Gay Marriage, Incest and Other Deviance
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Anonymous Person
Jan 1, 2013, 7:34:58 PM1/1/13
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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/12/26/677404/-Illogical-Slippery-Slopes-Same-Sex-Marriage-Incest-Pedophilia-Polygamy-Bestiality-and
I think the ideas discussed here are revealing and important (and common).
> Slippery slope arguments fail because they assume that no material distinction can separate the "new" right (here, same-sex marriage) from the list of items that exist on a perilous slope (pedophilia, etc). But even if Warren and others lack the brain power to see the differences between me walking down the aisle with a male partner rather than my mom, pet dog, or 3 siblings -- I can happily make distinctions among these choices. Many relationships on the slope, for example, involve coercion; accordingly, we prohibit pedophilia because children cannot adequately consent to sexual relations with adults. The slippery slope argument only works if we close down our minds to the possibility of material distinctions between same-sex marriage and the parade of horribles.
Does anyone here agree with this paragraph? If so, why? (I'm only
concerned with this particular case, not slippery slope arguments in
general.)
If you think this paragraph is mistaken, do you know a way to fix it
to differentiate homosexuality as OK but incest and the rest as
horribles? Or do you think there isn't one?
I think the ideas discussed here are revealing and important (and common).
> Slippery slope arguments fail because they assume that no material distinction can separate the "new" right (here, same-sex marriage) from the list of items that exist on a perilous slope (pedophilia, etc). But even if Warren and others lack the brain power to see the differences between me walking down the aisle with a male partner rather than my mom, pet dog, or 3 siblings -- I can happily make distinctions among these choices. Many relationships on the slope, for example, involve coercion; accordingly, we prohibit pedophilia because children cannot adequately consent to sexual relations with adults. The slippery slope argument only works if we close down our minds to the possibility of material distinctions between same-sex marriage and the parade of horribles.
Does anyone here agree with this paragraph? If so, why? (I'm only
concerned with this particular case, not slippery slope arguments in
general.)
If you think this paragraph is mistaken, do you know a way to fix it
to differentiate homosexuality as OK but incest and the rest as
horribles? Or do you think there isn't one?
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