Notes on the News: The Price of Free Speech

A couple have won rights to reapply to adopt a child. They were disqualified when they answered a question wrongly. The question?

Would you tell your child it was acceptable if they told you they were gay?

Their answer was a deep and resounding "No", because they were Christians and they believe that homosexuality was wrong. Or so their argument goes.

So they were banned from adopting, thanks to anti-discriminatory laws, before this ruling was eventually overturned.

So here's the dilemma: is the outcome of this story positive or negative?

Surely, any kind of homophobia is a bad thing and should be stopped. And any situation in which a child is rejected for their sexual belief by his or her own family should be avoided, especially if the family can be picked.

But isn't the whole point of a society with free speech that people can say what they like, believe what they like, even if it's idiotic? If we censor this, will we be stopping people from adopting if they want to send their child to a single-sex school? After all, it is detrimental to a child and stunts their social growth.

Yes, I know that homophobia is wrong, but it is still a valid opinion. A wrong, ignorant opinion, but one none the less. If the couple are not causing problems to gay people, aren't going out their way to harm them, why should they not be allowed to adopt?

I have still yet to decide on my point of view, so the post has very little in the way of a conclusion.

Sorry.

:)