to intentionally try to change sexual orientation.

== External links ==

* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu.htm Religious Tolerance]
* [http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_changing.html Psychology at UC Davis Article -including information on Spitzer's study]
* [http://www.truthwinsout.org Truth Wins Out, an organisation designed to combat the claims of Ex-Gay Ministries]
* [http://www.beyondexgay.com/narratives Beyond Ex-Gay, some testimonies from people who have been harmed by the ministries]
* [http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2007/02/15/224 Box Turtle Bulletin's expose on Love Won Out, a Focus on The Family ex-gay conference]
* [http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=features&sc3=&id=4945 Edge Boston's view; a four part article]
* [http://www.anythingbutstraight.com/ Anything But Straight - website of a book that explores the claims of the ex-gay ministries]
* [http://www.exgaywatch.com/ Ex-Gay Watch]

[[Category:Psychology]]

Exodus International

2007-09-15T18:13:08Z

Blue Lithium: overview, origins, views

'''Exodus International''' is an ex-gay ministry that promotes "freedom from homosexuality". It is [[evangelical]] [[Christian]] in outlook. Their current president is Alan Chambers.

== Origins ==

The ministry began in the 1970's and it started as a coalition of various separate organisations that promoted celibacy or change for [[homosexual]]s. Two of their founders were Michael Bussee(who coined the term "ex-gay") and the late Gary Cooper, who after founding the organisation, fell in love with each other and disowned it, calling it ineffective. They later had a marriage ceremony in 1982.

== Views ==

Exodus International take the viewpoint that homosexuality is a sin, and that homosexual behaviour is against God's will for humanity. They often promote the causes of homosexuality as being poor parenting or sexual abuse. As an explicitly [[religious]] organisation, a lot of their methods involve [[prayer]], as well as therapy. They believe that [[gay marriage]] should be illegal, and are against hate crime legislation to protect homosexuals, such as H.R. 1592.

National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality

2007-09-15T17:50:08Z

Blue Lithium: who they are, origins, purpose, controversy

Joseph Nicolosi

2007-09-15T17:31:02Z

Blue Lithium: correction

Reparative therapy

2007-09-15T17:30:21Z

Blue Lithium: /* Advocates of reparative therapy and "ex-gay" ministries */ incorrect name corrected

'''Reparative therapy''' is a type of therapy designed to change a client's [[sexual orientation]] from [[homosexual]] to [[heterosexual]]. It is usually of a [[religious]] nature, and is not endorsed by professional psychological organisations, such as the [[Wikipedia:American Psychological Association|American Psychological Association]] or the [[Wikipedia:American Psychiatric Association|American Psychiatric Association]].

== Origins ==

Before 1973, [[homosexuality]] was considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and was present in the association's [[Wikipedia:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders|''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM)]]. Certain methods, as extreme as electroshock therapy, aversion therapy, or castration, were sometimes used in attempts to change a client's orientation. In 1973, homosexuality was removed from the DSM because it had been demonstrated that there was no scientific basis for such a classification.<sup>[http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_mental_health.html]</sup>
Many therapists disagreed with the decision to remove homosexuality from the DSM — for example, Charles Socarides (who has an openly gay son) and Bieber. The fact that the APA no longer classed homosexuality as a disorder meant that there was no approved therapies available for gay people who wanted to attempt to change orientation. This lead to the beginnings of the "ex-gay" ministries, the first of these being [[Love in Action]].

== Advocates of reparative therapy and "ex-gay" ministries ==

There are many groups that advocate and provide reparative therapy.
The [[National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality]] (NARTH) is one such group, whose current president is [[Joseph Nicolosi]]. NARTH is not an openly religious ministry.
The biggest ex-gay ministry is [[Exodus International]], an [[evangelical]] [[Christian]] ministry that promotes "freedom from homosexuality". Other groups include [[Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays]] (PFOX), [[Evergreen International]] (a group for [[Mormon]]s), and [[Homosexuals Anonymous]].

== Ideas and methods ==

Most reparative therapists promote the idea that male homosexuality is caused by a lack of bonding with the father, which causes the male to seek affection from other men, causing homosexual attractions. This idea is without merit, however, because there is no scientific support for such a claim. In addition, expected trends (such as increase in homosexual males that grew up without fathers during WWII) have not been demonstrated, and appear to be non-existent.

Methods based on this hypothesis involve attempting to get the male to form a nonsexual bond with a person of the same sex, replacing the love and affection the homosexual never had in childhood. The treatment also often involves attempting to get gay men to behave in a more [[Wikipedia:Masculinity|masculine]] manner.

Reparative therapy of female homosexuality is along similar lines, with the female not forming the correct bonds with the mother rather than the father.

== Success rates ==

There is very little evidence to suggest that homosexuals can successfully change orientation.
In 2001, Dr. [[Robert L. Spitzer]] presented a study claiming that some of his clients could change, claiming that 66% of the males and 44% of the female clients in his study claimed "good heterosexual functioning". The study was heavily criticized for several reasons:
# The clients appeared to be handpicked from a large number of people that entered the ministries.
# Many of the participants were referred from ex-gay ministries, who were likely to send only the most successful clients.
# Many of the clients — up to 60 of Spitzer's participants — were bisexual, which would cause an inflation of success rates.
Even if these problems were overcome, Spitzer's methodology was merely talking to each client for 45 minutes on the telephone, with no follow-up interviews. Self-reporting is unreliable, especially in this case, as 78% of participants had publicly spoken positively about attempts to convert homosexuals to heterosexuality. In fact, Spitzer himself did not claim that his results were representative of participants in ex-gay therapy, or that most of clients who go through reparative therapy can successfully change.

In 2002, two psychologists, Shidlo and Schroeder, published a study about the experiences of 202 clients of reparative therapy. They reported that only 8 of those 202 claimed to have changed sexual orientation, and 7 of those had positions in ex-gay ministries.

== Evidence of harm ==

There have been many suggestions and indications that reparative therapy actually causes harm to clients. Shidlo and Schroeder found that the vast majority of their clients were harmed by the attempt to change. These harms involved:
* [[Depression]], [[suicidal]] feelings and suicide attempts after failure to change orientation;
* Lowered self-esteem and reinforcing of already internalized [[homophobia]], as therapists often had very strong anti-gay biases;
* Distorted perceptions that curing homosexuality would sort out other life problems that are unrelated;
* Intrusive imagery and sexual dysfunction;
* Monitoring of effeminate or butch tendencies;
* Harm to relationships with parents as they were often blamed during therapy for the homosexuality;
* Alienation, loneliness and [[social isolation]];
* Interference with relationships and friendships;
* Fear of being a [[child abuse]]r;
* Delay of [[emotional]] development due to not coming out;
* Loss of religious [[faith]];
* Excommunication and abandonment by religious groups.

There have also been problems with certain ex-gay counselors abusing clients sexually. For example, [[Chris Austin]] was recently arrested for this crime.

There have also been anecdotal accounts of suicides. For example, [[Stuart Mathis]], a gay Mormon, killed himself over his failure to change.

Many people believe reparative therapy, even if successful, to be unethical, because there is no real reason for a person to intentionally try to change sexual orientation.

== External links ==

* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu.htm Religious Tolerance]
* [http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_changing.html Psychology at UC Davis Article -including information on Spitzer's study]
* [http://www.truthwinsout.org Truth Wins Out, an organisation designed to combat the claims of Ex-Gay Ministries]
* [http://www.beyondexgay.com/narratives Beyond Ex-Gay, some testimonies from people who have been harmed by the ministries]
* [http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2007/02/15/224 Box Turtle Bulletin's expose on Love Won Out, a Focus on The Family ex-gay conference]
* [http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=features&sc3=&id=4945 Edge Boston's view; a four part article]
* [http://www.anythingbutstraight.com/ Anything But Straight - website of a book that explores the claims of the ex-gay ministries]
* [http://www.exgaywatch.com/ Ex-Gay Watch]

[[Category:Psychology]]

Joseph Nicolosi

2007-09-15T17:25:29Z

Blue Lithium: who he is, his ideas, quotes.

'''Dr. Joseph Nicolosi''' is a psychologist who is the current president of the [[National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality]](NARTH), an organisation that provides [[reparative therapy]].

Nicolosi graduated from the California School of Psychology in 1977. In 1980, he started a psychological clinic that supported Catholic ideals. Nicolosi was influental in starting NARTH as an organisation in 1992.

== Nicolosi's Views and Therapeutic Ideas ==

Nicolosi's views are generally in line with the ideas of earlier therapists like Charles Socarides. He--and his organisation--consider homosexuality to be a form of psychopathology. He believs homosexuality to be caused unequivocally by poor parenting.

Nicolosi has even been known to attempt to treat children as young as three for "prehomosexuality".

== Quotes ==

"[T]he boy's father has to do his part. He needs to mirror and affirm his son's maleness. He can play rough-and-tumble games with his son, in ways that are decidedly different from the games he would play with a little girl. He can help his son learn to throw and catch a ball. He can teach him to pound a square wooden peg into a square hole in a pegboard. He can even take his son with him into the shower, where the boy cannot help but notice that Dad has a penis, just like his, only bigger." [http://www.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000264.cfm Focus On The Family Article]

"A kid gets killed in Wyoming, and we can't even have a scientific meeting." --On the death of [[Matthew Shepard]]. [http://www.sfbaytimes.com/index.php?sec=article&article_id=5594 San Francisco Bay Article]

Mere Christianity

2007-09-12T16:51:40Z

Blue Lithium: /* Chapter 3 - The Shocking Alternative */ spelling correction

A book written by [[C.S. Lewis]] and publish in 1952 that comprises Lewis ideas about a basic Christian philosophy that everyone can agree upon. The ideas for the book came from a series of radio talks he gave during WWII. These talks were subsequently published in books ''Broadcast Talks'' (1942), ''Christian Behavior'' (1943), ''Beyond Personality'' (1944). ''Mere Christianity'' compiled those ideas into one book that Lewis edited the content to better reflect his later understanding of Christian doctrine.

''Mere Christianity'' is divided into four book sections and then into chapters. The arguments are broken up into the same structure for easy reference.

== Lewis's Motives for Writing the Book ==
* Lewis wanted to stop divisive discussion about "high Theology or even ecclesiastical history" with non-Christians because "the discussions of those disputed points has no tendency at all to bring an outsider into the Christian fold" (Mere Christianity, Preface viii).
* Lewis made an analogy of equating Christianity to a building: "['Mere' Christianity] is more lake a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted. [...] The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in. For that purpose the worst of the rooms [...] is, I think, preferable" (Preface xv).

== Definitions ==
* Mere Christianity -- core values and teachings of Christianity that all denominations can agree upon
* Law of (Human) Nature -- "decent behaviour", which people have a freedom to obey or disobey. This law is created by God. ''(editor's note: Lewis struggles to explain this concept)''

== Book 1 - Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe ==
=== Chapter 1 - The Law of Human Nature ===
Law of Human Nature encompasses human behavior and moral codes. Lewis identifies that people have freewill to obey or disobey this "law." Also, Lewis identifies a "standard of behavior that everyone expects one another to follow.

=== Chapter 2 - Some Objections ===
In Chapter 1, Lewis describes the Law of Human Nature. Sometimes, he refers to it as the Law of Nature, which can make the first chapter confusing. Some people believe Lewis is talking about scientific laws such as Physics and Biology. This chapter is his rebuttal.

::"I conclude then, that though the differences between people's ideas of Decent Behaviour often make you suspect that there is no real natural Law of Behaviour at all, yet the things we are bound to think about these differences really prove just the opposite. But one word before I end. I have met eople who exaggerate the differences, because they have not distinguished between differences of morality and differences of belief about facts. For example, one man said to me, "Three hundred years ago people in England were putting witches to death. Was that what you call the Rule of Human Nature or Right Conduct?" But surely the reason we do not execute witches is that we do not believe there are such things. If we did-if we really thought that there were people going about who had sold themselves to the devil and received supernatural powers from him in return and were using these powers to kill their neighbours or drive them mad or bring bad weather, surely we would all agree that if anyone deserved the death penalty, then these filthy quislings did. There is no difference of moral principle here: the difference is simply about matter of fact. It may be a great advance in knowledge not to believe in witches: there is no moral advance in not executing them when you do not think they are there. You would not call a man humane for ceasing to set mousetraps if he did so because he believed there were no mice in the house."

We learn that if we believe something, the Natural Law of Behaviour supports us to take action on those beliefs. If we believe that witches exist, we have a right to give them the death penalty. We don't execute witches, anymore, because we don't believe they exist. By this philosophy, if we believe someone (or some group) was the anti-Christ, we would be justified in giving them the death penalty.

Another example if you think all Muslims are terrorists, you have a right to execute them by this moral philosophy. If you don't think all Muslims are terrorists, you don't have that right.

Witch hunts still happen in modern times in South Africa and India (see Wikipedia article "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch-hunt#Modern_witch-hunts Witch-hunt]"). Lewis's philosophy may justify these actions.

Lewis is advocating Christians to examine history from a perspective that if they believed the enemy is a horrible being, they have a right to put that enemy to death. Also, Lewis is advocating that we do not re-examine history from present moral philosophy.

On this point, Lewis's moral philosophy is flawed.

=== Chapter 3 - The Reality of the Law ===
=== Chapter 4 - What Lies Behind the Law ===
=== Chapter 5 - We have cause to be Uneasy ===
From the arguments presented, Lewis concludes there is a creator. Lewis emphasises, "[w]e have not yet got as far as the God of any actual religion, still less the God of that particular religion called Christianity."

== Book 2 - What Christians Believe ==
=== Chapter 1 - The Rival Conceptions Of God ===
=== Chapter 2 - The Invasion ===
=== Chapter 3 - The Shocking Alternative ===
Lewis presents the most famous argument of the book, the [[Liar, Lunatic or Lord]] "trilemma" located at the end of the chapter.

=== Chapter 4 - The Perfect Penitent ===
=== Chapter 5 - The Practical Conclusion ===

== Book 3 - Christian Behavior ==
== Book 4 - Beyond Personality: or First Steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity ==

== External Links ==
* [http://www.lib.ru/LEWISCL/mere_engl.txt Mere Christianity etext]
* [http://ffrf.org/books/lfif/?t=assertions Mere Assertions]: A response by [[Dan Barker]]
* [http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/gaunilo2/mere.html Review of ''Mere Christianity''] at [[Internet Infidels]]

{{stub}}

[[Category: Apologetic literature]]
[[Category: Books]]

Meme

2007-09-12T16:49:44Z

Blue Lithium: basic idea of a meme, term coinage, examples, religion as memeplexes.

A '''meme''' is a unit of cultural information that is passed on by imitation. The term was coined by the biologist [[Richard Dawkins]] in his 1976 book ''The Selfish Gene''. It is a replicator that is in some respects analogous to the gene, thus the name.

Memes, similar to genes, attempt to get themselves replicated. They do this by getting their human hosts to pass them on to other people, or to a medium such as the internet.

== Examples of memes ==

One example of a meme is a catchy song, because people are likely to listen to it and hum the tune, as well as telling their friends about the song, the radio play, etc. Another good example might be a funny joke or slogan, that people are likely to pass on and imitate.

== The Memes For Religion and Faith ==

Some memeticists have described religion as a complex set of memes that are complementary, otherwise known as a memeplex(religion is not the only possible memeplex; there may be one for, say, political beliefs). Religion is a highly successful memeplex as many people believe in religious ideas and spread them. The idea of "[[faith]]" is a particularly good meme, because it prevents questioning of other memes within the memeplex.

Qur'an science

2007-09-12T11:03:48Z

Blue Lithium: Basic idea, "Speed of Light predicted by the Koran" claim and one on orbits, although this article is going to need much more work and other writers.

{{Stub}}
'''Koran Science''' is a defence of the origins of the [[Koran]] often cited by [[Muslim]]s. Many Muslims believe that the Koran gives scientific information that it was impossible to get from other means than [[Allah]]. There are many claims that are made, such that the Koran predicted the [[Big Bang]] and the speed of light.

== Origins Of The Universe/Big Bang ==

== Orbits of the Planets ==

"GOD is the ONE who created the night, the day, the sun, and the moon. Each one is travelling in an orbit with its own motion" (21:33).

"Here an essential scientific fact is clearly stated, namely, the existence of the earth's, sun'so and moon's orbits; besides, a reference is made to the travelling of these celestial bodies in space with their own motion! A new concept had therefore been established in the Quran, hundreds of years before it was discovered by modern science."
--[http://www.islamicity.com/Science/960703A.SHTML Islami City Science Article]

This verse does not actually say that the earth has an orbit, only that the sun and the moon do. This is consistent with the ancient idea that the earth was orbited by the sun.

== Speed Of Light ==

Part of the Koran reads as follows:

"GOD rules the cosmic affair from the heavens to the earth. Then this affair travels, to Him(i.e.,through the whole universe) in one day, where the measure is one thousand years of your reckoning."(32:5) --[http://www.islamicity.com/Science/960703A.SHTML Islami City Science Article]

Using some mathematics, some Muslims have concluded that this verse is a prediction of the speed of light. Thus they have concluded that this makes the Koran true and inspired by Allah.

There are some problems with this argument. One problem is that the mathematics used applies to contemporary measures of the earth's and moon's speeds, when they would have been slightly different at the time the Koran was written. Another problem is that this verse is not unique to the Koran--it is incrdibly similar to a verse in the [[Psalms]].

Another major problem is thte fact that some of the mathematics are invalid, as one number is introduced [[''ad hoc'']] to make the calculations work.

Even if the Koran did predict the speed of light, it is an invalid conclusion to reach that thus Allah had to have inspired it. One could say that aliens or the [[Devil]] had that knowledge.

== The Koran And Embyrology ==

== Scientific Inaccuracies And Absurdities In The Koran ==

THIS ARTICLE IS NOT COMPLETE.

==External Links==

[http://www.secweb.org/index.aspx?action=viewAsset&id=168 Richard Carrier on "The Koran Predicts the Speed of Light"]

[http://www.mat.univie.ac.at/~neum/sciandf/eng/c_in_quran.txt Dr. Arnold Neumater's rebuttal of the "Koran predicts the Speed of Light" argument.]

Problem of evil

2007-09-12T10:15:28Z

Blue Lithium: /* Counterarguments */ Added a new section on "best of all possible worlds" because i have seen that argument used by theologians.

The '''problem of evil''' points out a [[logical contradiction]] in the traditional conceptions of the nature of [[God]] and the world.

Suppose we have the following four premises:
# God is [[omniscient]].
# God is [[omnipotent]].
# God is [[omnibenevolent]].
# [[Evil]] exists.

As [[David Hume]] wrote, (paraphrasing [[Epicurus]]): {{Quote-source|Is He willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is impotent. Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Whence then is evil?|''Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion'' }}

We get the following contradiction. If God is omnibenevolent, then He does not want evil to exist. If God is omniscient, then He must know about all evil in the world. If God is omnipotent, then He must be capable of doing something about it. Therefore, evil should not exist. Dropping any one of those four premises would resolve the contradiction, but dropping #4 would require us to fundamentally redefine evil in some way, and dropping the other three would undermine the Christian concept of God.

==Counterarguments==
===Free will===
It is often claimed that evil exists because God gave humans [[free will]]. According to the Bible, God's gift of free will led to the fall of [[Adam and Eve]] through their [[original sin]]. Free will is assumed to be a greater good than the evil that it causes.

The concept of omniscience is fundamentally at odds with free will, at least in any sense that would be relevant to this argument. The assertion that it is possible to be all-knowing necessarily implies some form of [[determinism]], because without determinism, there are things (notably future events) that are unknowable. This means that omniscience is not possible if non-deterministic free will exists. This leaves only a compatibilist view of free will in which choices are made freely, but an omniscient being would know the outcome of those decisions ahead of time, as well as the new choices that result and their outcomes, ad infinitum. In this way, an omniscient creator, knowing all of the repercussions of the placement of every particle of matter or unit of energy before placing it, can be considered to be directly and intentionally responsible for every event that follows. A benevolent creator could just as easily have set events in motion in such a way that free will would never result in evil.

This argument also fails to explain why God allows natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes. These events kill large numbers of people in specific geographical locations, which indicates that the concept of "evil" is not necessarily tied to what people do.

Even if we define natural disasters as not being evil, there remains the fact that they occur, and that God does not prevent them or the deaths and suffering they cause. If we replace "evil" with "suffering" in the discussion above, the problem remains: either God is unaware of people's suffering, and is therefore not omniscient; or he is unable to do anything, and is therefore not omnipotent; or he is unwilling to intervene, and is therefore not omnibenevolent.

We're also left wondering why animals suffer needlessly. Animals were suffering long before mankind, Adam and Eve, and original sin came into the picture.

Many people and groups throughout history have had direct evidence of God. In the [[Old Testament]], God routinely talked to people directly. Did Adam and Eve have free will? Did [[Moses]]?

What about [[Satan]]? In the bible, Satan is an [[angel]] of God, and yet he rejected God. This fact appears to blatantly contradict the idea that proof of God's existence would deny free will.

There is also the question of [[heaven]]. Heaven, being a perfectly wonderful place, does not contain evil. Does this mean that inhabitants of heaven no longer retain their free will? Or does their will suddenly become perfectly good?

===Tough love===
[[Apologists]] often claim that what appears to be harmful to humans may, in fact, be for humanity's good. How can we learn, the argument goes, without making our own mistakes?

The 'tough love' argument only works if God is limited in power. If God is omnipotent there is nothing he can not teach us gently that he can teach us harshly. If he is benevolent than he would never choose to teach us a harsh lesson when it could be taught, with exactly the same impact, gently.

Another problem with this argument is that although according to this argument, God wants us to grow as people by learning from our mistakes, according to most religious doctrine he also wants worship. Worship involves complete obedience and submission, wheras learning from mistakes requires using one's intelligence. It is contradictory to claim that God wants us to be both completely obedient and make decisions for ourselves, since complete obedience means blindly obeying authority, for example the story of Abraham and Issac.

===Best Of All Possible Worlds===
Many theists make the claim that although there may be some evil in the world, this is in fact the best of all possible worlds.

The problem with this assertion is that there is no way to demonstrate that this is the best of all possible worlds, simply because we cannot know what other worlds can exist. This argument has to be taken on [[faith]] rather than evidence.

===Redefining benevolence===
One way to redefine the term 'benevolence' is to cite limited human perspective in space and time. A parent might spank a child for running into traffic, or take a child to the doctor for painful, life saving, injections. It is only in the limited, child's-eye-view that these things are malevolent.

As with the "tough love" argument, this view of God implicitly denies his omnipotence or, at least, his omnisciences. What kind of parent purposely takes his child for a surgery which he knows the child does not need or want?

Another way to redefine 'benevolence' is to argue that God may be benevolent to specific humans or to non-humans. Our entire history may exist for the positive influence it may have on aliens we have not met. We may be actors in a puppet show that makes these beings happy. After all, it is perfectly possible for benevolent humans to play comically violent video games with their delighted children.

But this argument is sophistry. To win the argument the apologist defines a God that neither we nor he would have much reason to worship. For example, if the creatures in a violent "Run and Gun" video game were to gain self awareness, would we expect them to view us as benevolent beings worthy of their love and trust as we blast them into electronic oblivion?

And, if God is not benevolent toward humans, then what differentiates him from a human sociopath or from the [[Devil]]?

The problem of evil must be taken up in the context of humanity. No other context would make a God useful to humans in any realistic way. A God that is benevolent to others at lethal expense to humans is, by definition, malevolent, or at least indifferent, toward humans. It is an unusual apologist indeed who believes in this type of God.

===Redefining evil===
As with "benevolence", "evil" can be redefined. What is "evil" for humans may not be evil for God. In fact, anything that God chooses to do can be construed as "good". Using this argument, "evil" can not exist in any definable terms when applied to God.

Besides the arguments already used in the "Tough Love" response (an all powerful God would have no reason even to appear evil) here, the apologist treads dangerously close to [[ethical relativism]]. We know from information in the bible that ethical rules have changed at the will of God. Is God, then, a relativist?

If the answer is that God is following an ethical plan, then the apologist opens himself up to the [[Euthyphro dilemma]]. If the answer is that God changes as he sees fit and anything that god declares as good is good, then what is the difference between being a relativist and following a relativist God?

When an apologist tries to redefine the premises of "the problem of evil" he finds himself in a morass of relativism, but when he tries to work with the premises he finds himself unwittingly limiting the unlimited God of his religion.

==See also==
* [[Theodicy]]
* [[Problem of Hell]]

==External links==
* [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Problem of Evil]
* [http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/John_Wright/Hume%20Dialogue%2010.htm Hume and the Evidential Problem of Evil]
{{Def-word|sophistry}}

[[Category:Arguments]]
[[Category:Arguments against the existence of God]]
[[Category:Empirical arguments]]

Problem of evil

2007-09-12T10:09:45Z

Blue Lithium: /* Tough love */ another problem with this argument

The '''problem of evil''' points out a [[logical contradiction]] in the traditional conceptions of the nature of [[God]] and the world.

Suppose we have the following four premises:
# God is [[omniscient]].
# God is [[omnipotent]].
# God is [[omnibenevolent]].
# [[Evil]] exists.

As [[David Hume]] wrote, (paraphrasing [[Epicurus]]): {{Quote-source|Is He willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is impotent. Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Whence then is evil?|''Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion'' }}

We get the following contradiction. If God is omnibenevolent, then He does not want evil to exist. If God is omniscient, then He must know about all evil in the world. If God is omnipotent, then He must be capable of doing something about it. Therefore, evil should not exist. Dropping any one of those four premises would resolve the contradiction, but dropping #4 would require us to fundamentally redefine evil in some way, and dropping the other three would undermine the Christian concept of God.

==Counterarguments==
===Free will===
It is often claimed that evil exists because God gave humans [[free will]]. According to the Bible, God's gift of free will led to the fall of [[Adam and Eve]] through their [[original sin]]. Free will is assumed to be a greater good than the evil that it causes.

The concept of omniscience is fundamentally at odds with free will, at least in any sense that would be relevant to this argument. The assertion that it is possible to be all-knowing necessarily implies some form of [[determinism]], because without determinism, there are things (notably future events) that are unknowable. This means that omniscience is not possible if non-deterministic free will exists. This leaves only a compatibilist view of free will in which choices are made freely, but an omniscient being would know the outcome of those decisions ahead of time, as well as the new choices that result and their outcomes, ad infinitum. In this way, an omniscient creator, knowing all of the repercussions of the placement of every particle of matter or unit of energy before placing it, can be considered to be directly and intentionally responsible for every event that follows. A benevolent creator could just as easily have set events in motion in such a way that free will would never result in evil.

This argument also fails to explain why God allows natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes. These events kill large numbers of people in specific geographical locations, which indicates that the concept of "evil" is not necessarily tied to what people do.

Even if we define natural disasters as not being evil, there remains the fact that they occur, and that God does not prevent them or the deaths and suffering they cause. If we replace "evil" with "suffering" in the discussion above, the problem remains: either God is unaware of people's suffering, and is therefore not omniscient; or he is unable to do anything, and is therefore not omnipotent; or he is unwilling to intervene, and is therefore not omnibenevolent.

We're also left wondering why animals suffer needlessly. Animals were suffering long before mankind, Adam and Eve, and original sin came into the picture.

Many people and groups throughout history have had direct evidence of God. In the [[Old Testament]], God routinely talked to people directly. Did Adam and Eve have free will? Did [[Moses]]?

What about [[Satan]]? In the bible, Satan is an [[angel]] of God, and yet he rejected God. This fact appears to blatantly contradict the idea that proof of God's existence would deny free will.

There is also the question of [[heaven]]. Heaven, being a perfectly wonderful place, does not contain evil. Does this mean that inhabitants of heaven no longer retain their free will? Or does their will suddenly become perfectly good?

===Tough love===
[[Apologists]] often claim that what appears to be harmful to humans may, in fact, be for humanity's good. How can we learn, the argument goes, without making our own mistakes?

The 'tough love' argument only works if God is limited in power. If God is omnipotent there is nothing he can not teach us gently that he can teach us harshly. If he is benevolent than he would never choose to teach us a harsh lesson when it could be taught, with exactly the same impact, gently.

Another problem with this argument is that although according to this argument, God wants us to grow as people by learning from our mistakes, according to most religious doctrine he also wants worship. Worship involves complete obedience and submission, wheras learning from mistakes requires using one's intelligence. It is contradictory to claim that God wants us to be both completely obedient and make decisions for ourselves, since complete obedience means blindly obeying authority, for example the story of Abraham and Issac.

===Redefining benevolence===
One way to redefine the term 'benevolence' is to cite limited human perspective in space and time. A parent might spank a child for running into traffic, or take a child to the doctor for painful, life saving, injections. It is only in the limited, child's-eye-view that these things are malevolent.

As with the "tough love" argument, this view of God implicitly denies his omnipotence or, at least, his omnisciences. What kind of parent purposely takes his child for a surgery which he knows the child does not need or want?

Another way to redefine 'benevolence' is to argue that God may be benevolent to specific humans or to non-humans. Our entire history may exist for the positive influence it may have on aliens we have not met. We may be actors in a puppet show that makes these beings happy. After all, it is perfectly possible for benevolent humans to play comically violent video games with their delighted children.

But this argument is sophistry. To win the argument the apologist defines a God that neither we nor he would have much reason to worship. For example, if the creatures in a violent "Run and Gun" video game were to gain self awareness, would we expect them to view us as benevolent beings worthy of their love and trust as we blast them into electronic oblivion?

And, if God is not benevolent toward humans, then what differentiates him from a human sociopath or from the [[Devil]]?

The problem of evil must be taken up in the context of humanity. No other context would make a God useful to humans in any realistic way. A God that is benevolent to others at lethal expense to humans is, by definition, malevolent, or at least indifferent, toward humans. It is an unusual apologist indeed who believes in this type of God.

===Redefining evil===
As with "benevolence", "evil" can be redefined. What is "evil" for humans may not be evil for God. In fact, anything that God chooses to do can be construed as "good". Using this argument, "evil" can not exist in any definable terms when applied to God.

Besides the arguments already used in the "Tough Love" response (an all powerful God would have no reason even to appear evil) here, the apologist treads dangerously close to [[ethical relativism]]. We know from information in the bible that ethical rules have changed at the will of God. Is God, then, a relativist?

If the answer is that God is following an ethical plan, then the apologist opens himself up to the [[Euthyphro dilemma]]. If the answer is that God changes as he sees fit and anything that god declares as good is good, then what is the difference between being a relativist and following a relativist God?

When an apologist tries to redefine the premises of "the problem of evil" he finds himself in a morass of relativism, but when he tries to work with the premises he finds himself unwittingly limiting the unlimited God of his religion.

==See also==
* [[Theodicy]]
* [[Problem of Hell]]

==External links==
* [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Problem of Evil]
* [http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/John_Wright/Hume%20Dialogue%2010.htm Hume and the Evidential Problem of Evil]
{{Def-word|sophistry}}

[[Category:Arguments]]
[[Category:Arguments against the existence of God]]
[[Category:Empirical arguments]]

Bertrand Russell

2007-09-12T09:45:58Z

Blue Lithium: added some external links

{{atheist-stub}}
{{wikipedia|Bertrand Russell}}
'''Bertrand William Russell''' (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, and mathematician, working mostly in the 20th century. A prolific writer, Russell was a strong advocate of the creative and rational life, and he spoke passionately about his many controversial positions, including [[atheism]].

Russell's views on religion can be found in his popular book, ''[[Why I Am Not a Christian]] and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects''.

== External Links ==

[http://www.users.drew.edu/~jlenz/brs.html The Bertrand Russell Society]

[http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/bertrand_russell/ Archive of some of Russell's atheistic/skeptical writings]

[[Category:Atheists|Russell, Bertrand]]

Homosexuality

2007-09-11T20:26:23Z

Blue Lithium: /* See Also */ caps

{{wikipedia}}
'''Homosexuality''' is romantic or sexual attraction to members of one's own sex. The rights of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals is a contentious [[political issue]] in much of the world, due in part to [[religious]] views on the perceived [[moral]] incorrectness of homosexuality. One particularly fierce debate at the time of this writing is the legality of [[gay marriage]].

Many conservative [[Christian]]s, [[Jew]]s, [[Muslim]]s and [[Sikh]]s prefer to continue current restrictions against gays, lesbians and bisexuals — including prohibition of same-sex marriage. Some advocate the restoration of [[law]]s which once criminalized same-sex behavior. Many oppose the extension of existing [[Wikipedia:Hate crime|hate-crime laws]] to include sexual orientation.

==The Bible on homosexuality==

* In {{bible|Genesis 19}}, [[God]] destroys the cities of [[Sodom and Gomorrah]]; some say that widespread practice of homosexuality was the main reason.
* {{bible|Leviticus 18:22}}: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
* {{bible|Leviticus 20:13}}: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."
* [[Deuteronomy]] and [[1 Kings]] state that there shall be no sodomites allowed in [[Israel]].
* {{bible|Romans 1:26-27}}: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence [sic] of their error which was meet."
* {{bible|1 Corinthians 6:9-10}}: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, '''nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind''', Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (emphasis added)
* {{bible|1 Timothy 1:9-10}}: "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, '''for them that defile themselves with mankind''', for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." (emphasis added)

==Counterarguments to the Bible's stance==

* Genesis 19, while commonly held to describe the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for the "sin" of homosexuality, more likely describes their destruction because of wickedness in general rather than just for homosexuality. They wanted to rape the angels, it makes sense that the sin was in fact rape, not consenting homosexuality. {{Bible|Ezekiel 16:49}} (KJV) reads as such:
{{Quote|Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.}}
This supports the view that the sins of Sodom were not homosexuality.
* Leviticus 18:22 can have more than one interpretation. Some people have suggested what is condemned in this verse is pagan rituals, which involved homosexual acts. This fits in with the context of the verse, as {{Bible|Leviticus 18:27-28}} specifically says that the pagans defiled the land with such acts.
* Although the book of 1 Kings does say that there will be no sodomites in Israel, that's only in the [[King James Version]]. Other, more accurate modern translations render the word "male temple prostitute".
* The translation of 1 Corinthians 6:9 as "homosexuals" is contentious. The words translated as "homosexual"(RSV) are "malakoi" meaning soft or effeminate, and "arsenokoitai" whose meaning as debatable but literally translates as "male-bedder". It is possible that Paul in this verse is condeming prostitution. There were temple prostitutes in Corinth at the time who were involved in worshipping other gods.
* There is also '''no''' indication that homosexuality is somehow a more severe sin than [[fornication]]. So ''at worst'' homosexuals should be treated the same as anyone else who has sex outside of [[marriage]]. Have you ever seen an angry mob opposing unmarried couples?
* {{bible|Romans 1:26-27}} describes clearly how God '''himself''' made people homosexual. This passage could also be a reference to idol worship and prostitution, due to the context of the preceding passages.

==The Qur'an on homosexuality==
* Surah 7:80-81: "And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination such as no creature ever did before you? Lo! ye come with lust unto men instead of women. Nay, but ye are wanton folk."
*Surah 26:165-166: "What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males, And leave the wives your Lord created for you? Nay, but ye are froward folk."
*Surah 27:54-55: "And Lot! when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination knowingly?"
*Surah 29:28-29: "And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Lo! ye commit lewdness such as no creature did before you. For come ye not in unto males, and cut ye not the road (for travellers), and commit ye not abomination in your meetings ? But the answer of his folk was only that they said: Bring Allah's doom upon us if thou art a truthteller!"

==Arguments for the naturalness of homosexuality==

* The discovery of homosexuality in many thousands of other species including goats and penguins, and even our closest relatives the bonobos and chimpanzees, has shown that homosexuality most likely isn't a choice, but rather something a person is born with. See [[Wikipedia:Non-human animal sexual behavior]].

==External links==
* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu.htm Homosexuality articles] at [[Religious Tolerance]]

* [http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian Soulforce]

* [http://www.whosoever.org/bible/ Whosoever, gay Christian group]

== See Also ==
[[Gay marriage]]

[[Reparative therapy]]

[[Category:Social issues]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Bible]]

Homosexuality

2007-09-11T20:24:05Z

Blue Lithium: added related internal links

{{wikipedia}}
'''Homosexuality''' is romantic or sexual attraction to members of one's own sex. The rights of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals is a contentious [[political issue]] in much of the world, due in part to [[religious]] views on the perceived [[moral]] incorrectness of homosexuality. One particularly fierce debate at the time of this writing is the legality of [[gay marriage]].

Many conservative [[Christian]]s, [[Jew]]s, [[Muslim]]s and [[Sikh]]s prefer to continue current restrictions against gays, lesbians and bisexuals — including prohibition of same-sex marriage. Some advocate the restoration of [[law]]s which once criminalized same-sex behavior. Many oppose the extension of existing [[Wikipedia:Hate crime|hate-crime laws]] to include sexual orientation.

==The Bible on homosexuality==

* In {{bible|Genesis 19}}, [[God]] destroys the cities of [[Sodom and Gomorrah]]; some say that widespread practice of homosexuality was the main reason.
* {{bible|Leviticus 18:22}}: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
* {{bible|Leviticus 20:13}}: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."
* [[Deuteronomy]] and [[1 Kings]] state that there shall be no sodomites allowed in [[Israel]].
* {{bible|Romans 1:26-27}}: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence [sic] of their error which was meet."
* {{bible|1 Corinthians 6:9-10}}: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, '''nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind''', Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (emphasis added)
* {{bible|1 Timothy 1:9-10}}: "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, '''for them that defile themselves with mankind''', for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." (emphasis added)

==Counterarguments to the Bible's stance==

* Genesis 19, while commonly held to describe the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for the "sin" of homosexuality, more likely describes their destruction because of wickedness in general rather than just for homosexuality. They wanted to rape the angels, it makes sense that the sin was in fact rape, not consenting homosexuality. {{Bible|Ezekiel 16:49}} (KJV) reads as such:
{{Quote|Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.}}
This supports the view that the sins of Sodom were not homosexuality.
* Leviticus 18:22 can have more than one interpretation. Some people have suggested what is condemned in this verse is pagan rituals, which involved homosexual acts. This fits in with the context of the verse, as {{Bible|Leviticus 18:27-28}} specifically says that the pagans defiled the land with such acts.
* Although the book of 1 Kings does say that there will be no sodomites in Israel, that's only in the [[King James Version]]. Other, more accurate modern translations render the word "male temple prostitute".
* The translation of 1 Corinthians 6:9 as "homosexuals" is contentious. The words translated as "homosexual"(RSV) are "malakoi" meaning soft or effeminate, and "arsenokoitai" whose meaning as debatable but literally translates as "male-bedder". It is possible that Paul in this verse is condeming prostitution. There were temple prostitutes in Corinth at the time who were involved in worshipping other gods.
* There is also '''no''' indication that homosexuality is somehow a more severe sin than [[fornication]]. So ''at worst'' homosexuals should be treated the same as anyone else who has sex outside of [[marriage]]. Have you ever seen an angry mob opposing unmarried couples?
* {{bible|Romans 1:26-27}} describes clearly how God '''himself''' made people homosexual. This passage could also be a reference to idol worship and prostitution, due to the context of the preceding passages.

==The Qur'an on homosexuality==
* Surah 7:80-81: "And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination such as no creature ever did before you? Lo! ye come with lust unto men instead of women. Nay, but ye are wanton folk."
*Surah 26:165-166: "What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males, And leave the wives your Lord created for you? Nay, but ye are froward folk."
*Surah 27:54-55: "And Lot! when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination knowingly?"
*Surah 29:28-29: "And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Lo! ye commit lewdness such as no creature did before you. For come ye not in unto males, and cut ye not the road (for travellers), and commit ye not abomination in your meetings ? But the answer of his folk was only that they said: Bring Allah's doom upon us if thou art a truthteller!"

==Arguments for the naturalness of homosexuality==

* The discovery of homosexuality in many thousands of other species including goats and penguins, and even our closest relatives the bonobos and chimpanzees, has shown that homosexuality most likely isn't a choice, but rather something a person is born with. See [[Wikipedia:Non-human animal sexual behavior]].

==External links==
* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu.htm Homosexuality articles] at [[Religious Tolerance]]

* [http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian Soulforce]

* [http://www.whosoever.org/bible/ Whosoever, gay Christian group]

== See Also ==
[[Gay Marriage]]
[[Reparative Therapy]]

[[Category:Social issues]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Bible]]

Gaps in the fossil record

2007-09-11T20:10:05Z

Blue Lithium: dropped capitalisation of "of" to make the redlink all to the same page.

{{stub}}

The argument that there are gaps in the fossil record is used extremely commonly by [[apologists]] and is basically the same as saying that there are no [[transitional fossil]]s. There are several large problems with this argument, however:

# When the ''[[The Origin of Species]]'' was first published the fossil record was very sparse and, thus, the amount of gaps it contained was very damning. However, as the years passed scientists found more and more fossils, thus decreasing the amount of gaps. Nowadays gaps do still exist, but in some places the gaps are very small and in some they're very large. It's not logical to state that the gaps that exist nowadays will never be filled.
# In reality, there's almost no way to convince a [[creationist]] that transitional fossils exist. For example, suppose scientists don't know how one animal evolved into another. Creationists then tout this gap (the gap between fossil A and fossil B) as proof that there are no transitional fossils. However, when a transition (fossil C) ''is'' discovered between the two, the creationist will simply say that there are now two gaps, one between fossil A and fossil C and one between fossil C and fossil B. In other words, the more transitions are discovered, the more gaps creationists posit.

Gaps in the fossil record

2007-09-11T20:06:19Z

Blue Lithium: changed title of the book: it should be "The Origin of Species" not "Origin of the species".

{{stub}}

The argument that there are gaps in the fossil record is used extremely commonly by [[apologists]] and is basically the same as saying that there are no [[transitional fossil]]s. There are several large problems with this argument, however:

# When the ''[[The Origin Of Species]]'' was first published the fossil record was very sparse and, thus, the amount of gaps it contained was very damning. However, as the years passed scientists found more and more fossils, thus decreasing the amount of gaps. Nowadays gaps do still exist, but in some places the gaps are very small and in some they're very large. It's not logical to state that the gaps that exist nowadays will never be filled.
# In reality, there's almost no way to convince a [[creationist]] that transitional fossils exist. For example, suppose scientists don't know how one animal evolved into another. Creationists then tout this gap (the gap between fossil A and fossil B) as proof that there are no transitional fossils. However, when a transition (fossil C) ''is'' discovered between the two, the creationist will simply say that there are now two gaps, one between fossil A and fossil C and one between fossil C and fossil B. In other words, the more transitions are discovered, the more gaps creationists posit.

Crucifxion

2007-09-11T20:02:46Z

Blue Lithium: redirect

#REDIRECT [[Crucifixion]]

Lesbian

2007-09-11T19:55:47Z

Blue Lithium: redirect to "homosexuality" article

#REDIRECT [[Homosexuality]]

Gay

2007-09-11T19:52:25Z

Blue Lithium: redirection to the "homosexuality" article

#REDIRECT [[Homosexuality]]

Reparative therapy

2007-09-11T19:50:36Z

Blue Lithium: add category

Reparative therapy is a type of therapy designed to change a client's sexual orientation from [[homosexual]] to heterosexual. It is usually of a religious nature, and is not endorsed by professional psychological organisations, such as the American Psychological Association or the American Psychiatric Association.

== Origins Of Reparative Therapy ==

Before 1973, [[homosexuality]] was considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and was present on the Diagnostical And Statistical Manual(DSM). Certain methods, as extreme as electroshock/aversion therapy or castration, were sometimes used in attempts to change a clients' orientation. In 1973, homosexuality was removed from the DSM, because it had been demonstrated that there was no basis for such a classification. (http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_mental_health.html)
Many therapists disagreed with the decision to remove [[homosexuality]] from the DSM, for example Charles Socarides(who has an openly gay son) and Bieber. The fact that the APA no longer classed homosexuality as a disorder meant that there was no therapy available for gay people who wanted to attempt to change orientation. This lead to the beginnings of the "ex-gay" ministries, the first of these being Love In Action.

== Advocates Of Reparative Therapy/Ex-Gay Ministries ==

There are many groups that advocate and provide reparative therapy.
The National Assocation for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality(NARTH) is one such group, whose current president is Joseph Nicolosi. NARTH is not an openly religious ministry.
The biggest ex-gay ministry is Exodus International, an evangelical [[Christian]] ministry that promotes "freedom from [[homosexuality]]". Other groups include Parents and friends of Ex-Gays(PFOX), Evergreen International(a group for [[Mormon]]s), and Homosexuals Anonymous.

== Ideas and Methods ==

Most reparative therapists promote the idea that male [[homosexuality]] is caused by a lack of bonding with the father, which causes the male to seek affection from other men, causing homosexual attractions. This idea is without merit, because there is no scientific support for such a claim, and expected trends(such as increase in homosexual males that grew up during WWII) have not been demonstated, and appear to be non-existent.
The methods involve attempting to get the male to form a nonsexual bond with a person of the same sex, replacing the love and affection the homosexual never had in childhood. The treatment also often involves attempting to get gay men to behave in a masculine manner.

Reparative therapy of female homosexuality is along similar lines, with the female not forming the correct bonds with the mother rather than the father.

== Success Rates of Reparative Therapy ==

There is very little evidence to suggest that homosexuals can successfully change orientation.
In 2001, Dr. Robert L. Spitzer presented a study claiming that some of his clients could change, claiming that 66% of the males and 44% of the female clients in his study claimed "good heterosexual functioning". The study was heavily criticized for several reasons. The clients appear to be handpicked from a large number of people that entered the ministries. Many of the participants were referred from ex-gay ministries, who were likely to send only the most successful clients. Many of the clients--up to 60%--of Spitzer's participants were bisexual, which would cause an inflation of success rates. Even if these problems were overcome, Spitzer's methodology was merely talking to each client for 45 minutes on the telephone, with no follow-up interviews. Self-reporting is unreliable, especially in this case, as 78% of participants had publicly spoken positively about attempts to convert homosexuals to heterosexuality. Spitzer himself did not claim that his results were representative of participants in ex-gay therapy, or that most of clients who go through reparative therapy can successfully change.

In 2002, two psychologists, Shidlo and Schroeder, published a study about the experiences of 202 clients of reparative therapy. They reported that only 8 of those 202 claimed to have changed sexual orientation, and 7 of those had positions in ex-gay ministries.

== Harms Caused By Reparative Therapy ==

There have been many suggestions and indications that reparative therapy causes harm to clients. Shidlo and Schroeder found that the vast majority of their clients were harmed by the attempt to change. These harms involved:

* Depression, suicidal feelings and suicide attempts after failure to change orientation;
* Lowered self-esteem and reinforcing of already internalized homophobia as therapists often had very strong antigay biases;
* Distorted perceptions that curing homosexuality would sort out other life problems that are unrelated;
* Intrusive imagery and sexual dysfunction;
* Monitoring of effeminate or butch tendencies;
* Harm to relationships with parents as they were often blamed during therapy for [[homosexuality]];
* Alienation, loneliness and social isolation;
* Interference with relationships and friendships;
* Fear of being a child abuser;
* Delay of emotional development due to not coming out;
* Loss of religious [[faith]];
* Excommunication and abandonment by religious groups.

There have been problems with certain ex-gay counselors abusing clients sexually. For example, Chris Austin was recently arrested for this crime.
There have also been anecdotal accounts of suicides. For example, Stuart Mathis, a gay [[Mormon]], killed himself over his failure to change.

Many people believe reparative therapy, even if successful, to be unethical, because there is no reason for a client to change sexual orientation.

== External Links ==

[http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu.htm Religious Tolerance]

[http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_changing.html Psychology at UC Davis Article -including information on Spitzer's study]

[http://www.truthwinsout.org Truth Wins Out, an organisation designed to combat the claims of Ex-Gay Ministries]

[http://www.beyondexgay.com/narratives Beyond Ex-Gay, some testimonies from people who have been harmed by the ministries]

[http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2007/02/15/224 Box Turtle Bulletin's expose on Love Won Out, a Focus on The Family ex-gay conference]

[http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=features&sc3=&id=4945 Edge Boston's view; a four part article]

[http://www.anythingbutstraight.com/ Anything But Straight - website of a book that explores the claims of the ex-gay ministries]

[http://www.exgaywatch.com/ Ex-Gay Watch]

[[Category:Psychology]]

Ken Ham

2007-09-11T19:49:44Z

Blue Lithium: internal links.

{{Stub}}
'''Ken Ham''' is a prominent Creation Scientist. He runs the website [[Answers In Genesis]], and has recently built a "[[Creation Science Museum]]" in the state of Kentucky.

==External links==
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/ Answers in Genesis]
* [http://www.creationmuseum.org/ Creation Musuem]

[[Category:Christian apologists]]

Evidence That Demands a Verdict

2007-09-11T19:42:12Z

Blue Lithium: linebreak

{{Stub}}
'''Evidence That Demands A Verdict''' is a work of [[Christian]] [[apologetics]] written by [[Josh McDowell]].

== External Link ==

[http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jeff_lowder/jury/ The Jury Is In, Internet Infidels response to Josh McDowell's book.]

Evidence That Demands a Verdict

2007-09-11T19:41:44Z

Blue Lithium: adeed basic sentence and external link to arguments.

{{Stub}}
'''Evidence That Demands A Verdict''' is a work of [[Christian]] [[apologetics]] written by [[Josh McDowell]].

External Link
[http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jeff_lowder/jury/ The Jury Is In, Internet Infidels response to Josh McDowell's book.

Homosexual

2007-09-11T19:31:09Z

Blue Lithium: redirect "homosexual" to "homosexuality" article.

#REDIRECT [[Homosexuality]]

Letter to a Christian Nation

2007-09-11T19:17:21Z

Blue Lithium: /* Are Atheists Evil? */ spelling correction

User:Blue Lithium

2007-09-11T19:13:33Z

Blue Lithium: spelling error correction

Blue Lithium is an atheist and skeptic who is interested in religion and the question of God's Existence. Areas of interest for me include philosophy, science(particularly evolutionary theory), politics, and GBLT issues.

== External Link ==

I maintain a blog at http://passionateskeptic.blogspot.com/

Reparative therapy

2007-09-11T19:10:53Z

Blue Lithium: spelling correction, some internal links added, links section improved, some phrasing edits

Jerry Falwell

2007-09-11T12:49:07Z

Blue Lithium: spelling mistake.

{{Stub}}
Jerry Falwell (August 11, 1933- May 15, 2007) was a famous [[Christian]] pastor and [[televangelist]]. He founded both the Moral Majority and Liberty University.

== Quotes ==

"[Tinky Winky of Teletubbies] is purple - the gay-pride colour; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle - the gay-pride symbol." (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/276677.stm)

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen." --Jerry Falwell's view on 9/11.(http://www.actupny.org/YELL/falwell.html)

"The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country." -On America's [[separation of church and state]].

"AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharaoh's charioteers ... AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."
(http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/stupidquotes/a/falwellquotes.htm?terms=jerry+falwell%20quotes)

Jerry Falwell

2007-09-11T12:48:13Z

Blue Lithium: /* Quotes */

{{Stub}}
Jerry Falwell (August 11, 1933- May 15, 2007) was a famous [[Christian]] pastor and [[televangelist]]. He founded both the Moral Majority and Liberty University.

== Quotes ==

"[Tinky Winky of Teletubbies] is purple - the gay-pride colour; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle - the gay-pride symbol." (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/276677.stm)

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen." --Jerry Falwell's view on 9/11.(http://www.actupny.org/YELL/falwell.html)

"The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country." -On America's [[seperation of church and state]].

"AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharaoh's charioteers ... AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."
(http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/stupidquotes/a/falwellquotes.htm?terms=jerry+falwell%20quotes)

Jerry Falwell

2007-09-11T12:47:33Z

Blue Lithium: stub/falwell quotes

{{Stub}}
Jerry Falwell (August 11, 1933- May 15, 2007) was a famous [[Christian]] pastor and [[televangelist]]. He founded both the Moral Majority and Liberty University.

== Quotes ==

"[Tinky Winky of Teletubbies] is purple - the gay-pride colour; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle - the gay-pride symbol." (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/276677.stm)

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen." --Jerry Falwell's view on 9/11.(http://www.actupny.org/YELL/falwell.html)

"The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country." -On America's [[seperation of Church and state]].

"AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharaoh's charioteers ... AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."
(http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/stupidquotes/a/falwellquotes.htm?terms=jerry+falwell%20quotes)

Straw man

2007-09-11T12:25:01Z

Blue Lithium: /* Examples */

{{wikipedia}}
A '''straw man''' is a [[logical fallacy]] in which one side of an issue or debate deliberately misrepresents the position of the other. This misrepresentation is then undermined as if it were the other side's actual position. Someone not paying close attention might then think that the original argument has been successfully countered when in reality nothing of the sort has happened. The name ''straw man'' suggests setting up a [[wikipedia:Scarecrow|scarecrow]] that looks like an opponent's argument, but is easy to knock down and, figuratively speaking, will not put up a fight.

==Examples==
* "[[Atheist]]s say that the [[Bible]] isn't true. But archeologists have found many of the cities mentioned in the Bible, so clearly the atheists are wrong."
*: No reasonably informed atheist believes that ''nothing'' in the Bible is true. Also, even if a book contains some historically true elements, that does not prove that every single thing in the book is also true. For example, many works of historical fiction contain viable facts.
* "[[Abortion]] advocates want to kill babies. This is monstrous and must be stopped."
*: The debate over abortion is largely centered on the distinction between a "baby" and a "fetus," and claiming that advocates "want to kill babies" is a leap to attribute a position to the opposition that they do not believe. In addition, the vast majority of pro-choice advocates would like for there to be fewer abortions, but recognize that sometimes they are preferable to the alternative of unwanted children.
* "[[Evolution]] is wrong. No one has ever seen a dog give birth to a cat."
*: Evolution does not say that one species suddenly gives birth to a completely different species.

[[Category:Logical fallacies]]

747 Junkyard argument

2007-09-11T12:05:36Z

Blue Lithium: /* Counter-Apologetics */ spelling mistake correction

The '''tornado argument''' made by [[creationist]]s and proponents of [[intelligent design]] states that attributing the development of [[life]] to natural forces such as [[evolution]] is like expecting a tornado moving through a junkyard to result in a fully functional [[wikipedia:Boeing 747|Boeing 747]]. The argument was originally made by British astronomer [[wikipedia:Fred Hoyle|Fred Hoyle]]. This analogy depends on a fundamental misunderstanding of the "[[randomness]]" involved in the development of life, as well as a blurring of the separate issues of how life arose from non-life and how subsequent life developed from earlier living things (the jet is clearly supposed to suggest the complexity of current living organisms).

[[ID]] advocates sometimes present calculations showing the impossibly low [[odds]] of a given [[wikipedia:protein|protein]] spontaneously self-assembling from a batch of [[wikipedia:amino acid|amino acid]]s. [[William Dembski]] uses this approach in his paper, "[http://www.designinference.com/documents/2005.06.Specification.pdf#search=%22specification%20the%20pattern%20that%20signifies%20intelligence%22 Specification: The Pattern That Signifies Intelligence]". Such calculations are irrelevant because they ignore important features of proposed evolutionary mechanisms — the very features that get around such seeming impossibilities, in fact.

==Counter-Apologetics==

The tornado argument depends on the common fallacy of equating "natural" explanations of life with "randomness". Only a small part of evolutionary theory is actually based on randomness; genetic mutations are, to a large extent, random. But [[Darwin]]'s proposed driving force behind evolution, [[natural selection]], is anything ''but'' random.

In addition, evolution doesn't work quickly by way of massive, uncontrolled forces, as tornados do. Evolution theory suggests that ''small'' changes, accumulated over extremely ''long'' periods of time, result in the current diversity of life.

Most importantly, the tornado analogy lacks the two main elements that make evolution work: ''reproduction'' (which enables "descent with modification") and ''selection'' (which enables increasing complexity). The lack of these aspects reinforces the improbability of anything useful coming out of the process.

The fact that the argument posits the creation of a working airplane reveals another misconception: that evolution has ''as its goal'' the creation of complex living organisms. Evolution has no final goal or purpose; it is merely a consequence of variation among individuals coupled with environmental pressures.

Finally, the kind of calculations made by Dembski are based on (or perhaps intentionally rely on) a fundamental misunderstanding of what [[probabilities]] should actually be considered. The odds of a ''particular'' group of amino acids assembling into a ''particular'' protein may indeed be small, but the kinds of amino acids and proteins that current life is based on are not the only ones possible. Indeed, even the mixture of ''atoms'' that life on Earth is primarily based on is not the only possibility (see [[Wikipedia:Alternative biochemistry]]). And at the other extreme, the current range of living things we see around us are not the only possible life forms that ''could'' have evolved.

To illustrate the previous point with another analogy, consider the probability that Dembski's own parents would create a child exactly like Dembski. The odds are astronomical. But, of course, they did. On the other hand, consider the probability that Dembski's parents could create ''any'' child. Those are much better odds.

[[Category:Arguments]]
[[Category:Arguments for the existence of God]]
[[Category:Teleological arguments]]
[[Category:Arguments from design]]

User:Blue Lithium

2007-09-11T11:56:12Z

Blue Lithium: about me!

Blue Lithium is an atheist and skeptic who is interested in religion and the question of God's Existence. Areas of interest for me include philosophy, science(particularly evolutionary theory), politics, and GBLT issues.

== Extermal Link ==

I maintain a blog at http://passionateskeptic.blogspot.com/

God: The Failed Hypothesis

2007-09-11T11:42:14Z

Blue Lithium: Stub.

{{Stub}}

God: The Failed Hypothesis is a book written by the physicist Victor Stenger, that was published in early 2007.

Reparative therapy

2007-09-11T11:38:14Z

Blue Lithium: /* External Links */ line breaks

Reparative therapy is a type of therapy designed to change a client's sexual orientation from [[homosexual]] to heterosexual. It is usually of a religious nature, and is not endorsed by professional psychological organisations, such as the American Psychological Association or the American Psychiatric Association.

== Origins Of Reparative Therapy ==

Before 1973, homosexuality was considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and was present on the Diagnostical And Statistical Manual(DSM). Certian methods, as extreme as electroshock/aversion therapy or castration, were sometimes used in attempts to change a clients' orientation. In 1973, homosexuality was removed from the DSM, because it had been demonstrated that there was no basis for such a classification. (http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_mental_health.html)
Many therapists disagreed with the decision to remove homosexuality from the DSM, for example Charles Socarides(who has an openly gay son) and Bieber. The fact that the APA no longer classed homosexuality as a disorder meant that there was no therapy available for gay people who wanted to attempt to change orientation. This lead to the beginnings of the "ex-gay" ministries, the first of these being Love In Action.

== Advocates Of Reparative Therapy/Ex-Gay Ministries ==

There are many groups that advocate and provide reparative therapy.
The National Assocation for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality(NARTH) is one such group, whose current president is Joseph Nicolosi. NARTH is not an openly religious ministry.
The biggest ex-gay ministry is Exodus International, an evangelical [[Christian]] ministry that promotes "freedom from homosexuality". Other groups include Parents and friends of Ex-Gays(PFOX), Evergreen International(a group for Mormons), and Homosexuals Anonymous.

== Ideas and Methods ==

Most reparative therapists promote the idea that male homosexuality is caused by a lack of bonding with the father, which causes the male to seek affection from other men, causing homosexual attractions. This idea is without merit, because there is no scientific support for such a claim, and expected trends(such as increase in homosexual males that grew up during WWII) have not been demonstated, and appear to be non-existent.
The methods involve attempting to get the male to form a nonsexual bond with a person of the same sex, replacing the love and affection the homosexual never had in childhood. The treatment also often involves attempting to get gay men to behave in a more masculine manner.

Reparative therapy of female homosexuality is along similar lines, with the female not forming the correct bonds with the mother rather than the father.

== Success Rates of Reparative Therapy ==

There is very little evidence to suggest that homosexuals can successfully change orientation.
In 2001, Dr. Robert L. Spitzer presented a study claiming that some of his clients could change, claiming that 66% of the males and 44% of the female cleints in his study claimed "good heterosexual functioning". The study was heavily criticised for several reasons. The clients appear to be handpicked from a large number of people that entered the ministries. Many of the participants were referred from ex-gay ministries, who were likely to send only the most successful clients. Many of the clients--up to 60%--of Spitzer's participants were bisexual, which would cause an inflation of success rates. Even if these problems were overcome, Spitzer's methology was merely talking to each client for 45 minutes on the telephone, with no follow-up interviews. Self-reporting is unreliable, especially in this case, as 78% of participants had publicly spoken positively about attempts to convert homosexuals to heterosexaulity. Spitzer himself did not claim that his results were representalive of clients, ot that most of clients who go through reparative therapy can successfully change.

In 2002, two psychologists, Shidlo and Schroeder, published a study about the experiences of 202 clients of reparative therapy. They reported that only 8 of those 202 claimed to have changed sexual orientation, and 7 of those had positions in ex-gay ministries.

== Harms Caused By Reparative Therapy ==

There have been many suggestions and indications that reparative therapy causes harm to clients. Shidlo and Schroeder found that the vast majority of their cleints were harmed by the attempt to change. These harms involved:

* Depression, sucicidal feelings and suicide attempts after failure to change orientation;
* Lowered self-esteem and reinforcing of already internalised homophobia as therapists often had very strong antigay biases;
* Distorted perceptions that curing homosexuality would sort out other life problems that are unrelated;
* Intrusive imagery and sexual dysfunction;
* Monitoring of effeminate or butch tendencies;
* Harm to relationships with parents as they were often blamed during therapy for homosexuality;
* Alienation, lonliness and social isolation due to not being able to be themselves;
* Interference with relationships and friendships;
* Fear of being a child abuser;
* Delay of emotional development due to not coming out;
* Loss of religious faith;
* Excommunication and abandonment by religious groups.

There have been problems with certain ex-gay counsillors abusing clients sexually. For example, Chris Austin was recently arrested for this crime.
There have also been anecdotal accounts of suicides. For example, Stuart Mathis, a gay [[Mormon]], killed himself over his failure to change.

Many people believe reparative therapy, even if successful, to be unethical, because there is no reason for a client to change sexual orientation.

== External Links ==

http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu.htm

http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_changing.html

http://www.truthwinsout.org

http://www.beyondexgay.com/narratives

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2007/02/15/224

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=features&sc3=&id=4945

http://www.anythingbutstraight.com/

http://www.exgaywatch.com/

Fred Phelps

2007-09-11T11:20:09Z

Blue Lithium: /* Social action */ Spelling correction: Shepherd to Shepard.

'''Fred Phelps''' is the pastor of the [[Westboro Baptist Church]] in Topeka, Kansas and the proprietor of the websites [[God Hates Fags]] and [[God Hates America]]. He is well-known for his extremist version of [[fundamentalist]] [[Christianity]]. He is extremely opposed to [[homosexuality]] and attributes most of society's problems (including 9/11, the Indian Ocean tsunami, and the death of American soldiers in Iraq) to tolerance for homosexual behavior. He advocates the death penalty for homosexuals, as commanded in the Bible.
* {{bible|Leviticus 20:13}}: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."

Phelps' congregation is largely comprised of his own family members. He generally shows little concern for getting along with anyone outside his congregation, even other Christians. As a result, mainstream Christians tend to write him off as not a [[true Christian]], even if they may agree with his condemnation of homosexuality.

==Social action==
The Westboro Baptist Church frequently attracts media attention for protesting funerals of homosexuals and deceased American soldiers. They celebrate such events as God's justice being enacted on a sinful society, and believe that it is immoral and impious to feel sympathy for the dead and those who mourn for them in these instances.

One of the most famous incidents was his picketing of [[Matthew Shepard]]'s funeral. Phelps also declared his intention to picket [[Jerry Falwell]]'s funeral.

==External links==
*[http://www.godhatesamerica.com/ghfmir/main/index.html Westboro Baptist Church homepage]
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4413388146858417528 Google Video: The Most Hated Family In America] - a documentary about Fred Phelps and his family

[[Category:Christian apologists]]

Reparative therapy

2007-09-11T11:11:07Z

Blue Lithium: what it is, origins, its advocates, ideas/methods, success rates, ethics, links

Reparative therapy is a type of therapy designed to change a client's sexual orientation from [[homosexual]] to heterosexual. It is usually of a religious nature, and is not endorsed by professional psychological organisations, such as the American Psychological Association or the American Psychiatric Association.

== Origins Of Reparative Therapy ==

Before 1973, homosexuality was considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and was present on the Diagnostical And Statistical Manual(DSM). Certian methods, as extreme as electroshock/aversion therapy or castration, were sometimes used in attempts to change a clients' orientation. In 1973, homosexuality was removed from the DSM, because it had been demonstrated that there was no basis for such a classification. (http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_mental_health.html)
Many therapists disagreed with the decision to remove homosexuality from the DSM, for example Charles Socarides(who has an openly gay son) and Bieber. The fact that the APA no longer classed homosexuality as a disorder meant that there was no therapy available for gay people who wanted to attempt to change orientation. This lead to the beginnings of the "ex-gay" ministries, the first of these being Love In Action.

== Advocates Of Reparative Therapy/Ex-Gay Ministries ==

There are many groups that advocate and provide reparative therapy.
The National Assocation for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality(NARTH) is one such group, whose current president is Joseph Nicolosi. NARTH is not an openly religious ministry.
The biggest ex-gay ministry is Exodus International, an evangelical [[Christian]] ministry that promotes "freedom from homosexuality". Other groups include Parents and friends of Ex-Gays(PFOX), Evergreen International(a group for Mormons), and Homosexuals Anonymous.

== Ideas and Methods ==

Most reparative therapists promote the idea that male homosexuality is caused by a lack of bonding with the father, which causes the male to seek affection from other men, causing homosexual attractions. This idea is without merit, because there is no scientific support for such a claim, and expected trends(such as increase in homosexual males that grew up during WWII) have not been demonstated, and appear to be non-existent.
The methods involve attempting to get the male to form a nonsexual bond with a person of the same sex, replacing the love and affection the homosexual never had in childhood. The treatment also often involves attempting to get gay men to behave in a more masculine manner.

Reparative therapy of female homosexuality is along similar lines, with the female not forming the correct bonds with the mother rather than the father.

== Success Rates of Reparative Therapy ==

There is very little evidence to suggest that homosexuals can successfully change orientation.
In 2001, Dr. Robert L. Spitzer presented a study claiming that some of his clients could change, claiming that 66% of the males and 44% of the female cleints in his study claimed "good heterosexual functioning". The study was heavily criticised for several reasons. The clients appear to be handpicked from a large number of people that entered the ministries. Many of the participants were referred from ex-gay ministries, who were likely to send only the most successful clients. Many of the clients--up to 60%--of Spitzer's participants were bisexual, which would cause an inflation of success rates. Even if these problems were overcome, Spitzer's methology was merely talking to each client for 45 minutes on the telephone, with no follow-up interviews. Self-reporting is unreliable, especially in this case, as 78% of participants had publicly spoken positively about attempts to convert homosexuals to heterosexaulity. Spitzer himself did not claim that his results were representalive of clients, ot that most of clients who go through reparative therapy can successfully change.

In 2002, two psychologists, Shidlo and Schroeder, published a study about the experiences of 202 clients of reparative therapy. They reported that only 8 of those 202 claimed to have changed sexual orientation, and 7 of those had positions in ex-gay ministries.

== Harms Caused By Reparative Therapy ==

There have been many suggestions and indications that reparative therapy causes harm to clients. Shidlo and Schroeder found that the vast majority of their cleints were harmed by the attempt to change. These harms involved:

* Depression, sucicidal feelings and suicide attempts after failure to change orientation;
* Lowered self-esteem and reinforcing of already internalised homophobia as therapists often had very strong antigay biases;
* Distorted perceptions that curing homosexuality would sort out other life problems that are unrelated;
* Intrusive imagery and sexual dysfunction;
* Monitoring of effeminate or butch tendencies;
* Harm to relationships with parents as they were often blamed during therapy for homosexuality;
* Alienation, lonliness and social isolation due to not being able to be themselves;
* Interference with relationships and friendships;
* Fear of being a child abuser;
* Delay of emotional development due to not coming out;
* Loss of religious faith;
* Excommunication and abandonment by religious groups.

There have been problems with certain ex-gay counsillors abusing clients sexually. For example, Chris Austin was recently arrested for this crime.
There have also been anecdotal accounts of suicides. For example, Stuart Mathis, a gay [[Mormon]], killed himself over his failure to change.

Many people believe reparative therapy, even if successful, to be unethical, because there is no reason for a client to change sexual orientation.

== External Links ==

http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu.htm
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_changing.html
http://www.truthwinsout.org
http://www.beyondexgay.com/narratives
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2007/02/15/224
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=features&sc3=&id=4945
http://www.anythingbutstraight.com/
http://www.exgaywatch.com/

Argument from personal experience

2007-09-05T18:31:22Z

Blue Lithium: basic information on the argument and a few brief counterarguments.

{{Stub}}
The argument from personal experience is an argument that argues for God's existence on the basis of a personal religious experience.

eg. "Jesus appeared to me in a vision, thus I know the doctrine of Christianity is true."

== Counter-Apolegtics==

Personal experiences are subjective, and are not evidence available to every person.

Personal experiences are used by believers of all religions, as well as believers in the paranormal and ghosts. It is thus impossible to tell if any religion is valid based on personal experience.

We know the the mechanics of the mind can mislead, and the intentional stance often leads people to see agency when there is none.

Gay marriage

2007-09-04T22:08:22Z

Blue Lithium: /* Arguments against gay marriage */ reptherapy

{{stub}}
[[Gay marriage]] refers to [[marriage]] between two people of the same sex. This is currently a controversial political issue in the United States and elsewhere.

== Arguments for gay marriage ==
In July 2007, Austin Cline ran a [http://atheism.about.com/b/a/121240.htm poll] on his weblog asking whether atheists should be allowed to marry. Respondents overwhelmingly said that marriage is a civil institution, not a religious one (it should be kept in mind that this poll was posted on an atheist weblog, and therefore the distribution of respondents was certainly skewed).

Cline then draws the obvious conclusion:
{{Quote|If religion isn't a good reason to prevent atheists from getting married, how can it be a good reason to prevent gays from getting married?}}

== Arguments against gay marriage ==
Both religious and secular arguments have been presented against gay marriage. It is notable, however, that most of the opponents of gay marriage—certainly the most vocal ones—present religious arguments, either alone or in addition to secular arguments. Rarely if ever does anyone present secular arguments alone. This leads to the conclusion that opposition to gay marriage is primarily rooted in religious beliefs. Arguments from religious beliefs fail as arguments there is no evidence to suggest any holy book is true, and places like America have seperation of Church and State.

Another argument used agaisnt gay marriage, is the view that homosexuals, through faith in God and reparative therapy can change their sexual orientation. For instance, Christians believe that homosexuals can change based on a passage from 1 Corinthians: verse 6, 9-11. This view is false, because the scientific literature suggests that changing sexual orientation is either incredibly unlikely or impossible.

(Secular arguments against gay marriage are likely outside of the scope of this wiki.)

== External links ==
* [http://www.nogaymarriage.com/tenarguments.asp Ten Arguments Against Same Sex Marriage]