No, on the theory that nobody better mess with our diplomats.
Remember the caning in Singapore? That wan’t even a diplomat.
The last thing any foreign service officer wants is to be arrested in the country where he’s serving. Even if he/she is immediately released due to diplomatic immunity, and even if what he/she was doing wasn’t a crime in the U.S., it is a severe black mark on their record.
Quite frankly, it may be better for the FSO’s career at that point if he/she is held in violation of diplomatic immunity for a while. Then, the focus might turn to the foreign countries’ violation rather than the FSO’s actions.
Sua
If you counted the Christians and Muslims on this planet you probably have several billion people who follow religions that condemn homosexuality.
Many are concerned that a tenth(?) of the population is going to burn in hell for their sins and fervently wish they would repent. Many have simply chosen to condemn them to hell for their deviant lifestyles.
I do not agree with any of these people.
People are attracted to the exotic. Plus, as I’ve often said, if it weren’t for the people we hated, what would we have to talk about?
Esprix
I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate the level of ignorance about homosexuals out there. It’s a subject that many straight people know almost nothing about, and some of them are just curious. Several times I have had fellow college students ask (usually blushing and stammering) if I could explain to them exactly how lesbians “do it”. These aren’t exactly sheltered people either; in fact, some of them openly discuss their own sex lives in terms that make me blush!
While the information is certainly out there for people who are willing to look, there probably aren’t a lot of straight people who are willing – at least not if they think someone else might see them browsing the Gay and Lesbian Studies shelf. There’s less “risk” involved on a message board, so that’s why we see so many questions about homosexuality here.
Sue’s onto something there, but I don’t believe that its that sinister(obviously).
I just think(think, not know) that the homosexual members that you describe are, not forcing, but trying to coax the Christians that you speak of, into toleration. The threads started by Christians are ofcourse trying to do otherwise, and “turn” the gays into heterosexuals. Thus sparks debate. One side becomes annoyed with the other and challenges that side’s faith.
Its almost childish, though I don’t think I should be speaking of matters purile, considering that I am only an adolescent myself.
Sk8rixtx, that was a very cogent view of the problem, to the extent that I almost regret having to pop in with my usual remark that the right-wing types do not constitute all, or even most, of Christianity, and that a fair proportion (small majority or large minority) of people who consider themselves Christian are not particularly interested in “converting gays to straight” even if it could be done. Your age has absolutely nothing to do with your insight: the Christians are being puerile. And the gays, though I occasionally disagree with the techniques some of them use, are only calling on the Christians to live up to what Jesus had to say about proper behavior toward others. (What Jesus had to say seems to get lost for most “Christians” behind what Paul or Moses or Nehemiah came up with – a sorry state of affairs.) Anyway, an excellent post, Sk8rkid – I look forward to reading more from you in GD with the same insight. (BTW, I hope that the family problems you ranted about in the Pit are getting straightened out.)
Ditto.