A Christian Response to Being Born Gay..

Few issues ignite such a motley of reactions among the religious as the proper and holy response to homosexuality. From the embracing Anglicans who elects openly gay Bishops to the vicious bile of the Westboro Baptist Church who spew there heinous rhetoric to grieving families. The lines are being drawn and the Iron curtain is rising. Many a book has been written on the subject (very few are any good) but one element is the focus of our discussion today: what is the Biblical reaction to the concept that people are born gay?

I disputed the conjecture that individuals are born gay one day in college. A young lady irately retorted “If people were born gay then it would be gone within one generation because they don't have kids to pass the gay gene on to.”

This enlightenment was so stupefying that I was speechless. For those of you unaware no one suggests that there is a genetic predisposition towards same-sex attraction. Most theories revolve around fetal development. For example one theory suggests that a woman's body treats a male child as if it were an invasive foreign body. To compensate the woman's body increases estrogen production, and hence the child is prone to effeminacy. There are some tremendously scholarly folk who trace homosexuality to this process. The validity of this hypothesis and others is for wiser men than I to substantiate.

First we will demonstrate what it means to be born a certain way. There are two categories of birth traits: physical and tendencies. Physical traits relate to a persons anatomical make up, things such as eye color, skin color or even the size of your nose. Those traits can be inherited, such as big ears whereas others are not inherited but are still present in our DNA such as Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome).

Tendencies are the ways in which we respond to our genetic make-up. For example one may inherit strong lungs and vocal chords, symmetrical nasal passages as well as exceptional ear drums. Mix this with consistent exposure to the arts and our subject will have the makings of a fine singer. Now this individual was not born a singer but had a tendency toward such. A singer is someone who sings but until our subject produces melody they are no vocalist. In a similar fashion a pile of bricks is not a house although such a structure maybe itching for construction.

Let us reapply this observation to a negative situation. Our next case was born with a hormonal imbalance that will lead to depression. Their imbalance diminish their abilities to rationally alter their negative emotions. If our subject matures among individuals who handle the same infirmity with consumption of alcohol this unfortunate is a prime candidate for alcoholism. But they were not born an alcoholic, fetal alcohol syndrome aside, no title could be thus endued on fetus who never set eyes on drink. The descendant of an unbroken chain of addicts is not an addict until the day they decide of their own volition to abandon bulwarks and embrace the folly of their family. The same individual may indeed chose to renounce the tendencies of their flesh and live a life of sobriety. Our dauntless subject can never be ordained an alcoholic, their physical form is unchanged but their tendencies are thwarted.

A person with an uncommonly high level of testosterone is not a sex addict but if this person surrenders to every sexual impulse they are a pervert. The same creature may anger easily but is only abusive when they choose to give in to such anger. They yet again may forbear and will be a virtuous and patient soul. From this we establish that physical traits are inescapable whereas tendencies influence our choice to actions committed of our own volition.

From a Biblical perspective there exists no spiritual hinderance of ANY nature that corresponds to our anatomical make-up. No human was ever judged for their genetic assembly; from the strongest brain to the demented imbecile, from the chiseled beefcake to the incapacitated quadriplegic, all our equal in the eyes of God. As the old hymn goes “red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight”.

Returning to our original question “what is the Biblical reaction to the concept that people are born gay?” If there exists a genetic or physical cause for homosexual attraction such a cause does not make one a homosexual. Not until one has a sexual relationship with an member of their gender is such a person a homosexual. The action to enter into such an affair was done by their free will. Under our definitions we find homosexuality may be a led tendency as oppose to a physical trait. One is no more gay at birth than an alcoholic in the womb. But if one is born with homosexual tendencies then they are not condemned. For the desire to sin is not a sin but it is committing a sin that condemns one.

With such considerations the question of being born gay slips into irrelevance. One might indeed be born void of attraction to the opposite sex and a strong attraction to one's own. But these tendencies are void of spiritual ramifications. The Christian response to being born gay is

“So what? It is our faith and actions that are of importance”

Even so, God is good and so loving. We coldly dissected the poor child born amongst depraved alcoholics but in the eyes of God this infant is purely innocent and precious. Our Lord is more aware of his state than we are and will endow upon all who so choose, the powers of all heaven to subdue the sinful desires of our flesh. God knows where you've come from and knows where you're going. He knows the pains we suffer everyday but will always be there for those who turn to Him.

God loves all and Christ died for all. Christ will save all who call on Him and will guide us to resist all that leads to unholiness, whether we were born with such affirmatives or choose them of our own accord.

God Love You

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Rev. Sheen