Recently I had an interesting debate with my friend. This friend of mine is actually quite liberal; he is pro-gay rights, etc, in fact the only "right wing" view of his is that he is pro-death penalty
Anyway, he was saying to me that gays should be allowed to marry because it isn't bothering anyone else. I said, "True, but it is still a violation of tradition and classical morality, and there can be other ways of recognizing gay couples without the need of marriage, therefore preserving the institution of marriage for heterosexual couples while allowing homosexual couples the legal rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples"
Then he said to me "but it's not wrong to them. How can you tell them it's wrong?"
This presented me with an interesting tool, using this own logic against him. I moved on to incest, of which he is fanatically opposed. The interesting part is, when I asked him why it's wrong, he said "it's just wrong; it's not the same thing. It's very wrong. How can you defend it?"
Interestingly, he was unable to elaborate (and also interestingly, this was my previous stance on homosexuality. I used to think it was just "wrong" and could not believe people actually defended it. Since then my viewpoint has changed)
However, I argued that it was exactly the same situation: two consenting adults. To this, he responded "still it's wrong"
And I said "yes, to you, however if two people are consenting and want to do it, who are you to stop them? Who are you to decide what is right and wrong"; in the argument I was pro-incest (of course I am not though)
Thereby twisting the argument, and using the same logic against him. Both incest and homosexuality involve the same situation: two consenting adults. Therefore, if you approve of one, you MUST approve of the other. He continued to claim that it was "wrong", but could not elaborate. I then told him that, nonetheless, it's not his right to decide what two consenting adults do in their private time since they are not harming you.
Now, if we use mathematics, we can say this: 2X=2. Let's say this equation is true of homosexuality (the number 2 I simply picked off the top of my head and has no real correlation to the situation)
Now, since incest meets the same situation, we can say 2X=2. If X is the situation (which I will give the number 1), then 2*1=2, 2*1 can not equal anything but 2.
Therefore by legalizing homosexual marriage, logically, you must legalize incestial marriage.
Anyway, he was saying to me that gays should be allowed to marry because it isn't bothering anyone else. I said, "True, but it is still a violation of tradition and classical morality, and there can be other ways of recognizing gay couples without the need of marriage, therefore preserving the institution of marriage for heterosexual couples while allowing homosexual couples the legal rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples"
Then he said to me "but it's not wrong to them. How can you tell them it's wrong?"
This presented me with an interesting tool, using this own logic against him. I moved on to incest, of which he is fanatically opposed. The interesting part is, when I asked him why it's wrong, he said "it's just wrong; it's not the same thing. It's very wrong. How can you defend it?"
Interestingly, he was unable to elaborate (and also interestingly, this was my previous stance on homosexuality. I used to think it was just "wrong" and could not believe people actually defended it. Since then my viewpoint has changed)
However, I argued that it was exactly the same situation: two consenting adults. To this, he responded "still it's wrong"
And I said "yes, to you, however if two people are consenting and want to do it, who are you to stop them? Who are you to decide what is right and wrong"; in the argument I was pro-incest (of course I am not though)
Thereby twisting the argument, and using the same logic against him. Both incest and homosexuality involve the same situation: two consenting adults. Therefore, if you approve of one, you MUST approve of the other. He continued to claim that it was "wrong", but could not elaborate. I then told him that, nonetheless, it's not his right to decide what two consenting adults do in their private time since they are not harming you.
Now, if we use mathematics, we can say this: 2X=2. Let's say this equation is true of homosexuality (the number 2 I simply picked off the top of my head and has no real correlation to the situation)
Now, since incest meets the same situation, we can say 2X=2. If X is the situation (which I will give the number 1), then 2*1=2, 2*1 can not equal anything but 2.
Therefore by legalizing homosexual marriage, logically, you must legalize incestial marriage.