Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Homosexuality: Does it really matter?

When considering the tendency toward or the practice of homosexuality, it’s helpful to break the topic down in several ways. Two main subtopics need to be considered.

1)  The nature of the tendency, the practice, and the belief in its “normalcy”, and

2) Whether the tendency/practice is cultural or genetic, or a combination.

The nature and degree to which the homosexual tendency is part of the mindset and overtly practiced breaks down as follows:

  • Those who have passing homosexual thoughts that are not acted on
  • Those who have obsessive homosexual thoughts that are not acted on
  • Those who act on their homosexual thoughts as a fling or sporadically
  • Those who act on their homosexual thoughts regularly
  • Those who actively promote their homosexuality to others, i.e. “activists.”

The further down the list of above bullet points one supports, the greater the negative impact that support will have on our culture and our nation.

The debate about genetics vs. culture vs. a combination is not settled although those who argue for strictly a genetic motivation will argue it is settled.

I have come down on the side of homosexuality most often being a genetic predisposition that is controllable just as other genetically-induced predispositions, but that its practice is motivated by a number of cultural factors.

The genetic predispositions to homosexuality might be considered to be similar to the genetic predispositions to alcoholism, sex addiction, drug addiction, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive/compulsive disorder, and depression.  None of these other “genetic disorders” are promoted as “normal” or desirable by society as homosexuality has been.

There is no rational analogy between homosexuality and having blue eyes or black skin.  None.  Those are physical features, not behaviors.  That analogy is a red herring that comes close to calling those who believe in Biblical morality “racist.”  We humans are capable of controlling our own behavior, although we are known for promoting behaviors we most enjoy without consideration of the consequences.  Sometimes these behaviors are driven by genetic predispositions.    Then just like any addict, we do all in our power to justify that behavior despite it possibly being counterproductive, illegal, or a perversion. Does that make these behaviors appropriate or unmanagable?

In the case of alcoholism, drug addiction, and sex addiction, the proponents of the use or abuse of these substances or behaviors argue that they don’t hurt anyone.  They proclaim that the use of these substances is personal or between willing participants.  In fact, each one of these substances or behaviors have formal or informal advocacy organizations promoting the consumption or behaviors.  The entire culture promotes the use of alcohol despite the existence of large numbers of alcoholics.  A number of organizations promote the legalization and greater use of drugs despite the existence of large numbers of drug addicts and the damage drugs do to people and society.  And a few groups promote what is still considered by the mainstream as perversions such as the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) and the promotion of bestiality or zoophilia which some say may be the next sex rights movement.  One homosexual (and likely many others) states bestiality is OK if animal consents.

Homosexuality has been considered a perversion for several millennia.  Christianity has considered homosexuality a perversion since its founding 2,000 years ago, until very recently.  Many homosexuals, via their parades, pronouncements, and prolific politicking have demonstrated that homosexuality naturally leads to greater perversion.   And without any religion/faith-based taboos, humans become increasingly desensitized to perversion.  Homosexuality among priests has led to child abuse.  Homosexuals defend and promote man/boy sex and bestiality.

A sixties hippy mantra defending free sex and free drugs was “if it feels good, do it” and various versions of “if it doesn’t hurt anyone, why not” and “if there are two willing partners, why not"?  This licentiousness is most often practiced by the least disciplined and the least productive of society.  The alcoholic, drug addict, and sex addict claim the same thing:  If it feels good, do it.  If it feels so right how can it be wrong.  This form of reasoning justifies marital cheating as well.  We hear the very same arguments defending homosexual practice as “normal.”

If it doesn’t hurt anyone, why not?  Consenting animals?  How about the argument for consenting children that NAMBLA and abusing priests would claim if anyone believed them.  “They like it.”  “They didn’t object.”  Rapists try to make the same argument all the time.

“Homosexuality doesn’t hurt anyone.  It is between two consenting people.”  Really?  It doesn’t hurt anyone?  Consider the cultural impact the normalizing of homosexual practice has on those who may not be genetically predisposed to it.  The overt practice of homosexuality then does become a cultural norm.  And that cultural norm leads to convincing those who may not be genetically predisposed to pursue that lifestyle for a number of cultural reasons:   Peer pressure, escape, boredom, or any number of personal rationalizations. 

Two moms?  Two dads? I understand how that confuses kids in our transitioning culture.  But once “two moms” and “two dads” is normalized, do you believe that will have no negative effect on our culture and our birth rate?  I have my doubts that gay families among the gay population will EVER become “gay mainstream.”  After all, it is a perversion and perversion never seeks mainstream.  Perversion begets greater perversion.

“But I know a nice gay guy next door…”  This is on the same order as “I know a nice Muslim next door.”  Appearances and casual acquaintances are superficial.  Once we accept that people who practice perversions or  evil religions are “nice”, our former values and culture go downhill from there.  There are many gay priests who were thought to be “nice”.  We see where that got us.  One unchecked perverted predisposition begets another.

Speaking of birthrate, Europe is our “Canary in the coalmine.”  Christianity and all the self-discipline and family values Christianity promoted through the centuries is in steep decline there. Churches are being converted to mosques all over.  Paralleling that decline and caused by it is the sub-replacement level of the native European birth rate.  The native European population is rapidly aging and shrinking, while North African and Middle East Muslims are sought after immigrants to do the work the aging and faithless Europeans no longer want or are able to do.  Muslim birthrates are high and Muslim populations are mushrooming, most of it of the poisonous variety.

Look forward to this scenario translating to the United States.  The rapid transition of our churches from being our moral bulwark to immorality enabler will assure a complete transition of our culture.  It will also lead to the church giving up its primary reason for existence:  Promoting the Biblical narrative that leads to a saving faith in Christ.

Churches that promote homosexuality as “normal” have to ignore centuries of Biblical interpretation and teaching.  They have to discredit dozens of verses and the tight knit role these verses have in the entire moral/salvation lesson of the Bible.  These are some of the better known verses on homosexuality:

    • "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination." (Leviticus 20:13).
    • "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion. ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you." (Leviticus 18:22-24).
    • "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." (Romans 1:26-27).
    • Jude testifies about God's fiery destruction of Sodom for "sexual immorality":
      "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)
    • Exactly what type of "sexual immorality" and "strange flesh" had the Sodomites "gone after"? It was homosexuality:
      "Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." (Genesis 19:4-5)

Note that these verses are from both the Old and New Testaments.  If you believe these verses don’t mean what they say, what other parts of the Bible are you going to doubt?  Were they just cooked up by the bigots of the day?  Were they only a reaction to the pressures of cultural or political correctness of the day.  Have they been misinterpreted and misunderstood for over 2,000 years?  Hell no.  The whole Bible is politically incorrect.  Jesus was politically incorrect, so how could these verses be simply a consequence of cultural norms and political pressure of the day?

What is the reason why otherwise well meaning pastors and church leaders and believers today reinterpret significant chunks of church teaching?  Could it be the peer pressure of a corrupt culture?  Nawww.

I have observed that the same churches that normalize homosexuality or go along with gay marriage are the same ones that see no problem with Islam and are in ecumenical partnership with it.  Their leaders call anyone who brings orthodox moral principles to their attention “uncharitable” or claim they are unduly influenced by “right wing bigots.”  What does that tell you about their faithfulness to Christian doctrine and the defense of their faith?

Once the counter-cultural moral mandates are removed from church teaching in the United States, starting with normalizing homosexuality and gay marriage, the Church will have no real purpose.  We will see a decline in its existence as is unfolding in Europe today.   The Church will be little different than the Federal Government.  For social service, rely on the government.  For social interaction, join the Women’s Club or the Elk’s Lodge.  For entertainment, turn on your nearby iPad. 

The mandates of a corrupt culture and a corrupt government will replace the mandates of a loving God, self-control, and a believing Church.

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