Friday, May 10, 2008
I have this friend who swears that if pastors tell the people in their churches that it is possible that people could be born gay…like…overnight churches will turn into Village People free-for-all orgies.
People will start wearing feather boas to Bible study. Sunday school teachers will start showing clips from Will & Grace re-runs to first graders. Ushers and parking lot attendants will Tivo Jay Leno just to catch a glimpse of “Ross the Intern.”
Utter pandemonium will break out.
“Brian,” he’s told me, “It’s like admitting to people that God made a mistake. People will take that as license to practice homosexuality. You can’t do that.”
Really?
I have lots of friends who are recovering alcoholics and I would venture to say that most of them struggle in part because of genetics – they were born that way.
None that I know, however, use that as an excuse to dive head-long into drunken stupors. Most alcoholics I know are brave, broken, and desperate to stay sober.
Will acknowledging the possibility that people could be born with homosexual tendencies change how God expects us to deal with homosexual behavior?
I don’t think so.
Do I personally think people could be born gay? I don’t know. I honestly don't know how one could conclusively prove such a thing.
It’s pretty clear most secular psychologists and biologists are convinced homosexual orientation is imprinted genetically at birth. And they have piles of studies and journals to back up their claims.
My reaction is simple: So what? How does that change anything?
It’s still sin.
It’s still something to be avoided.
Then hasn’t God tethered those with homosexual urges to a life of constant struggle?
Yep.
That's why I'm betting that those who come to Christ and refrain from acting out on homosexual urges could be one of the few groups of people in the body of Christ who feel the full brunt of James 1:2-5 on a daily basis.
And my heart goes out to them because of it.
Read all the posts in this series:
Questions About Homosexuality
What If We’re Misinterpreting The Bible?
My Greatest Struggle Right Now
Should An Openly Homosexual Person Be Baptized?
Gay First Impressions Ministry?
Are Homosexuals Born That Way?
Are Homosexuals Born That Way? - Questions About Homosexuality (Part 5)
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12 comments:
I couldn't agree more. Most Christians believe that people are born sinners, and they will name some specific sins like anger, but for some reason they think if we say that someone can possibly be born gay, we are saying that God made a mistake.
Brian:
What do you think about this verse:
Matt 19:12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”
I've heard men that have come out of the lifestyle compare gay men to eunuchs of old. But I've never heard them connect the concept to the above words of Jesus. Any thoughts?
I think this is a bad 'argument' to have in the first place.
I was not born strait. I was born man.
I was born as a human designed to, um, interact with a women.
Though I strongly disagree with the following statement:
It’s pretty clear most secular psychologists and biologists are convinced homosexual orientation is imprinted genetically at birth.
I don't think MOST is an accurate word.
It’s pretty clear most secular psychologists and biologists are convinced homosexual orientation is imprinted genetically at birth. And they have piles of studies and journals to back up their claims.
--- --- --- --- ---
Aren't we all good postmoderns by now?
"Scientists Say" is not a really good argument these days... especially when you have friends show you some of those studies and you realize the bias reeking out of them.
I believe God made humans in His image, "male and female created He them" (Gen. 1:27).
I have a friend in the Church who has shared how God rescued him from the sinful life of homosexuality. He said it's a powerful lust, and difficult to fight, but fight by faith, and through the Holy Spirit he does.
"... there are good organizations (Regeneration, www.regenerationministries.org; and Exodus International, www.exodus-international.org) that specifically focus on reaching homosexuals with the good news of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins. They reach out in love with authentic compassion for lost souls, never compromising the truth of the Gospel."
I had never ever before looked at homosexuality from that vantage point. Thank you Brian.
This is a MASSIVE church issue... will it ever make a series?
Dude, you're making so much sense here it's almost scary. I've been thinking that Christ would probably be hanging out with gay people if he came back today and most of us "church folk" would condemn him for hanging out with such "sinful people." It's definitely time to re-evaluate how we respond to people who are struggling with sin, no matter what that sin is (or how personally offended we might be by that particular sin).
Hi Bryon,
I've never heard that, but it makes sense. I know Origen took that verse literally and...well...the rest is history.
Brian
Brian, I agree with you that it really doesn't matter, but as far as I know, there are no studies that have proven there is a gene for sexual orientation. Please let me know if you know of one. Ultimately, it is still a choice.
Why all the talk about homosexuality? It seems you are a little too much involved with this controversy. I agree it should be discussed, but not in a church forum. Please re-think.
Brian,
I think secular psychologists and secular biologists and their homosexual imprinting theories are a bunch of crXp!
These people have different agendas which are driven by their own gains. Their "research funding" is probably paid for, at least in part, by companies who target products and services to the homosexual community.
It has happened before. Tobacco companies paid hundreds of millions of $$$$$ for research to prove that tobacco was not a health issue. Will Christians, and the rest of humanity, be duped by this so called "research" into believing that homosexual genes do exist?
The enemy wants everyone to believe that homosexuality, along with most other sins, is okay in the enlightened society in which we live.
If more things are okay then we have fewer sins to be sorry for. Homosexuals will have less of a need for a saviour. Homosexuality is just one the many sins that are committed by each one of us each day.
When more types of sin become acceptable, including homosexuality, which is just one of many types of sin, less people on earth will feel the need to repent. The kingdom of darkness wins more souls. Not because of people's sinful homosexual lifestyles but because less of these people will become sorry for their behaviors, and less will ever feel the need for a saviour.
Ed
First of all, a church forum is the BEST place to be discussing this issue, and I am glad you are Brian.
Second, I think it is important to realize there is a difference in being born a full-fledged homosexual, and being born with homosexual tendencies.
I love the example of Alcoholism. It's a close (but not perfect) parallel. Genes play a part in that they help aid the process. Certain people are just more prone to becoming an alcoholic, but they are not born that way.
So there is a difference in being born a homosexual, and being born with the genetic makeup to where you are more susceptible to it. Either way...you have to feed the urges, and that's where the sin comes in.
The terms here are "homoerotic" and "homosexual". Some might be born "homoerotic", but a homosexual is what you become...which is sinful.
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