To be moral is an act of humanity, and thus the action of being able to make free and righteous choices is what distinguishes humanity as a species. In the words of philosopher Immanuel Kant, “Morality is not the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness”. In short, morality is a choice which promotes human flourishing. However, issues of morality arise when we are confronted with a choice between opposing goods, and it is unclear which choice would truly create human flourishing.
This essay will explore the issue of homosexuality, and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. It will survey the traditional Judeo-Christian viewpoint of the issue, as well as divergence within the tradition. It …show more content…
Scientific and Psychological Evidence
Psychological societies and organisations, such as the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association and the National Association of Social Workers, promote the belief that because it is so naturally occurring, homosexuality must be accepted. Contradicting the Judeo-Christian teaching, these organisations do not believe homosexuality to be a mental disorder. This is corroborated by Petter Boeckman, Zoologist at the Norwegian Natural History Museum, who states that homosexuality has always been a natural occurrence, not just in humans, but across more than 1500 different animal species. In reference to humanity, Dr Evelyn Hooker, an American psychologist concluded in her 1957 paper, “The Adjustment of the Male Overt Homosexual”, that there is no correlation between psychological development and homosexuality. Instead, homosexuality is viewed as a regularly occurring, non-pathological variant in the human condition. This conclusion further promotes the Secular Humanist view in favour of homosexual …show more content…
With numbers this high, it is presumable that nearly all members of the population will be in contact with a member of the LGBTQ+ community. A large proportion of the Secular Humanist argument for homosexual rights comes from these relationships, and the belief that when morality is judged on the consequences of actions, as oppose to scriptures, homosexual behaviour between consenting adults which results in the happiness of both parties, can be moral. In addition to this, the Secular Humanist view contradicts the traditional Judeo-Christian view by arguing that when damage caused by discrimination is measured, the same moral standard concludes that opposing equal rights is an immoral act. However, not all members of the Judeo-Christian community are opposed to homosexuality, with many taking a revisionist
This essay will explore the issue of homosexuality, and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. It will survey the traditional Judeo-Christian viewpoint of the issue, as well as divergence within the tradition. It …show more content…
Scientific and Psychological Evidence
Psychological societies and organisations, such as the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association and the National Association of Social Workers, promote the belief that because it is so naturally occurring, homosexuality must be accepted. Contradicting the Judeo-Christian teaching, these organisations do not believe homosexuality to be a mental disorder. This is corroborated by Petter Boeckman, Zoologist at the Norwegian Natural History Museum, who states that homosexuality has always been a natural occurrence, not just in humans, but across more than 1500 different animal species. In reference to humanity, Dr Evelyn Hooker, an American psychologist concluded in her 1957 paper, “The Adjustment of the Male Overt Homosexual”, that there is no correlation between psychological development and homosexuality. Instead, homosexuality is viewed as a regularly occurring, non-pathological variant in the human condition. This conclusion further promotes the Secular Humanist view in favour of homosexual …show more content…
With numbers this high, it is presumable that nearly all members of the population will be in contact with a member of the LGBTQ+ community. A large proportion of the Secular Humanist argument for homosexual rights comes from these relationships, and the belief that when morality is judged on the consequences of actions, as oppose to scriptures, homosexual behaviour between consenting adults which results in the happiness of both parties, can be moral. In addition to this, the Secular Humanist view contradicts the traditional Judeo-Christian view by arguing that when damage caused by discrimination is measured, the same moral standard concludes that opposing equal rights is an immoral act. However, not all members of the Judeo-Christian community are opposed to homosexuality, with many taking a revisionist