Here’s a study in contrasts – a view of homosexuality from the past, and one from the present. Ace has a 1940s public service announcement video in “One Never Knows When A Homosexual Is About… He May Appear Normal”. And USA Today has an editorial by a Baptist minister named Oliver “Buzz” Thomas that asks, “Galileo was persecuted for revealing what we now know to be the truth regarding Earth’s place in our solar system. Today, the issue is homosexuality, and the persecution is not of one man but of millions. Will Christian leaders once again be on the wrong side of history?” My, how things do change. I will note for the record that Mr. Thomas provides no references to proof for his confident assertion that “Despite what you might have read, heard or been taught throughout your churchgoing life, homosexuality is, in fact, determined at birth and is not to be condemned by God’s followers.” He focuses on Leviticus for sexuality, and the New Testament for “judge not” and loving your neighbor, while completely ignoring the New Testament commands regarding sexuality. Convenient, that. Almost as if he had a pre-determined conclusion and cherry picked a few verses to support it. The jury is still out on whether homosexuality is determined at birth, but whether it is or not, Christians pay entirely too much attention to the topic.
The perception of many people is that orthodox Christians are frigid, tense people who think that sex should be reserved for procreation and not be enjoyed, and that any discussion of it is shocking and taboo. I’m sure that there are some Christians who do feel that way, but I’ve never actually met one. My previous post, All We Are Saying… Is Give Sex A Chance!, refers to sex without any of the typical religious jargon. Is it possible for a Christian to believe that sex is a normal part of life, created by God for us to enjoy, not be ashamed of? Yes. Does sexual purity mean a lack of enjoyment of sex? No. But even that attitude is a hugely incomplete view of sex. John Piper addresses the topic in depth.
The first was that sexuality is designed by God as a way to know Christ more fully. And the second conviction from Friday night was that knowing Christ—the supremacy of Christ—more fully is designed by God as a way of guarding and guiding our sexuality. And when I speak of knowing Christ, I mean it in the fullest biblical sense of grasping great truth about Christ, and growing in fellowship with Christ, and being satisfied with the supremacy of Christ.
Like any tool, sex can be misused. A hammer might be used as a weapon to murder someone. That doesn’t make hammers bad, and we shouldn’t despise them. They’re great, used appropriately. So it is with sex. Piper continues –
My conviction is that one of the main reasons the world and the church are awash in lust and pornography (by men and women—30% of internet pornography is now viewed by women) is that our lives are intellectually and emotionally disconnected from infinite, soul-staggering grandeur for which we were made. Inside and outside the church western culture is drowning in a sea of triviality, pettiness, banality, and silliness. Television is trivial. Radio is trivial. Conversation is trivial. Education is trivial. Christian books are trivial. Worship styles are trivial. It is inevitable that the human heart, which was made to be staggered with the supremacy of Christ, but instead is drowning in a sea of banal entertainment, will reach for the best natural buzz that life can give: sex.
And that’s really the bottom line. A preoccupation with politics is every bit as harmful as one with pornography. If Christians’ credibility is harmed where sex – homosexual or otherwise – is concerned, it’s because so many of us act like sexual sin is harder for God to forgive than, say, gossip. If the heart of Christianity is Christ’s supremacy in all things, as we profess whether or not we use those words, then why the preoccupation with other people’s sexual impurity? There’s a great online, mentored, free bible study site that is partnered with John Piper’s Desiring God ministry that offers help on many issues that sometimes have supremacy in people’s lives and harm the credibility of Christians. Visit Setting Captives Free for more information:
“Despite what you might have read, heard or been taught throughout your churchgoing life, homosexuality is, in fact, determined at birth and is not to be condemned by God’s followers.”
Ok, proof. http://www.borndifferent.com has the results of a study of identical twins where one was gay. in 53% of the cases, the other was also gay.
Odd though, if this is a “born trait” and hence genetics that they aren’t anywhere near 100% for people who are in fact 100% genetically identical.
It provides some evidence that genetics may play some part, but as far as genetics being the end-all be-all it definitely fails. But, if all you can get from Solomon is half a baby, you take what you can get and make the best of it I guess.
I lived with two gay men, and believe me, it’s NOT all Will and Grace. What I witnessed was a sad, stressful, promiscuous, lonely lifestyle. Having said that, no one elected my two friends as representative of homosexuals any more than the Phelps clan is of Christianity. It’s foolish to draw conclusions from small samples of anecdotal evidence.
Finally, I’ll say this – at the end of the day, it’s not my business what other adults do in bed. It’s not my job to change them. My job, as a Christian, is to show the love of Christ, hope that they are called to His service, and whatever changes He demands of them are up to Him, not me.
I just did a post on a story that in fact shows that married protestant women have the highest rate of orgasm with intercourse of any group of women. I’d say that means we’re doing something right!
With regards to whether or not homosexuality is genetic, I don’t know why Christians care. It is absolutely 100% irrelevant to the point. Homosexuality is classification NOT based on who you are but based on what you DO. Everyone has a choice about what they do. Even those who are predisposed (for WHATEVER reason) towards that type of sexual behaviour. There are many many mental disorders, some that even are determined genetically, that can cause someone to sin. Kleptomania, compulsive lying, psychotic tendencies all spring to mind. Just because they may be genetically predisposed to their sin does not invalidate the justice system from meting out consequences for their actions.
I am not saying there homosexual behaviour should be a crime. I only say this to show that it doesn’t matter why or how a person came to act in a way that is sinful in the eyes of God. It only matters that it is sin, and the only remedy for it is repentance and faith. End of story.
Shane, thanks for the comment and the heads-up about that post – you should have linked to it, you’re too modest. Here it is: Anti-Dis-Establishment… WHO’S Having Great Sex?.
I can’t say I’m surprised. Trust is a BIG issue where sex is concerned. And here’s a clip from the article itself:
“it turns out that it’s Republican (and especially Republican women) who have it more often and better. The two strongest predictors of Republican affiliation in America are (1) marriage and (2) church attendance. These are also the strongest predictors of female sexual satisfaction.”
Amazing… and something you’d never know from the way the entertainment industry glamorizes casual sex.