do you think being gay is a choice or not and why?

Question

To answer the poster below as to what I think and why, I asked, I hope this will give me sufficient space to answer.

I am a born again Christian straight person in my 50's who is seeking to understand the issue and praying for the answer from God and trying to be open minded.

I have come to believe that for some bing gay is a choice (teens experimenting, girls doing it to plase a boyfriend, people who will do anything sexually, etc) and for those people, it is probably is sin.

However, for many, I strongly suspect it is not a choice and hence not sinful and that Christians are wrong to judge such people. I read a study that showed that gay men have brain chemistry and hormones much more similar to straight women than to gay men...I have heard that their brains are fundamentally different, and this seems to say,, it is not within their choice. I try to be openminded and never stop learning and trying to be compassionate to people a& empathetic. I do think that hormonal, (cont

genetic, and environmental things are at play. I believe that the estrogenic pesticides and growth hormones pumped into animals that we eat at alarming rate are having a big effect on human hormones. I read an article in the Columbus Dispatch some years ago, that said that estrogenic hormones were leaching into the ground water and that is was strongly correlated with reprodcutive cancers rising tremendously, early menstruation (30 years ago a girl reached puberty at average age of 13 now it is 9..this is a hughe change in such a small amount of time), sexual devience, and even stated that they were finding animals were becoming homosexual in areas of farming where large amounts of these estrogenic pesticides were being used. This certainly suggests there are environmental influences affecting many poeople. There is a direct link between milk and prostrate cancer...so I believe this thirst for greed in getting cows to produce 20 times more milk than they normally do and our

consumption of these animals and their products is affecting us. I had a cousin who died of AIDS at 30 who seemed effeminate from the earliest age. We never knew he was gay until he died.
In the event, it is not a choice, who are we to judge? for we all have many sins. We are told judge not less you be judged. The poster who said they must repent is wrong. Repentance is not required for salvation. Repentance is rather a result that may comes about as a result of santification depending on whether we are carnal Christians or not, but once covered by the blood of Jesus, we are never rejected. Good works, repentance, baptism are not required to be saved. Only faith in the finished work of Christ on our behalf for "we are saved by grace not works lest any man should boost". It is a free gift..Gods part was sending his son to live, die, and resurrect on our behalf as a propiation for our sins which he took the punishment for on our behalf.Our part is faith in His work to save us.

It is by pure faith alone that we are saved and accepted by God. Once saved, always saved. We are told let he without sin, cast the first stone. Many Christians feel they are saved by faith but later have to do good works to be accepted.. but we are not under the law , but under grace. It is always only by the blood, never by any action on our part (other than faith that Jesus will save us). Yes, it is hoped that we will out of gratitude, repent, do good, follow the 10 commandments and golden rule, be baptised etc. but if we don't, we will still be accepted even as the prodical son was.God's wrath is already satisfied and He's not mad at us anymore. If He loved us while we were yet sinners, how much more after saved when we are called children of God. This is demonstrated by the theif on the cross who asked jesus to save Him and had faith He could and placed that trust in Jesus. Jesus accepted and saved Him. Since God is holy, and says there are no favorites with God, he is honor

bound to do the same for us. The thief was given salvation purely by His faith and not repentance or good works, so, too, will we be. Only God is fit to judge as onlt he knows all the factors, if it is hormonal, environmental, genetic, only he knows the heart and motives and brain chemistary so therefore only he has the right to judge us. Inly he is truly merciful as well and totally fair and just. The person below who acted ;ike they would be condemned forgets that to God all have sinned and all our righteousness is as filthy rags and all stand hushed and silent before a holy God. Romans says if we commit one sin, we are just as guilty as if we commit all. Until that day that she is totally and completely sinless and perfect of all sins small and large of omission and commission, she is in the same situation as the gay person..when she feels she has repented and lives a holy life, she is being prideful as were the pharasees who follwed all the law and were condemded as being whitew

whitewashed tombs with dead man's bones in them as Jesus said. Clean on the outside by prideful, judgemental, and lacking love inside. Gods wants us to love and have compassion for other sinners as He did. He would not doubt hang with the gays and poor, etc nowdays just as He did the adulterers, prostitutes, and tax collectors in His days

I am trying to follow the golden rule as far as gays and trying by asking this question to learn more. Also I got in a discussion with my Chirstian right winged brother recently where he became angry and thought I was nuts when I expressed similar thoughts to him. I am a far left Christian who is more fiscally left, but more morally conservative

right after I wrote asbout the cousin who died of AISDS, I made an error..I meant to say if it is a choice who are we to judge not if it is not a choice who are we to judge...cetinly if it is not a choice there is no sin..but even if s sin, we are nott to judge (hope that makes sense...I can't go back and edit)

RESULTS--IN THIS THREAD, 13 PEOPLE THINK IT IS NOT A CHOICE, 9 THINK IT IS, AND 8 THINK IT IS A CHOICE FOR SOME AND NOT FOR OTHERS OR THAT IT IS NOT A CHOICE BUT ACTING ON ORIENTTION IS. (PUT IN CAPS TO STAND OUT FROM MY BELIEFS NOT TO BE YELLING)

EDIT--the 4th parafraph has an error..It should that the study found gay men had hormones, etc much more similar to straight women than straight men.

sorry about that

Answer 1

You lost me at....Do you think....

as a matter of fact, I do think. Putting your bible aside, you are human, like "us". So if you think you are better, then quit judging.

Its a choice that you choose to preach, and its a choice, for us to ignore you.

Answer 2

It is a choice. Yet I know we should say when a child is effected by an influence before the age of responsibility it is not a choice made with knowledge. Yet these children often forget the incident that influenced them and believe they are born gay. This happened to me. So until i was 40 years old I thought I was born gay. I want to say gees God, I was deceived into thinking I was born this way, and for 40 years I have brainwashed myself with desires that seem a little impossible to change. I think Jesus Christ would smile at me and say, " You of little faith."
I am anxious to explain the difference between gender nonconformity and homosexual. Some may be born this way because of hormone issues, others may learn behaviors that give them a gender non conformity. I disagree that science is now saying it is a symptom of a child that will become gay. I had undiagnosed gender nonconformity, yes I was influenced to be gay and I believed i was born that way. I have met some with undiagnosed gender nonconformity and they did not become gay, though often was questioned to be so, and sometimes had difficulty in older ages for not allowing a homosexual influence cause them to choose or experiment being homosexual. These particular people had chose to be heterosexual, never had an influence of homosexual nature that had an impression on them when they was children. I have met an undiagnosed child that had learned characteristics of gender nonconformity and he had no desire to be opposite gender, He was experiencing a homosexual act when he asked us about why the boy was doing these things. He was 9 and he said he liked girls and did not want to be a girl, we explained he showed some gender dysphoria and sometime a boy might like him like a girl, and he understood and started making changes in his actions even at his own choice and pace. His learned gender nonconformity was slowly disappearing by his choice. Often the child with learned gender dysphoria will grow out of his learned characteristics. Any child can be influenced to be a homosexual, innocently or not. So we could say that even heterosexual is a choice, often made while the child is very young and forgets what formed him or her that way, and their hormones and characteristics learned do play a role in their choice that seems automatic, but it is still a choice made. Yes homosexual is a choice.

Answer 3

Homosexuality is no more of a choice than heterosexuality is. People should just need to learn to leave other people alone. Live and let live. Also, prejudice and discrimination need not exist and have to be eliminated. With most (all) heterosexuals, it's an ego, self-righteous thing. In turn, it causes your people to commit hypocritical and heinous acts. Clean up your own backyard first, then you can start commenting the backyards of others if your advice is wanted, of course. Almost everyone on Earth feel as if heterosexuality is the only way to commit a good deed, and heterosexuality takes all the sin away, the sins they have committed and the sins that they will commit. "As long as I'm not a f@g, I'll be alright." The thing turds don't know is that they are already F@Gs.

Answer 4

My opinion !

I say no it is not a choice. Why would someone choose something that is going to cause then so much pain and grief sometime.

I have known since I was about 7 years old that i was different, and never heard the word gay before.

I can look at a woman and feel nothing, but look at a man, and feel the hormones surge.

You decide.

Answer 5

I know for a fact that I never chose to have homosexual feelings. I know that from the point of sexual awareness I fought being a homosexual. I did everything my parents and pastor said to do trying to change to be a heterosexual. All I ever wanted was to be a normal heterosexual. After ten years of emotional torture, I decided it wasn't worth the fight. I realized that no matter what I did or wanted, I was a homosexual and needed to spend my time and efforts on being a productive member of society, not trying to be something that I am not.

From that point on, my life has become better and better.

The only people that believe that one day we just "chose" to be homosexual are straight people who don't care to know any better. Those of us who have dealt with it, know it isn't true.

In all honesty, though, I don't think it matters. The nature or nurture debate is worthless to me. Finding out "why" won't change who and what I am.

Answer 6

I don't know I've always been bi and for much of my live I was ashamed of the same sex part. The most difficult part was learning/realizing that so many people put up a huge barrier against same sex sex. Why do they do that? To me it's so artificial. We are all human beings and can give each other love. Indeed we all need love, caressing, being told we're okay. I really don't care if it's a man or a woman who does that for me. Is this a choice? To me it's just the way I am, and other people seem to choose to resist the possibility of love with somebody of the same sex.

Answer 7

I'm a 50 year-old gay man. I applaud your ability to think freely and your attempt to understand us instead of outright calling us horrible names and throwing your bible in our faces, which is what we usually get.

People who say being gay is a choice just don't understand because they aren't gay. They wouldn't have a clue.

If you can answer the following question, you'll be answering your own.......

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO BE STRAIGHT?
Was it on April 9th., 1997 at 9:00AM?

No...you have no idea because it was inherent.
It's been with you all your life.

Same with gay people.

....and if you're 'keeping score' on your answers, remember that 99.9% of straight people will say it's a choice....99.9% to 100% will say it's NOT a choice if they're gay.

Why would anyone listen to a heterosexual's response to a gay-oriented question?

Answer 8

I do believe that being gay is a choice. It a choice given by God. Actually God gave them over to reprobate minds to do the unthinkable man with man and woman with woman. youcan read 1 Corinthians 6:9-19 it tells the whle story an truth. I also feel bad for those who choose to live that life style and think that they are saved, because someone has told them that they are. God says there is no way they wil enter the kingdom of heaven. Only if they seek forgiveness and Repent.

Answer 9

It isn't a choice..On 60 seconds born gay.The show twins one gay and one straight.Looking at the 9 year olds.The one who showed interest in only girly things like barbie showed signs at age 2.Looking at home videos they show from toddler to 12 years olds showing signs of being gay.So how can it be a choice if kids so young show signs of being gay?They said it's a combination of genetics and hormones.I have gay friends and they did not choose that lifestyle.

Answer 10

Basing any argument on Christian thinking is irrelevant... especially when it deals with REAL human issues. Christians are self-serving morons.

Being gay is determined by genetic makeup or by some environmental thing... or both. It is not a disease you catch.

Changing a gay to straight is just as ridiculous as changing a straight to gay.

Answer 11

I knew I was straight when I was six and saw Linda Carter on TV. My gay friends say they knew they were gay at a similarly early age. Why should I disbelieve them? I didn't choose to get turned on by Wonder Woman. Why should I think they chose to be gay?

And even if it were a choice, what difference would it make? Why shouldn't they make that choice if they want to?