jFinding a Christian Attitude toward
Homosexuality—Q & A
The purpose of this brief paper is to help Christians develop a Godly response to the homosexual issue.
Q: Do Christians hate homosexuals?
A: No! Absolutely and unequivocally, true Christians do NOT hate homosexuals! True Christians LOVE homosexuals.
Is it hatred to flag down a driver and plead with him to turn around when a bridge is out? Do we hate smokers when we encourage them to quit smoking? Do we hate alcoholics when we encourage them to quit drinking? Do we hate people with anger problems when we encourage them to learn to control their tempers? Do we hate bulimics and anorexics because we encourage them to change their destructive thinking about their appearance and eating patterns? Do we hate gamblers when we encourage them to conquer the gambling habit for the sake of their future and their families? Do we hate singles because we tell them that they may not engage in sexual activity?
If I engage in behavior of any kind that turns out to be damaging or destructive to myself or to others, the most loving and compassionate thing you can do for me is to encourage me to stop the behavior.
Q: Is homosexual behavior sin?
A: Yes. The Bible is quite clear about it.
You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)
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. (Romans 1:26-27)
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will 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, will inherit the kingdom of God. 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. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
Q: Why does God condemn homosexual behavior?
A: For the same reason He condemns all other sin—because of His great love for us! All sin—whether it is lying, being angry, hating people, lusting, having sex outside of marriage, acting selfishly, homosexuality, or whatever—is destructive. In the long range (not always in the short range) it does enormous harm to people. God's love requires that we not hurt ourselves or other people.
Not only that. God created marriage between a man and a woman to be a beautiful picture of the relationship between Christ and the church (see Ephesians 5:21-32). Homosexuality confuses and distorts that beautiful picture.
Q: How can you claim that homosexual behavior is “destructive?”
A: All sin is destructive. When God identifies behavior as sinful, we can know it is, in the long range, destructive both to individuals who practice it, but to others whose lives are touched by those individuals.
Beyond God's Word, there is plenty of statistical evidence that supports the fact that homosexuality leads to undesirable outcomes. An epidemiological study from Vancouver, Canada of data tabulated between 1987 and 1992 for AIDS-related deaths reveals that male homosexual or bisexual practitioners lost up to 20 years of life expectancy. The study concluded that if 3 percent of the population studied were gay or bisexual, the probability of a 20-year-old gay or bisexual man living to 65 years was only 32 percent, compared to 78 percent for men in general. The damaging effects of cigarette smoking pale in comparison--cigarette smokers lose on average about 13.5 years of life expectancy.
The impact on length of life may be even greater than reported in the Canadian study. First, HIV/AIDS is underreported by as much as 15-20 percent, so it is likely that not all AIDS-related deaths were accounted for in the study. Second, there are additional major causes of death related to gay sex. For example, suicide rates among a San Francisco cohort were 3.4 times higher than the general U.S. male population in 1987. Other potentially fatal ailments such as syphilis, anal cancer, and Hepatitis B and C also affect gay and bisexual men disproportionately. (For documentation see http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/homosexuality/ho0075.html#17) (For other stats, see also: CATIE)
Q: Aren’t homosexuals “born that way?”
A: Only in the sense that we all have natural tendencies to do sinful things. If I have a tendency to lose my temper, I tend to believe that it is “just the way I am” and that I have no real control over it. If I have a problem with lust or adultery, it is easy to excuse it by claiming that I was just born that way. If I tend to be gluttonous, it is very tempting to blame it on my genes.
And the truth is that we all have weaknesses. Some have weaknesses in one area and others in other areas. Not everyone is strongly tempted to lose their temper, but some are. Not everyone is strongly tempted to commit adultery, but some are. Not everyone is tempted to overeat, but some are. And some people are very susceptible to temptations to engage in homosexual behavior.
However, all of these behaviors are destructive. And just because we have weaknesses does not mean that we have excuses. Victory over all of these things is possible and necessary. And there are many, many living testimonies of that victory.
Q: How do you account for the fact that some people have strong homosexual desires when others do not?
A: There are many destructive behaviors that begin in our youth as seemingly relatively small and harmless decisions, which, after years of practice, lead to powerful habit patterns and what we might call “strongholds.” When that happens, we may feel that these behaviors are part of “who we are.” After years of poor choices, I can easily become convinced that it is just “the way I am.”
In many cases of homosexual behavior, kids have had very poor same-sex role models and teachers. Boys and girls need strong parents (or other adult relatives and teachers) to be appropriate role models for masculine and feminine behavior. When those role models are weak or absent, sexual confusion often results. Many who have chosen a homosexual lifestyle have been targets of sexual abuse when they were young children at the hands of weak and/or evil adults.
Sometimes kids simply begin to “play” or “experiment” with homosexual behavior—much as they might experiment with cigarettes. Later, when habit patterns have been formed, it may be difficult to consider the destructive nature of the behavior seriously enough to quit.
Q: Is there really practical hope for transformation for those who have strong homosexual desires?
A: Yes! You can find powerful testimonies on the Restored Hope Network. (You will probably want to check out all the pages on the Restored Hope Network.)
Q: How can you ask someone to give up homosexual behavior when they have such strong homosexual desires?
A: God would not command us to repent of sin if He were not willing and able to give us the strength and grace to have victory over sin. Again, there are many people with changed lives that will gladly testify to the power of God for victory over homosexuality. God specializes in changing lives. Even if homosexuals never develop heterosexual desires, God can and does give grace to resist homosexual behavior.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God (2 Corinthians 3:5)
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for th0ee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Q: What advice would you give someone who is struggling with homosexual temptations and who wishes to gain victory over it?
A: There are plenty of resources. You may wish to begin with the Restored Hope Network. You may call them at 503-927-0869.
It is also important to learn how to do effective spiritual warfare. Many have testified to the power of God’s Word to change their lives. You can find helpful information on spiritual warfare on this website. (http://www.aboundingjoy.com/warfare-fs.html).
Q: Can you help me do
more Bible study on this issue?
A: Yes. We have a brief Bible study on the topic.
What Does the
Bible Have to Say about Homosexuality?
Steve Hall
February, 2007