RE: ProgressiveMuslims digest, Vol 1 #381 - 7 msgs

Slaaams,

Well no, I'm not making a argument of morality for depression.  But I am
saying depression is a problem mainly because we choose to define it as
such.  We think people should not be that 'sad' because 'happy' is the right
way to live.  It could physical.  It could also just life in general is
getting the person depressed.  In either way, I think it deserves to be
treated when it gets out of hand.  I don't think treating someone if they're
slightly depressed is the reason.  I think it might amount to a character
trait or its something they  work through.

If we look at homosexuality, the situation is similar I think.  Some choice,
some physical tendancy.  Now, its mainly a question as to whether or not you
view it as a problem.  Generally speaking, the only realy argument that can
be made is moral.  Other can be made too, but lets keep it simple for now.
Some people think that people should not be 'homosexual' because
'heterosexual' is the right way to live.  Hence, homosexuality would be a
problem deserving of treatment.

As to sliding in to the social arena.  Hey we do it ALL the time with all
kinds of things.  Kids don't pay attention, people treat it as ADD.
Depression, same thing.  Sex drive, we do that too.  Drugs, we do that a
lot.  Alcoholism...same way.  Theres all kinds of mental things we treat as
well: bipolar, schizophrenia...   Society draws line all the time for
so-called deviant behaviour.  WE draw lines all the time as well for
heterosexual behaviour too with respect to ages, number of partners...Some
lines are legally enforced, others are just socially enforced by the
informalness of society.  Why should homosexuality be any different?  By all
means you are entitled to think its void of any morality and hence this all
becomes like a preference for spicy food versus mild food, or whatever the
case may be ;)  But I guess that's where the argument lies.

Step1:  admit there is a problem.  If you want to solve it!

I'm sure the arguments have always been heard before.  We've had 1000s of
years of people thinking.  Somewhere sometimes in history, someone has
probably had this same discussion.  Philosophically, nothing has changed in
a very very long long time.  All we change are the details and the viewpoint
of society.  But, that shouldn't stop us from blabbing away.



> I guess I'd like to point out that I am not interested in.  S
> making a moral
> case for homosexuality or depression/sadness or happiness.
> This almost
> seems like we're sliding into the social arena ("It's a
> choice therefore we
> need laws A, B, and C!" "It's not a  choice therefore we need
> laws X, Y.,
> and Z!") and I'd like to stay away from that one just because
> it seems like
> we'd only be recycling arguments that we've heard before on
> more than one
> occasion.