by Andrea Nostramo

Created on: July 25, 2008

The answer to this question is simple. Those who find homosexual acts sinful are probably getting their information from the Bible. So I'll start there.

If homosexuality is sinful - as it says so in the Bible - then should we also stone someone for working on Sunday? Because in the Bible it says you should. Should we condemn those who do not believe like we believe? Because in the Bible it says we should. Whether you're a pious Christian, a full-blown atheist, or somewhere inbetween, you MUST agree that the Bible cannot be taken literally. Once you've understood that, then religion should play no part in the deciding of whether or not homosexuality is a sin.

If you think homosexuality is just gross because it cannot produce children, or it just simply makes you feel icky, then that's your opinion. However, simply being grossed out by something does not make it unnatural. I find olives disgusting but I don't rally 'round condemning others who eat them.

Now that we've gotten past that part, here comes the simplicity of it all. Homosexuality exists everywhere: in humans and in animals. Most recently, in May of this year, FOXNews posted a study [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356639,00.html] in which scientists noted just how often homosexuality is found in animals. To quote that article:

"Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins at New York's Central Park Zoo, were a couple for about six years, during which they nurtured a fertilized egg together (given to them by a zookeeper) and raised the young chick that hatched.

According to University of Oslo zoologist Petter Bckman, about 1,500 animal species are known to practice same-sex coupling, including bears, gorillas, flamingos, owls, salmon and many others."

The article then raises the question as to why evolution would not simply eradicate this trait completely, seeing as though it has no purpose. Homosexual sex between two females or two males cannot produce offspring, so why would it be present? Scientists have an answer for that too.

According to recent studies, "It may simply be for pleasure.

'Not every sexual act has a reproductive function,' said Janet Mann, a biologist at Georgetown University who studies dolphins (homosexual behavior is very common in these marine mammals). 'That's true of humans and non-humans.'"

Now you are presented with a choice: you can either believe scientists from May 2008 who have studied over 1500 species of animal and declared homosexual behavior quite natural, or you can believe the Bible - an antiquated, outdated book of rules and regulations that dictates that men should not lie with men...and that you should be stoned for working on Sunday.

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