What is the Christian perspective?
Why do Christians oppose homosexuality and believe it a sin?
The answer to these questions requires an understanding of the Christian
perspective on the matter. It should first be established what sin is. Sin can
be defined as anything that is contrary to the will of God. With that in mind,
Christians believe that the word of God, as expressed in the Bible, is the
authoritative will of God.
In the beginning of the Book of Genesis God created Adam in
His image, and later Eve. He then gives the very first command to mankind: “be
fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28). Sex then was created for procreation. We
were given the unique ability to create other beings in the image of God. So
special and unique is this gift that not even the angels in heaven possess it.
Herein lies the will of God. The model and design of God is
for one man and one woman to come together in holy matrimony, creating a new
family of their own. This is repeated by Jesus in the New Testament: “‘This
explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and
the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one
split apart what God has joined together. (Mar 10:7-9)”. As Ben Franklin eloquently put it “It is the Man and Woman united that make the complete human being.” This is God’s idea of sex, marriage, and family.
The traditional family (dubbed the nuclear family) was then
created by God, and marriage was established as the best social construct for
raising children. This is the reason why homosexuality, and by extension
same-sex marriage, is considered a sin, because it deviates from the design
which God has established. In this regard, however, homosexuality is not alone.
Any sexual activity that deviates from this design is also a sin. This would
include heterosexual sins of adultery and promiscuity.
Are people born gay?
Some have suggested that people who are homosexual are “born
that way”. For that to be possible it would require that it be hard coded into
their DNA. However, no such gene has been found to exist. It would stand to
reason that any physiological trait, genetic or otherwise, which causes humans
not to reproduce would be bred out of existence a long time ago. Put another
way, homosexuals would not be able to pass on the gene if it was genetic.
Conversely, if it were a genetic trait it would be more prevalent. However,
homosexuals have always been in the minority.
Moreover, how could genetics explain two identical twins
where one is gay and the other is straight? If genes were responsible for our
sexual identities then identical twins, who share the same DNA, should be
either both gay or both straight. However, this is not normally the case. Jones
& Yarhouse (2000), calculated that if one twin has same-sex attraction,
there is only an 11% the other twin will have same-sex attraction. Other
researches concur. After examining six studies from 2000-2011 they concluded
that if one twin is gay the chances that the other twin is gay is only 11% for
men, and 14% for women.
And then there are ex-gays who have left the gay lifestyle.
Likewise, there have been straight people who have joined the gay lifestyle. If
sexuality was hard-coded into our genes, it would have been impossible for them
to change. The truth is we are much more than the sum of our genes. Recent
studies have indicated that we are not slaves to our genes, and have much more
control over them than previously thought:
"Every cell in your body has been neatly packaged with
all the genes for you, but not all those genes are initiated (expressed) at the
same time. So a cell initiates the liver gene when in your liver and not when
in your skin. When a gene is expressed it makes a new protein that alters the
structure and function of that particular cell. The information about how to
make these proteins is "transcribed" or read from the individual
gene. The myth we have learned is that our genes shape us, but research shows
that our thinking also affects which genes are initiated. Therefore, we can shape
our genes." -Dr. Caroline Leaf (Who Switched Off My Brain?)
“I actively supported the perspective that the human body
was a "biochemical machine ‘programmed’ by its genes… Though the power of
genes is still emphasized in current biology courses and textbooks, a radically
new understanding has emerged at the leading edge of cell science. It is now
recognized that the environment, and more specifically, our perception
(interpretation) of the environment, directly controls the activity of our
genes. Environment controls gene activity through a process known as epigenetic
control.” - Bruce Lipton (Biology of Belief)
“While clearly a huge scientific and medical milestone,
sequencing the human genome was followed by the growing realization that humans
were much more than the product of their human genes.” –Justin Sonnenburg and
Erica Sonnenburg, PhDs (The Good Gut)
In conclusion, if homosexuality was innate at birth we would
expect to see about even heterosexual and homosexual populations, but we do not. Historically, the homosexual population as always been low, and the
heterosexual population as always been high (as evidenced by a world population
of seven billion people). Heterosexuality is and has always been the default
norm for humanity.
Why are some people gay?
The deciding factor if a person becomes a homosexual or not
is likely due to environmental and behavioral factors. Meaning that it is
psychological rather than biological. There are many environmental factors that
could contribute to same sex attraction. For instance, someone who is sexually
abused as a child is much more prone to develop same sex attraction later in
life. That is not to say that everyone who is abused as a child develops same
sex attraction, or that everyone who has same sex attraction had something
horrific happen in their childhood. Everyone has a different psychological
make-up and responds to stimuli differently. However, it is during these
imprint years that shape our personalities and preferences. Who we are and who
we become can all be traced back to our childhood.
A person with same sex attraction may not choose how they
feel. However, having same sex attraction in and of itself does not make a
person gay. Our actions are what define us, and it is only when those feelings
are acted upon that makes a person a homosexual. Once acted upon, the behavior
becomes cemented, making it more difficult to change (but not impossible).
Is being gay normal?
It can be concluded through reason, logic, and natural law
that homosexuality is not normal. First, let’s address the emotional aspects of
same sex attraction. A person with same sex attraction may feel a certain way,
but feelings alone to not determine if something is right, wrong, or natural.
If it were, then nothing could be wrong or unnatural. To go a step further, pedophiles could also
claim they were born that way.
The objection to this is of course is the issue of
“consent”. Our moral standards have been brought so low that for many consent
is the only standard left. However, what is consensual is also not a good
indicator of what is morally right. There are plenty of instances of consensual
sex that is not good. Adultery, for example, which ruins families.
Second, biology. Our bodies are designed for heterosexual
relationships. Biologically, male genitalia is made to go with female
genitalia, and the whole purpose of sex is for reproduction. If homosexuality
were natural, then why do all humans and animals require a male and female to
reproduce? As Dr. Charles King puts it, “Normalcy is that which functions
according to its design.”
Lastly, it can be concluded that homosexuality is not
natural because gay men, in particular, are more prone to STDs. In fact,
according to the CDC, in 2014, gay and bisexual men made up an estimated 2% of
the U.S. population, but accounted for 70% of new HIV infections I would
add here that is everyone practiced celibacy until marriage, like the Bible
suggestions, STDs would be virtually eradicated.
What’s wrong with gay marriage?
The traditional (nuclear) family unit is the basic building
block of any society. The intent of marriage ultimately is to rear families.
When the family unit breaks down, society will fall apart simultaneously. For
instance, the single biggest indicator if a child will succeed in life is if
both parents (father and mother) remain together. That is one of a myriad of
reasons why traditional marriage is important. It is therefore logical to
conclude that preserving traditional marriage is beneficial even necessary for
a healthy society.
Nowhere is this more self-evident than in the fall of
ancient Rome and the preceding breakdown of the family. Roman honor and respect
for marriage had virtually become extinct. Roman marriages had greatly
deteriorated and had become a loose and voluntary compact in which religious
and civil rites were no longer essential. Adultery and promiscuity were
rampant. A married man could sleep with unmarried women and prostitutes and it
was not considered adultery. Women of high-ranking families would ask for their
names to be entered among the public prostitutes so they would not be punished
for adultery. In the end Rome disintegrated from the inside out, and the
breakdown of the family was a major contributor.
Gay marriage has essentially devalued marriage the same way
as the Romans did, but in a way that has never been done in the history of the
world, by redefining marriage. This fact alone should have given us pause to
consider the ramifications of gay marriage instead rushing headlong with
reckless abandonment. One has to consider that if marriage has to be redefined,
then it is no longer really a marriage anymore, but an imitation of a marriage.
It is the opinion of the author that getting married has always been a
religious ceremony, and that the government should stay out of the business of
marriage altogether.
The problem with redefining marriage is that it opens
Pandora’s Box to be redefined indefinitely. This leaves the door open for
pluralistic marriages (one women with multiple men, one man with multiple
women, and multiple women and men all married together, etc), even marriages
with an inanimate objects (yes, this has really happened). Basically, anything
that can be conceived, no matter how ridiculous, can become a “marriage”. When
marriage can be redefined to mean anything, it becomes meaningless. It is no
longer marriage, but a mockery of marriage.
Another consequence of gay marriage is it has infringed on
religious freedoms. Businesses are especially vulnerable, such as bakers and
photographers who have refused to participate in gay weddings because of their
religious convictions. Note that they did not object to serving gays, just not
participating in gay marriages. Such people have become at risk of losing
their means of making a living simply for refusing to be indentured servants. It
has also opened the door to religious persecution. In various parts of the
western world there is an increasing push to criminalize the dissent of
homosexuality.
Finally, gay marriage has created a plethora of issues that
did not exist before. Homosexuality is being taught to very young children
without the consent of parents. Drag queens have been invited to speak at schools.
Bathrooms are being made to accommodate a very small segment of society,
allowing biological men to use restrooms with young girls. All of which can be
easily exploited with someone of nefarious intent. The next step will
ultimately be communal bathrooms.
Gender and social norms are being destroyed wonton without
any consideration of the consequences. Where does it end exactly? The truth is
it will never end. Just as the focus has shifted from gay marriage when it was
normalized to transgenderism and gender dysphoria, it will focus on something
else when they are normalized. In the end what you have left is social anarchy
with no moral absolutes.
What about transgenderism?
Transgenderism is a relatively new term, coined in 1965, to
replace the term transsexual (which is also a relatively new term). But it is a
contradiction in terms. It is physically impossible to change gender\sex.
Hormone injections, surgery, makeup, etc. are purely superficial cosmetic
changes. Males will still have a prostrate, large hands, Y chromosome, Adam’s
apple, a propensity for male pattern baldness, a larger male skeletal frame
with broad shoulders, etc. And females will still have X chromosome, small
hands, a smaller skeletal frame with wide hips, a uterus, etc.
Transgenders make a very small percentage of the population.
For 99% of people, their biological sex is their gender. When gender dysmorphia does
occur, it usually corrects itself by adulthood, unless encouraged by outside
forces. Once it was labeled as a mental illness, but has changed due to the
powerful LGBT lobby. A mental illness does not suddenly not become a mental
illness because it is socially acceptable or because someone says so. This is
evident by the suicide rates among tansgenders, which is notoriously high (upwards
of 40% percent). Mental illness and suicides often go hand-in-hand. And contrary to
some opinions, it is not due to discrimination. Many groups have suffered
discrimination, but do not have corresponding levels of suicide. And in an age
where discrimination of transgenders is at and all time low, suicides are still
prevalent (even after having surgery).
In recent years there has been a false distinction between
gender and sex, but this is a modern concept. Any pre-politically correct
dictionary will tell you that sex and gender are synonymous. The 1828 Webster’s
Dictionary, for instance, says gender means “A sex, male or female. Hence,”. In
its simplest terms it means “beget, or to be born”. A person can conceive of an
infinite number of genders, which have no scientific basis, but biologically
there are only two. A person may feel a certain way, but feelings cannot be a
factor in measuring appropriate behavior or what is normal, otherwise incest
and pedophilia couldn’t be inappropriate behaviors. Feelings do not define us,
our actions are what define who we are.
The LGBT’s intent has been to destroy gender roles. They
believe that gender roles are purely a social construct. However, an
examination of history will reveal that’s not true. There’s a reason why men
have primarily been the fighters and hunters of society, while women have
historically been the homemakers and caretakers of society. This was
universally true across every culture, independent of each other. That is
because these gender roles suited the sexes physically and psychologically. Men
by nature are stronger and more aggressive, making them more suitable for
certain roles, and women are more emotional and nurturing by nature, making
them more ideal for certain roles. Thus gender roles are organic and important
to the functioning of society. It’s one thing for gender roles to develop
organically, it’s another to try and change gender roles artificially as the
LGBT is doing. Destroying gender roles only create confusion, new problems that
did not exist before, and ultimately moral, social, and sexual anarchy. For more on that read The Dark Agenda of the LGBT.
The biblical world view is that God created male
and female, making each distinct and having their own strengths, but coming
together to make a whole. Our identity is not in our gender, race, ethnicity or
anything else. In Christ there is neither male nor female, but we are all one
in Christ. This is our identity, and once you know your identity there is no
gender confusion.
