Born that Way?

Most people still think their lifestyle is a conscious choice, but recent scientific evidence suggests that many might be born that way. How will we have to rethink the way we treat them if science continues to prove this out?

Even amongst those that don’t think they are really born that way, they at least admit that their tendencies formed at a young age, and that past a certain age, many might not be able to change any more. It may just be too late for them. If this is true, then as distasteful as they are, we might have to seriously rethink our stance towards them if we intend to be a compasionate society.

It’s almost a truism amongst those that feel they are enlightened that all of them should be converted and changed from the way they are. I’m often told the world would be better place without any of them at all. “If they would just see the light and change, think of all the good it would do.”

But what if it’s not possible? What if how they are is just natural and not something that can be changed? What if it’s an evolutionary roll of the  dice?

Now I’m not against continuing to keep some pressure on these people to change because perhaps not all of them are born this way and many may be able to change. Tolerance suggests we should allow a free exchange of ideas and shut down no point of view, so trying to convert them to a better way seems only right. But doesn’t tolerance also suggest we should stop treating people who have no control over what they are like as if they are pure evil and the source of the world’s woes? Perhaps we should find more constructive ways to deal with them.

What we American’s — no citizens of the world — must learn to do is to agree to disagree with them rather than condemn them. We should not seek to marginalize them by legal means. And, really, by what moral basis can we truly say their way is worse than the alternative?

Now I know their ways really make some people mad. In fact, it makes some people so mad that they have effectively outlawed any mention of them in the classroom. Even at the college level, if they are mentioned at all, they are only ill spoken of. Some hate them so much that they feel the need to picket their gatherings or make movies mocking them or casting them only as the villains.

Even many usually open-minded people seem to agree that their lifestyle choices (if it even is a choice) should at a minimum be kept entirely out of the public sphere. They should be required to stay in the closet and never ever let their distasteful choices be brought up in regular conversation or – worse – political conversation. Indeed, many feel they should be required to leave their lifestyle at home when they vote and be required to not be true to themselves. Personally, this doesn’t seem realistic to me, but I can at least understand why some people feel this way.

Oh, I forgot to mention: I’m talking about Fundamentalist Christians, of course. Hope I didn’t confuse you by forgetting to mention that.