Back to the future
Yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australians are getting re-married more often. Where once multiple marriages were generally the domain of celebrities, now it fairly common for Australians to marry three times. 'Between 1989 and 2003, these unions increased by 55 per cent nationally' the paper reports, and 'there were close to 10 000 ceremonies' where one partner was entering a third mariage. And I can't even get married to a woman once!
In another article, the paper reports that a third of all Australians are idiots. Well, that's effectively what it reports when it tells us that one third of Australians think that homosexuality is 'immoral'. The article was accompanied by a bar graph which depicted survey respondents' opinions on the issue according to their religion (and non-religion). Baptists, it appears, hate us the most, with 75% of Baptist men and about 63% of Baptist women believing that homosexuality is immoral. Overall, about 26% of women and 43% of men agree that it is immoral. The results come from a recently-released survey of almost 25000 people by the Australia Institute. The article also discussed what many academics believe to be an increasing conservatism within Australian society -- not only with regard to sexuality, but across the board.
I don't know what to say about all this. I just wanted to share the bad news, I suppose. And to say that I'm apprehensive, as well. How many steps backward can our society take?
In another article, the paper reports that a third of all Australians are idiots. Well, that's effectively what it reports when it tells us that one third of Australians think that homosexuality is 'immoral'. The article was accompanied by a bar graph which depicted survey respondents' opinions on the issue according to their religion (and non-religion). Baptists, it appears, hate us the most, with 75% of Baptist men and about 63% of Baptist women believing that homosexuality is immoral. Overall, about 26% of women and 43% of men agree that it is immoral. The results come from a recently-released survey of almost 25000 people by the Australia Institute. The article also discussed what many academics believe to be an increasing conservatism within Australian society -- not only with regard to sexuality, but across the board.
I don't know what to say about all this. I just wanted to share the bad news, I suppose. And to say that I'm apprehensive, as well. How many steps backward can our society take?
posted by Michelle | 2:07 pm
1 Comments:
I find it intensely interesting that the women in both groups were less likely to consider gayness immoral. What is it about our socialization/empathy/2nd X chromosome that makes us more tolerant? I've found it to be the case that women as a group tend to be more liberal than men, though of course it's a crapshoot with any particular person. But I have no theories as to why that might be. Anyone else have thoughts?
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