Apple CEO Tim Cook Publicly Comes Out as Gay in Letter Declaring Support for Equality

[mattster16]

Utter nonsense.

Exactly.

Who would CHOOSE to be gay? Look at all the discrimination that exists and our hetero-normative culture.

I'm proud that I'm gay and I won't apologize to anyone for it, but I certainly wouldn't have CHOSEN it. I've struggled enough to accept it and have been through a lot in life. I'm now a perfectly happy and productive person, but it isn't easy.

 

[GeneralChang]

The top researchers at the World Bank estimate we have five years before climate change becomes a I reversible. 110 US cities will be submerged under water by 2050

And then thousands more before the planet becomes a barren wasteland that we can no longer survive on. A few flooded cities ≠ uninhabitable.

 

[Avatar74]

Deuteronomy 22:13-21
"A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be put to death."


...yes, lets all follow the incredibly crude and barbaric "morals" of the early bronze age desert cults. Because the life in the Dark ages was so great.

How are you people even using computers?

Let's not forget, it's not rape unless she cries for help (Deuteronomy 22-24) and she's to be stoned to death.

Yeah, such a moral society that was....

Anticipated response: "You're not taking it in context." Oh yes I am, as that entire section has to do with the various do's and don'ts of being a rape victim. In what context is that not unconscionable? And furthermore, this "context" argument is nonsense... if your morals blow whichever way the wind blows, or whichever interpretation is most convenient to you at the time then, to paraphrase Stephen Fry, WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?

 

[glxyjones]

Utter nonsense.

I am not defending his opinion, especially because I believe it comes from a basis of hate, but there are quite a few studies that show sexual orientation can be a sliding scale. Meaning while a majority of the population may identify with being exclusively homosexual or heterosexual, there are plenty of people who like both sexes and therefore can indentify as both. In such a scenario, deciding to date/marry/have relations with a person of the same sex could be seen as a "choice" since the alternative, dating/marring/having relations with a person of the opposite sex, is just as appealing to you.

 

[brianvictor7]

So you're playing god now? Who the hell are you to decide which passages of the bible are meant to be held 100% literal and those which we can relax a bit on?! How dare you sir!!!

Titus 2:1 says you must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine." Do you think Paul's instructions were meant only for Titus? Christians are commanded to handle doctrine correctly. Truth is important.

 

[melendezest]

I do believe those speak to men who are heterosexual, but choose to have sex with men LIKE THEY WOULD WITH A WOMAN.

The Bible clearly frowned upon that.

The word "homosexual" did not appear in any English translations of the Bible until around the middle of the 20th century, yet we know historically that homosexuals existed at the time that the Bible was written. If that doesn't tell you that someone had an agenda in the middle of the 20th century, I dunno what does.

And it was not this "gay agenda" that people love to go on about.

Sorry, but the concept is consistent throughout the Bible; more than enough to reasonably discount it as language-based misinterpretation. There are referrals all over, from the people in Sodom to the Romans and Greeks. God is consistent in His declaration that such behavior is offensive to Him.

But like I said before, there is more to this issue than what is picked and chosen here.

 

[vampyr]

So you chose? You sat down and made a conscious decision one day to stop being attracted to people of your own gender, and instead only be attracted to people of the 'opposite' gender?

Really? Hey, people! We finally found one!

I didn't 'sit down' and make a conscious decision... not at all.
I've based my choice on experiences through life. Some choices have been bad, and I learned not to make that choice again. Some choices have been good, and I've tried to learn to follow on similar situations.

As for my attraction, I choose who I'm attracted to based on what I beleve is beautiful. and if someone fits that mental checklist, whether male, female, or unknown.... then I find that person attractive.

You can be attracted to someone of the same sex and NOT be gay. You can be attracted to someone of the opposite sex and NOT be straight.

It's how you CHOOSE to act upon that attraction that makes you labeled.

 

[doelcm82]

He came out as being homosexual. His sexuality is the core of this discussion. Sexuality generally involves the use of ones sexual organs. No need for fantasy here, this is what he is telling us, which we do not need to hear. From anyone. Period.

You must hate weddings.

 

[Digital Skunk]

You're just sexually open.

So you're defining someone's sexuality for them then?

Not that I want to debate, but this is the same kind of attack that many of my friends had to deal with in college.

In essence, you can only identify as gay if someone else believes you're gay.

Utter nonsense.

Facts say otherwise unfortunately

 

[glxyjones]

Ok, I'm going to go ahead and just call it.

You're not actually making genuine arguments based on personal belief, you're just seeing how far you can get before people recognize that you're testing the limits of Poe's Law.

At least no one brought up or even remotely referenced Pascal's Wager!!

 

[robbyx]

It's simple. People no more choose to be gay than they choose to be black. Saying "being gay is wrong" is the same thing as saying "being black is wrong." If you told a black person "you're wrong to be black" you'd be considered hateful on the face of it. Same deal with gays. Saying that it's wrong to be gay is hateful.

Beyond that, even if people do choose to be gay (which I don't believe at all), who cares? How does who someone else loves or sleeps with affect someone else's life at all?

 

[Surf Monkey]

I am not defending his opinion, especially because I believe it comes from a basis of hate, but there are quite a few studies that show sexual orientation can be a sliding scale. Meaning while a majority of the population may identify with being exclusively homosexual or heterosexual, there are plenty of people who like both sexes and therefore can indentify as both. In such a scenario, deciding to date/marry/have relations with a person of the same sex could be seen as a "choice" since the alternative, dating/marring/having relations with a person of the opposite sex, is just as appealing to you.

Yeah. That's why it's LGBT and again, none of them are a choice.

 

[Digital Skunk]

...

So you have proof to back up your name calling then. What have I said that would be classified as bigoted?

I'll wait.

 

[mozumder]

How did this become a religious debate? Not everyone who's religious is homophobic. Not everyone who's homophobic is religious. Making this a religious debate is just throwing more negative generalisations into the mix and offending even more people.

I could just as easily say "America sounds very homophobic" and that might be true, but it achieves nothing other than adding more fuel to the fire.

It is the religious organizations that are organizing and driving the anti-Gay agenda in this country.

Religious organizations were the main backers behind Proposition 8, for example, funding millions for it. Meanwhile, non-religious groups put in only thousands.

This is a problem due to religion, and religion is what Tim Cook is striking at.

 

[vampyr]

That's what I said. Do you remember that you're the one who challenged people to explain it?

I'm not upset what he did... I'm not upset at all. Good for him.

What bothers me is the publicity of it all and the labeling of it. I'm upset about the people who never cared about Tim Cook's accomplishments in life... but now that he tells the world he is gay, he becomes a hero? really?

Honestly... I wish we lived in a society that wasn't so infatuated with this. There have been gay people throughout the history of mankind. Some of the greatest conquerors of mankind have been gay, or believed to have been gay.

I would have been more impressed if he had announced he was gay to the world BEFORE he was chosen to be the next CEO. It's alot easier to scream from the 'top of the mountain' than it is to scream while you're climbing it.

 

[ggt]

I certainly support him as CEO of Apple. But certainly don't support his homosexuality.

What a horrible person you are.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Facts say otherwise unfortunately

The humor here is in the fact that 1) you obviously didn't even read half of these articles and 2) the other half are political hit pieces with an agenda, not legitimate sources.

#fail

 

[mattster16]

Religious people just have a really hard time comprehending reality. There have been studies done comparing children raised in a religious manner to those raised in a non-religious manner. Children were asked to look at picture books. Some had talking animals and others did not. The children were asked to identify which books showed things that could actually happen in real life. The children raised religiously were much more likely to say that talking animals could happen in real life.

I believe this inability to distinguish reality from fantasy persists in most religious people into adulthood. (Notice I say most, not all.)

 

[doelcm82]

Sorry, but the concept is consistent throughout the Bible; more than enough to reasonably discount it as language-based misinterpretation. There are referrals all over, from the people in Sodom to the Romans and Greeks. God is consistent in His declaration that such behavior is offensive to Him.

But like I said before, there is more to this issue than what is picked and chosen here.

God smiled on Lot, who offered his daughters to be abused by his neighbors. That tells you a lot about the concept of God when that story was written.

 

[iPad Air]

It's simple. People no more choose to be gay than they choose to be black. Saying "being gay is wrong" is the same thing as saying "being black is wrong." If you told a black person "you're wrong to be black" you'd be considered hateful on the face of it. Same deal with gays. Saying that it's wrong to be gay is hateful.

Men and women are born with various skin colors. Men and women are not born homosexual.

Men and women do not/cannot choose to be "black" or "white". Men and women do choose to be homosexual.

I do not hate Tim Cook. That is a very strong word. But, I do think homosexuality is wrong.

 

[bandrews]

I understand that. I don't think that is an equal comparison.

How? You can exchange hair colour for eye colour, skin colour, or any other human trait that is completely outside of the control of that person and the argument still stands.

 

[meechy]

What a horrible person you are.

Why is he? It's his choice that he doesn't support homosexuality just as being gay is Tim cooks choice.

Doesn't mean he is a horrible person.

 

[melendezest]

Deuteronomy 22:13-21
"A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be put to death."


...yes, lets all follow the incredibly crude and barbaric "morals" of the early bronze age desert cults. Because the life in the Dark ages was so great.

How are you people even using computers?

Sometimes, you need to know why a law like that was put into place.

Taking the context, the "why" out of it destroys its purpose.

This is what Jesus addressed, that the Pharisees (Teachers of the Law) had Him executed for. He provided the context, and they hated Him for it.

Please, folks, you need to read the whole thing to get the appropriate context, if that is truly what your purpose is.

Otherwise, there is no point in using it just to further your position against it.

 

[rGiskard]

You're right. And they even have that warning at the bottom of our menus: "Eating undercooked seafood can be hazardous to your health." I hadn't thought of that. Funny how the ancients in the Bible had so many things right.

Yeah, like condoning slavery, instructions on when it is proper to beat your wife, and condemning the mixing of different fabrics

Don't forget this gem from Leviticus:

Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

Funny how the Bible Thumpers choose to neglect some of the Leviticus Rant while holding up certain parts as Divine Authority.

 

[Digital Skunk]

The humor here is in the fact that 1) you obviously didn't even read half of these articles and 2) the other half are political hit pieces with an agenda, not legitimate sources.

#fail

The real humor is that someone who adamantly protests others trying to define his sexuality is blatantly defining sexuality for others.