Prevalent

[Nihilo]

When you say that "X clearly is Y", I expect to find an argument backing it up. If it clearly is the case, it should be easy to appeal to clear evidence or an unambigious argument demonstrating your claim.

And that's been done. Clearly and plainly, we disagree about it being self evident.

You have not provided such an argument. Why is it disordered? Why is it inherently disordered to be longing for a loving partnership with someone of the same sex? You have just silently assumed that longing for someone of the opposite sex is the only ordered option. Justify that assumption please.

Is having a sixth toe a disorder? How about a tail? It's like those.

If homosexual relationships are so inherently disordered, why are they so prevalent in nature? If it was only in human beings, then you might have a case for arguing that it was some peculiar human disorder. But it is prevalent across many species in the animal kingdom, especially in social animals.

Justify "prevalent." What I know is that through experimentation we humans have been able to cause homosexual behavior in stressed or impaired creatures. I know of no species in which homosexual behavior is "prevalent," so we must mean different things by this word.

Why would such a disorder (according to you) be preserved through natural selection?

I don't argue natural selection.

Especially a feature that does not produce offspring directly. This seems to suggest that they actually do have a social function in these species and thus a certain rate of same sex activities and partnerships are preserved in the populations.

You're going to have to flesh out "prevalent."

 

[jamie]

But it is prevalent across many species in the animal kingdom, especially in social animals.

Humans were made in God's image and are not animals.

 

[patrick jane]

Who is this poster named "withheld"?

 

[patrick jane]

Homosexuality is not prevalent in nature -

 

[Nihilo]

Humans were made in God's image and are not animals.

I agree with your sentiment.

We are special.

 

[Nihilo]

Who is this poster named "withheld"?

In order for it not to be a call-out thread, I withheld.

 

[Nihilo]

Homosexuality is not prevalent in nature -

I don't think so either. Maybe I'm using the word differently though. :idunno:

 

[patrick jane]

I don't think so either. Maybe I'm using the word differently though. :idunno:

Prevalent means the majority -

 

[Nihilo]

Prevalent means the majority -

Wow, that's a higher burden or hurdle than I've got. Prevalent is 10-to-1 or better for me, so if someone says that homosexuality is "prevalent" then I'm thinking that means something like, one out of every ten species (humans being included of course) displays a propensity for homosexual activity. If that is the case, then I've learned something. My impression is more that the ratio is on the order of 1,000,000-to-1, and not 10-to-1, and I don't call 1,000,000-to-1 "prevalent." I call that "trace contamination."

 

[patrick jane]

Wow, that's a higher burden or hurdle than I've got. Prevalent is 10-to-1 or better for me, so if someone says that homosexuality is "prevalent" then I'm thinking that means something like, one out of every ten species (humans being included of course) displays a propensity for homosexual activity. If that is the case, then I've learned something. My impression is more that the ratio is on the order of 1,000,000-to-1, and not 10-to-1, and I don't call 1,000,000-to-1 "prevalent." I call that "trace contamination."

prev·a·lent
ˈprev(ə)lənt/
adjective
[COLOR=#878787 !important][/COLOR]

• widespread in a particular area at a particular time.
  [COLOR=#878787 !important]"the social ills prevalent in society today"[/COLOR]
  

  synonyms:

  widespread, prevailing, frequent, usual, common, current, popular, general,universal; More

  
  
  • [COLOR=#878787 !important]archaic[/COLOR]
    predominant; powerful.
  
  
  

 

[Nihilo]

What I was trying to convey was a logarithmic scale. Prevalent as how you mean it, is closer to 100%. That's a really high burden or hurdle for prevalence; mine's a much lower 10-to-1. If every 10th species displays a propensity for homosexual behavior, then I'll concede I'm wrong. As far as I can tell, that'd be hundreds or thousands of species. I may be off by orders of magnitude in the upward direction.

It's fine that your burden or hurdle is higher, also. I just want to be upfront about what I think when I encounter or use the word prevalent. 10% or more is prevalent, to me. 1% or less is not prevalent.