Sorry I'm coming to this debate so late; I only just joined Qatarliving.com.
I'm shocked to see so many allegations that homosexuality is "unnatural," when so very many scientific studies that show the opposite. This website gives a good overview of some of the relevant literature: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_caus4.htm. There are obvious, measurable, physiological differences between gays and straights, and there is good data on monozygotic twins that indicates a strong genetic basis for sexual orientation. (The identical twin of a gay man is more likely to be gay than straight, regardless of whether the two twins were even raised in the same family.)
What's more, there is plenty of evidence that same-sex sexual behavior is found in other species. There's an entire book on this topic (Bruce Bagemihl's "Biological Exuberance") that documents same-sex behavior in literally HUNDREDS of species. Humans are not the only species with a significant gay minority.
Of course, there is a difference between an action being natural/normal/genetic and it being morally acceptable. I believe very strongly that homosexuality is completely morally acceptable, but I can appreciate that there are a variety of viewpoints on this topic. On the topic of its normalcy, though, there is no real debate. The claim that homosexuality is unnatural is simply absurd.
Sorry I'm coming to this debate so late; I only just joined Qatarliving.com.
I'm shocked to see so many allegations that homosexuality is "unnatural," when so very many scientific studies that show the opposite. This website gives a good overview of some of the relevant literature: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_caus4.htm. There are obvious, measurable, physiological differences between gays and straights, and there is good data on monozygotic twins that indicates a strong genetic basis for sexual orientation. (The identical twin of a gay man is more likely to be gay than straight, regardless of whether the two twins were even raised in the same family.)
What's more, there is plenty of evidence that same-sex sexual behavior is found in other species. There's an entire book on this topic (Bruce Bagemihl's "Biological Exuberance") that documents same-sex behavior in literally HUNDREDS of species. Humans are not the only species with a significant gay minority.
Of course, there is a difference between an action being natural/normal/genetic and it being morally acceptable. I believe very strongly that homosexuality is completely morally acceptable, but I can appreciate that there are a variety of viewpoints on this topic. On the topic of its normalcy, though, there is no real debate. The claim that homosexuality is unnatural is simply absurd.