Just to say from the outset that this is a Christian article looking at homosexuality that is attempting to see biblical principles with what is happening around us in the world, in terms of homosexuality, today. It will largely deal with male homosexuality as that is what is most extensively written about.
What we see today:
Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way" has come to be a placard of the idea that God makes people LGBT and that they are therefore 'born this way'. Some lyrics from this song include the lines: "There's nothing wrong with loving who you are she said (Gaga's mother), 'Because He made you perfect babe..." and "Cause baby, you were born this way. No matter gay, straight or bi, Lesbian, transgendered life, I'm on the right track baby..."
Similarly, scientists have invested large amounts of time attempting to discover what they have titled 'the gay gene'. The implication of all these things are that homosexuality is a result of birth and therefore is eternal, part of your make up and cannot be changed.
If today (10 July 2013) you search for the gay gene you will find many many pages about how it doesn't exist. Science has decided it isn't real. The thing they are looking for now is shifting DNA from mother to son, father to daughter that could explain homosexual tendencies. (Genetic switches)
Santa Barbara University, Cali and Uppsala in Sweden have declared "Sexual orientation has nothing to do with genetics."
Yet this idea that it is in inbuilt into people in the post-modern period.
This idea has some obvious implications. One such is that homosexuality cannot change.
This idea has seeped into the Church with organisations such as True Freedom Trust (the UK/Ireland Christian Organisation involved in ministering to homosexual people of faith), the Anglican Communion (at least in the Western World) and now Exodus International (Reduce Fear) becoming accepting that there can be such thing as a 'gay Christian'.
Really 'born that way?"
In studies done into sets of identical twins it was found that in 50% of cases a gay twin had a gay twin. Now in identical twins, if they were born that way by some gene or genetic switch, one would expect the results to be much closer to 100% not half and half. (Half and half seems like a cop-out from the researchers to me anyway).
However, if you have identical twins what is the likelihood that both of their environments will be the same. Often you will see parents of twins dressing, treating them, talking to them, doing the same things with them. Also twins have the increased likelihood of sharing experiences with one another.
The other theory out there that talks of the origins of homosexuality talks about the environment of the child. One with homosexual tendencies could read this thinking 'but my sibling doesn't...' How alike were both of you treated? The exact same? You had the same friends? The same experiences? Learned about sex the same time? How?
No two people share the same environment exactly. With identical twins the environments are much more alike and that could account for the 50% chance that an identical twin who has homosexual feelings and tendencies also has a twin who does.
"At the present time there has been no definitive evidence presented to establish a biological cause for homosexuality despite what the popular press may say. No gay gene has been discovered, and there are no posited biological pathways to explain how such a gene or genes may work even if they did exist." - Dr. Trevor Hunter (quoted in What Some of You Were, Mattias Media, 2001)
The Bible on 'gay Christians':
To be this is the same thing as saying you can be a Murdering Christian or an adulterous Christian.
Homosexuality appears a number of times in the Bible on a list of sins (in Leviticus with other sexual sins and in Romans and Corinthians with other sins more generally).
The Corinthians passage is an interesting one though, and one which I wish to quote in full here: " Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV) Here Paul is specifically referring to male homosexual acts but in Romans he refers to male and female acts and desires: "For this reason God gave them up to dishonourable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." (Romans 1:26-27 ESV)
What I want you to note from those two passages is highlighted.
So the biblical principles here seem to run completely the opposite to the ideas of the modern age. TFT and Exodus say that it is fine to be a gay Christian as long as it is not acted on.
Romans seems to disagree with them. They also say that same sex attraction (SSA) is given by God and cannot change, which 1 Corinthians would appear to disagree with.
Change?
There actually is evidence for change. There are books written by people who were once homosexual and in committed homosexual relationships. One such book is "A Guy who was Gay" another is "What some of you were". Exodus International, back when it was an ex-gay, reparative therapy movement, had many articles about people being changed. Christianity Today recently included two stories of people who were gay/lesbian and no longer are (christianitytoday.com)
There is evidence out there calling out against the voices of society today that say things such as people are born gay. In the UK, and probably other countries, they have begun this practice which locates young people, as young as 4, that may be showing homosexual tendencies (a boy playing with Barbie in pre-school). The teachers are then expected to help the child to realise and embrace/move in the direction their sexuality appears to be pointing them. I think it's funny that in that environment governments are making it illegal to point minors in the opposite direction and if they show homosexual behaviour you cannot offer them help to change.
The Alternative:
The alternative to change is being a gay Christian, or a Christian living with homosexual tendencies.
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)
We all have to live with the mistakes of our past. We will all have to struggle with the sins that once bound us. However, the continuation of homosexual tendencies appears to be a cop-out.
I mean no disrespect to Alan Chambers and Jonathan Berry and the countless others who are homosexual but also Christian and have asked God to take it away countless times in what I am saying here. I cannot understand their situation. I only hope and pray that God will continue the good work He has started and see it unto completion.
The Church of England, and other groups, claim homosexuality is okay as long as it is not manifested in actions. The claim is then that attraction to a person of the same sex is okay. In fact the CoE goes as far as to say that a Civil Union with a member of the same sex is okay as long as there is no sex involved.
They say that homosexual feelings are God-given... I wish to ask what exactly is defined as homosexual feelings? Heterosexual guys, although they would be slow to admit it, will recognise things such as muscles etc of other men. Then is a homosexual feeling not when a man, for instance, looks at another man and imagines kissing him, sleeping with him, being involved in a sexual relationship with him?
How can someone who holds to the testimony of Scripture attest that such feelings would be okay when Jesus Himself said, "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)
Now one may put forward the argument that this specifically says women. Many commentators say that this command is not restrictive to just those in a married relationship but also applies to those who are single. This is not to say that noticing a woman, or man, is good looking is a sin, but to think of sleeping with them is.
If this can apply to married and unmarried men it stands to reason that the women in the verse is interchangeable as well. Jesus spoke into His context in which homosexuality was not prevalent as Jewish society and law forbade it anyway.
I cannot reconcile the Scriptures with the idea that continued and uncontrolled homosexual feelings are not sinful.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
(Philippians 4:8 ESV)
"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ..."
(2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV)
How to change?
This is the hardest of all the topics possible subsections.
I understand people still stuck in experiences of SSA have cried to God long into the night and the next morning and every night after that until right now and nothing has happened. I feel the desire to say only God, and truly repenting, relying on and giving all to Him will make you change. I believe that from the bottom of my heart. All the stories I have read and experienced have a point where the person realises it's all about God and submit to Him and commit all their lives to Him.
However, if homosexuality isn't from nature it is from nurture. The stories of lives changed have recognised an event that led them to begin a life of homosexuality. From seeing male porn magazines in the bin at the age of seven to being abused sexually at a young age.
Interestingly the people people struggling with homosexuality tend to be attracted to are people who look, act, or have the same or a similar position in their lives as the person/thing that first activated the homosexuality.
In order to be truly free from homosexual tendencies the event that began it all needs to be identified and dealt with: spiritually, mentally, emotionally and possibly physically. Forgiveness will be a big part of this, especially for those who were abused, if you cannot let go of your hurt and forgive how can you let go of your sexuality and desires?
This may require professional counselling to get past.
Either way I think this should certainly be an avenue explored before the person just accepts their lot and labels themselves as a gay Christian, Christian who is gay or Christian who struggles with life long homosexual tendencies. I cannot see how a Christian could think it is okay to have gay feelings and accept it when the Bible says it can change and that lust is wrong. I would search and search and search continuously until it was sorted, not become resigned to my circumstances.
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