“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten,” He said. “Be zealous therefore, and repent” [Revelation 3:19].
What was to be repented of? What was considered sin? Many behaviors, among them lying, stealing, adultery, fornication, and yes, homosexual relations.
Biblical Christianity unequivocally condemns homosexual behavior.
The Apostle Paul warned the Roman Christians against what he called “unseemly” and “vile” sexual behavior:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. [Romans 1:18, 22-27, emphasis added]
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. [1 Corinthians 6:9, emphasis added]
The phrase “abusers of themselves with mankind” is translated from the Greek “arsenokoitai”, which can also be translated as “sodomites”, which alludes to the sins of Sodom, and the practice of sodomy, widely understood to be homosexual behavior [ref].
It is important to note that Paul doesn’t single out homosexual behavior for lone condemnation. He also condemns other behavior, including fornication and adultery.
And, as with all sin, he recognizes the possibility of repentance and subsequent sanctification through the Savior Jesus Christ.
In his letter to the Corinthians Paul acknowledges that some of them used to be engaged in such behavior, but have repented and been cleansed by Christ:
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. [1 Corinthians 6:10, emphasis added]
Love the Sinner
A core teaching of Jesus is that we should treat people — those we disagree with, those who hate or mistreat us, even our enemies — with kindness and charity.
It is wrong to intimidate, bully or perpetrate violence against people who disagree with us or whose behavior is at odds with the morals we believe in.
That doesn’t mean that we should encourage or enable sinful behavior. On the contrary, “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” [Hebrews 12:6].
Not Born Gay
I am going to set aside Biblical proclamations and address some modern questions and issues surrounding the topic of homosexuality, starting with the oft-made assertion that homosexuals are “born that way”.
Such claims attempt to equate the behavior of homosexuality with non-behavioral statuses and conditions such as race, ethnicity or disability, and to thereby gain similar legal and social protections. Such a claim also attempts to lay responsibility for homosexual behavior at God’s feet.
The reality is that there is no evidence that a person is born homosexual.
In 1993, Columbia University psychiatry professors William Byne and Bruce Parsons examined and debunked leading gay-gene studies, concluding that “there is no evidence at present to substantiate a biologic theory” [6].
In 2000, The American Psychiatric Association published a fact sheet stating that “to date there are no replicated scientific studies supporting any specific biological etiology for homosexuality” [ref].
In 2008, the American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) pro-homosexuality pamphlet titled Answers to Your Questions: For a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality had this to say about sexual orientation:
There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles…. [ref]
On the contrary, many studies have found that a high percentage of practicing homosexuals self-report being introduced to the lifestyle at a young age by pedophiles.
A study in the The Archives of Sexual Behavior reported:
One of the most salient findings of this study is that 46 percent of homosexual men and 22 percent of homosexual women reported having been molested by a person of the same gender. This contrasts to only 7 percent of heterosexual men and 1 percent of heterosexual women reporting having been molested by a person of the same gender. [1]
Child sex abuse expert David Finkelhor found that “boys victimized by older men were over four times more likely to be currently engaged in homosexual activity than were non-victims. The finding applied to nearly half the boys who had had such an experience…. Further, the adolescents themselves often linked their homosexuality to their sexual victimization experiences.” [3]
A disturbing fact is that, relative to the percent of the population that is homosexual, homosexual pedophiles are significantly over-represented in child sex abuse cases. Even though less than three percent of all men are homosexual, approximately one third of child sex abuse cases are men abusing boys. [4, 5]
Sexual Orientation Can Change
Even more evidence that people are not born gay is that fact that people who are attracted to the same gender, or who engage in homosexual behavior, can change not only their behavior, but also their desires.
Columbia Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Robert Spitzer, a proponent of homosexual activism, and a leader in removing homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA’s) list of mental disorders, published a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior demonstrating that people can change their sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. He studied over 200 people who reported they had reduced or reversed their same-sex attraction through reparative therapy counseling [7].
A study by Psychologists Stanton L. Jones of Wheaton College and Mark A. Yarhouse of Regent University assessed 98 persons six to seven years after they’d completed therapy to change their sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. They found successful outcomes in over half, with 23 percent reporting that they were heterosexual in orientation and behavior, and 30 percent no longer engaging in homosexual behavior or self-identifying as homosexuals [ref].
In 2009 the Journal of Human Sexuality published a report finding that, contrary to APA claims, “sexual orientation is not immutable and that psychological care for individuals with unwanted homosexual attractions is beneficial and poses no significant risk of harm.” The study examined “over 100 years of professional and scientific literature as well as over 600 reports from clinicians, researchers, and former clients principally published in professional and peer-reviewed journals.” [ref]
Counseling, however, isn’t necessary for someone to change their sexual orientation.
A 2002 study of tens of thousands of U.S. adolescent students found frequent changes in sexual orientation and attraction, with most of the changes being from a homosexual or bisexual orientation to an exclusively heterosexual orientation [ref].
A five year study of a group of young same-sex attracted females aged 16 to 23 found that almost two-thirds of them changed their sexual orientation during that time period [8].
But forget the studies. You can search the internet and find testimonials from individuals who, with and without therapy, have changed their sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual.
In light of the preponderance of evidence that sexual orientation can change, I find it extremely disturbing and preposterous that there is a movement to outlaw counseling and therapy intended to help a person change his or her sexual orientation. In fact, there are actually states where such counseling is illegal.
To deny a person who desires to change access to counseling to assist that change is outrageous.
In a friend-of-the-court brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court against California’s ban, Greg Quinlan writes that “the real issue here with the homosexual agenda to stop this therapy is dominance. It’s not about equality; it’s about dominance. It’s silencing anyone who has any other opinion than the homosexual opinion.” [ref]
Professor Nicholas Cummings, a member of the APA Council of Representatives who sponsored the APA’s resolution declassifying homosexuality as a mental disorder, had this to say about change therapy:
Contending that all same-sex attraction is immutable is a distortion of reality. Attempting to characterize all sexual reorientation therapy as “unethical” violates patient choice and gives an outside party a veto over patients’ goals for their own treatment. A political agenda shouldn’t prevent gays and lesbians who desire to change from making their own decisions.
Whatever the situation at an individual clinic, accusing professionals from across the country who provide treatment for fully informed persons seeking to change their sexual orientation of perpetrating a fraud serves only to stigmatize the professional and shame the patient. [ref]
Nothing to Celebrate
The celebration of homosexuality and of homosexuals “coming out of the closet” is a curious thing.
I guess it does take courage to go against societal norms. But just because an act takes courage doesn’t make it praiseworthy.
I fail to see anything about homosexual behavior that merits singling it out for praise or congratulations.
There isn’t a single instance in the history of mankind where a person’s homosexuality has contributed to any great or momentous achievement.
The same can be said for fornicators and adulterers.
In fact, I think that sexual appetites and desires are often an impediment to great achievement; a common distraction and frequently a severe stumbling block.
There is only one scenario where sexual behavior has directly contributed to the achievement of great things, and that is when it has been used for what God intended it: To conceive life within the bonds of marriage between a man and a woman who are committed to the nurture and development of a child who will become a contributing member of society.
Which leads me to my next point.
No Benefit Means No Benefits
I previously wrote an article arguing that government should not extend marriage rights and the associated benefits to homosexual unions based on the simple fact that homosexual unions do not benefit society [ref].
For the sake of societal stability and perpetuation, Government has encouraged, and should continue to encourage marriage between man and woman, who will then bare and raise offspring in an environment that is best suited to the nurture and development of children.
Homosexuals can’t do that. They can try to approximate it, but they’ll never be an adequate substitute for what God has ordained.
Frankly, if we are going to grant marriage status and benefits to homosexuals, I see no legitimate argument for stopping there.
Why shouldn’t a father and daughter, or father and son, or mother and daughter, or mother and son, or brother and sister, or just two — or more — friends or even strangers who happen to live together (or apart), be able to enter into a “marriage” union and thereby receive all the same governmental recognition and benefits?
In terms of benefit to society, there is no difference between any one of these unions, and a homosexual union.
Any two people should be able to share power of attorney. Beyond that, official recognition, tax and other financial incentives should be extended only to the matrimony of man and woman, to foster the bearing and raising of the offspring that are the future of civilized society.
The Homosexuality Movement is a Religion
What is a religion? “A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons” [ref].
What do most religions do? They seek to promulgate their beliefs and behaviors through various channels, with the ultimate goal of gaining acceptance and growing in size and status by winning converts.
What is the homosexual movement? It is a collection of persons, many affiliated with various pro-homosexual groups, who share the fundamental belief that homosexual behavior is good, and who work through various channels (media, entertainment, political) to gain (and often force) acceptance of these views, and to convert people (particularly young people) to their lifestyle.
In no material way does the homosexual movement differ from a religious movement. Like all religions, the homosexual movement is all about beliefs, behavior, and converting other people to those beliefs and behaviors.
Furthermore, as in traditional religion, so too in the religion of homosexuality there are sects and cults that go beyond obvious ethical and natural boundaries.
At its conception, New York’s Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) opposed age of consent laws — it wanted to make adults having sex with children legal. GAA’s former president, David Thorstad, is a pedophile and a founding member of the North American Man Boy Love Association [9].
Gay Community News published in its first issue in 1979 a “Statement to the Gay Liberation Movement on the Issue of Man/Boy Love”, arguing that “the ultimate goal of gay liberation is the achievement of sexual freedom for all–not just equal rights for ‘lesbians and gay men,’ but also freedom of sexual expression for young people and children.” [10]
These are just two of many examples of the extremist homosexual agenda. Such a proclivity for depraved deviancy is nothing new, it was commonplace among the Romans, and was condemned by Paul in his epistles, as I covered at the beginning of this article.
Downfall and Destruction are the Fruits of Sexual Sin
I want to reiterate that the Bible doesn’t exclusively condemn homosexual behavior. All sexual sin — incest, rape, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, etc. — are serious sins in the sight of God.
And I believe it to be abundantly clear in ancient and modern secular and religious records that sexual sins lead to the downfall and destruction of individuals, families and nations.
David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and suffered much personal sorrow and misfortunes for the remainder of his life.
Samson was seduced by Delilah, leading to his betrayal, blindness and imprisonment.
The men of Sodom and Gomorrah were “wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” (Genesis 13:13), and they and their cities were destroyed by brimstone and fire.
The ancient Roman vacation city of Pompeii had a culture (like much of Rome) that was “distinctly erotic” when it was buried by volcanic flows from Mount Vesuvius. [ref]
The decline, decay and eventual downfall of the Roman Empire can be explained by numerous conditions and events, but at the core of all these is the well-documented immorality, perversions and sexual debauchery that pervaded the empire.
Paul, a first-hand witness and vocal critic of Rome’s immorality, prophesied that similar perilous times will come in the last days, when men will be “lovers of their own selves”, “without natural affection”, “lovers of pleasures”, “led away with divers lusts” (2 Timothy 3).
The modern day consequences of sexual immorality aren’t much different from the ancient.
Sexually transmitted diseases, pornography, obscenity, lewd behavior, sexual harassment, rape, incest, pedophilia, broken homes, divorce, teenage pregnancies, fatherless children, abortion… All these manifestations and inevitable consequences of sexual immorality weaken, degrade and corrode individuals, families and societies, ripening them for an ultimate destruction, even the future plagues and destruction described by the Apostle John in Revelations.
1. Marie, E. Tomeo, et al., “Comparative Data of Childhood and Adolescence Molestation in Heterosexual and Homosexual Persons,” Archives of Sexual Behavior 30 (2001): 539.
2. Harry W. Haverkos, et al., “The Initiation of Male Homosexual Behavior,” The Journal of the American Medical Association 262 (July 28, 1989): 501.
3. Bill Watkins and Arnon Bentovim, “The Sexual Abuse of Male Children and Adolescents: A Review of Current Research,” Journal of Child Psychiatry 33 (1992); in Byrgen Finkelman, Sexual Abuse (New York: Garland Publishing, 1995), p. 316.
4. Milton Diamond, “Homosexuality and Bisexuality in Different Populations,” Archives of Sexual Behavior 22 (1993):300.
5. Ray Blanchard, et al., “Fraternal Birth Order and Sexual Orientation in Pedophiles,” Archives of Sexual Behavior 29 (2000): 464.
6. William Byne and Bruce Parsons, “Human Sexual Orientation: The Biologic Theories Reappraised,” Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 50, March 1993: 228-239.
7. Robert L. Spitzer, “Can Some Gay Men and Lesbians Change Their Sexual Orientation?”, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 32, No. 5, October 2003: 403-417.
8. Lisa M. Diamond, “Was it a phase? Young women’s relinquishment of lesbian/bisexual identities over a 5-year period,” Journal of Personality & Social Psychology (in press as of 2004).
9. David Thorstad, “May/Boy Love and the American Gay Movement” Journal of Homosexuality 20 (1990): 252.