The pseudonym "Philo Vaihinger" has been abandoned. All posts have been and are written by me, Joseph Auclair.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

About the "differently abled"



The author writes, quoting the PTT secretary, George Broadhead, “This is a very important verdict. Treatments that attempt to ‘cure’ homosexuality are morally objectionable because they imply that homosexuality is a disease.”

The reader will recall that I do not believe moral claims such as “Treatments that attempt to ‘cure’ homosexuality are morally objectionable” are any of them true.

No more than I believe such nonsense as “God hates fags.”

Do I think attempts to cure homosexuality deplorable?

Well, yes, just as I think that of attempts to exorcise devils or contact the dead at séances, though for different reasons.

The latter are generally financial exploitations of desperation, grief, and stupidity and it would probably be better if society took a more responsible and protective attitude toward such things.

The former I take to be harmful in other ways, even when not actually physically harmful.

Faith healing is pretty bad, too, yes, in the same ways as ordinary medical quackery.

But what if one day a real cure was found?

People are strange.

They make psychological adjustments to their disabilities, deformities, or incapacities and then actually become attached to them.

Especially when the adjustments have included a kind of self-brainwashing, seconded by society, in the belief that, say, having no legs, being deaf as a stone, or being wholly infertile is no disability at all.

Or being gay.

No comments:

Post a Comment