An honest question for Atheists?

Question

First off, I feel I should let everyone know that I have a high amount of respect for Atheists. I know most questions entitled "Question for Atheists" are from Fundies who try to challenge your belief structure, but trust me on this, I am not one of those. Atheists have brought the human race forward at a speed greater than if there were no Athiests.

Now for my question: Do you think homosexuals are born that way? If so, why? If not, why not? Please elaborate.

Blessed Be.

Earl I have my purposes for asking only Atheists. I already know what the Christian answer is. I already know what the Pagan answer is. Now I'm curious about the Atheist answer. Plus there is a follow-up question to this one.

Answer 1

If you're asking whether or not homosexuality is a choice, then no. It's not something anyone chooses. Honestly, with all the persecution and intolerance they face from the horrible Xian Fundies because of it, do you think anyone would choose that lifestyle on a whim?

Answer 2

It's just a part of the way nature works, sometimes. Some people say that homosexuality goes against nature. In fact, it doesn't at all. Nature is unpredictable. That's the nature of NATURE! There is almost no rule in nature that doesn't have exceptions. The platypus is a mammal that lays eggs. That goes against the norm, but I don't hear people saying a platypus is an abomination. Homosexuality goes WITH nature. It's a natural exception to a rule.

I also believe that genetics CAN play a part. My Uncle was married. After 12 years of marriage, and 3 daughters, his wife left him, because she was coming out as a lesbian. She later said that she had always been one, but kept it bottled up because she was a strict Catholic, and it was against her religion. She couldn't keep it hidden any more, though. Her daughters didn't know about her lesbianism until just recently, when TWO of them came out as lesbians. I think that's more than a coincidence.

Answer 3

Born that way ... No. Same as are we born heterosexual ...no. How many newborn homosexuals do you know? Or 4 year old homosexuals? Could there be certain genetic characteristics that pre-dospose someone towards homosexuality? Possibly. Could there be environmental or nurturing factors involved? Again possibly. But even considering all of that at some point in their lives they do make a conscious choice to be heterosexual or homosexual. Personally for me I am straight but do I hate others for being homosexual? Not at all, that is their choice and it does not effect me. The religious right seems to condemn them solely on what they perceive to be written in the bible. Well if that is the case then the bible is full of incest. Should that be consider OK because it is tolerated in the bible? The bible speaks of stoning people. Again is that OK?

Answer 4

Comparisons of identical male twins suggest that male homosexuality is largely genetic although in utero effects also play a small role...males are born homosexual. Regrettably, less is known about lesbianism although we do know that is completely unrelated to male homosexuality. Families that have lots of lesbians don't have lots of gays and vice versa. We also don't know which alleles (gene variations) contribute to male homosexuality or why these alleles haven't been weeded out by natural selection.

Answer 5

People are born. Every day around the world. Under that fact, there are also the simple facts that DNA do not always come out "acceptable" and most of the time you end up with missing limbs, conjoined twins, etc. Well, with homosexual men and women, I think it's literally what their DNA gives them that rules their preference.

Answer 6

Why do you just ask atheists?

Science says some might be.

Those I've talked to say they knew since they were 4 or 5 years old and THAT is young.

Not all, however. Some "convert" in adult life, willingly and mostly for gratification. Those are different.

Answer 7

Well, being just my little 'ol self, hard to say. A baby doesn't care about such things...but probably wired into genes some way or another... Honestly, I don't care and it's none of my business.

Answer 8

Yes. Because I have babysat dozens of kids since they were babies or toddlers, and am fortunate enough to still be in touch with many of them or their families, and there was just something "different" about the ones who it turns out are gay.

Answer 9

Highly likely. Not one homosexual person I've ever talked to has claimed that they somehow "chose" to be gay. Usually at childhood or adolesence they realized they were different, but frequently they didn't recognize it until later.

Answer 10

As far as i can tell, your question has nothing to do with atheism, or religion, or whatever other belief-system or anti-belief-system you'ld want to consider. I'm not sure what you think the connection is, or should be, between atheists and the origins of alternative sexual orientations.

Personally, I have no clue about the biological and chemical origins of sexual orientation, but I can tell you that the histories of America's civil rights movements - and their successes in securing equal protection of the law for those denied it - have always been shaped by the complex interweaving of legal victories, political progress and advances in public opinion.

When we look at the state of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights today, we have every reason to be optimistic. The movement is strong, determined, and it's gathering momentum every day.

It has been only 18 months since the Supreme Court struck down the last remaining state laws that branded gays as criminals, little more than a year since Massachusetts' top court ruled that same-sex couples could not be denied full equality in marriage, and mere weeks since California enacted the nation's most expansive domestic partnership law.

All the while, public support for LGBT equality continues to grow. Gallup has reported that 89% of Americans support equal employment opportunity for gays and lesbians. Polls also show nearly two-thirds support the same opportunities for transgender Americans. Nearly four in five - up from 57% just a decade ago - support openly gay military service members; and amid the enactment of anti-gay constitutional amendments in 11 states this past November, exit polls showed that 60% of voters favor legal recognition for same-sex couples.

The speed with which freedom of sexual orientation is advancing on all fronts is absolutely historic - and it hasn't happened by chance or by accident.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community crosses all borders. Each of us are born into families as diverse as our nation. As Americans we are of every race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, class, educational background, ability and party affiliation. We live in cities, towns and neighborhoods across this country, in red states and in blue. We, literally, are everywhere.

Yet because that rich diversity often goes unseen, ignored or forgotten, the gay community remains vulnerable to inaccurate stereotypes manufactured by a small but powerful group of anti-gay extremists, Christian fundamentalist and Republikan right-wing radicals. Wrapping themselves in cloaks of "family" and "values," these groups spend tens of millions of dollars to confuse, distort and subvert the public debate that continues to change hearts and minds about our right to equality as it opens America's eyes to the true family values that LGBT couples, parents and families are living and demonstrating every day.

This public debate and questions like yours serves another purpose as well: it reveals the unjust realities our community faces. If we must take time to care for an ill partner, we can lose our jobs because we are denied the protections of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Surviving gay and lesbian partners can find their families imperiled by laws that deny inheritance, child custody rights, and Social Security survivors' protection. Binational LGBT couples and families can be cruelly torn apart by deportation and immigration laws that treat them as legal strangers.

The manifest unfairness of these and countless other discriminations is one reason why support for LGBT equality continues to rise. It's also why we must commit to creating of our diverse community a truly inclusive movement - one that is represented by and pursues justice for the diverse lives that give it substance.

The groups represented here are parts of a large civil rights orchestra. We play different instruments - lobbying, electoral politics, impact litigation, grassroots organizing, public education, media advocacy and more - and we are dedicated to playing them well. While our organizations vary in focus and strategies, we share a number of common priorities that will help shape and unite our work in the months and years to come.