About Homosexuality

David A. Beck

 

Why are so many today “homophobic?” Does the Bible directly deal with homosexuality?

Shouldn’t one’s sexual preference be their own business?

Homosexuals can’t help what they are, can they?

Didn’t the medical profession prove that homosexuals are born that way?

Didn’t they find a “genetic link” to homosexuality?           

 

These questions and hundreds more like them are being talked about in the news media, on talk shows, sitcoms, restaurants, and our own dining room tables.  We need to know the facts.  Too many of my friends are broken hearted because their son, daughter, brother, sister, or even spouse, has come home with the dreaded words, “I’m gay.”                                                        

Why are so many today “homophobic?”

 

      What used to be considered “sick” is now “fashionable.”  There are extremists on both sides of this issue.  “Gay bashers” consider themselves to be cleansing our society.  Then there are those who claim that if you teach against people committing homosexual acts you are “homophobic.”  (I.e. have a fear of homosexuals) Some will call you “bigoted” and place you in the same camp as the “skin heads” and Nazis.

We may be guilty of prejudice, hatred, and ignorance.  If we are, then our children will spot it a mile away.  And you can be sure God already knows about it.  If we “hate” the homosexual, God will judge us.  Never lose sight of the fact that homo-sexuals are people.  Though there are some horrible, perverted people among the homosexuals....so there are among the heterosexuals.  A homosexual is not automatically a pedophile; nor do they seek to “convert” people to their lifestyle.  Generally they are like you and me.  Their sin is not in WHO they are; but in their sexual behavior if they practice homosexuality.                                                      

Does the Bible directly deal with homosexuality?              

      Yes, it does.  This is not a subject brought about by prejudice.  It is a subject that the Word of God deals with from very early in the Old Testament and throughout the New Testament.

      God is the one who created the counterpart for Adam. Gen 2:18, "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."  The help meet that God created was not another man, but a woman.  Looking at His creation He said, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." (Gen. l:31)                                                       

       In Gen 13:13, "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly." Gen 18:20, speaks of “the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah” being great, and their sin is “very grievous."  In Gen. 19 we read the account of the wickedness of sodomy.

     This is such an abominable sin before God that under the Old Law He demanded the death penalty. Lev 20:13, "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." Why? Because this sin is so unnatural, so impure, so forbidden, so shameful that God's wrath had to be poured out upon all who would commit or promote this iniquity.

      Homosexuality is unnatural sexual relations between two men or two women. Rom 1:26-27, "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet."

 

Shouldn’t one’s sexual preference be their own business?

 

      Perhaps from a civil law standpoint homosexuality should be one’s own business.  But as Christians we must stand up for the morality of the Bible.  We must oppose sinful behavior and even expose it.

      The civil laws allow for abortion, cohabitation of unmarried couples, fornication, exhibitionism (strippers; both male & female) prostitution (in some states) and just about any sexual sin between consenting persons.  But God had never changed His mind about any of these things. 

      When any sin becomes accepted by civil government; it becomes acceptable by society.  When it becomes acceptable by society the church is affected because its members are also members of this society.  Therefore, we have a responsibility to speak out against that sin with greater fervor; even though the persecution for such is much greater.

 

Homosexuals can’t help what they are, can they?

 

      I think we need to be careful not to “generalize” the causation of homosexuality.  There are many different views about what makes one have a sexual attraction to their own gender.  The doctors and scientists don’t agree. 

      It seems to me that there are many different reasons.  Each person is different.  Some may have been born that way; perhaps a genetic or hormonal abnormality.  Some may have been made that way by overbearing parents or even child abuse.  There are some, to be sure, who simply choose perversion over normality. Some who want to shock their parents, or their peers; or perhaps make a choice through experimentation.  But we must never lose sight of the fact that homosexual behavior is sin; and must be repented of to please God. 

      Homosexuality, practiced and not repented of, leads to spiritual death.  Some say that is not fair because homosexuals can’t help themselves.  Paul, however, says that repentance is possible and is demanded by God for those who want to go to heaven. 1 Cor.6:9-11, Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

      Paul says "such were some of you."   Some at Corinth were involved in homo-sexual behavior; "Sodomy" and “lesbian-ism,” but they were forgiven because they repented and ceased the sin. 

 

                Didn’t the medical profession prove that homosexuals are born that way?

                 

      No. They did not.  Much research has gone on to try to prove such.  But, even if they had, it would not change the truth.  The truth is, no matter what the cause, Homosexuality is a sin.  We must put all sin out of our minds (hearts) and lives.  We can control ourselves, even if it means not expressing our sexuality at all. 

      Jesus said, in Matt. 19:12 "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.”  (A eunuch was one who could not [or would not] commit the sexual act.)

      We should never lose sight of the fact that the Holy Spirit gave Paul these words to give to us.....”For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,  and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”  (Rom. 1:26-27). The natural, inherited, born instinct is for one man to have one woman for life. (Matt. 19:4-9)!  It is a gross perversion of divine and natural law for a man to have sexual relations with a man and a woman to have sexual relations with a woman. Such conduct was a capital offense under the Law of Moses and was to be met with speedy execution.  (Lev.18:22; 20:13). The annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain was because they were given over to this sin (Gen. 19). This is where the term "sodomy" comes from today!

      The medical profession attempts to cover up this abomination by calling it a natural desire, but it will not change the truth of God, nor lessen the punishment of the guilty engaging in this sin. God's universal standard of morality says homosexuals are unrighteous and shall not enter heaven. (1 Cor.6:9-10).

      A person can and must repent of this sin like any other. Forgiveness can be obtained for those who are guilty of this sin if they will obey God by repenting.

 

      Is There A "Gay" Gene?

     

      Simon LeVay, in trying to link homosexuality with genetics observed that a section of the brain in homosexuals seemed to be smaller than in heterosexual men. This area of the brain was supposed to house the sexual stimulus of a man toward a woman.  His conclusion, then, was that some people are born to be homosexuals.  

      Many other scientists tell us that they believe this part of the brain was smaller because it was not used as intended.  I don’t know which is correct.  But I know that those who want to believe that homosexuality is natural (genetic) will cling to what Simon LeVay believes; while others follow the mainstream of science.

      God's law of atrophy in all creation is “use it or lose it.” Since other parts of the brain also show similar types of shrinkage from nonuse, this claim of LeVay does not prove anything.

 

Conclusion

 

      The Bible calls homosexuality “unnatural.”  God tells us that it is “sin.”  Homosexuality is a sin no greater than many others which will keep us from heaven.   Those homes and lives that have been destroyed by the pedophile would not cry out, “It’s OK.  He/she can’t help it.”

      God has given us the proper relationship in which to be sexual.  That is marriage between a man and a woman.  The pedophile,  the adulterer, and the homosexual will be judged by a God who loves us all.  But these sexual sins will also keep us out of the kingdom. 

      We all recognize that the “sex drive” is very powerful.  But God is more powerful.  We need to abstain from any sexual sin, as well as any other sin.  We need to speak out against homosexuality just like we need to speak out against idolatry, stealing, lying, adultery, etc. One is not being homophobic when they try to teach homosexuals the truth of the gospel and encourage them to repent.

 

      Our children are affected by all of this misinformation.  We had better be prepared to talk to them honestly (and frankly) about it from a young age.  But we had better make sure that WE have the correct information first.