absurd_alligator

Being told no as I'd be "gay either way" and that I should devote my life to God.

I'm sorry for laughing, but the insanity of that statement is too absurd for me not to. Not ridiculing you, just the stupidity of the priest.

"Gay either way"... yeesh.

It's funny, I have the opposite perception. It seems like everybody (in the circles I travel in) is aware of this, and we're just tired of hearing about it. Like, we get it, America is evil. It seems like, in academia at least, there's no counterbalance with the stuff the US got right. If you choose to view this through the lens of any morality, you must condemn the nation only, and any discussion of its virtues means you're either historically ignorant or a right-wing nationalist.

So, my question would be: Is there any room in academic circles for this balance, where we acknowledge the moral complexity of the issue? If not, how can we make room for a deeper/more balanced discussion once the issue of morality is broached?

Edit: Nevermind. Looks like there is no room for this discussion, and never will be. I suspected as much. Carry on.

Double edit: I'll try and suspend my cynicism

No, I wouldn't go so far as to say it is solely condemned in all of academia. You're right, that is a very blanket statement, and isn't the one I made.

I'm trying to say that it is fashionable to reflexively condemn it as a nation, and if you try to say "hold on a moment, it's more complicated than that," you will be ostracized in academic circles. That creates a sort of self-censorship echo-chamber, one that isn't conducive to truth-seeking and open discussion.

Probably the first and second amendments are the two big ones. The right to express yourself and the right to defend yourself being enshrined at the highest level of government are two of the biggest accomplishments in world history, in my opinion.

Obviously, that's not exhaustive.

Thanks; that's a really good answer, and something I didn't consider about primary sources. It makes sense, given that we tend to project modern sensibilities and current conceptions of morality onto the past, and often don't even know we're doing it. Primary sources are probably a great way to help mitigate that, since they let us see through the eyes of those who were there, to the degree that's possible.