Quote:
Originally Posted by Titus2woman
One of the things I hate most about the Christian/Homosexual debate is that it seems to me that as many Christians as Homosexuals believe that Homosexuals were born that way and can not change and/or that they are somehow so much more sexual than the rest of us that they can not possibly choose abstenence. I rebuke that in the name of Jesus Christ. Just because someone's attraction is to the same gender does not mean that they can not live a pure life.
We seem to forget that any sex outside of married sex is sin... homo, hetro, whatever... and lust was still sin too the last time I looked... so most men and women of all sexual preferences are seriously flunking out in that department...Picking on the homos is just tiring.
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Titus2wan, let me share some thoughts with you. Please tell me what you think after reading my post. I pray it helps you better understand the position of many who believe in the "born that way" position. I assure you... it's not an excuse for sin. It's only a framework for addressing the issue in it's entirety.
God bless...
I believe that man is a trichotomy. That means that man is body, soul, and spirit. Sin has permeated our entire being. It has severed our spiritual connection with God, it has warped our minds, and it has brought upon us aging, sickness, and death and all forms of genetic and biochemical abberrations.
Sexuality is a very complex animal. Not only is there a spiritual component. But there is also a psychological and biological component. Sexuality is something that encompasses our entire being. The psychological aspects of sexuality have been studied a lot and are well known. The spiritual side is revealed in the Bible. However, biology is ignored by most fundamentalist Christians. Let's consider the development of sexual identity and attraction. When a young person is around the opposite gender, the brain, through the sense of smell, detects pharemones. These stimulate pleasure centers in the brain bringing the sense of "liking" someone, a crush if you will. It's all biochemistry. Normally, the pharemones of the same gender repel each other. Boys "smell" icky to normal boys. But girls... ahhh... magical. Other girls "smell" icky to girls. But boys... ahhh... dreamy. And so from the earliest ages we have our "attractions", even if they are childish crushes with batting eyelids and absolutely no understanding of what finding a mate is all about. It's instinctual. However, with homosexuals... their brains have responded to same gender pharemones from the earliest ages. Even blind studies conducted in Europe demonstrate that homosexual brains respond to same gender pharemone even if they don't even know what they are sniffing. Somewhere in their biology... a wire is crossed. They aren't functioning correctly. And so... "same gender attraction" is part of their biological nature.
Now, that doesn't mean that "God made them that way". In fact... we're ALL sinners by nature. That means that we are ALL born sinners. So if a gay person tells me that they were born gay... I say, "That's correct. All men are born sinners." The biological aspects of the homosexual condition is the result of the fallen nature... the result of SIN in our members. In our flesh is NO good thing.
Now, that doesn't mean that one can't be delivered. You see, being born again restores a man's spiritual union with God, through the Holy Spirit. However, the soul (mind) must be renewed through prayer, study of the Word, and teaching. But here's where we go wrong... we ignore biology. We fail to even consider the nature of our fallen and sinful flesh. The good news is that God has provided for our bodies restoration. It's called... healing. The power of God, if employed correctly through prayer, can heal every malady of the flesh. It can correct genetic and biological imbalances that DO affect behavior and chemical responses in the brain. It's really a no brainer... healing can rewire a man or woman to respond correctly to the opposite gender. However, this CAN'T happen if we ignore it and refuse to acknowledge its reality! We can pray a homosexual through to the Holy Ghost, begin teaching them the Word of God, and FAIL to address the supernatural healing that they need in their body. Sometimes, by God's grace, He heals a man or woman body, soul, and spirit instantly. But most of the time, if left unaddressed the homosexual will receive the Holy Ghost, begin studying the Word, and yet continue to struggle with the biological attractions they've always had. They struggle with why they continue to feel what they feel. And then... we condemn them. Yes... it's almost like a predictable habit... out of ignorance, we shoot our wounded. In most cases they must be encouraged to enter into prayer (and perhaps even fasting) for a healing in order to be completely set free.
Healing is an interesting animal. Sometimes God doesn't heal. For example, some men have hightened hormones that lead to a higher than average sex drive. They've prayed and prayed to be delivered and stablized. However, nothing has changed. In fact, many live their whole lives having to actively manage their sex drive. They face greater temptation in this area, but through Christ, they can overcome with surrender and confession. Same with homosexuals. Sometimes God doesn't heal and the "temptation" remains for their entire life. Perhaps it's a test. Perhaps it's a "thorn in the flesh" to keep them humble and on their knees before God. Perhaps it's a test to see if we are loving and compassionate enough to deal with our fellow fallen man. Perhaps it's all of the above all at once.
So, those are my feelings on it. I don't disregard the findings of science. I just put them in a biblical context. Man is fallen; body, soul, and spirit. Therefore, it stands to reason that sin will have effected the entirety of man; body, soul, and spirit. Let's not forget that even our bodies (our biology) has been twisted by the fall leaving us subject to aging, disease, and all forms of genetic and biochemical maladies. And if sin has effected the entirety of man... so should the solution.
So when many of us say that we believe they are born that way, or that genetics are a factor, please know that it's not an excuse. It's an explanation that we have placed into a biblical framework that addresses the entirety of a man's being; body, soul, and spirit. It also provides an explanation as to why the temptation often lingers after being born again. And... as a result... it offers a solution. Healing. Healing for the whole of a person.
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