A recent comment from a fellow churchgoer, regarding homosexuality, bothered me.
Saying that homosexual behavior is a sin implies one of two things:
1. Homosexuality is a choice that people make, as in you can choose whether or not to be physically and emotionally attracted to a particular gender.
-or-
2. Just the homosexual act is sinful, not necessarily the thought, as in as long as you don't act on your homosexual urges, you're ok.
On the first point, I am heterosexual. I never CHOSE to be this way. I just never have been physically or emotionally attracted to members of my own gender. Homosexuals represent the reverse side of this coin. They did not CHOSE to have these feelings towards members of their own gender.
Regarding the second, just choosing not to act
…show more content…
Some get married to a person of the opposite gender, and even have children. Some of those eventually choose to "come out" at some point...but it's rarely a big surprise to the people close to them. Not one of these people would tell you that they CHOSE homosexuality.
In regards to morality, biblically speaking, the subject of homosexuality is still hotly debated, and that's not a can of worms that I am going to directly address here. For the sake of argument, however, let's assume that is IS sinful.
As far as sinful acts go, it's not even in the biblical top ten. Not one of the Ten Commandments forbids homosexuality. As far a Leviticus goes, the Bible bans all sorts of behavior, such as physical contact with an "unclean (menstruating) woman", eating shellfish, mixing natural and artificial fabrics, and working on the Sabbath. Unless you are a strict Orthodox Jew, no one sees these things as sinful today. We have moved past these things and realize that they are not requirements of being morally upright. But being homosexual still seems to make many of the self-righteous
Homosexuality has always played a huge role in society. Views on this topic have changed immensely from the beginning of the greece era to now in modern society. People have become more appalled with this topic because now in society there are stereotypical views on “normal” ways of living. Religious views have also impacted people's decisions and thoughts about it.
For years homosexuality in the United States of America has been looked down upon by citizens, religions, and even politicians. The homosexual culture, or the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender), has been demoralized and stuck out and lashed against by the Heterosexual community time and time again. To better understand the LGBT community we must first grasp the concept of Sexual Orientation.
People’s different values and morals play a role in defining what they believe. Many people find homosexuality to be not natural, and it goes against many people’s views. However, there is also a lot of people who argue in favor of homosexuality and find nothing about it unnatural. For those people who do think it is not natural they normally use the argument that this kind of sex can not reproduce, therefore it is not right because the point of sex is to reproduce. Many times the Bible will also be used to refer to verses that condemn acts of homosexual sex. People who favor the morality of homosexuality find many things wrong with these arguments. To say that the only purpose of sex is to reproduce would be wrong because there are many examples of heterosexual couples who have sex without the intention of conception. Medical problems, protected sex, and just sex for fun are all reasons why
The Holy Bible and its various renditions is the most common religious book that many religions have founded from. The first collection of writings of the bible can be dated back as far as 1500 years, which is 3500 years after homosexuality existed. The bible looks at homosexuality as an abomination and sinful, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22), “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:26-28). There are nearly eighty bible verses about homosexuality being sinful and sacrilegious (Open Bible). Not all religions had the same view on homosexuals,
The most difficult part of any modern theological debate is choosing the authority. With the variety of Christian denominations, individual thinkers, and outside influences, and it is often difficult to reach a general agreement. In her essay, “Homosexuality: A Case Study in Moral Argument,” Catholic theologian Lisa Cahill examines four major authorities and different ways to determine how they work together to produce a cohesive Christian ethic. Though she fails to give a definitive, quantifiable method of describing the interactions between the authorities, her final judgment, approval of some aspects of homosexuality, indicates that she values modern cultural context and general biblical themes over church tradition and specific biblical texts.
Homosexuality according to Kantian ethics is wrong, and if it were to be applied in the categorical imperative, there would not be an engagement of the hypothetical imperative. The hypothetical imperatives are only focused on doing things so that a person can be successful in a particular activity. The only good practice according to Kant is the one that will keep the human race moving and homosexuality is therefore not a good practice because if the entire world turned to gay and lesbian marriages, It would mean that the human race would come to an end and this is not what God intends for his
"[I]t seems appropriate to understand sexual orientation (heterosexual or homosexual) as a deep-seated dimension of one's personality and to recognize its relative stability in a person. Generally, homosexual orientation is experienced as a given, not as something freely chosen. By itself, therefore, a homosexual orientation cannot be considered sinful, for morality presumes the freedom to choose. The teachings of the Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence against them"(Pastoral).
Within the lesbian community, Ponse (1978) makes reference to two groups. There are many lesbians that claim to have been "born" lesbian. To expand on this subject, one would say these women never questioned their sexual attraction. From day one, they were attracted to other women.
Homosexuality is unnatural. Romans 1:27 mentions man “leaving the natural” (one man and one woman) and therefore taking part in acts of immorality. When the world was created, God made a man and a woman. He later tells them that part of their job is to replenish the earth. A common argument to this statement is the question, “what if they were born that way?” This question is easily answered. When a baby is born, he is either a boy or she is a girl. There are no if’s, but’s or maybe’s. The homosexual lifestyle is a choice. Also, there is no scientific proof that shows how an individual might be born as a homosexual. There is, however, proof that homosexuality can be dangerous and even deadly. From depression to breast cancer to AIDS, the homosexual lifestyle brings sickness and suffering to the individual. Although roughly 3.3% of Americans are homosexual, over 50% of this small group is accountable for HIV infection. Homosexuality is harmful not only mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, but it is also the cause of much disease and
Though many researchers will agree that homosexuality is not genetic, still, others beg to differ. HRC.org published an article entitled “Guide to Coming Out,” the article states ‘sexuality and gender identity are not choices any more than being left-handed or having brown eyes or being heterosexual are choices…The choice is in deciding how to live your life.’ With society always shoving their view into the minds of Americans second of everyday, it is not that hard to see where the confusion arises.
From the moment people born, there are certain basic functions that will be with them throughout their lives. The abilities to eat, breathe, sleep, or to have the capacity to learn are a natural occurrence for most people. There are, however, traits that are specific to each individual. They are traits that set them apart from everyone else. The traits such as eye color, ones dominate hand, or susceptibility to a specific disease are a few traits that aren’t easily changed. However, there are some that are controversially questioned as to whether or not one is born with the trait or if it is a learned behavior. One of the biggest of these controversies is the question of whether sexual orientation is a choice or something that is beyond the individual’s influence. Although the evidence is commonly disregarded because of personal beliefs or opinions, sexual orientation is not a choice.
Marriage equality rights have come a long way over the last several year, however there is still more progress to be made. Achieving gay marriage rights across the nation has been a long fight and has caused quite a great deal of controversy. While more and more people, churches, organizations, businesses, etc. are all starting to support the movement, thousands of them still do not. While achieving the goal of marriage rights in the LGBT community may seem never ending, it’s important to recognize the small wins along the way.
Within the recent years, the transgender movement has become more apparent than ever. With television shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, “Keeping It Up With Cait” and “I Am Jazz”, the voices of transgender people are more public than ever. Celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner and Laverene Cox are changing the face of the movement by showing people that it is never too late to be their true selves. American laws are acknowledging the rights of transgender people, but not in a positive way. These are just people trying to be their best selves. Transgender people deserve to have all the rights that a non transgender person has.
My arguments will be ignoring a major element in factoring the morality of homosexuality, the law. Yes, many people know that stealing and murder are both wrong, but this is based on socialization and learning passed down from previous generations. The aim isn’t to ignore the rules, but examples from history relating to homosexuality will not aid in proving ground for its ethics. A rational, autonomous decision making process must be used in order to decipher right from wrong, which can lead to solid, concrete answers.
We have no right to judge. We should leave that to the Lord, and he will make the right decision. He will decide what the sinner does and doesn't deserve. Christians know what to abide by. They may know that being a homosexual is going against Gods word, but they also know that the Lord says that one should love all no matter what circumstances.