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Well... Now that that's over, let's move on to a topic that is directly related to the controversial issue! Several people who are in my social networking groups posted this on their pages:
"put this in your status if you know or love someone who is gay. My wish for 2010 is that people will understand that being gay is not a disease or a choice. People who are gay are not looking for a cure, but acceptance and equal rights... Most people won't copy and paste this."
Now there are a few things in this little statement I agree with, and a few I don't. Because I'm an upbeat type of guy, let me start on a positive note:
What I agree with and why:
1. Being gay is *not* a disease. This is a true statement. There is no such thing as a "gay gene". In fact, here is one report regarding the "gay gene":
"Evan S. Balaban, a neurobiologist at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, noted that
"the search for the biological underpinnings of complex human traits has a sorry history of late. In recent years, researchers and the media have proclaimed the “discovery” of genes linked to alcoholism and mental illness as well as to homosexuality. None of the claims...has been confirmed (as quoted in Horgan, 1995)."
This is holding true 10 years later. In fact, homosexuality is definitively linked to behavior, not genetics.
2. People who are gay are *not* looking for a cure. I agree with this 100%. In fact, a couple of guys wrote on this very thing about 2000 years ago. This guy John wrote a book (self titled) and said this:
Joh 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
Another guy way back when, wrote about it too. He wrote this letter to a bunch of Romans and said:
Rom 1:25-27 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (26) For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; (27) 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.
It seems that no one then and no one now is asking for help. In fact, it seems they just want to suppress the truth so they can "live a life of love and acceptance".
3. I agree they are looking for acceptance and equal rights... They question is, what are being asked to accept, and what do they really want the right to do? We are being asked to accept something that is "unnatural", that is, a practice that goes against our created nature, our very design. They want the right to practice something that socially is unacceptable (the desire is to make it a "norm") and say that it is morally right. In fact, many "Christian" denominations have taken weak stances in regards to this, and some have outright disregarded the Scriptural admonitions. But do they want "equal" rights? No. They want special privilege.
We don't get city permits for monogamous marriage parades that celebrate sex with our spouses, yet they lobby and litigate for the right to be obscene in public. The truth is, if i marched down Caroline Street in Fredericksburg, in a pair of chaps and a biker vest and nothing else, when the police were done laughing, they would haul me in for being indecent in public. What they want is the right to flaunt their sexuality, to have everyone who does not agree be silenced and for evil to be called good. Basically it's this: they want to do what's right in their own eyes (that last part is from that nifty book called Judges). It's sexual anarchy. The conflict arises when people disagree with the actions they are doing and say it's wrong. then it's labelled bigoted, small-minded and puritanesque.
Now let me get to the bad stuff... My disagreements.
1. I disagree it is not a choice. Homosexuality is a condition. It stems from one's very nature, their essence. It is a condition that comes by virtue of death... That is spiritual death. Because (and i am going to wax philosophical here), the Spirit is dead and the conscience is seared, man's nature is bent. It's off-kilter. man is not functioning in the way he was created to function. Consequently, this leaves man in a pickle. Because man's nature is bent he acts in a bent manner. or to put it more technically, he acts according to his nature.
Work with me here... It's like this: dogs act like dogs and chickens like...well chickens. Dogs don't cluck and lay eggs. It's not in their nature. Chickens don't (usually) chase cats and do dog things... They act according to their nature as well. So man doesn't stand a chance, right? Nope. He is free to act according to the nature he has. He makes choices to act according to that nature. As a man thinks, so he is. Or as Jesus said... out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. what's that mean?!?!
Well, it means we are all responsible for our actions and behavior. we have no excuse. No one's twisting our arm to do "x". So, every action we make, every thought we dwell on, is a choice... A man may be attracted to a woman who's not his wife, but he makes a choice to dwell on it or not, to act on it or not. See the difference?
2. Just the general implications of the post in and of itself... That (and this was several of the responses I received) by not posting this, you don't love someone who may be gay, or that you are closed minded and bigoted.
Now I have to speak of principle versus preference here. The preference may be to overlook something because it is uncomfortable, controversial or unpopular (as standing against homosexuality is), but principle says that we must all uphold truth. This means that I am obliged as a man of principle to take unpopular stances when necessary. Because my principles are biblical principles, this puts me further out of the loop. I mean, who sets the standard for right or wrong anyway? It's certainly not me or you... Society can't do it... It changes every week. It has to come to us objectively... our standards for right and wrong... I believe (and Scripture attests to it) that truth has an objective, unchangeable source...God. Yep. The Christian God. As the one who created all this, it is in His divine prerogative to set the standards for truth, morality, ethics... The whole shebang. That means Liam doesn't decide. it does mean Liam better follow it... Like any law, there are consequences to breaking them.
That all said, this doesn't affect whether I love someone who is gay or not. I am not obliged to accept, cover over and ignore, and simply be so pluralistic in my response anyone who commits such acts. in fact, it is out of love and care for the person that we should tell them that they are doing something very very bad. Something that not only has bad long-term physical ramifications, but psychological, social, moral and spiritual ramifications... So... What are the benefits of same sex unions? Well, there are none. It's hard to accept, but it's the truth.
There is a way out. We don't have to keep on making these bad decisions, these horrible choices with horrible consequences (Did I mention that the Law-Giver has laid a death sentence on us for breaking the law? That's any of the laws... Seems harsh, but they were His laws to make and since we were made for Him, we are obliged to keep them. Even if our nature can't make restitution for the crimes we commit.) So...The Judge has offered mercy to those who plead their case and throw themselves at the mercy of the court. in fact, the great advocate for the weak, downtrodden and guilty has stepped in our place. At least for those who trust and rest in Him. Oh... I almost forgot (not really)... You probably want the name of that advocate... It's Jesus. If we trust Him and can rest in Him, He is more than able to make restitution for us, and He gives a new nature, so we are now free to make right decisions an choices... Now that's pretty neat...
Liam
Very well said Liam, thanks for sharing brother!
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