Rated, but not for accuracy of title or necessarily agreement with content. A debate is not presented, as the title asserts, but simply one man's very intelligent and accurate assault on the failure of moral standing of the Catholic Church and its hierarchy as legitimate judges of morality and spirituality. In that, while Steven Fry is very well informed in historical facts, his assault does not prove his point that homosexuality should be considered as normal and morally beyond the right of any Church to judge. It merely brings into question the right of the Catholic Church to do so.

If A very accurately and rightly points out the failures and errors of B, this does not prove that A is therefore necessarily without error and failure in that which A is moved to defend by so doing.

Understand, I'm not taking a stance here against homosexuals and homosexuality. I'm simply pointing out a logical fact. And conversely, neither by saying THAT am I taking a stance for homosexuals and homosexuality. I'n not judging homosexuality here, but am simply giving my assessment of what I just heard ad saw in the video.

This was a very good video for the historical content. I would have liked it better if it were a true debate and we heard the Catholic Church's response.

Rated for being an excellent provoker of thought.

Note: Something seems to be wrong with the software, here. I've twice rated this, as I said, and twice it showed "1" in the "rated" box, only to see it at zero when I checked it again which it once again shows to me here. Dunno how anybody else is seeing it. Maybe 1, maybe 2, who kows?

OK, so I changed the title to be more accurate.

As for the part about homosexuality, I'd rather have a homosexual explain how it feels to live that life, than the view of a homophobe. Just as I'd seek the view of a Jew to explain Judaism, rather than asking a Nazi. As a Gay man who has suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church, I'm not as forgiving as Steven Fry. You say Steven cannot prove his point that homosexuality should be considered as normal and morally beyond the right of any Church to judge? What a bunch of BS! And just who is it that decides who gets to make the judgments against people who are different from themselves?

To limit this discussion to the church's stance on homosexuality is to miss the point. The problem here is not the expression of human sexuality, it is the bigotry and hypocrisy of the Holy Roman See, its lies, its secrets and its immorality. This nation and its pundits, currently engaged in the moral destruction of Mr. Woods for his hypocrisy, most particularly, those who hold the flame to the faggots in the pyre on which he is being burned are themselves guilty of the same hypocrisy for which they cause him to suffer. All these men bring to mind the gurus and the spiritual masters who preach and demand celibacy of their students while they are making nightly rounds of the dormitories raping those whose judgment has been weakened by the repression suffered upon them by their rapists. Such contradiction of justice will continue so long as we cannot as a society speak straightforwardly about the bigotry expressed not only by the current Pope, but the leaders of all world religions who cast judgment upon others for their own sins. Always remember before casting judgment on the behavior others, there is no way to know what is in someone's heart, but when someone condemns another for his behavior, it is likely that his condemnation is driven by his own guilt, fear, and desire. And that is what I call bigotry.

I enjoyed this video very much. I find that I have no use or patience for organized religion of any kind, and therefore I have no desire to hear the Catholic Church's response...a church that has done enormous harm and devastation to millions of people over the course of history, all in the name of God...I watched Bill Maher's latest "comedy" special and agree wholeheartedly with his sentiments about the harm that religion has done and continues to. And like you SpiritSF, I'd rather hear from the homosexual themselves rather than the blatherings of some repressed religious organization. Thanks for putting up this video!