Religions Influence On Society And Homosexuality Sociology Essay

Religions Influence On Society And Homosexuality Sociology Essay This research paper will look at how religious, mainly Christian, practitioners and studiers of science or psychology have influenced societys view of homosexuality. The Gay Rights Movement has been and is the longest fight for rights in history due to the fervent and persistent opposition put up by fundamentalist Christian leaders and scientists trying to prove homosexuality is a disability, which combined lead to society in general to ostracizing anyone of a different sexual orientation than heterosexual. The pressure that stems from religion is the long-standing belief that homosexuality is a sin. The bible, which to this day remains the best-selling book in the world, quite clearly condemns homosexuality in Leviticus 18:22. The majority of Christian followers interpret this verse literally, condemning anyone of non-heterosexual orientation. A large portion of todays society is overwhelmingly homophobic, and a lot of this has to do with Christianity being the largest religion in t he world, and it has been around for nearly 2000 years. Religion has always offered a why in life, meaning an explanation for why people exist, and science became a rational alternate option. Religion is based entirely on worshipping a deity or higher being that was responsible for the creation of humankind and life in general, whereas science is based on the physical evidence that is interpreted into the scientific version of creation and becoming how humanity is today (evolution). Religion and science, as a general rule, refute each other and constantly campaign to prove the other wrong. Despite this, however, for a very long time they agreed on one thing: homosexuality is bad. Science, for a while professed that homosexuality was one of two things: one it didnt really exist and was a life choice that people made themselves, or two that it was a treatable disorder. Eventually the science community reneged this opinion, after maintaining it for years. Today, groups like the America n Psychiatric Association (APA), who are considered the world experts on the human brain, now have officially declared that homosexuality is not a disorder, syndrome, or any form of mental disease, and cannot be changed by the individual. They also strongly oppose things like anti-gay ministries, where religious organizations will try to fix or save gays. Science became an alternate belief system to religion in the early 1600s. The Catholic church often ostracized members of the church for being scientists, and anyone who believed in something that wasnt Creationism. Christianity became all about tradition and science became all about discovery and changing. The two began a continuous struggle for society to follow one and not the other, and to force society to conform. The vast majority of the human race follows one or the other or both: science and/or religion. Christianity generally condemns homosexuality, and almost always has. This total damnation eventually lead to largely Christian values becoming an intrinsic norm in society as a whole, as demonstrated by the attitude of the public. Christianity remains the root of this hatred, as perpetrated by religious denominations in the world, and by the largely Christian dominated governments in many industrialized countries. The Holy Roman Catholic church was the first established Christian church, and since several hundred denominations have split off from it and each other, producing many different takes on the bible and religious morals. Nearly every culture in the world has or has had religion and now Christianity is the most dominant religion in the world with 1.9 to 2.1 billion believers (all denominations of Christianity). Christianity started with turn of the millennium roughly 2011 years ago. The writing of the New Testament in the bible happened shortly after Jesus was crucified, whi ch religious historians estimate was around 40 AD. Thus Christianity was born. The Old Testament, which Judaism also follows, was written a long time before Jesus came. This is where the book of Leviticus is. 22 Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable (Leviticus 18:22) is the bible verse that is used to justify religious homophobia (notice that it has nothing about gay women). Many millions of Christians depend on one man to tell them what the bible means and what they should do to follow it and this man is the Pope. He is the leader of the Holy Roman Catholic church. The current one is Pope Benedict XVI. It is a tendency toward an intrinsic moral evil, and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a person engaging in homosexual behavior therefore acts immorally (Benedict XVI) is Pope Benedicts official stance on homosexuality. He does call for more compassion, but maintains that homosexuality is a s in and thinks that sex should occur only between a married man and woman. Many Christian leaders agree with him and have more to add, like Reverend Albert Mohler Jr. There is no conclusive research that indicates any biological basis for sexual orientation. But and this is a big if here if science were ever to discover a correlation or causation with biological factors, Christians should not be surprised. We believe in the catastrophic and comprehensive effects of the Fall and Gods judgment upon sinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦such a discovery, if it were to be accepted, would not change Gods condemnation of all forms of homosexual behavior, nor would it mean that this represents the inviolable identity of any individual. As I argued previously, moral responsibility does not require absolute moral choice. A soldier in battle may not have chosen to be in a situation of moral anguish, but he is still absolutely responsible for his decisions and actions. Those who commit homosexual acts, whoever they are and whatever their biological profile, are absolutely responsible for their sin. Regardless of any actual or hypothetical orientation, those who commit same-se x acts are responsible for the choice to commit the sinful act. Those who claim that they did not choose their sexual attraction are nevertheless fully responsible for choosing to perform sexual acts the Bible condemns as sin period. (Mohler 2007). This is the opinion R. Albert Mohler Jr. provides for his public in the online newspaper he writes for frequently. He says that homosexuals cant change from being homosexual, but it is acting on it that is a sin. This is a used justification for the persecution of homosexuals. However, some differ from this belief that homosexuality is something that cant be changed just the actions. Many churches believe that therapy can cure homosexuality. This therapy ranges from gay-bashing seminars to shock treatment to gang-rape. There are facilities that use things like seminars on how to become heterosexual, or even shock treatment. These methods are supposed to cure an individual of homosexuality by showing them that being heterosexual is advantageous because it is holy and will get one to heaven. These seminars also tell all the disadvantages of being gay, using the inability to have children between same-sex couples and the bible as justification to become heterosexual. Some people who hav e exited these programs say that they work, and now claim that they are heterosexual. Although the vast majority of religion resoundingly condemns homosexuality, there are some Christians that dont. For example, a book called Homosexuality and the Christian Faith, which was written by several ministers and church-associated people, says that Efforts to change ones sexual orientation usually (some say always) fail. People who have experimented with homosexual behavior (as many heterosexual people do) can turn away from it. And homosexuals, like heterosexuals, can become celibate. But a recent review of research on efforts to help people change their sexual orientation concludes that there is no evidence indicating that such treatments are effective. Christian ex-gay organizations have had a go at this. But now are most are now either defunct or abandoned by their ex-gay founders. Reading their literature, one is struck by the admitted homosexual temptations many ex-gays struggle with (Wink 68). This is the opinion of David G Myers who is a social psychologist and contributed to this book on Accepting What Cannot Be Changed, in Chapter 7. Decidedly, not all Christians are homophobic, in fact there are many who arent and completely reject the policies put out by ministries like the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Denominations like the United Church of Christ (UCC) have earned nicknames like the gay ministry because they were revolutionary in their thinking. The UCC was the first Christian denomination to ordain and hire an out gay minister, as well as the first woman minister and the first black minster. All together, Christianity largely doesnt accept homosexuality and wields a significant influence over society as they have 2.1 billion members. Science is the careful study of physical evidence to find reasoning for life and its many components. It is the way many people rationalize the existence of consciousness and being. Science is anything from the study of insects to the study of the human brain. The human brain has been a source of fascination for hundreds of years. Psychology is not an exact study, which makes it hard to pinpoint. However, people have been trying for years. Famous psychologists like Sigmund Freud had many theories on mental disorders, and homosexuality was counted among these for many years. Starting around 1867, a scientist named Karl Heinrich Ulrichs began publishing his findings on homosexuality and the human brain. He was the first pioneer in the field of homosexuality scientifically. He theorized that gays and lesbians were created during the incubation period, that the external gender was one and the internal gender was the opposite (internal woman, external man or vice versa). He also coined hi s own terms fro gays. An urning was a gay man, an urningin was a lesbian, a dioning was a straight person and a urano-dioning was a bisexual person. Urning meant follower or descencent of Uranus, urningin meant heavenly Aphrodite daughter of Uranus, dioning meant common Aphrodite daughter of Zeus by mortal Dione, and urano-dioning was a combination (Uranus or Ouranus was the Greek god of the sky, who married the earth god, Gaia, and their children were the Titans, who emasculated Uranus for Gaia, and then were imprisoned themselves by their children who were the Greek gods Zeus, Posiedon and Hades). Ulrichs claimed that urnings and urningins were the third sex. He also believed that there was a scale of being gay. Homosexuals were a wiebling or a mannling. Wieblings were the female-type, or receptive, meaning the played the role of a woman during sex, and were also feminine in every other manner. Mannlings were the male-type or insertive, meaning the played the role of a man during sex, and were masculine in every other way. Ulrichs was the very first to ever research homosexuality, and using his studies he advocated for gay rights for his entire career. Magnus Hirschfeld was the second real pioneer in this field of study. His theories were more widely disputed, mostly to the inconsistencies of his theories and his tendency to disagree with himself later on. He was the first scientist in this field to advocate against gay marriage. He theorized that homosexuality was invented by Nature to prevent from producing degenerate offspring. He claimed that homosexual individuals would produce disabled or handicapped children and were also produced by degenerate families, but later refuted this theory when he considered that he himself was gay and could find no fault with his family to use as justification. He did, however, believe that homosexuality was largely dependent on environment. Hirschfeld interpreted masculinity and femininity as abstractions and speculated t hat sexual orientation was intrinsic with male and female characteristics, of the mental and physical levels. Thus people who were more androgynous in appearance and mental make-up were more likely to be gay. He even went as far as speculating about potential spermatozoa in vaginal secretions on women and menstrual blood in the urine of men. The next scientist in this field was named Steinach and was the first to perform any physical surgery to try and cure homosexuality. He performed testicle transplants between heterosexual and homosexual males. He took the testicles of a heterosexual man and placed them in a gay man. This failed to cure the gay men of their homosexuality and actually caused many health problems, like hair loss and the loss of the ability to have an erection. Then came Sigmund Freud. Freud theorized on various matters of psychoanalysis, and did many studies on homosexual men (there werent many studies on lesbians ever). He dealt mainy with the sexual drive area of the brain, called the Libido. He maintained one solid reasoning for men being gay: In their earliest childhood, later forgotten, they had an intense erotic attachment to a female person, as a rule their mother, provoked and fostered by the excessive tenderness of the mother herself, further buttressed by recessiveness of the father in the childs life at a later stage the boy represses his love for his mother by putting himself in her place, identifies himself with her, and takes his own person as a model in whose likeness he chooses his new love objects' (LeVay 33). In short, Freud believed that a smothering mother and a recessive father made a gay man. A follower of Freud named Ovesey took these theories further According to Ovesey, a gay man is often fearful of female genitalia because they remind him of the danger castration. Therefore he represses his attraction to women and the Libido associated with that attraction finds another channel for expression namely in attraction to men. Thus, for many homosexual men homosexuality is not their authentic orientation but merely a displaced route for sexual release (LeVay 75) The only theories he offered on lesbians were that he thought they were upset with only having a clitoris and this made them jealous of the male genitalia. He thought that this shouldnt be used as justification to take rights however Psychoanalytic research, wrote Sigmund Freud in 1915, is most decidedly opposed to any attempt at separating off homosexuals from the rest of mankind as a group of special character' (LeVay 67). Many psychology associations included homosexuality in their list of disorders due to Freud. Later in 1957, The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality for its book of disorders, declaring that homosexuality was not a curable problem in the brain. Further scientific research was in the 1900s with genetic research. Many believed for a long time that their might be a gay gene but this theory has been disproved. Most of the major science journals reported on progress in the field of genetics, but also speculated on how the information would now be used. The one piece of information that ever materialized in form the Human Genome Project was the identification of the so called gay-gene' (Harrub and Thompson 1). This was the result of the Human Genome Project, which many people hoped would come with a scientific justification for homosexuality. When it didnt, many still insisted that there was a genetic reason. Science has always existed but people didnt start really studying it until after Christianity was firmly established. There were even some original Christian scientists like Galileo Galeli, who discovered that the solar system is heliocentric instead of geocentric and was ostracized from the Catholic Church because of it. Science is based off of logic and physical evidence, whereas religion is based on faith. Science, because of this, has even influenced religion, because some Christians accept both. Many Christians also believe that homosexuality is a disorder, even though the APA declared it isnt. This is the reasoning behind many ex-gay ministries, even though psychologists overwhelmingly agree that they are extremely harmful to the individual and are not a psychological institutio n by any means. Science, therefore, wields an incredible influence over society due to some religious acceptance and those who dont have a religion who are largely accepting of scientific fact. Society is a complex place. It is so layered with culture and ways of life that it is hard to analyze and make generalizations about. Luckily there are many consistencies and commonalities in cultures. Homosexuality has been around for centuries, around 26 centuries in fact. There is even evidence pre-dating 600 BC, but its accuracy is questionable, so everything after is what is included below: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 600 BC- Island of Lesbos was later the inspiration for the word lesbian à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 27 BC- first recorded same-sex marriages à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 244-249 AD- Emperor Phillip the Arab tries to outlaw homosexual prostitution and fails à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 342- First law against same-sex marriage, promulgated by Christian Emperors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 390- Homosexuality declared illegal by Christian emperors, and the punishment would be publicly burned alive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 484- Christian emperors still collect taxes on male prostitutes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 529- Homosexuals made scapegoat by Christian emperors for things like flooding and storms à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1102- Council of London ensures English public knows homosexuality is sinful à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1260- France places genital mutilation as punishment for homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1321- Dantes Inferno places sodomites in the 7th circle of hell à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1476- Leonardo Da Vinci charged with sodomy, no verdict à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1532- Holy Roman Empire makes sodomy death sentence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1533- King Henry VIII makes male sex death sentence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1553- Mary Tudor removes King Henry VIIIs laws à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1558- Elizabeth I reinstates Henry VIIIs laws à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1620- Prussia makes sodomy punishable by death à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1649- 1st known conviction for lesbianism (USA) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1721- Execution for female sodomy in Germany à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1791- France decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1794- Prussia abolishes death penalty for sodomy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1811- Netherlands and Indonesia decriminalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1828- crime against nature is first used in the criminal code in the US à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1830- Brazil decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1832- Russia criminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1835- Russia forces Poland to criminalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1836- last Great Britain execution for homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1852- Portugal decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1858- Ottoman Empire (Turkey) decriminalizes sodomy; Timor-Leste legalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1865- San Marino decriminalizes sodomy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1867- Karl Heinrich Ulrichs speaks for homosexual rights in Munich à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1871- German Empire criminalizes homosexuality; Guatemala and Mexico decriminalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1880- Empire of Japan decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1886- England decriminalizes homosexuality in men, but not women; Argentina and Portugal decriminalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1889- Italy decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1895- Earl Lind starts first political party with gay rights in the policy agenda à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1903- New York has 1st raid on gay bathhouse, 12 went to trial on sodomy charges à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1910- Emma Goldman fights for homosexual rights à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1913- faggot is used in literature for the first time in France à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1917- Russia repeals previous ruling à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1920- gay is used for the first time referencing homosexuals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1921- England tries to make lesbianism illegal and fails à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1924- 1st gay rights organization in the USA; Panama, Paraguay and Peru legalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1933- Denmark decriminalizes homosexuality; National Socialist German Workers Party bans homosexuals; homosexuals are sent to Nazi concentration camps à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1934- Uruguay decriminalizes homosexuality; USSR criminalizes gay men à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1937- Pink Triangle is means gay men for Nazi party à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1940- Iceland decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1942- Switzerland decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1944- Sweden decriminalizes homosexuality; Suriname legalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1945- Allies liberate concentration camps, but homosexuals have to serve full term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1950- 190 US government employees dismissed for being gay à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1952- Christine Jorgenson is the 1st transgender (Male to Female, MTF) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1954- Alan Turning commits suicide after being given a choice between prison or hormone treatment for being gay à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1956- Thailand decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1957- American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its disorders handbook à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1958- US Supreme Court has a 1st case involving gay rights à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1961- Czechoslovakia and Hungary decriminalize sodomy; Vatican declares gays banned from the Catholic church; Illinois 1st US state to decriminalize sodomy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1963- Israel (De Facto) decriminalize sodomy between men à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1965- 1st gay rights demonstration in Canada à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1967- Chad decriminalizes homosexuality; England and Wales decriminalize homosexuality between men à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1968- East Germany decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1969- Canada decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1971- Austria, Costa Rica, Finland, Colorado, Oregon, and Idaho repeal sodomy laws; Idaho reinstates because of religious outrage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1972- Sweden allows legal sex changes; Hawaii legalizes homosexuality; East Lansing (MI), Ann Arbor (MC), and Sam Francisco (CA) are the first cities to pass homosexual rights ordinance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1973- Malta legalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1974- Kathy Kozachenko is the 1st openly gay American elected to public office à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1975- California legalizes homosexuality; South Australia 1st state in Australia to legalize homosexuality; Panama allows legal sex change à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1976- Christian Voice is founded, first anti-gay group à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1977- Harvey Milk is the third out elected offcial; Quebec prohibits discrmination based on sexual orientation; Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia decriminalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1978- Harvey Milk is assassinated; rainbow flag is first used as gay pride symbol; IGLA forms à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1979- Spain and Cuba decriminalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1980- Scotland decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1981- Northern Ireland, Victoria (Aus), and Colombia decriminalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1982- California has 1st gay mayor; AIDS acquires many homophobic nicknames à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1983- Portugal re-legalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1985- France prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1986- Haiti decriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1987- Homomonument founded in Amsterdam (memorial to persecuted homosexuals) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1988- Belize and Israel (De Jure) decriminalize sodomy and sex between men à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1989- Western Australia decriminalizes homosexuality between men; Liechtenstein legalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1990- UK Crown Dependency of Jersey and Queensland decriminalize homosexuality; Justin Fashanu is the 1st out football player à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1991- Bahamas, Hong Kong and Ukraine decriminalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1992- Estonia and Latvia decriminalize homosexuality; World Health Organization declares homosexuality is not an illness; Australia lets gays in the military; Nicaragua recriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1993- Norfolk Island (Aus) repeals sodomy laws; Belarus, UK Crown Dependency of Gilbraltar, Iceland, Lithuania and Russia decriminalize homosexuality; USA instates Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy; New Zealand lets gays in the military à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1994- Bermuda, Germany, UK Crown Dependency Isle of Man, Serbia and South Africa decriminalize homosexuality; Canada grants sanctuary to gays fearing persecution à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1995- Canada passes anti-discrimination law based on sexual orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1996- Romania and Macedonia decriminalize homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1997- Ecuador and Tasmania decriminalize homosexuality; Fiji and South Africa pass anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 1998- Bosnia, Herzegovina, Chile, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Southern Cyprus and Tajikistan decriminalize homosexuality; Matthew Shepard is brutally murdered; Ecuador, Ireland and Alberta pass anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2000- Azerbaijan, Gabon and Georgia decriminalize homosexuality; UK lets gays in the military; Nazis officially apologize to gays and lesbians for harm and persecution up to 1969 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2001- UK Territories decriminalize homosexuality; Rhode Island and Maryland pass anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation; Netherlands allows same-sex marriage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2002- China and Mongolia decriminalize homosexuality; Romania, Costa Rica and Arkansas repeal sodomy laws; Alaska and New York pass anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2003- Iraq decriminalizes homosexuality; Belgium, Ontario and British Colombia allow same-sex marriage; Bulgaria, UK, Arizona, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, and Pennslyvania pass anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation; Armenia and USA repeal sodomy laws; Belize recriminalizes homosexuality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2004- Cape Verde, Marshall Islands decriminalize homosexuality; Manitoba, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Massachusetts allow gay marriage; Australia , Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Virginia and Wisconsin ban same-sex marriage; Portugal, Indiana, Louisiana and Maine pass anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2005- Canada and Spain allow same-sex marriage; Latvia, Uganda, Kansas and Texas ban same-sex marriage; Illinois passes anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation, Puerto Rico repeals sodomy laws à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2006- South Africa allows same-sex marriage; Tennessee, Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and Wisconsin ban same-sex marriage; Faroe Islands, Germany, New Zealand, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington, DC pass anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation, Kentucky voids anti-discrimination laws à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2007- Nepal and New Zealand territories decriminalize homosexuality; UK Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and Vermont pass anti discrimination legislation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2008- Nicaragua and Panama decriminalize homosexuality; Connecticut allows gay marriage; Arizona, California and Florida ban same-sex marriage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2009- India decriminalizes homosexuality; Argentina, Phillipines and Uruguay end ban on gays in the military; Serbia, Delaware, and the USA Matthew Shepard Act, pass anti-discrimination legislation; Iceland has the first gay head of government à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 2010- Fiji decriminalizes homosexuality; Australia lets transgendered people in the military; Serbia lets gays in the military; Australia recognizes non-gender specific people; USA repeals Dont Ask, Dont Tell; Portugal, Iceland, Agentina, Mexico City, new Hampshire and DC pass same-sex marriage As shown, religious persecution dates all the way back to the very beginning of the millennium. This shows that religion is the longest-standing resistance to acceptance of all peoples. Christianity has been trying to outlaw and even execute homosexuals for hundreds of years. Bans on gay marriage, the criminalizing of sodomy or homosexuality, or any other anti-gay legislation is almost guaranteed to be religiously based. In conclusion, the gay rights movement is the longest rights struggle in history. It has not really had any specific leaders, but rather a mish-mash of like-minded people. This has lead to there being much progress, but in many ways there has been recession as well. In the late BC, homosexuality was very much a norm in extremely developed societies like the Greek or Roman Empires. With the rise of Christianity however, this norm became an abnormality, and religion very slowly took over and outlawed homosexuality, putting severe penalties on it, such as death. This continued all over the world for many centuries. Science, in its beginning, did not really make anything better, but instead provided another rational for homosexuality being bad by calling it a disorder.

Passion Is Both Imprisoning and Liberating

Analyses the emotional changes of Jed and How does he Imprison Joe' One of the major characters in the novel is Jed Parry, one of the main male leads. Jed is a harsh Christian, to put it kindly â€Å"Please leave your message after the beat. And the may the Lord be with you†. After the ballooning Incident, he develops a voracious obsession with Joe Rose, who we know has a wife; Claries. Jed doesn't seem like the violent type, though the power of his obsession Is Itself a kind of violence.He ascribes his love for Joe In his various letters and phone messages, as something dictated by God. He sees himself, as the result of Joey's escape. The tension here is a slight variation of that between Joe and Claries. It revolves around the battle between science and faith. Throughout the novel, Jed expresses his love and views towards Joe very openly and seems Like the character In which he follows his heart instead of his head. From when Joe receives a phone call from Jed, enquiring whe n he shall be meeting with IM, he ends his part of the phone call with; â€Å"l can come to you. He hesitates while saying this and with no surprise Jed replies with † No. Tell me where you are. † The fact that Jed is very versatile and forgiving towards Joe tells us that he is truly in love with him. Jed Is very passionate towards Joe and portrays this deeply; â€Å"I don't know why you've chosen me. All I know is that I love you too now, and that there's a reason for it, a purpose. † Through this he seems to have put Joe in a very awkward moment. From this he feels and knows that Joe has to react in either a way of horror or agreement.Joe feels trapped and very imprisoned even though Jed is only expressing his feelings and trying to understand why Joe doesn't feel the same way. Later on In the novel, Jed starts to (In certain ways) ‘Interrogate' Joe so he starts to understand exactly how he feels; â€Å"look. You don't have to go about it like this. You could save us both so much misery. † This back fires as Joe still doesn't express the truth and his full emotions. Jed continues this ‘act' as he later on says â€Å"What have I done to you?Why are you keeping this up? † Joe has Instigated this and feels manipulated and controlled by him. Parry starts to get very affectionate towards Joe Rose, maybe trying to get through to Joe in a different way. He states; â€Å"Something passed between us, up there on the hill, after he fell, it was pure energy, pure light? † He tries to approach Rose in many ways and I believe this is his final attempt to reach Joe. This quote defines the way in which parry express' love.He believes this is the true meaning of love and how he feels towards Joe. The fact that Joe Rose Is married doesn't even cross Parry's mind even thong en Is very aware AT ten Tact; â€Å"l en only way Is Tort ten tenure AT us to talk. † From this, I think that Parry believes this is all a game; a love triangle in which he believes he van fox but Joe isn't taking it. By the end of chapter seven Joe finally loses his patience, hails a taxi and leave abruptly when Jed mentions dealing with what he sees as the ‘Claries problem'.

Stem Cells And Stem Cell Research - 1310 Words

Could you imagine having someone close to you who needed nonspecialized cells which have the potential to create other types of specific cells in order to survive? Those cells are called Stem Cells and they are very crucial to develop organisms. Stem cell research is a subject that most people in the world have a different viewpoint on. Some view the issue of stem cell research and stem cell therapy as morally wrong and a crime against humanity, others view the study of stem cells as the next step in modern science (Reeve.) I think in some twisted way, stem cell research can be useful. Eighteen years ago a man named James Thomson discovered what we call â€Å"Stem Cell Research.’ He first discovered stem cells by using ES cells from an Old World monkey (the rhesus macaque) and a New World monkey (the common marmoset), this work is what led to the derivation of human ES cells in 1998 (Thomson Article). After this discovery, his research lab was dedicated to establishing human ES cells only. After many years of research, Thomson found a new research that now focuses on understanding how a cell can maintain or change identity, how a cell chooses between self-renewal and the initial decision to differentiate, and how a differentiated cell with limited developmental potential can be reprogrammed to a pluripotent cell (Thomson Article p2). Once the word of stem cells came to light, the subject began to get brought up worldwide. It started to be normal to hear peopleShow MoreRelatedStem Cell Research : Stem Cells1338 Words   |  6 Pages Stem Cells Stem cells are cells that are found throughout the human body. They reproduce over a long period of time without changing. Stem cells can produce specialized cells, such as brain, muscle or lung cells. Stem cells in the last few years have recently made a big debut because medical professionals have discovered so many unique qualities to stem cells. They are on the cutting edge of medicine because of all their uses and the qualities that make them so unique from any other cell in theRead MoreStem Cell Research : Stem Cells1416 Words   |  6 PagesSTEM CELLS In this report, I mainly focused on Stem-Cells. You will read about Stem-Cells and its history from the moment this term was known. Also, you will know the Sources, properties, and the types of Stem-Cells. In addition, you will know some of the pros and cons researches about Stem-Cells. Stem-Cells are cells that have the ability to divide and multiply and renew itself. †¢ Sources of Stem-Cells: 1- The first source is Bone Marrow. 2- The second source isRead MoreStem Cell Research : Stem Cells941 Words   |  4 PagesStem cells have the extraordinary power to develop into several body cell types during early growth and development. (Stem Cell Basics). Stem cells are either embryonic: from a human fetus, or somatic: from an adult (Stem Cell Basics).These cells can be used to rebuild body tissue, treat diseases, and even cure others. They can be more effective in treatment of illness than the common treatment, such as therapy or medication. Stem cells are potentially more medically effective than traditional treatmentsRead MoreStem Cell Research : Stem Cells1261 Words   |  6 Pagescure diseases. Now we have stem cell therapy. Stem cells promise future cures for many currently considered to be â€Å"incurable† diseases, but with more research, we can overcome the controversy surrounding this this topic and help people live longer, improve their quality of life, and save many many lives. To understand the big hype about stem cells, one must know what a stem cell is. Stem cells have specialized functions that have the potential to become any type of cell in the body. According toRead MoreStem Cell Research : Stem Cells999 Words   |  4 PagesSTEM CELLS WORKING TO SPECIALIZE INTO CARDIAC CELLS Once the stem cells are delivered near the damaged areas of the heart, the regeneration of cardiac (heart) cells is possible. There is a lack of understanding on how or why specifically the stem cells turn into heart cells. â€Å"Recent studies indicated that the benefits associated with adult stem cell injection might come from paracrine effects, the effect of a nearby cell sending chemical and electrical signals to the stem cell, and not from myocardialRead MoreStem Cell Research : Stem Cells1999 Words   |  8 Pagesregenerative medicine, commonly known as stem cell research. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells within the body that have the capability to specialize into any tissue. They are most commonly found in cord blood, bone marrow, organ donations, placenta, and embryos . Stem cells are seen by some as a new miracle treatment, encouraging many countries to invest in their research. The transfer of information, often shared through scientific reports and research, puts this topic in a highly internationalRead MoreStem Cell Research : Stem Cells1416 Words   |  6 PagesDana Moua English IV 25 April 2016 Stem Cell Research What are stem cells? Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are found in multicellular organisms. The reason for scientist’s interest in stem cells is because of the possible applications of using them. These stem cells can be used to regrow organs/tissues. By using stem cells, scientists may be able to find cures for different cancers, certain genetic diseases, and different physical trauma damages. They can be used to treat a varietyRead MoreStem Research On Stem Cell Research1747 Words   |  7 PagesEnglish 111-36 25 November 2014 Stem Cell Research Stem cell research has cultivated a new, miraculous study in the health field. The study has led to an increase in curing diseases over the past couple of decades. Before stem cell research, diseases were destroying and devastating lives continuously on end. With the use of stem cells in modern time, diseases are no longer taking control of lives. The innovation in biomedical technology, such as stem cell research, has greatly impacted the understandingRead MoreStem Cell Research Controversy : Stem Cells1886 Words   |  8 Pages Stem cell research controversy. What is the first thing that comes to your mind? A person like me will either agree with it or disagree with this topic. I personally agree with stem cell research. First I want to start by pointing out that there are three main stem cells used in research the adult stem cell, induced-pluripotent stem cells, and lastly the embryonic stem cells. It has been shown that using blood stem cells to treat diseases of the blood hav e been beneficial, and has also saved manyRead MoreStem Cells And Adult Stem Cell Research882 Words   |  4 PagesStem cell are cells with the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells( Introduction [Stem Cell Information]., 2015). Stem cells, like any other cell divide, however, when stems cells divide they either remain a stem cell or become a specialized cell, for example, a neuron (Introduction [Stem Cell Information]., 2015). Stem cell research is nothing new; in fact the first bone marrow transplant to successfully treat two siblings with combined immunodeficiency

Security Controls And The Utilization Of Technical And...

3.4.1 Control Methods Security controls include the utilization of technical and nontechnical strategies (NIST, 2002). Technical controls are protections that are consolidated into PC hardware, programming, or firmware such as access control mechanisms, ID, encryption techniques and intrusion detection program or software). Nontechnical controls on the other hand are administration and operational controls that includes security approaches; operational methodology; and physical and environmental security NIST, 2002). SunTrust Bank should implement technical controls with respect to how information and data are being encrypted, what program is being utilized to identify any intrusion to their network and system and how customers/clients are being verified. Concerning nontechnical control, SunTrust administration should provide appropriate security controls for every resources and assets in the organization. 3.4.2 Control Categories NIST classified both technical and nontechnical control techniques as either preventive or detective. Preventive controls restrain attempts by the attackers to damage security strategy and policy such as access control authorization, encryption, and validation (NIST, 2002). Detective controls, however, should caution of violation or attempted violations of security such as audit trails, intrusion detection methods, and checksums NIST 2002, p.20). Hence, SunTrust bank should endeavor to enhance their intrusion detection system or IDS forShow MoreRelatedInformation Data Backup Challenges At The High Level Management1507 Words   |  7 Pages...................................................4 3.1 Risk hedging†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 3.2 Risk avoidance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 3.3 Risk control†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 3.4 Risk assumption†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 3.5 Risk reduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 3.6 Risk Sharing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 3 Possible Strategies for Risk Mitigation...........................................................................................................................5 4 RolesRead MoreSoftware Architecture in Banking8917 Words   |  36 Pagesbe interacting with other systems and so the new system will need to perform fast enough to allow everyone to complete the necessary tasks. Also, the reliability and security of the system are two of the most important thing to focus on. The system needs to be reliable such that it does not crash and has a very high uptime. The security is important because banks hold a large amount of private information. If this private information became available to people who should not have access, the companyRead MoreManagement of Information Systems8243 Words   |  33 Pageswhy managing their typical resources such as equipment and people are important, it is worthwhile to take a moment to examine the growing interdependence between a firm’s ability to use information technology and its ability to implement corporate strategies and achieve corporate goals. Specifically, business firms invest heavily in inform ation to achieve six strategic business objectives: †¢ Operational excellence †¢ New products, services, and business models †¢ Customer and supplierRead MorePrinciples of Information Security, 4th Ed. - Michael E. Whitman Chap 0118683 Words   |  75 PagesLicensed to: CengageBrain User Licensed to: CengageBrain User Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition Michael E. Whitman and Herbert J. Mattord Vice President Editorial, Career Education Training Solutions: Dave Garza Director of Learning Solutions: Matthew Kane Executive Editor: Steve Helba Managing Editor: Marah Bellegarde Product Manager: Natalie Pashoukos Development Editor: Lynne Raughley Editorial Assistant: Jennifer Wheaton Vice President Marketing, Career Education TrainingRead MoreCissp Dictionary8729 Words   |  35 Pages(Triple DES): An enhancement to the original DES algorithm that uses multiple keys to encrypt plaintext. See also DES. AAA: Shorthand for the system controls authentication, authorization, and accountability. Abstraction: A process of viewing an application from its highest-level functions, which makes lower-level functions abstract. Access control: The ability to permit or deny the use of an object (a passive entity such as a system or file) by a subject (an active entity such as a person orRead MoreHuman Resources Management150900 Words   |  604 Pagesmanagement of human resources (HR) increasingly is being seen as positively affecting performance in organizations, both large and small. A joint venture between General Electric and a Japanese company, GE Fanuc is a manufacturer of factory automation and control products. Headquartered in Virginia with 1,500 employees, the HR department primarily performed administrative support activities. But when Donald Borwhat, Jr., took over as Senior Vice President of Human Resources, he and his staff began by restructuringRead MoreData, Analytics, and Competitive Advantage14733 Words   |  59 Pagescan acquire technology—but data is oftentimes considered a defensible source of competitive advantage. The data a firm can leverage is a true strategic asset when it ’s rare, valuable, imperfectly imitable, and lacking in substitutes (see Chapter 2 Strategy and Technology: Concepts and Frameworks for Understanding What Separates Winners from Losers). If more data brings more accurate modeling, moving early to capture this rare asset can be the difference between a dominating firm and an also-ran.Read MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesSTUDY II-4 Mining Data to Increase State Tax Revenues in California CASE STUDY II-5 The Cliptomaniaâ„ ¢ Web Store: An E-Tailing Start-up Survival Story CASE STUDY II-6 Rock Island Chocolate Company, Inc.: Building a Social Networking Strategy CASE STUDY III-1 Managing a Systems Development Project at Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc. CASE STUDY III-2 A Make-or-Buy Decision at Baxter Manufacturing Company CASE STUDY III-3 ERP Purchase Decision at Benton Manufacturing