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Thursday, 15 February 2007
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A discussion of homosexuality in today’s society will always ignite passionately held views. Some Christians have expressed surprise at finding out the Bible has anything to say on the issue. It would take hundreds of articles to truly explore the issue, however we feel it is important to take a look at three issues 1) What does the Bible have to say about homosexuality?, 2) What are the facts in relation to this issue? and 3) What are the effects on society?
Biblical Foundation
This is a complex point to approach because there has been much revisionist theology regarding what the Bible says about homosexuality in recent years. Jesus said that 'no one is good but One, that is, God' (Luke 18:18) and so, from a Jesus follower's perspective, good is defined by who God is, and, therefore, Christian ethical norms are determined by God's will and character (as delineated in His Word), not by the minds and traditions of men. Firstly it is important to note that homosexuality was condemned as a ‘grievous sin’ (Genesis 18:20) requiring the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude writes: “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 7). In Mosaic Law it was written: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is also an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22) requiring capital punishment (Leviticus 20:13).
Many attempts have been made to suggest that this harsh view has been abrogated by the New Testament. In fact, the opposite is true. Paul writes: “Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revellers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Paul later continues in another letter: “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator…” (Romans 1:24-25). Later on, “God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature” (Romans 1:26). Paul does say later on though “and such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). This addition shows that such behaviour is reversible and that there is forgiveness and transformation in Jesus.
In our plural and tolerant society, such words seem harsh. Perhaps you may squirm at reading them. However, instead of dismissing them because of such a reaction, perhaps it is worth considering why God takes this position on this issue.
The Facts
It seems to be ‘common knowledge’ that if you are homosexual, you were born that way and you have absolutely no choice in the matter. We acknowledge that sexual orientation is a complex issue involving a mix of psycho-social, and environmental factors, however it would be stretching the issue to say that homosexuality is a genetic condition that one is born with. There have been many studies into this possibility, however the situation in academia is aptly described by Dennis Altman where he states: “I am more impressed by the inability of many years of research to amount to no more than ‘suggestions’”(1).
One particular example of this is the Pillard study which claimed that because 50 percent of biologically identical twins were both homosexual this proved a genetic link. Hopefully the lunacy of this statement becomes clear when one realises that the other 50 percent of twins were actually heterosexual! (2) Closer to home, and with an even more damning result was the Bailey twins study, which showed that only 25% of the identical twins (recruited from the Australian Twins Registry) shared a homosexual orientation.(3)
It has been concluded by Psychiatrists Friedman and Downey that ‘a biopsychosocial model’ best fits our knowledge of causation, with various combinations of temperament and environmental events leading to homosexuality.’(4) Psychologists and counsellors propose that an absent father, overprotective mother, and/or some sort of sexual abuse can lead to a male believing they are homosexual. Similar issues as well as more complex factors are at stake for lesbian homosexuality- the latter can involve the breakdown of a relationship with a significant male. Many homosexuals already do not concur with the view that homosexuality is genetic, but rather see it as “an identity that is socially determined and involves personal choice”. (5)
You may be asking why this is so significant. Fundamentally it shows that God is not a cruel and contradictory God. He doesn’t create someone to be homosexual and then say ‘its an abomination to act on that’. It may also be freeing to many to know that they have a choice of whether or not to be homosexual, that it is not something one is enslaved to, as the current sentiment appears to be.
Effect on Society Many studies show how unhealthy and unhappy the homosexual choice can be. Research has found that 47 per cent of male homosexuals have a history of alcohol abuse (compared to 24 per cent of males generally), and 51 per cent have a history of drug abuse (compared to 7 per cent of males generally).(6) Homosexuals “suffer disproportionately from…sexually transmitted diseases, like gonorrhoea, syphilis, hepatitis A and B, anorectal warts and AIDS,” with over 80 per cent of the cases of HIV in Australia due to homosexual sex (or sexual activity).(7)
One of the most common misconceptions about this issue is that homosexual relationships are exactly the same as heterosexual ones. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The stereotype of male homosexual promiscuity does actually have a basis in fact. A study in AIDS, a British Medical Journal found that “male homosexual relationships last, on average, 1.5 years, and gay men have an average of eight partners a year outside of their “committed” relationships.(8) In Sweden, where same-sex marriage is legal, research has found that male same-sex partnerships have a 50-percent higher ‘divorce’ rate than heterosexual marriages. Female partnerships have a 170-percent higher divorce risk than heterosexual marriages. (9)
Domestic violence is also a greater issue in homosexual relationships, affecting half of all same-sex couples. The vast majority of violent crimes against homosexuals are committed by homosexuals, and are not considered ‘hate crimes’.(10)
The issue of child protection is an important one and research shows that while in Australia, less than 3% of the population identify as homosexual/bisexual (11), one-third of the child sex abuse cases are committed against boys.(12) Linking this problem to the issue of parenting it has been found that “child abuse is at its lowest when children live with both biological parents compared with higher rates for children who live with at least one non-biological parent or caregiver. Same-sex parenting situations make it impossible for a child to live with both biological parents, thus increasing their risk of abuse.” (13)
This is definitely a lot of statistics; however it is important to know the flow on effects that impact upon society when homosexuality is accepted and exalted as equal or superior to heterosexuality.
References
(1) John Ankerberg, John Weldon, ‘The Facts on Homosexuality’, Harvest House Publishers, 1994
(2) R. Cohen, ‘Perpetrating Homosexual Myths’, in John Ankerberg, John Weldon, ‘The Facts on Homosexuality’, Harvest House Publishers, 1994
(3) Bailey, Michal, Dunne, Michael and Martin, Nicholas, ‘Genetic and Environmental Influences on Sexual Orientation and its Correlates in an Australian Twin Sample’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Volume 78(3), March 2000, p 524-536
(4) R. Friedman, M.D. and J. Downey, M.D., Journal of Neuropsychiatry, vol. 5, No. 2, Spring l993.
(5) Dennis Altman, AIDS and the New Puritanism, New York: Pluto Press, 1986, p. 98.
(6) Edward Artnak and James Cerda, “The Gay Bowel Syndrome,” Current Concepts in Gastroenterology, July/Aug 1983, p 6.
(7) Pat Califia and Daniel Tsang, eds., The Age Taboo. Alyson Publications and Gay Men’s Press, 1981, p. 144
(8) Research Maria Xiridou, et al., “The Contributions of Steady and Casual Partnerships to the Incidence of HIV Infection Among Homosexual Men in Amsterdam,” AIDS, 17 (2003): 1029.38. Quoted from Is Marriage in Jeopardy? By Glenn Stanton, Family Research Council.
(9) Steve Sailer, ‘Analysis: Gay marriage around the globe’, UPI News, 7/15/2003
(10) Island, D. and Letellier, P., Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them: Battered Gay Men and Domestic Violence, (New York: Haworth Press, 1991), p.14
(11) Sex in Australia’, Australian & NZ Journal of Public Health, Volume 27, No 2, 2003.
(12) Thus, 3% (homosexual) of men in the community perpetrate 31.08 % of abuse cases and 97 % heterosexual men perpetrate 68.92 % of cases. This means that if a child is sexually abused it is 14.5 times more likely that it was homosexual or male-male. (3/31.08 =0.0965 and 97/68.92 = 1.407 and 1.407 / 0.0965 = 14.5) If the figure of 1.6% is used, (as per the Sex in Australia survey, 2003) the figure is 27.7 times more likely and The Alyson Almanac: The Fact Book Of The Gay and Lesbian Community (23rd edition); Spartagus international Gay Guide (Bruno Gmunder ed.,2001)
(13) Catherine Malkin and Michael Lamb, “Child Maltreatment: A Test of the Sociobiological Theory,” Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 25 (1994): 121-133; David Popenoe, Life Without Father, (New York: The Free Press, 1996). Quote from ‘Is Marriage in Jeopardy?’ , Citizen Link.
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