Lord Carey in epic homophobic Godwin outburst

[anonymous-user]

JonRB said:

NoNeed said:

Sorry to sound thick but does that mean it isn't an irrational fear like other phobias?

Well, yes and no. It is an irrational fear or hatred in the same way that racism is.

...but, like racism, not one that is an innate condition. It is a form of unreason that is culturally acquired.

[anonymous-user]

You can see that racism is a learned attribute by watching very small children playing. They are blind to ethnicity. Racism developed early in human history, humans having been social animals living in groups since they first fell from trees. That homophobia is a cultural thing is apparent to anyone who studies societies such as those of classical Greece and Rome.

[anonymous-user]

Homophobia is precisely equivalent to racism. Objections to religion are based on rational arguments, and represent opinions about other opinions, rather than opinions about someone's nature.

[anonymous-user]

Derek Smith said:

I realise now how lucky I was with my parents' method of upbringing. There was never any pressure to make me go to church or, as importantly, not go to church. They introduced me to 'foreigners' without comment.

I feel the same.

There was an interesting program on BBC last night about Grammar Schools. Those that seemed to escape their socio/economic chains/biases (bright kids from poor families in rough areas) were brought up by parents who, rather than provide answers, taught their children to make discoveries about the world for themselves.

[anonymous-user]

My parents, I am glad to say, haven't a racist bone in their bodies. My father, a working class Irishman who became, through economic migrancy, a middle class bloke, used to be traditionally sexist and a bit homophobic. He is still a tad sexist, but has educated himself, with help from his sons, not to be a homophobe. Learned behaviour can be unlearned.

[anonymous-user]

Bill said:

I'm no Latin scholar, but strictly speaking wouldn't homophobia be an irrational fear of similarity?

Homophobia is in fact a word that combines Latin and Greek. There would be a certain irony, however, in reading it as fear of similarity, as many homophobes seem to think that they might catch "the gay" merely from being near "one of them".

[anonymous-user]

Derek Smith said:

garyhun said:

Derek Smith said:

I realise now how lucky I was with my parents' method of upbringing. There was never any pressure to make me go to church or, as importantly, not go to church. They introduced me to 'foreigners' without comment.

I feel the same.

There was an interesting program on BBC last night about Grammar Schools. Those that seemed to escape their socio/economic chains/biases (bright kids from poor families in rough areas) were brought up by parents who, rather than provide answers, taught their children to make discoveries about the world for themselves.

Spooky. That's me. My father was one of 18 kids (just accept you are bog Irish my gransmoter once said), my mother one of 8, born into a terraced house in east London. I went to grammar school. "Well, let's look at what we know about it" is a phrase that was used by everyone in my immediate family and I found myself using it with my kids. I'll have to check on iPlayer to see if it's on there.

My dad, from London, had to go to work at 14 to take care of his mother after his father died. It was then left to his older brother (older by 12 years) to bring him up. My mum came from a Welsh mining family but her father refused, after a year down the pits, to go digging for coal anymore and moved them to London to find a better life. Although my parents had little, financially speaking, my mum loved books and my dad was a great communicator. They sacrificed much, financially and in terms of time (my father would often leave work early to see me play football) to give me a wonderful childhood. I ended up the first in the family to go to grammar school and university.

It's quite amazing what parents do for their kids (I'm 49 without any so don't have the experience myself) and I have to take my hat off to those people who take young minds and help them develop into rounded, grounded, generous, productive, loving individuals.

[anonymous-user]

Irony detector batteries are available at your local convenience store.

[anonymous-user]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Derek Smith said:

When they bring their friends around it is like the United Nations, although as my eldest said, like walking through central London.

My feeling is the majority of Brits do not yet understand this. London is no longer "British". Anywhere amongst the masses (especially outside the sanctified square mile) it rapidly becomes apparent that English-looking people and English-speaking (first language) people are rapidly becoming a minority.

You need the Nick Griffin thread mate....

[anonymous-user]

Oh no Batman ..... FACTS!!!!

[anonymous-user]

Facts, ignored by bigots since time began.

[anonymous-user]

Dodgy Dave in "says something sensible" shocka:-



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20642428

[anonymous-user]

What do you call "mass"? Immigration controls are tighter now than they were in 2010.

[anonymous-user]

Fair enough.