Sunday, May 27, 2007

Homosexualism in nature

Thanks to darwinian remiix journal I noticed museum exhibition devoted to homosexuality among animals.
On LiveScience page we find information:
“Homosexuality has been documented in almost 500 species of animals, signaling that sexual preference is predetermined. Considered the closest living relative to humans, bonobos are not shy about seeking sexual pleasure. Nearly all of these peace-loving apes are bisexual and often resolve conflict by the “make love, not war” principle. They copulate frequently, scream out in delight while doing so, and often engage in homosexual activities. About two thirds of the homosexual activities are amongst females.”
Those facts are nothing new but surprisingly big number of people have never heard of it or are deaf on such informations. I talked once with Christian fundie about that and his reaction was something like that: “What? Never heard of it”. I asked: “Haven’t you see even two male dogs together”? His answer: “What? No, never. And actually that is not true with homosexuality. Science is just one big fraud”…
Well, by such opinion there was no point of discussing it further. It’s hard to believe that people can think that way (read: to be so limited, stupid) but maybe it’s some kind of US specialty among fundies or like overweight people, fluffizm and so on… At least in area/environment I live, such statements would be not just faux pax but complete disgrace. It’s true that science often is overestimated and has many disadvantages but not to such degree! It shows complete lack of understanding what science in general is. Alas many scientists seem to forget it too…
Anyway, back to this fascinating exhibition:
“A first-ever museum display, “Against Nature?,” which opened last month at the University of Oslo’s Natural History Museum in Norway, presents 51 species of animals exhibiting homosexuality.”
More to it and other related sources is to be found on the site:

Gay animals out of the closet?

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Satanism is bad? Oh my...

On Yahoo! Answers on the question why Satanism is bad, someone wrote:

"Because it is worshipping the enemy of (Christ who is all good)!! It is following the deceiver who lures you away from Jesus who is the Truth. It opposes God. It is choosing satan as your lord and master rather that Jesus. It is choosing to spend eternity in hell with satan rather that Heaven with God/Jesus. It is pure stupidity and ignorance. Nuff said."


HAHAHAHAHAHA
It's always amazing how stupid and limited people could be. That quote shows "pure stupidity and ignorance" perfectly.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Polygamy

Today I red an article in Weekend Magazin about polygamy (probably reprint from Kronen Zeitung). There was described a case in which 21 old man from Kosovo got married with his 25 year old Austrian girlfriend. It wouldn’t be anything unusual despite the fact he already had a wife in Kosovo. After some time and baby from second marriage health insurance agency found out about his first wife and he was charged of bigamy. Decision of the court he got suspended sentence of three months of jail (in the worst case he could be convicted of 3 years of imprisonment).
Now if his second wife was not informed and agreed with the presence of first one then it’s a case of fraud and the second bond should be invalidated. But what I find strange are penalties just from the fact of having two “legal” partners. Of course it’s nothing new, the law was always treated it as a crime but who has sacrificed it a second thought? Nowadays with accepting homosexual marriages in many countries such law seems to be at least backward and obsolete. But who cares about it? If we would ask people in European countries and United States about who would want to have or have need for more than one legal partner then very likely we would obtain very little percent of positive answers. Our cultural conditioning makes that we can’t even imagine polygamous model as functioning in our life. People usually realize that there are polygamous cultures but most of them is not aware that well working family models are far more various and common beyond main stream of Judeo-Christian cultures. They assume that standard monogamous model (for many with mom and dad) is the only right one. There is no bigger organized groups which would press governments to change the law how is it in case of homosexuals. We don’t realize how deep Christian culture influenced the law and culture. If we want it or not we were raised in such culture and many patterns were taken unaware as a norm and we even don’t think it could be something wrong with them. Most people simply assume that their way is the best way. Is it really?

Friday, May 4, 2007

Polish right wing goverment ideas

(originally posted on May 4, 2007)

If someone is interested in what religious right wing in different countries is up to should look closer to present polish government. Maybe Poland is not so important on international political scene but there is much spicy news. I’m not sure how much of it is available in English.

Just to mention some more or less recent ideas:

- “Improving” of antiabortion law in a way to delete all exceptions where abortion is allowed.

- Making Jesus as the right king of Poland (sic!)

- Once again “small improvement” of paragraph to prohibit promotion of Satanism and homosexual way of life (understood as complete ban of any public friendly statements on that topics and throwing homosexuals out of areas where they could have contact with kids or teenagers).

Luckily those blatantly stupid and shocking attempts where fruitless (not counting the last one which is still in progress) but what is very disturbing that religious right wing has now more power than ever and no one is really sure if some of mentioned above “ideas” could not become finally horrible reality.

I think there should be at least some English news about recent polish government actions. Below are examples I quickly googled:

http://www.gay.eu/artikel.html?documentid=1798

http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2005/poland.htm

http://www.kampania.org.pl/english.php

Now one can consider if so common place right wing domination or growth of its importance in various countries at the same time is just freaky coincidence or it could be influence of conflict with Islamic extremists?

Current notes: Government has luckily changed since the time of the original post. Right wing have always "intriguing" ideas but the situation is more balanced now.