Religious Freedom

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

Alcoholism is a disease. Being gay is not.

Not that I agree with most religious standpoints on homosexuality, but that's not a black and white distinction that will do much good in making progress towards tolerance.

The only difference between defining alcoholism as a disease vs. homosexulaity as not is your perception that alcoholism is harmful and being gay is not. Otherwise, they are both conditions that affect the mind and/or body. "Negative effects" are the only thing that defines a disease (if we're talking about genetic disease) as different from any other genetic trait. So to someone who believes that homosexuality IS negative, it IS a disease.

Again, I obviosly don't hold that opinion, but in the idological battle, defining something as "a disease" or "not a disease" is as meaningless as worrying about what is and isn't a planet.