Honest question about homosexuality?

Question

There is a raging debate in this forum about gays. Is it a sin, or not? Is it natural, are people "born gay", is there a gene for "gayness"...should churches accept gay couples, etc, etc, etc...ad nauseaum.
What about the scientific viewpoint? How does homosexuality line up with evolution? If there is such a thing as a gene for gayness, what advantage would it have for the orgnanism's survival? I am seriously confused about this.
Yes, I am a Christian, but I have no problems with science, I like to try to keep an open mind about things. If homosexuality is a sin, as so many Christians believe, then it is one of many, and since we are all sinners, we have no right to condemn anyone else, that I also believe, with all of my heart. For once, I'd like to leave Christianity out of the homosexuality debate, and get strictly to the science of it.
Does anyone have any real answers about this??

Answer 1

It's NOT a sin. And yes, there is a genetic predisposition for homosexuality in some people.

Homosexuality is a normal, natural, healthy sexual orientation. This is what virtually the entire psychological community has been telling us, in no uncertain terms, for nearly 4 decades

Answer 2

Ok i will try and answer some of the questions,

No being gay is not a sin, not in my eyes.

i feel it is natural in a sense for them, myself being a woman i find i do like other females but i prefer men. To me that's natural .
So i cant say what is natural for them is wrong.
How would i like it if someone said me liking men was not natural.. It would be so insulting and hard to deal with.

I heard some scientists say there is a gene. But i didn't personally look into the whole concept so i don't know how valid it is.

I don't have a problem with gay couples, i have had to gay friends stay with me and i found them to be like any other couple i have met, just they happen to be the same sex.

From my understanding there are animals in the world that mate with same sex. So be it scientific or not. It happens in our world.

On the topic of organisms survival. Human beings have populated this earth, we have people not caring about the new lives they bring into the world.
Babies being left and children growing up in foster homes or on the street. I don't think our personal existence is under threat.

And i don't see a problem letting Gay Partners adopt, they would give just as much love, because it is very special to bring this new life some hope and raise it as your own.
I am Adopted so i feel i can speak on that level.

Just some of my views.
Blessings ALD

Answer 3

Good question, to a degree, but only because I don't think you'll get many legitimate answers here. Additionally, as you may very well know, it is not difficult to come up with a reason for anything occurring, whether it is natural or not. As to whether those reasonings are correct is a whole other issue. I agree with above that it could be a means of population control, but that would seem to go against all other examples of evolution (at least that I've seen) and the survival of the fittest. I can't think of a species that just stops reproducing because there are too many of them, but rather, they evolve to a point where a dominant species (or adaptation) causes the other to fade away. I think population control is too advanced for evolution, but is more of a caculated, mechanical and intellectual thing (and there remain many mechanical things in evolution which are not accounted for under the theory - thus leaving open the door to believe both in creationism and evolution, as I do). I hope you get additional reasoning for homosexuality from an evolutionary standpoint, as I believe it's interesting. I too respect all people regardless of their orientation, race or whatever.

Answer 4

Theres no such thing as a "gene for gayness" but there is such things as transsexual jeans. This is caused when a male have more of a Y chomosome gene than an X chomosome jean. There have been studies for those who claim they are "born gay".

For example, on Maury, they features fraternal twins. Both were more without complications, and raised the same way. By the time both boys were about 6 years old they were playing with different toys. Boy A would play with cars, trucks, trains, and other boy toys. Boy B would play with barbies, and attempt to steal his mothers make up. When they became teenagers Boy A was interested in girls, and Boy B was interested sexually in males.

Theres also the cases of Men that feel trapped in a Man's body and insist that they are females. They are not considered Gay but transexual. What this means is they were born with complete female chomosomes but male characteristics. These Men could like woman, and still feel that they should be a woman. There was a show on TLC that showed a man who was married felt that he was a woman and didnt feel comfortable in a man's body. He underwent surgury to make have the appearance of a woman, but he still continued his relationship with his wife.

It is considered a sin to be gay, by God's standards, but it is also a sin to have sex before your married (which many people break). As long as you ask for forgiveness, God forgives those sins.

Answer 5

There could be a theoretical advantage for a homosexuality gene. If the number of males in a local population exceeds the number of females, homosexual tendancies could reduce inter-individual tension and allow the tribe to survive. Remember that evolutionarily speaking, your nieces and nephews have a genetic smiilarity to you of 25%. So direct reproduction is not required for a favorable trait.

Two points on this regard: There is a ground rodent (and I forget the specifc name of it - i'm sorry) where mature females will sound a warning if a predator is approaching. This increases her own chance of being captured by the predator but potentially saves younger relatives. This was at first very perplexing to biologists but they eventually calculated that issuing this warning was indeed an evolutionary advantage for those individuals who displayed this behavior.

Also, there is a species of clam (I think it is clam) where gender is indicated by the number of proximal males and females. For instance, if all the neighbors are males, an individual will develop as a female.

Netiher of these are totally on point but they do indicate that natural selection isn't as straight forward as it always seems and that gender ratios can impact development and potentially behavior.

Also remember that there is a difference between genotype and phenotype. Phenotype is the physical expression of a gene. So even in the case of identical twins, the gene could be there but it is only expressed in one of them. Phenotype can be influenced by environment so a genotype is not necessarily completely deterministic.

Answer 6

"Some scientific studies have pointed to findings that gay men's brain anatomy is similar to heterosexual women and different from their heterosexual male counterparts. (This does not necessarily form a link between genetics and homosexuality, but merely correlates behavior with differences in the structure of the brain. The differences in the brains of homosexual males as compared with heterosexual males may be driven by genetics, environment, or both.)"


"It is worth noting that many medical and scientific organisations do believe it is impossible to change a person's sexual orientation and this is displayed in a statement by American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American School Health Association, Interfaith Alliance Foundation, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers, and National Education Association."

Answer 7

Ahhh - this comparable previous straw guy. it is getting surprisingly ragged, does not you assert? isn't it time to start development a sparkling straw guy? ok - yet as quickly as returned - Homosexuality isn't constrained to the OT. it is spoken against in the NT as properly. In different words, it is a ethical regulation, not a CIVIL regulation. The CIVIL regulations are for the JEWS. ethical regulations are for all of us everywhere in ALL circumstances! Christians do not call for the loss of life of homosexuals by way of fact we've been as quickly as sinners, saved by utilising grace, and all of us comprehend the capacity of God's forgiveness. ("Him who's with out sin, solid the 1st stone" Jesus mentioned. Then he mentioned, "i don't condemn you. pass and SIN not greater!" i.e. REPENT!) Christians are against divorce and adultery additionally, however the version is that homosexuality has a curse on it (study Romans financial ruin a million), and it is prevented by utilising utilising power of will, and adultery is merely undeniable incorrect, era. Divorce sometimes occurs by way of fact an unsaved spouse refuses to stay peaceably with the Christian spouse, and the Bible even says that the Christians spouse isn't under condemnation for this reason, nor in terms of adultery in the non-believing spouse. In different words, you're evaluating apples to oranges! it is not an excuse for sin. it is merely attempting to place issues right into a clearer gentle, why issues ensue. yet whilst somebody makes use of somebody else's sin as an excuse for their very own, that's genuinely a criminal attitude! do not do it! genuinely all of us has to grant account of their very own lifestyles before a holy and righteous God!

Answer 8

There has been research done that shows differences in the brains of heterosexual and homosexual men. The hypothalamus, which is believed to control sexual behavior, is smaller in the brains of the homosexual men studied.

I also remember seeing a show on TLC about the brains of men who have had sex reassignment surgery to become women. They were able to study the brains of deceased transsexuals and again found the difference in the size of the hypothalamus.

I tend to believe that it is a genetic issue, or again, the issue of the hypothalamus development - in which case, can it really be considered a sin?

Answer 9

Homosexuality is common among animals. See a recent Seed article for examples and references. It's mostly a bonding thing. There doesn't appear to be a genetic influence - by that I mean, gay people do not necessarily have gay children, and straight people have gay children, so it's not an easy thing for evolution to breed out.

And I don't think many people really agree with the whole 'sin' thing, since it mostly seems to mean 'anything I don't like and god apparently didn't like either 2000 years ago'.

Answer 10

I'm a Christian too and I think the Scriptures need to be followed by those who supposedly follow God, despite believes, since whatever. Second point is I think Gary should read a different version of the Bible. To get a better understanding of the Greek, short of learning the language, I suggest an interlinear Bible, matter of fact we all should have one. They do make Sculptures stand out and give a better understanding of the original words, not some translation.

Answer 11

1. Reason for homosexuality being a sin: Jewish tribes wanted to divinely mandate procreative sex and to distinguish their group's 'specialness' by separating themselves from other groups' practices. It then makes it into Leviticus. Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is conditioned in this culture and an anti-homosexuality message is contained in a couple of his letters to early christian communities and incorporated into the New Testament (e.g. Romans). This is a common dynamic of projecting stuff onto God that is really just the agenda/desire of humans.
2. Nature: many, many species exhibit homosexual behavior (it's easy to look this up using google)
3. Medical/Psychological: Various studies have shown no ill-effect due to homosexual pairings, neither on the partners nor the children raised in those homes.
4. Evolution: A great explanation is provided at: http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CB/CB403.html (it's important to read the whole thing because each sentence is important)