Quite the optimist I see. Jk, but man.. that is quite depressing.

In response to your remark on my post, I think that a person has a right to end their own life if they so choose. Life is really the only thing a person has. If they don't want to keep on living, that is their choice. If a person has gotten to the point of suicide and is going to carry through with it, there is not really a way to stop them. Most people don't think that way because they think people who committ suicide are being selfish. Well, as humans, that's really what we are prone to do- everything we do comes from a motivation within the self or we wouldn't do it. It's not possible for that motivation to come from somewhere else. Yes, suicide affects other people, but so does everything else we do. It isn't a matter of right and wrong. And anyway, the comparison of depression and homosexuality is fine, but not suicide and depression. Choosing to be homosexual would be like choosing to be depressed. That makes sense. But suicide is another decision brought about by circumstances in one's life that make them feel unable to live anymore. It is sad when a person commits suicide, but just because it is sad or disturbing doesn't mean it's wrong or right. That person felt they didn't have a choice anymore. Who are we to say any different? Thanks for responding to my post.

I don't think that the person above makes any sense!!! First of all you can compare suicide with depression and with homosexuality as well because they're all brought about by circumstances in someones life!!! Usually homosexuality is built off of different peoples oppinions, and is used to get attention which is not built off of the person, but rather the social status the person has chosen to obtain! Oh, and it usually comes from social axciety just like depresion and suicide! So saying that they are not alike is bogus and retarded in my opinion.

First of all, I don't think you understand what I am saying by "selfish". I mean, from the self. Everything you do has to come from you or you are not doing it. That is simply all I was saying on that. There is an evolved ability within humans called the pack instinct just as there is the survival instinct. This is what allows individuals to think about what is best for the group as well as for themselves. That instinct is just as strong as the will to survive. Also, the reason I wanted to say something about homosexuality was mainly to get individuals to think about it. I have seen so many people be hurt by religious individuals who push their beliefs onto other people and exclude those they feel are "sinning". I never understand that because Christians are not supposed to judge other people, but they do it anyway and say they are justified in it. "Values-voting" capitalizes on these groups with abortion and homosexuality heading the platform. People get so caught up in these things that they don't even see the other values they are not voting by supporting a platform against gays and abortion. There are people dying everyday at the hands of our government in another country- are their lives not just as precious? I do want to be tolerant of other beliefs, but I will not be tolerant of those that stand for something that excludes and hurts other people. I just want each person to know the reasons they think the things that they do and to be understanding of individual differences. That's simply all I was trying to accomplish. I know most people will not change their minds about homosexuality. It took me a long time to, as I was once an ardent Christian. But having known gay people and done some reading on the subject (also throwing in some evolutionary thinking) I have changed my mind. While I'm not gay and can't imagine being so, I don't feel it is right to exclude those individuals because of their lifestyle. And nothing but reason and logic "turned me against" Christianity. Some of the principles are good, but mostly it has been taken too far. It's just like the millions of other religions out there that people embrace to have a system of morals and a reason to live. I don't think I need a purpose to live. I'm here as part of the human species and when I die I'll be gone. No reason to want to live forever. And if God revealed himself to me, I would believe completely. I am still open to that possibility. I don't claim to know everything, just what I have experienced and learned. There are certainly things I don't know, but I hope to know as much as possible and to better myself. I'm sorry if my post came across rudely. I simply get frustrated with the lack of educated decisions individuals make about their beliefs. I want people to think for themselves. I think it would help us all get along better.

Oh yeah. What caused my husband and me to write a letter to our family is exactly what I am talking about in this situation. Most of them are very conservative Christians and give us religious material and such all the time. We thought they should know what we believe and how we intend on raising our child concerning religion, values, health, even toys. We felt that if they knew our intentions they could help us carry out the same thing we will be doing with Alden when they are with him. This would hopefully provide a secure environment for him to grow up in. We didn't want him getting mixed signals anymore than he will when he starts school. His home should be somewhere he would feel comfortable and able to share himself freely and develop. We also didn't want him getting confused about religion early before he can understand abstract ideas. When he is old enough, he will have access to any information he wants to make the choice of religion for himself. We didn't want to get a lot of religious children's literature and have them telling him of God's love before he can understand it- that would be indoctrination. We wouldn't want anyone we know of any religion to do this to him either until he is old enough to think about it in a sensical manner. That's what made us write it. It's helped everyone be on the same page and let our family know who we are and what we believe. And I'm not even going to say really anything to the post above by

Oh yeah. What caused my husband and me to write a letter to our family is exactly what I am talking about in this situation. Most of them are very conservative Christians and give us religious material and such all the time. We thought they should know what we believe and how we intend on raising our child concerning religion, values, health, even toys. We felt that if they knew our intentions they could help us carry out the same thing we will be doing with Alden when they are with him. This would hopefully provide a secure environment for him to grow up in. We didn't want him getting mixed signals anymore than he will when he starts school. His home should be somewhere he would feel comfortable and able to share himself freely and develop. We also didn't want him getting confused about religion early before he can understand abstract ideas. When he is old enough, he will have access to any information he wants to make the choice of religion for himself. We didn't want to get a lot of religious children's literature and have them telling him of God's love before he can understand it- that would be indoctrination. We wouldn't want anyone we know of any religion to do this to him either until he is old enough to think about it in a sensical manner. That's what made us write it. It's helped everyone be on the same page and let our family know who we are and what we believe. And I'm not even going to say really anything to the post above by Randy because I don't think he knows anything about psychology based on his remarks. Also, there is no reason to be so rude and personally criticizing when talking about academic matters.

Sorry- one more thing I forgot to address. The instinct of survival inbred since the beginning of time would very much include the survival of my child and further reproduction. Otherwise, the species doesn't survive. Genes use our bodies to survive themselves. That is why reproduction continues throughout the animal kingdom. It's not merely survival of yourself but of the species.