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I don't understand why you're so afraid of the word abnormal?
I don't think that homosexuals are bad, immoral or anything. But they are abnormal as most people are heterosexual. it's not a judgment, just a description. What scares you so much about descriptions?
Because it's incorrect to use the word "abnormal" to describe homosexuality from a psychological point of view. The word "normal" is relative. Most people in the world have brown eyes and are right-handed. It would be odd to describe left-handed people or people with blue eyes as "abnormal", but that's exactly what we would have to do in order to go along with your argument about what's normal and what is not.
Look, why don't you tell me why I should assess the merit of my position...why should I as a gay man assess the merit of my posistion?
Shrug...
Why is it that you meet relevant relations to the subject with dismissal?
How about simply answering to the analogy made by the other poster? That is what it means to evaluate the merit of ones position. If you hide from arguments that are relevant and dismiss them, it tends to suggest that it is because you doubt your own position. Do you? If not, why the evasion?
It is a proper definition, it is a relevant definition and it is an appropriate definition. The fact that people don't use it is simply they do not want a negative sound to their description. They take it personally and honestly, I don't care how someone takes a word when it is specifically relevant to the discussion.
If anything, political influence has led to people thinking it is a bad word when it is simply a fact. We have enough people who can't read, the last thing we need is constant changes to definitions to fit emotional appeal. In fact, I personally think it the path to an ignorant society.
We could go back and forth about the political correctness of a word, which would be pointless.
Granted, we are in a political thread, so political correctness behind words are applied, depending on whom you are talking to. Best thing to do is probably explain one's position is greater depth
Because it's incorrect to use the word "abnormal" to describe homosexuality from a psychological point of view. The word "normal" is relative. Most people in the world have brown eyes and are right-handed. It would be odd to describe left-handed people or people with blue eyes as "abnormal", but that's exactly what we would have to do in order to go along with your argument about what's normal and what is not.
It is proper form. It is relative to the issue of homosexuality. It is extremely uncommon, which suggests that it is not an intended progression of human development just as so many other ailments that are rare, uncommon, or rather abnormal.
If people do not like it, well I can't help that. I don't deal in appealing to their emotions. They are irrelevant when we are discussing the facts of the issue.
It seems to me as though we are getting into the political correctness of the proper usage of the word "abnormal".
To me the term should be 'atypical'. In a statistical sample any outlying point is atypical. It doesn't mean it is good, or bad. It just means it differs from the main sample set in a significant way. Being left-handed is atypical within the population of the United States. You won't find many left-handed people that feel self-conscious about it though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale
Why hasn't the American Psychological Association postulated the same theory? Do you believe that homosexuality can be "cured"?
I know twenty years ago what I said WAS espoused as explanation for homosexuality by cognitive behaviorists. I don't know which group of psychologists holds the majority view today, if any.
I would not use the term "cured" since it has strong negative connotations. I would use a term like "changed" or "retrained" since it is a learned condition. Like all psychological learned behaviors it would be very hard to change but change is possible. It might never feel as 'right' to the homosexual as to someone who successfully mastered the identity vs. role confusion stage correctly the first time around though.
Because it's incorrect to use the word "abnormal" to describe homosexuality from a psychological point of view. The word "normal" is relative. Most people in the world have brown eyes and are right-handed. It would be odd to describe left-handed people or people with blue eyes as "abnormal", but that's exactly what we would have to do in order to go along with your argument about what's normal and what is not.
Are most people left or right handed?
Do most people have two nipples? What about a person with a third nipple? I have a third nipple. That makes me abnormal, because most people don't.
We could go back and forth about the political correctness of a word, which would be pointless.
Granted, we are in a political thread, so political correctness behind words are applied, depending on whom you are talking to. Best thing to do is probably explain one's position is greater depth
you miss my point, I am not using the word outside of its context, I am using it as intended which is relevant to the point. Attempting to avoid using it is counter to the issues brought up. That is, it is a disservice to proper relevant communication.
the issue of this thread is concerning a cure for gays, though more specifically the funding with it. The issue then is relevant to what homosexuality is, its rate of occurrence, what defines it or causes it and how that relates to its occurrence in society.
To claim it is not abnormal would be disingenuous at best.
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