Do I Dare?: What Christians REALLY Think About Homosexuality

    One of my greatest fears involves the metaphorical stepping on of toes and the actuality of offending decent people.  Today I face the very real possibility of that fear coming to light as I tread on eggshells approaching a topic that has been building up inside me ready to explode.

     Perhaps the largest battle of American society today seems to be Christians versus Homosexuals.  What really bothers me though is how grossly misinformed each side is on the other's viewpoint.  If there is one thing I have learned about getting along with others and trying to get them to see your point of view, you first need to understand THEIR point of view.  So today, I will do my best to examine BOTH viewpoints in order to enlighten anyone interested in this heavy topic.

      I will start by admitting that my knowledge is limited on one side, however I invite those who may enlighten me to help me understand these issues further as long as you do so politely and reasonably. 

So here is the argument for homosexuality to the best of my knowledge:

     Homosexuality is as much of a choice as skin color.  You don't just wake up one morning and decide who you will be attracted to.  You are just born that way.  Science suggests that some fetuses are exposed to more estrogen or testosterone and that has a determining factor as to what sex they will be attracted to later in life.  Children at a young age start noticing that they are "different" and those in Christian communities may even pray that God will take these feelings away, but it doesn't happen.  While the bible says that homosexuality is a sin it also says 
'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.  Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material." (Leviticus 19:19)  Also, the bible speaks more about loving one another.  Why should that change just because the love is between a man and a man or a woman and a woman?  Put you religion where your mouth is and love thy gay neighbor!


The view every "real" christian I know has:

    Homosexuals do not have control over their sexual desires any more than we do.  I am born with a sinful lust towards men that I'm not married to.  My sin may be more socially acceptable, but it is still a sin.  It is only by the grace of God by the blood of Jesus through the Holy Spirit that my mind is free from lustful thoughts.  I may not fully understand homosexuality, but I know what it is like to be freed from sinful desires (more than just sexual desires) and it was not an easy path.  I can imagine it would be even harder for someone born with a lean towards homosexuality, but it has been done.

Some "extra-info" from my life:

    When I was in college, one of the chapel speakers gave his testimony about how God changed his life and brought him out of homosexuality and into celibacy.  This sounded a lot like the story of my mother's coworker that had stated he was attracted to men, but as a Christian he believed it was a sin and thus he practiced celibacy.  However both of these stories are not nearly as memorable as the other ex-gay chapel speaker we had.

    The college I went to was a very conservative Christian university.  So much so that when a professor published a book about how God guided the process of evolution, many parents called the university to request his termination.  So imagine the shock that rippled through the students in chapel when a very effeminate man stepped up on stage to talk about homosexuality.  This man was Sy Rogers, who is happily married to a woman and has one daughter.  His testimony can be easily found online along with a few other "ex-gays."

    There is no question that the church has often done more harm than good when trying to lead people to the right path, especially homosexuals.  Many programs now days are reevaluating what has helped and what has harmed when it comes to ministering to homosexuals.
  
    For anyone who would like to read more, I've added a few links below that seem to follow the testimonies I've heard.  I haven't had a chance to review them thoroughly, but they seem alright at the very least.

http://ex-gaytruth.com/encyclopedia/sy-rogers/
http://www.drpipim.org/homosexuality-contemporaryissues-47/68-testimony-from-an-ex-gay.html
http://www.peoplecanchange.com/

     I hope I have enlightened a few people, and I will say again: If you would like to share more information or another viewpoint I welcome it.  I will be polite if you will and I hope I have not offended anyone.  I apologize if I have.


My fear has been faced, the eggshells tread upon, I voyage into an unknown future.