This subject is often raised on Forums, and is surely a worldwide problem. Here is a paper that may help in understanding it from a Christian perspective.
- BobL
A New Morality?
HOMOSEXUALITY IN OUR SOCIETY
[This is not a subject about "gay" people, as many call this matter, for there is little gay about homosexuality. The slang or colloquial usage of the word --which properly means "fast or sudden", is rejected here. We are talking about a perversion of human nature that is insidious as moral decay, not gay, and while it has been around through many years, the growing social acceptance and defense of it may bring the judgment of God on many nations who are moving to approve it in their societies. It is part of the trend to indulge the flesh without regard to God and His standards, or what is decent in a society.]
There are four essential things I believe would be helpful to understand today about homosexuality, and perhaps one might have occasion to share this with someone who is confused and leaning that way:
1. It is a learned behavior and not an inborn condition. God did not make homosexual people, as one can tell by careful reading of His Word, and God condemns it (e.g. Rom.1:24-27, I Cor.6:9; I Cor.11:14).
2. It is important to understand that effeminate men and mannish women are not necessarily homosexual. A hormonal imbalance from the norm reportedly produces the effeminate and mannish characteristics, which are fairly common in the world. It is parental, societal, and peer influence which produces the problems and pushes these young people into homosexual activity. It is urgently important to help such persons feel accepted so they can learn to handle any questions or discrimination over their emotional differences from the norm (just as we would with other physical or mental differences). Our society is contributing to the problem of homosexuality by believing the idea that people are born a homosexual type, and then are trying to make the behavior legitimate to accommodate them. Schools, parents, medical services, and our public health agencies need to do more to teach the truth, and not perpetuate the myth.
3. We all know of several people who have this imbalance who are happily married and well-adjusted. Some people have less attraction to the opposite sex, and may choose to not marry, or may marry one who has the opposite characteristics (e.g. an effeminate man choosing a mannish woman for his wife). One may be suspected by strangers of being homosexual, and they may be shunned by some or discriminated against, but if they have a good support system they can overlook this and go forth. Personally, I would rather have an effeminate man wait on me in offices, stores, restaurants, hospitals, and other kinds of customer services, for they are usually more sensitive, considerate and helpful---perhaps a special gift by God.
4. The word "effeminate" in I Corinthians 6:9 may have been a poor choice of words by the translators of the KJV Bible, for it does not have the same meaning today. It could have been translated as "those who make women of themselves" (see The New Translation - JND).
More could be said about this subject, but these are the essential issues, which ought to be prayerfully considered (especially the Word of God). One ought to first of all have a desire to honor God, and live a normal life. - R. DeWitt, 4/03
