First Published at Between the Lines on February 7, 2003 I HAVE SPENT my last five columns — and a good deal of my career — defending homosexuality against various moral attacks. Yet sometimes I spend so much time explaining why homosexuality is “not bad” that I neglect to consider why it’s positively good. Can […]
Homosexuality and Morality, Part 6: The Virtue of Homosexuality Read More »
First Published at Between the Lines on January 23, 2003 OVER THE LAST MONTH I’ve been exploring various attempts to show that homosexuality is morally wrong. Not surprisingly, I’ve concluded that these anti-gay arguments don’t hold much water. At this point in the debate opponents usually try to change the subject. “Oh yeah?” they say.
Homosexuality and Morality, Part 5: Retaining the Moral High Ground Read More »
First Published at Between the Lines on January 9, 2003. Based on the author’s article, “Why Shouldn’t Tommy and Jim Have Sex?” in Same Sex: Debating the Ethics, Science, and Culture of Homosexuality (Rowman & Littlefield, 1997). PEOPLE OFTEN ARGUE that homosexual sex is “unnatural.” But what does that mean? Many things we value —
Homosexuality and Morality, Part 4: The Unnaturalness Argument Read More »
First published at Between the Lines on December 19, 2002 The ancient Roman Emperor Justinian believed that homosexuality was the cause of earthquakes, plagues, famine, and various other maladies. Modern-day critics have been only slightly less creative in their allegations. Homosexuality has been blamed for the breakdown of the family, the AIDS crisis, sexual abuse
Homosexuality and Morality, Part 3: The Harm Arguments Read More »
First published at Between the Lines on December 12, 2002 MANY PEOPLE claim that homosexuality is wrong because “The Bible says so.” This claim rests on two presuppositions: (1) The Bible condemns homosexual conduct. (2) The Bible is a good moral guide. Each of these raises questions. Regarding the first: does the Bible condemn all
Homosexuality and Morality, Part 2: The Bible Read More »
First published at Between the Lines on November 22, 2002 THE HOLIDAY SEASON is upon us and with it come holiday dinners, which can be hazardous to your health. This is not because the dinners are fattening or because you might choke on the wishbone. It’s because holiday dinners mean extended family gatherings, and your
Homosexuality and Morality, Part 1: The Essential Question Read More »
First published in “Between the Lines” in September of 2002 I have just returned from two weeks in Finland, with brief excursions to Estonia, Russia, and Norway. It was my first trip to Europe, and I came away from it having learned a profound and valuable lesson: My gaydar is useless in Europe. Nobody warned
First published in the author’s syndicated column on June 27, 2002 Last week I was invited to give a talk on homosexuality at the Lawrence Livermore National Research Laboratory, which is a nuclear weapons research facility just southeast of San Francisco. (Apparently San Francisco has a dearth of experts on homosexuality, so they need to
Facts, Values, and Nuclear Weapons Read More »
First published in Between the Lines in June 2002. Last month I learned of the death of an ex-partner. It’s an odd feeling to lose to death someone whom one has already lost to painful separation. But it’s a loss nevertheless. Robert and I met as graduate students in philosophy at the University of Texas.
Remembering Robert Read More »
First Published in “Between the Lines.” March 28, 2002 FIFTEEN YEARS AGO I was a candidate for the Roman Catholic priesthood. One night during a candidate retreat I was alone in a monastery rec room with a youngish priest — let’s call him Fr. Jack — who was attempting to counsel me as I struggled
Pedophilia in the Priesthood: Are Gays the Problem? Read More »