Are People Born Gay? (Part 3)

Having considered the biblical and theological references to homosexuality, I'd like to turn some attention to the scientific and philosophical aspects of this issue.  Let's consider science first.  A friend of mine called my attention to a recent article that appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel.  It can be accessed by clicking here.  The writer of the guest column, Lucille Griffo, shares the story of the time when her son told her that he was gay.  In the midst of telling her story, Ms. Griffo sets forth this statement as an undeniable scientific fact:  "(Homosexuality) is a biological reality."

Is Ms. Griffo right?  Do the findings of science back up her claim?  Consider this:  In 2003, Dr. Francis Collins worked with many others in completing what is now known as the Human Genome Project.  Afterwards, Collins wrote a book about the project entitled "The Language of God."  Here's what he had to say about the possibility of homosexuality being an unavoidable, predetermined condition:  "An area of particularly strong interest is the genetic basis of homosexuality.  Evidence from twin studies does in fact support the conclusion that heritable factors play a role in male homosexuality.  However, the likelihood that the identical twin of a homosexual male will also be gay is about 20% (compared with 2-4 percent of males in the general population), indicating that sexual orientation is genetically influenced but not hardwired by DNA, and that whatever genes are involved represent predispositions, not predeterminations" (p. 260, "The Language of God").

In other words, one of the world's most renowned scientists does NOT believe that homosexuality is a predetermined condition someone is born with.  He chooses to say rather that a person might be born with a predisposition to homosexuality, just as some people are born with a predisposition towards alcoholism or drug abuse - most likely due to exposure to those substances prior to birth.  But notice the key difference though - a predisposition is NOT a predetermination.  In other words, just because someone might be born with a predisposition towards alcohol or drugs doesn't mean that the person is completely incapable of avoiding the life of an alcoholic or a drug abuser.  A person with a predisposition towards alcohol or drugs must still choose to be an alcoholic or a drug user.  Likewise, while a person might have some sort of predisposition to homosexuality (and the jury is still out on that), that person still must choose to be a homosexual.  So then, Ms. Griffo's statement of "biological fact" is really no fact at all.  No wonder she didn't bother backing up her claim with any sort of credible scientific evidence.

Now I'd like to consider some of the philosophical issues surrounding God, humans, and homosexuality.  Many people (such as Bishop Swiley) have said, "God made me this way.  He made me homosexual."  Just think about this:  Would God create a person homosexual and then deny him/her the opportunity to enjoy the lifestyle He created them for?  And yet, that's what some would have us to believe.  If God created some people homosexual, then why would he go to such great pains to prohibit the homosexual lifestyle in His Word?  What kind of god would do such a thing?  Clearly not the righteous, holy, and loving God of the Bible.  That's almost like saying God created some people simply so He could damn them into an eternity in hell, apart from any volitional act on their part.  Again I ask, what kind of god would do that?  Not any kind of God I would desire to serve, and clearly not the God of Scripture who says that He "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4).

One final thought for you and I to consider:  Did you know that the average life expectancy of a homosexual is typically many years shorter than that of a heterosexual?  Not convinced?  Read this article.  It will provide you with links to several studies that have produced similar findings.  That begs the question:  If God does indeed create homosexuals and celebrates their lifestyle, then why are their life expectancies substantially shorter than that of their heterosexual counterparts?  Just food for thought.

At this point, I trust you will join me in concluding that Scripture, science, and philosophy all stand in clear opposition to homosexuality.  Having resolved that, I'd like to share some practical considerations we should all be thinking about as part of the Body of Christ.  Stay tuned for Part 4 - the final post in this series.