Genetics and Homosexuality: Are People Born Gay?

[Gman]

Another great article from Rich...

"There is a common belief among liberals that people are born either gay or straight. Conservatives tend to believe that sexual orientation is actually sexual preference, which is chosen by the individual. This page represents a review of the scientific literature on the basis for homosexual orientation." -Rich Deem

http://www.godandscience.org/evolution/ ... ality.html

[cslewislover]

Thanks for bringing that to our attention. I've wondered what the research said about this issue lately, so it's great. There are a few typos in there, however, which I'm sure Rich will iron out. Personally, I have male hands but I'm thoroughly heterosexual (lol).

[Harry12345]

Well what ever it is it certainly ain't no choice lol!

[jlay]

Our predispositions are not in themselves sin.

Heterosexuality is not a sin, but you can commit heterosexual sin, no?

I actually knew identical twins, one was gay the other straight. They also had a 1st cousin who was gay.
I think there are many factors that can lead someone into homosexuality. I can't even begin to address them. I think there is a choice with some. For others, they are attracted to the same sex, even despite the fact that they don't want to be.

It is so hard for me to understand, because I never chose my sexuality. I've always been attracted to the opposite sex. I never had to make a decision or fight off urges towards the same sex.

I love the old saying, "what you feed grows and what you starve dies."
The verse, "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," is a verse that has almost no relevance in the church today. I saw a stat that said something like 75% of churched men have a problem with pornography. The problem being they look at it. Our culture is so marinated in sexual imagery it is scary.

I had a friend in HS that I suspected was homosexual. His sister showed me that he had gay porn under his bed. He certainly wasn't holding his thoughts captive. He was feeding his desire. It really doesn't matter the root of the desire. this could have been a heterosexual situation and it wouldn't be any less wrong.

Today we have a culture that is feeding sexual depravity to our minds like we've never seen.

Homosexuality is a symptom of a larger problem. When so called Christians particpate in the depravity of the world they in turn create an environment for all other kinds of depravity to grow. That is what we have today.

[Harry12345]

Today we have a culture that is feeding sexual depravity to our minds like we've never seen.

Soooooooo true. Unfortunately.

[KravMagaSelfDefense]

It doesn't really matter whether homosexuality is a choice or a genetic aspect of homo sapiens, saying that the fact that it's a genetic aspect justifies it makes as little sense as saying that the fact that someone is a compulsive murderer who was born sadistic is justified in his acts of violence. Isn't there a Bible verse that says, "But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will make the way of escape"? Maybe people ARE born gay. Doesn't change their Christian obligation to keep themselves from that desire. I don't even know any good evidence for the idea that we're born gay, I still think it's a personal choice that people make, or perhaps people are born with a little bit of "gayness," a slight sexual inclination towards the same gender, and they feed that desire through CHOICE until they become homosexuals. Who knows? What I do know is it doesn't matter. Stay strong and resist it, it doesn't matter where the desire comes from. Defeat it!

[Widge]

Another great article from Rich...

"There is a common belief among liberals that people are born either gay or straight. Conservatives tend to believe that sexual orientation is actually sexual preference, which is chosen by the individual. This page represents a review of the scientific literature on the basis for homosexual orientation." -Rich Deem

http://www.godandscience.org/evolution/ ... ality.html

Yes some people are born Gay. Just ask some Gay people

[jlay]

Widge,

Is it really necessary to bring up a three month old thread, when there are already two active threads discussing the same thing? And you do nothing more than repeat the exact same thing. Come on bro, sharpen it up.

[Widge]

Widge,

Is it really necessary to bring up a three month old thread, when there are already two active threads discussing the same thing? And you do nothing more than repeat the exact same thing. Come on bro, sharpen it up.

I.E you know I am correct thank you.

[PaulSacramento]

I think that the issue will be that, IF it is proven that people are born gay, how will it be viewed?
As a "birth defect"?
As "natural"?
How much will it matter truly to those NOT gay?
I think there is a concern (for some) that if people are born gay that it some how "legitimizes" being gay and I don't think that is the case (some people are born with greater violent tendancies than others and that doesn't legitimize violence), but what it will do is make it clear that NO ONE chooses to be gay.
I think that will be a good step forward in understanding homosexuals.

[BryanH]

This is more like a moral dilemma for Christian people. There is no clear medical answer about how you become gay or about how you get born that way. The truth is that gay people have existed since the dawn of time. This is not a new problem. One of the most renown persons known to be gay was Caesar, the great emperor. So you see, being gay is not something new. People were always like this so the question is: why is it a sin to be gay? This is just a matter of discrimination from my point of view.

[jlay]

Bryan, where did you see in this thread that anyone said it is a sin to be Gay. If someone is genetically gay, or inherently feels attraction to the same sex, that is not a sin. Although there is no scientific evidence to substantiate this.

However, what a person does with their sexual organs is ALWAYS a choice. Your objection is chronologically flawed. The age of a behavior isn't justification for the behavior. We could say that spousal abuse is nothing new, or rape, or any myriad of things that we recognize as wrong. So, saying that homosexual behavior is right or wrong because of how long it has been in practice is fallacious.

[spartanII]

I've wondered sometimes if they are. I've read articles in the news about teenagers who commit suicide because they are gay and want to be straight so badly. That to me is a big red flag and makes me wonder if it is genetically tied in rather than just the choices you make in life.

[BryanH]

Maybe I was a little unclear on what I wanted to say. I will try to clarify things so there is no misunderstanding.

jlay:

However, what a person does with their sexual organs is ALWAYS a choice

That is entirely true and I completely agree with you. The problem doesn't start here. The problem starts when gay people want to be treated like people and be given the same rights. In the majority of Christian countries on the Globe, gay people can't get married so they can't form a family. They are discriminated in the face. So you see, being gay is a sin. Being gay is not a choice for people born gay. Imagine that starting tomorrow you would be forced to accept the fact that being heterosexual is wrong although you know 100% that it isn't wrong and because you are a normal person with feelings, desires, needs just as others are.

At some point I had a discussion with a Christian priest that said people born gay are given a test by God. I don't know how many of you approve with that, but that would mean that God created gay people out of his own will. But still, God created people and some of them are born gay. So no matter how you look at things, God did create gay people as well.

As I have stated on another forum discussion, God has never guided as directly, but through other people who claimed that the voice of God said this and that. Please let me question how those people have understood what God said to them. I sincerely think that God never said anything about gay people not being able to get married. That's just a wrong distortion of things over history.

[jlay]

That is entirely true and I completely agree with you. The problem doesn't start here. The problem starts when gay people want to be treated like people and be given the same rights

Gay people absolutely can get married. Marriage is the union of a man in women in matrimony. Bryan, the Gay movement wants to redefine marraige.
I can not get a minority scholorship. Am I being discriminated against? I can not get maternity leave. Am I being discrimnated against? Should eight year olds be allowed to get a driver's license? I could go through many examples of how not everyone is treated equally, yet are not discriminated against.

They are discriminated in the face. So you see, being gay is a sin. Being gay is not a choice for people born gay.

Choice. Acting upon sexual urges is always a choice. Let me ask you. Do you think that people should act on every sexual urge they have? Yes or no?
Do you think that child molestors want to have the urges they have? Should they resist them? I can use the same argument that they are born that way. The facts are that we ALL have desires and urges, not based on choice, that we KNOW we should resist and not act on. Imagine a world where all people acted on every sexual desire that 'naturally' popped into their mind. That is a scary place. Homosexual behavior is against nature. It is harmful and there are plenty of stats to show that homosexual behavior is a risky lifestyle.

If Gay people want to be in unions, I don't agree, but I also don't beleive in forcing my view on them. Marriage however, dating through the history of our country, has ALWAYS been between one man and one woman. As a married person, I hold the institution of marriage in high regard. As I am sure many married people do. If gay marriage is legalized then it undermines the institution for myself and millions of others. So, what you suggest is to trample all over my rights to appease homosexuals. Maybe homosexuals should 'tolerate' the institution of marriage. And stop discriminating against people like myself.