}

Friday, December 05, 2008

Critical thinking

To provide further evidence (like it was actually needed…) that wingnuts aren’t rational, comes a story I saw at Joe.My.God. Apparently, a teacher at a rural Wisconsin high school is using a questionnaire from the 1970s designed to get people to challenge their own assumptions about homosexuality, and the nature of sexuality in general. The questionnaire was part of the school’s efforts to teach students critical thinking, so they don’t just accept blindly what they’re told.

Demonstrating their own lack of critical thinking ability, wingnuts are frothing over the story, declaring that it’s part of the imaginary “radical gay agenda”. To them, it’s “promoting” homosexuality.

In fact, the questionnaire was built on questions that gay people are often asked by heterosexuals. When they’re turned around like this, the questions clearly show the absurd thinking and assumptions behind them.

So I challenge you to read them and decide for yourself. I promise this won’t recruit heterosexuals to the “ho-mo-seck-shul lifestyle”. Although, I suppose it’s only fair to tell you that according to my copy of the Radical Gay Agenda, we get a toaster for every heterosexual we recruit, though we can trade them for larger appliances if we recruit enough heterosexuals in a given quarter. Since we get double-points for successful recruitments in months with major Christian holidays, I’m hoping for a new toaster oven. Ambitious, I know, because I’d have to recruit a lot of heterosexuals this month. Get reading that list! /sarcasm
  1. What do you think caused your heterosexuality?
  2. When and how did you decide you were a heterosexual?
  3. Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?
  4. Is it possible that your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of others of the same sex?
  5. Do your parents know that you are straight? Do your friends and/or roommate(s) know? How did they react?
  6. Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality? Can't you just be who you are and keep it quiet?
  7. Why do heterosexuals feel compelled to seduce others into their lifestyles?
  8. A disproportionate majority of child molesters are heterosexual. So you consider it safe to expose children to heterosexual teachers?
  9. With all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are there so few stable relationships among heterosexuals?
  10. Statistics show that lesbians have the lowest incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. Is it really safe for a woman to maintain a heterosexual lifestyle and run the risk of disease and pregnancy?
  11. Considering the menace of overpopulation, how could the human race survive if everyone were heterosexual?
  12. Would you want your child to be heterosexual, knowing the problems that s/he would face?

4 comments:

Roger Owen Green said...

1. just born that way
2. when i was about 5
3. probably not at this point
4. there may be fear but it's not neurotic
5. I let them know; they're all very understanding
6. I'm more restrained than i used to be
7. seduction is FUN
8. depends on the teacher
9. excellent question, one that has been hotly debated for years with a plethora of different theories
10. probably not
11. it may not survive anyway
12. my child can be whoever she pleases

Arthur Schenck said...

Well done, Roger! Why, I think you deserve one of my toasters! Bonus points for the answer to question 12....

Larken said...

Critical thinking is way over rated. Why would you want to question long held beliefs? Sounds like very slippery slope to me! What's next? An education system which produces great scientists, artists, doctors, teachers...? That's not the kind of world that I want to live in. Need to run here. I need to go hunt for my dinner and find a cave to shelter for the night.

d said...

Brilliant!

1. Guessing I was born that way
2. Around 5 years old - had a little boyfriend in Kindergarden
3. Nah. I like dick way too much.
4. No, although I am thoroughly grossed out by vaginas.
5. Yes, they all know. I think they've always known.
6. Because I live my life based on what other's think.
7. We get toasters too.
8. Absolutely not! Children should be taught by computers.
9. Because of the 'gay agenda'! Yep, those hundreds of gay people who have gotten married in the past few years have ruined heterosexual marriage. It's like when a person masturbates and god kills a kitten.
10. Hmm..good point.
11. Well, as long as everyone who is heterosexual doesn't ACT on it, the world will be fine.
12. Like Roger said, our child could be whomever he/she wants (well, except a Scientologist or a wingnut).

It would be nice if wingnuts could read these questions without prejudice and answer them honestly.