6 ms·

By implication, are you saying that being homophobic is not a choice?

• dragonwriter 12y ago
  Disliking things generally isn't a direct choice, though it may be possible to make deliberate choices that will change your tastes over time. Particular expressions of dislike may be choices, but the underlying feeling is not.
• Mikeb85 12y ago
  I'm saying that if you're named Mohammed people will make certain assumptions about your beliefs your whole life, and will treat you differently.
  • quasque 12y ago
    Well, some people may do that.
• sdegutis 12y ago
  Oh look. Another debate about religion and politics on the internet. Because the last one didn't change everyone's minds, but this time will be different. Better join in. You're right and we're wrong!! (Am I doing it right?)
  • Crito 12y ago
    Despite your cynical fatalism, the fact that the public's perception of the issues has been shifting rapidly in recent years suggests that people can change their minds. Just because you have no experience with changing your opinion on something does not mean that nobody else can or does. Consider how absurd you would sound if you were suggesting that the zeitgeist on racial or gender equality was an unchangeable constant, making discussion of racism and sexism futile.
    • sdegutis 12y ago
      On the contrary, I have changed my mind on virtually every issue that I can think of. Several times. But it was never because of random debates on the internet.
      • Crito 12y ago
        It seems incredibly silly to be biased in such a way against one particular medium.
      • acjohnson55 12y ago
        That sounds like more of a knock on your own open-mindedness than anything. I'm pretty sure I've probably changed my mind completely on something based directly on interaction via the web. But even if I haven't, I'm absolutely positive that Internet discourse moves my internal needle incrementally on a wide variety issues on a regular basis.