AWARE

The AWARE (Association of Women for Action and Research) leadership seems to have been usurped by fundamentalist Christians who seek to replace AWARE's liberal stance which was pro-abortion and pro-homosexuality with one that is more congruent to the fundamentalist Christian stance of the new leaders which is strictly anti-abortion and anti-gay.

I happen to know Dr Alan Chin, the husband of Josie Lau (the new AWARE chief), who was my camp's Medical Officer during my National Service days. I am so surprised that he has become such a religious bigot. As Christopher Hitchens rightly noted, religion poisons everything, including one's mind.

Fundamentalist Christians like Alan Chin always tout the same ridiculous arguments about abortion and homosexuality. They always say:

1. Homosexuality is not natural, and is a human sin.

Well, if that is so, why are there so many animals that are also homosexual? Obviously if there are homosexual animals, then homosexuality is a natural behaviour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RlTAyNI8WE

Homosexuality is not a sin. In fact, since fundamentalist Christians believe that god is the maker, then according to this logic, homosexuals must have been created by the same god. And since god made these humans homosexual, surely god must love homosexuals too and not condemn them as sinners who are doomed to eternity in the fires of hell?

Famous Christian homosexuals:

- Ray Boltz http://christianmusic.about.com/od/editorial1/a/rayboltzcomesou.htm

- Marsha Stevens http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/CCM/marsha_stevens.htm

- Ted Haggard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Haggard

2. The presence of gay people will encourage straight people to become gay.

If that is so, surely the overwhelming presence of straight people will encourage gay people to become straight. Indeed, as only about 5% of the world's population is gay, all gay people should have become straight by now due to the huge number of straight people in the population.

3. Gay couples are unnatural because they cannot produce children.

If this is so, then infertile couples and old people past child bearing age shouldn't be allowed to marry since such pairs cannot produce children either. Besides, what the world needs is MORE people.

4. Children of gay parents will not succeed because a home is only complete if there is both a male and female role model at home.

If that is the case, then society should not allow single parents to raise children either. All children of single parents (whether through divorce or being widowed) should be fostered out to homes where there is both a male and female parent.

5. The presence of gay people will change the foundation of society. Society could never adapt to new social norms.

Well, in the biblical age, women were treated like chattel and slavery was condoned. I think human society have adapted very well to the new social norm in treating women as equals; and abolishing slavery outright.

6. Life begins at conception.

If every conception is allowed to develop to full term, I can tell you that the world will have more than the 6.5 billion people that it has now. In 1900, the world was only populated by 1 billion people. The world's population has grown 6.5 times in a span of 110 years. There is just too many people in the world as it is, and family planning - including legal abortion - is a rational way to resolve this over-population problem.

7. Abortion is killing. Abortion should be illegal.

If abortion is illegal, and a woman is caught having one, what should her penalty be? Should she be sentenced to jail? Since abortion is killing, should the woman be executed? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk6t_tdOkwo

8. Life begins at conception.

This is ridiculous because it defines a fertilised egg to have the same rights as that of a new born baby.

What if a woman was raped and is now pregnant? She will be emotional conflicted with a foetus that she does not want. If she is a wife, how will the husband take to the baby? If she is an unmarried girl, will she be able to find a husband if she has a bastard child in tow? It is because of society, and religion in particular, that we have this problem of ostracism of illegitimate children, and which is why many women seek to abort unwanted children. Will unwanted children that is brought into this world be able to lead a happy "life" in families that do not love them?

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All the ridiculous arguments against homosexuality and abortion made by fundamentalist Christians are not made because of concern about people's well being, but because of some arcane writings in the bible. In the bible, the Leviticus chapter states that male homosexuality is an abomination. Fundamentalist Christians always tout that this religious ruling must be followed (since everything in the bible is god's word). However, Leviticus also states that humans should not eat clams, oysters, crabs, lobsters, and shrimp, as these are also "abominations", and that disabled people should not approach the altar of god as the disabled people would defile it. Why do fundamentalist Christians not followed such rules too?

In fact, fundamentalist Christians pick and choose. They don't follow many of the rules laid out in the bible. They ignore many of the rules (such as the non-eating of crabs and lobsters) even though this rule is also "god's word", and just keep harping on the homosexual and sanctity-of-life bits. And they demand that the whole society, including people who are not of the Christian faith, to follow the rules against homosexuality and abortion.

The bible is one of the most racist, intolerant, misogynistic, violent and cruel book ever written. We should treat people with understanding, with compassion, with empathy, using reason and science, and not because of some writing in this horrific book concocted by ancient people for a society and a way of life that no longer exists today. It is sad that intelligent people like Alan Chin - and the new leaders of AWARE - are so warped by their religious indoctrination that they fail to see just how harmful and heartless their religious thinking can be to people who don't subscribe to their religion.