Another Practical Guide to the Logic, Philosophy, and Thoughts of Christianity

Section 1 - Article 5

Article 5 – The issues of homosexuality

Although this article was written in 2003, its inclusion in this book was deliberated for the longest time. In the end, I have decided to include it because there needs to be answers on the scripture-based way to see it. This article should not form the foundation for hate or discrimination. It merely deals with how homosexuality should be viewed in relation to the Holy Scriptures.

Homosexuality is no doubt one of the most controversial issues in Christianity. Very few other religions have such a strong stand against it; yet, the modern era sees gay and lesbian churches/clergy on the rise. Is Christianity tolerant of homosexuality? Or have these churches compromised the standard of God? If it is uncontrollable, then God must be a cruel God. There are truly so many questions and debates on this point that can trouble the believer. Similarly, within churches, there are some attempted justifications that include reinterpreting the scriptures from their original tongues to have a different perspective. These efforts do indeed confuse the earnest Christians with regards to this issue. Despite the mess, one must first realize that the crux of the issue lies on whether homosexuality is a sin.

Homosexuality is very unique in that there really is no excuse for it if it is accepted as a sin. One may justify murder with self-defense, or theft for survival, but one cannot make such claims to homosexuality or any other sexual sin for that matter. Therefore, at present, most of the debate centers on the classification of homosexuality as a sin. Truth be spoken, no Christian with sound doctrine would argue that theft, killing/murder, intended injury to others are plain sins, but homosexuality is one where the ground shakes for many, more so for those with more liberal backgrounds.

Firstly, this article defines homosexuality as the desire to commit sexual acts with another of the same gender. It can come with or without attraction for the opposite gender (bisexuality or not). And for clarity, most Christian churches regard the sexual act, not the temptation, as a sin. The desire, or being tempted is not a sin, but giving in to temptation is.

In the early 1980s, a genetics research group did a twin study and found a candidate gene allele that might encode for homosexuality. Criticisms for the study included that it did not have a very large sample size and that the results were suggestive at best. Despite this failure, the hunt for the homosexual gene is still ongoing. Yet, even if a gene was indeed found, it must be acknowledged that the presence of a gene does not necessary result in the phenotype. All of us have genes that can lead to cancer, yet not every cell, or everyone develops cancer. There is actually a lot about genes and their expression that we still do not know.

Sometime later, a more convincing study for the basis of homosexuality was found in the area of biopsychology. This study found that males have larger hypothalamus structures than females; and that male homosexuals have smaller hypothalamus than heterosexual males, but were slightly larger than that of females. Whilst this gives reasonable doubt to a biological basis for homosexuality, this finding was not conclusive since it did not establish the cause-effect relationship. Did a smaller hypothalamus result in homosexuality? Or did homosexuality cause a smaller hypothalamus? Therefore although faring better than the genetic search, the hypothalamus size research was not conclusive, just as it did not offer any clues to female homosexuality.

Later, the search expanded to environmental toxins and chemicals that affected humans. Some studies have shown that animals with high levels of these endocrine-disrupting toxins exhibit homosexual behavior (two same gender seagulls in a nest). The accumulation of these toxins was then used to explain the "increasingly" observed homosexuality. However, homosexuality is not a new phenomenon. Even beyond the scriptural documented Sodom and Gomorrah, every culture had some form of homosexuality recorded. One commonly recorded form of homosexuality was pederasty where an older male had younger male lovers. This was recorded in Europe, most notably Greece, and also in the Far East. Surely then the accumulation of these new modern environmental toxins did not occur then?

In spite of this, the search further expanded to looking for similar behavior in animals and insects. To this, there is nothing to retort other than that we are not animals, and we have been shown to display cognitive and higher mental capabilities than animals and insects.

Why the search for a basis? It is thought that if one is found, then homosexuality could be explained as something pre-programmed like the color of one's eyes and one's hair, or something beyond one's means of control. It is believed that there is then a valid reason to overthrow the biblical condemnation of homosexuality because a good God cannot penalize for something that was not within our control. I must re-emphasize here that the discovery of a gene might not make it less of a sin, since Man and his environment is believed to have fallen, and therefore it is in Man's nature, and the entire fallen world to sin. So whilst discovering a gene or a basis might provide on the uncontrollable nature of homosexuality, it really does not affect the classification as 'sin'. The New Testament calls self-control as one of the fruits of the Spirit. Therefore the Bible already accounts for the fact that man is prone to sin. This to me, negates the debate on how God can discriminate against something that is ingrained in us (assuming a basis was found). It is as pointless as arguing why people were born Gentile/Jew, Asian/Caucasian or male/female.

To give in to temptation is a sin that results from lack of self-control. One can look at it as the tendency to kill when threatened, or the tendency to steal food when starving, or heterosexual satyriasis and nymphomania from otherwise innocent attraction to one another. Of these giving in, the biblical solution is self-control.

"There is no one that doeth good for all are evil in the eyes of the Lord."

Despite challenges to the context and original tongues of the Bible, the Holy Scriptures have been very clear on certain issues. Refutations targeting the translations and semantics of the Biblical verses against homosexuality are too speculative, and seem to force-fit a point. For example, in the book of Exodus, the verse clearly stated that "Man shalt not lie with man as with womankind". In the book of Romans, it was written that God forsook those that have abandoned the Word of God and they turned from normal heterosexual pleasures to pursue homosexual ones. In the book of Jude, it was written that in the end of times, people will "lust for strange flesh".

Some force the idea that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for their inhospitableness to the angels of God, some try to force the theory that they merely wanted to kill them. Compared to the plain view that they wanted to sexually abuse the angels, and they even rejected Lot's offer of his daughters, anything else seemed to be a stretch. Why would Lot offer his daughters if it is a hospitality issue? And why didn't they kill Lot and his family who were outsiders when they first moved in?

It is human nature to try to justify their sins. Adam justified his mistake by blaming Eve who in turn blamed the snake. However, we all need to come to a point and recognize that we sin because we want to, and that we are guilty, thus requiring the forgiveness of God. And forgiveness has been provided. Sin can be like drugs, and often they are. The key is to seek help from God to overcome them. What man cannot do, God can. If one is trapped in any sin, God alone has the power to deliver.

The first step to deliverance is to acknowledge the sin, and ask for forgiveness and deliverance. God will do the rest. Yet, in this, I end with the caution that there should be no persecution or discrimination of sinners. Love for the Lord is demonstrated by loving His creations including sinners, for Christ died for all of us when we were all yet sinners. Homosexual sins are not more sinful than a liar telling a white lie, for he who breaks one law is guilty of breaking the entire law. There is no need to treat homosexuality as being graver than being greed or harmless gluttony which we are ALL guilty of. A sin is a sin, and he who sins (even the smallest of sins), has fallen short of the glory of God.