Gay Rights: A Summary of the Debate from a Christian Perspective

hristians, especially, are sensitive to the issue of fairness. Most sincere Christians have the biblical attitude that we are all sinners and we all have our struggles, straight or gay. We are each one, not just a little bit sinful on the edges-we are deeply depraved, with sin touching every aspect of our being. So in terms of our sinful nature, we are all in this together. Thus, Christians recognize that people in a homosexual lifestyle are people, made in the image of God, who should be treated fairly by all.

Admittedly, it is not a perfect world and some may have an "us versus them" mentality which is decidedly unbiblical and wrong. To the extent that some people, in the name of Christianity, have fostered a hateful attitude toward any group of people, we sincerely apologize.

While it is very important to strive for fairness for everyone, it is equally important to consider an important concept: While all people are created equal, not all ideas or behaviors are equal. There is, in fact, a hierarchy of ideas. This is intuitively obvious, as well as biblically obvious. And it is the place at which we must begin. It is the key statement that must be made in this debate.

In the area of human sexuality, for example, adultery is not morally equivalent to fidelity. Prostitution is not morally equivalent to sex with love. Fornication is not morally equivalent to the virtue of chastity.

There are claims that the Bible does not really condemn homosexual behavior or that Jesus would not condemn this behavior. But let's look at what the Bible actually says.

The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning."

"No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old-surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."

Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."

"Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here-sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it."

So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."

When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"

But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it-it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."

He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.)

By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah-from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities-and also the vegetation in the land.

While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."

The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."

But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, "Get up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. Everyone who saw it said, "Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!"

Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers-and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

If he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)- if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

The passage in Romans, in particular is so clear that it seems to have been written by St. Paul in anticipation that people might challenge the idea that homosexual behavior is wrong (in case you don't get it, let me make it perfectly clear!).

In addition, there are numerous other passages that touch on this topic indirectly through comments on the biblical view of marriage and family, promiscuity, and sexual purity. Included in these references are:

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.

For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery...

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God...

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"-but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own...

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.

Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Homosexual behavior is always discussed in the Bible as a serious sin. It is often discussed in the context of idolatry. In that context it is listed among other particularly heinous sins as examples of how depraved one can become when idolatry is present. Idolatry is a most serious offense against God, and its seriousness helps explain why homosexual behavior was a capital offense in the Old Testament. Historical Christian interpretation has consistently viewed homosexual behavior as sinful. The modern word sodomy even comes from the biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah.

But it should be pointed out that what the Bible condemns is not personality traits such as feminine feelings on the part of a man (or masculine feelings on the part of a woman). It condemns the act of homosexual sex.

There are those who take some of the passages of Scripture above and attempt to show that they do not really mean to condemn homosexuality. But these arguments fall short, and upon investigation become an obvious ploy to distort the plain meaning of Scripture. As applies to other doctrines of the Bible, one must avoid trying to interpret Scripture in light of one's proclivities, and instead, interpret one's proclivities in light of Scripture. The Bible is the grid. It is wrong to overlay your own grid on the Bible.

One view, that the law in Leviticus was intended for the ancient Hebrews and does not apply today, must be considered. The Old Testament condemns as evil many things that are commonly accepted in the modern world (eating pork, etc.). It is helpful to understand the difference between CIVIL or CEREMONIAL LAWS versus MORAL LAWS in the Bible. While civil or ceremonial laws can and do change from country to country, moral laws do not change because they are rooted in the nature of man.

It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit...

But, the Bible is consistent throughout on moral law, which includes homosexual behavior.

No specific sermon or story that Jesus may have given about specific homosexual behavior is found in Scripture. But an argument from silence would be incorrect. The Bible does not record that Jesus ever mentioned rape, incest, pedophilia, or other blatant sins by name either. But just because Jesus does not mention them, does not imply that we should commit these offenses against God and each other.

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?'"

There can be no mistaking what Jesus taught in this regard. In this passage Jesus is reiterating what Moses taught about marriage and family.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Anything contrary to this-any sexual relationship outside of a committed marriage relationship between one man and one woman-demeans the institution of marriage and is unbiblical.

For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery...

Jesus' teaching on moral issues in fact toughened and strengthened them, such as in Matthew 5:27-30 when he expanded our understanding of sexual sin to even lusting in our heart!

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Jesus didn't merely accept people as he found them-he turned people's lives around. After his encounter with Jesus, the tax collector Zacchaeus pledged to pay back his debts fourfold.

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one, sir," she said.

"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

Jewish law was quite clear on homosexual behavior. To suggest that Jesus would have condoned homosexual behavior is twisting Scripture for political correctness.

The God of the Bible is not merely a God of love and forgiveness. God has characteristics of love AND justice (among others). Jesus, for example, warns about hell more than any other biblical figure! We must not underestimate the holiness of God, who demands right conduct-in fact, perfection.

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Genesis 2:17; 2 Kings 17:18; Psalm 74:1, 79:5, 90:11; Proverbs 10:16; Micah 7:9; Zephaniah 3:8; Matthew 5:29, 7:13, 25:46; Romans 1:32, 2:8, 6:23; Acts 3:19; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 6:7-8; Philippians 3:19; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; James 1:15; and Revelation 20:12-15.

There are those who suggest that God is merely a God of love and accepts people just as they are.

Certainly that is incorrect. God does not accept us as we are. He demands repentance. We must not create a God to suit ourself. This is idolatry which is a violation of the Second Commandment.

The theology of this debate is as old as Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3, when God tells Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the issue was whether Adam and Eve would abide by God's commands. Adam and Eve decided for themselves what was right when they disobeyed God and ate of the fruit. Ever since that day, mankind has tried to decide for ourselves what is good or bad, in dangerous disregard of God's command.

In recent years, the homosexual movement has centered on giving marriage-like benefits to gay couples. Many in the culture have mistakenly concluded that marriage is merely an institution for the convenience of adults. In actuality, marriage is the bedrock institution for culture to sustain itself through having and nurturing children. There are complementary aspects to a man and woman that are important to the instutution of marriage which go beyond the obvious physical attributes. There are things that a man needs that can only be provided by a woman, and vice versa.

These complementary aspects are important to the relationship of the couple itself, as well as to the children. One does not have to appeal to religion to instinctively understand this. Yet statistics verify the structure of the traditional family as the approach to raising children that gives the best measurable results. The overwhelming body of social science research agrees that children do best when raised in homes with married, opposite-sex parents. Every child has the right to both a mom and a dad.

Yet we cannot divorce the institution of marriage from its theological roots. We acknowledge that marriage is an institution given by God (Genesis 2:24). The Creator of the Universe established the relationship between a man and a woman, thus it is a divine institution, not a human one. To confer marriage-like rights to gays is not the prerogative of people (Matthew 19:6). This includes civil unions or domestic partnerships, as they are merely marriage by other names. Defining marriage is the prerogative of God. Whatever may tend to undermine the institution of marriage would also undermine the authority of God, as well as hurt society.

Liberals may argue, "Why should we arbitrarily select only heterosexual couples for marriage? What can it hurt if two homosexuals want to marry?" The answer is surprisingly simple. The institution of marriage between a man and a woman is not, in fact, arbitrary. It's purpose is clear and of utmost importance to society.

David Orland in an article entitled "The Deceit of Gay Marriage" puts it very well. He says:

To justify giving privileges or exemptions or subsidies to some particular group in society, the benefit of doing so for society at large must first be shown. With heterosexual marriage, the case is clear enough. Heterosexual marriage is a matter of genuine social interest because the family is essential to society's reproduction. The crux of my argument, in other words, was that married couples receive the benefits they do, not because the state is interested in promoting romantic love, or because the Bible says so or because of the influence of special interest groups but rather because the next generation is something that is and should be of interest to all of us. And, by definition, this is not a case that can be made for homosexual unions. To that degree, the attempt to turn the question of domestic partnership into a debate about fairness falls flat.

The more persistent supporters of domestic partnership will of course respond to this argument by pointing to the case in which homosexual partners adopt children or, in the case of lesbians, undergo artificial insemination. The intention here is to show that the nuclear family is found even among homosexual couples and that, to that extent, homosexual unions do indeed meet the same criterion of social interest as heterosexual ones and thus should be granted legal status. It is a weak argument and one that ultimately back-fires on those who employ it. This is for two reasons:

First, adoption by homosexual couples is still exceedingly rare and the law-though many are surprised to learn this-is aimed at the general case. To confer legal benefits on the entire class of would-be homosexual spouses just because some very small minority of this class approximates the pattern of the nuclear family would be a bit like admitting all applicants to a select university on the grounds that a few of them had been shown to meet the entrance requirements.

Second, the right of this small minority to the benefits of marriage is dubious in the extreme. Homosexual "families" of whatever type are always and necessarily parasitic on heterosexual ones.

Every child has the right to a mom and a dad. See 5 Reasons Why Same-Sex Marriage Harms Children.

But homosexuals not only want fair treatment, they are pushing for "Super Rights." According to Paul Cameron of the Family Research Institute:

"Every member of society has a duty to contribute to the commonwealth. Yet the empirical evidence indicates that those who engage in homosexuality

1) contribute less and cost more in goods and services,

2) disproportionately disrupt social functioning, and

3) have few children while being more apt to harm them.

Thus, homosexual practioners not only fail to 'pay for their keep,' but by their negative influence on children, cloud society's future.

Those who engage in homosexuality seek what they say are 'gay rights." In reality, they are demanding Super Rights. Super Rights are those privileges that allow one to ovverride the inalienable rights of other citizens, such as freedom of speech and association. These Super Rights-which are conferred by 'non-discrimination,' 'hate crime,' and 'hate speech' laws-allow homosexuals, if they so choose, to endanger or punish those who would exercise their associational rights to avoid them or protect their children from them.

As an example, empirical studies to date indicate that a male teacher who practices homosexuality is the most likely kind of teacher to sexually molest students. A principal knowing this may not want to hire a teacher who declares his homosexual interests. But if that teacher wants the job, his Super Rights trump the associational rights of the principal as well as the right of students not to experience extra risk (especially since safety is part of their right to life).

Parents renting out one side of their duplex may not want to place their children at risk by renting to a gay couple. But if-even on a whim - the homosexuals want the duplex, their Super Rights trump the property and associational rights of the parents as well as their children's right not to be exposed to potential molestation.

The Super Rights of homosexual practitioners also squelch the right of others to freedom of speech. If a broadcaster opines that homosexual sex is dangerous, but a homosexual finds such speech 'offensive,' his Super Rights trump the broadcaster's freedom of speech and the broadcaster may be fined or imprisoned."

The concept of hate crimes seems particularly reprehensible. If one of your (heterosexual) loved ones is the object of a despicable crime, the perpetrator would receive a lesser punishment than someone who committed the same act against someone who practices homosexual sex!

The issue of special rights for homosexuals hinges in part on the notion that the trait is genetic. To date there is no credible evidence to support this view, though many have been searching for a gay gene for years. There have been three "studies" which were once cited to suggest an inherited homosexual trait, but all three have been scientifically discredited. (One of these was the 1991 study by Simon LeVay. Another was a study by J.M. Baily and R.C. Pillard in 1991. The third was the Dean Hamer study in 1993.) See Born Gay Hoax.

The medical and scientific evidence suggest that indeed, there is no such thing as "homosexuality," in the sense of genetic determination. Indeed, some in the homosexual community are now acknowledging that there is no "gay gene." See Activist Acknowledgment.

Those who insist on a genetic cause must answer an obvious question. Whenever we hear of someone who says that so-and-so was "born gay," we ask, "Which parent did he inherit his homosexuality from?" Obviously, homosexuals do not propogate themselves. Wouldn't natural selection have eleminated any gene that resisted propogation from the population?

Then what does cause homosexual tendencies? Many who have counselled people who practice homosexuality are convinced that in most cases there has been a serious and extreme loss of confidence in one's own manhood (or womanhood). This may have been the result of extremely detached parenting (especially from the father), from some other person who had a major influence at a young age, childhood sexual encounters, etc.

There may be other factors involved. For example, a boy may not have the talent or inclination to be successful in athletics, for which a high view is placed in our society. So, he may infer from this that he is not manly enough. Or, here is a man who testifies that it was gay pornography that led him into the lifestyle: Testimony

But some admit the reason they got into the homosexual lifestyle was simply because of its availability. More and more, representatives of the gay community are acknowledging that homosexual behavior is simply a choice. Gareth Kirkby of Xtra West, a gay publication, said that there is no longer any need to lie about it. He admits that he freely chose the lifestyle. See also Queer by Choice.

Those in the gay lifestyle can and do come out of it. Various studies show that success rates of those wanting to leave the lifestyle range from 30% to 70%. It is, no doubt, difficult to leave the lifestyle. One reason it is so difficult is because of its addictive nature. For stories of those who have left the homosexual lifestyle, see the Exodus International link at the bottom of this article.

Even if it were shown that there is a genetic component to homosexuality, that would still not make it right. Compare, for example, alcoholism. It is generally believed that there is an inherited tendency for alcoholism. But that inherited tendency does not condone the behavior, nor does one who inherits the trait necessarily become addicted to alcohol. Society tries to compassionately help those caught in that addiction. While difficult, many people inflicted with alcoholism are successful in reforming their lives.

All human beings are faced with sexual temptation of some sort during their lifetime. Homosexual attractions and temptations are not exempted, just as adultery is not exempted from being sinful behavior. As heterosexuals, we argue that we ourselves have a tendency-which we are certain is genetically inherited-to want to cheat on our spouse. This desire is quite strong. Yet we do not act on this desire and are able to suppress it.

Many young people go through a normal period of examining their sexuality. If during this period society tells them that homosexual conduct is okay, they may be encouraged to try it. This experimentation may lead to a lifestyle that would not otherwise occur if the cultural mandate were not present.

Around a third of gays, and many lesbians, say that they were "seduced," "molested," or persuaded by either formal or informal association into becoming participants in homosexuality. Many males who engage in same-sex sex claim they were "made compulsively homosexual" by seduction/molestation.

Probably at least a third of children raised by a homosexual parent also take up the practice.

A boy raised through teen years in a city is three times more apt to engage in homosexuality than a boy raised in rural areas.

We also refer the reader to The Born Gay Hoax.

Today's society is lying to us about homosexuality. We are told that it is biblical-clearly incorrect. We are told that it is genetic-no evidence for it. And we are told that it can be a beautiful and loving lifestyle-wrong again.

Statistics show that homosexual behavior is marked by death, disease, disappointment, promiscuity, perversity, addiction, and misery. The real threat to persons in the homosexual lifestyle does not seem to be discrimination, but physical devastation.

Please note-the purpose of our web site is to present the testimony and evidence as best we know it. The statistics below are harsh. If you have contrary evidence, we would be glad for you to provide it. Here are a few of the available statistics:

The best available evidence indicates that those practicing homosexual behavior have a 20% to 30% shorter life expectancy than the rest of the population, not even accounting for death from AIDS.

25% to 33% of people in the homosexual lifestyle are alcoholics compared to 7% in the general population.

Most people in the homosexual lifestyle are loving and caring. But we cannot merely sweep under the rug the statistics that indicate that homosexuals are 16 times more likely than heterosexuals to molest a child and 15 times more likely to murder.

In addition to increased molestation, empirical research shows that children of a homosexual couple have more frequent harms such as social difficulties, emotional turmoil, gender role disruption, etc.

For further statistics, see the educational pamphlet Medical Consequences of What Homosexuals Do. (This pamphlet, as well as others available from the Family Research Institute, are excellent to distribute at your workplace if you are forced to attend an indoctrination on homosexuality!) They are available at this website:

Family Research Institute

The pathology of homosexual practice gives the reason for many of the ravages of this lifestyle. In a 1991 paper by James Holsinger Jr, a physician nominated for the post of Surgeon General, explained that the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems are fully complementary. But the rectum is incapable of mechanical protection against severe damage. Not only is the rectum not lubricated, but the anal sphincters are designed for only the outward passage of objects.

Holsinger stated, "From the perspective of pathology and pathophysiology, the varied sexual practices of homosexual men have resulted in a diverse and expanded concept of sexually transmitted disease and associated trauma." Among items in a long list of problems listed by Holsinger are these: enteric diseases (infections from a variety of viruses and bacteria including a very high incidence of amoebiasis, giardiasis, and hepatitis, etc.), trauma (fecal incontinence, anal fissure, rectosigmoid tears, chemical sinusitis, etc.), sexually trasmitted diseases (AIDS, gonorrhea, simplex infections, genital warts, scabies, etc.).

The following link is an open admission from a homosexual male regarding the norm in this lifestyle: Self Destruction.

Homosexual activists and often the uninformed media leave us with the impression that the gay lifestyle is filled with love and tenderness. No doubt this is often true. But statistics, again, show another reality.

Life-long monogamy is nearly non-existent among those in a homosexual lifestyle, including those who profess to be "married." Promiscuity is rampant. Many contacts are between strangers with 70% of gays estimating that they had sex only once with over half of their partners. Various studies indicate that gays average somewhere between 10 and 110 different sex partners per year. A 1981 study found that only 2% of homosexuals could be classified as monogamous or even semi-monogamous (having 10 or fewer lifetime sexual partners.)

Gay researchers McWhirter and Mattison studied 156 gay male couples whose relationship lasted from 1 to 37 years. They found that all the couples whose relationships lasted more than 5 years incorporated some provision for outside sexual activity. There was not a single long-term monogamous couple.

Gay marriage has been legal in the Netherlands long enough to gather data on it. A 2003 study found the average duration of "steady" male partnerships to range from .75 to 2.25 years. These "steady" relationships had an average of 8 casual partners in addition to the significant other each year.

The sin of promiscuity is an aspect of heterosexual behavior as well. But statistics indicate that it is a far greater factor in the gay lifestyle.

It can be said with impunity that what advocates of gay marriage really want is not just marriage rights. They want a world without any sexual inhibitions or limitations.

Many people in the homosexual lifestyle are saying that what they want is acceptance. But those who have counselled homosexuals say that they often reveal a deeper desire of wanting out of the problem.

What does our compassion as Christians demand? Our concern is marked by a broken-hearted grieving over the condition of the sinner. Shouldn't our mercy and love be to help bring the lives of everyone into conformity with the will of God? The evidence supports our confidence that God's commands are not arbitrary, but that they are for our own good. Studies consistenly support the idea that, on average, those persons who are living a biblical lifestyle have happier, more successful, and healthier lives than those who do not. This includes having a more satifying sex life!

If you are caught up in the homosexual lifestyle, we suggest to you that the loss of confidence in your gender was probably from someone who convinced you of such. But God does not see you that way! He sees you as the man (or woman) that he made you. If you have a problem, it is one of authority.

Jesus changes people from the inside out. There is no hope for a broken world or a broken life other than through Jesus. Through Jesus, there is hope for us all.

God loves each of us no matter how often and blatantly we have sinned against him and our fellow man. He loves us so much that he wants what is best for us. God does not lower his standards just because we fail so often. God provides perfection and pardon for us through his Son, Jesus Christ.

To learn more see our Christian Cram Course.

Religion-phobe Barry Lynn is at it again, getting in his final dig at pastors before the November 4 election. His Americans United for the Separation of Church and State dropped a 100,000-piece mailing this week to churches, threatening them to stay silent on moral issues-or else. The scare tactic is a favorite of Lynn's, whose purpose is to undermine pastors' constitutional rights to speak about moral issues from the pulpit. With just days to go before voters decide a host of important ballot initiatives, American United is doing its best to frighten clergy. This week, the organization called for an IRS investigation of Bishop Arthur Serratelli, who wrote a passionate article about the dangers of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). Although Bishop Serratelli was well within his rights to comment, Lynn is accusing him of denouncing Sen. Barack Obama, who has pledged to make FOCA his first priority. Accurate guidance on the law for pastors can be found on the Alliance Defense Fund's great website at www.telladf.org/church.

Additional Resources:
ADF's Guidance for Pastors
USA Today: Group asks IRS to investigate Catholic bishop against Obama

"It really is what we call a teachable moment," argued Liz Jaroflow, the interim director of a local California charter school. This is how she and other administrators rationalize the decision to take a class of impressionable first graders on a field trip to their teachers' lesbian "wedding." At the suggestion of a parent, Jaroflow herded the five- and six-year-olds onto a bus during school hours last Friday and surprised Erin Carder and Kerri McCoy at City Hall. Now the unorthodox excursion is putting San Francisco's school district at the center of a national debate on counterfeit marriage. When asked what educational value the trip had, Jaroflow pointed to the "historical significance of same-sex marriage" and "civil rights." "...[I]t's not controversial..." she told reporters. "It's certainly an issue I would be willing to put my job on the line for." Whether or not the district will ask her to do so is unclear. According to the Chronicle, Jaroflow did ask for parents' permission, and two families opted out. Across California, however, voters are in disbelief. The trip, a disgraceful abuse of school time, is just a preview of the indoctrination to come if Proposition 8 fails. Ironically, this happened just days after "No on 8" launched ads last week claiming same-sex "marriage" would not be taught in schools, no matter what the outcome on November 4. Not only will it be taught, it's obvious that the lessons are already underway! On the Chronicle's site, editors posted a video of these first-graders celebrating their teachers' big day. View the video for a snapshot of what homosexual "marriage" will mean for children across America.

That's a pretty sad song Clay Aiken and Ray Boltz are singing. Their "coming out" is seen by many as a cause for celebration. But my wife and I are not celebrating. We have both repented of this sexual sin. We belong to Jesus Christ, and we rely on His Word.

When I was thirty eight years old, I was informed my father had AIDS. I discovered that he had had a secret life for decades. Once having learned this, much of his misery, his desperate drinking, and his fear and anger began to make sense. My father sobered up in his later years, went to a psychiatrist who convinced him homosexuality was normal, and died of AIDS in the late 1980s. He was in a coma the last three days, and I hold to the hope that Christ came to him.

While I hadn't known about my father's secret sin, he never knew about mine. In the early 1990s, I traveled to New York, prepared to fully commit myself to a lifestyle I never did feel right about. I could not seem to escape it. It was a demonic dimension of drag queens, transsexual bars, and drug and alcohol drenched nightclubs. While I am not purposely trying to provoke anyone, neither am I going to deny there is something very strong and very evil behind our nation's ever-escalating celebration of sexual perversion.

The Lord in His mercy sent a Christian couple to the shelter where I was staying. They knew exactly what I was up to, and ministered powerfully to me. For years the Lord helped me as I fought this thing.

Until now, I have given my testimony and told how the Lord delivered me from being addicted to alcohol, heroin, and life on the streets. I have always been ashamed of the sexual sin that I have committed, and the enemy has used this as a weapon. So I have stayed silent, fearing rejection from my fellow believers.

My wife has waited patiently for me. "Hurry up," she says, "let's get on with it." There is hope in Christ, and she is not ashamed. Time is short-and how times have changed. People are growing up being told that any kind of sexual sin is perfectly normal. Homosexuality and other offenses unto God are celebrated. We are truly in the time spoken about in Isaiah 5:20: Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

As His people, there must be no backing down. Homosexuality is sin, and all the sit-coms and pro-gay movies in the world cannot change that. Sin is sin, and it is appalling how some Christians ignore unmarried heterosexuals who attend church but blatantly live together. Know anybody like this?

Despite the world's celebration of homosexuality, many do not want to be in such bondage. Here are some blunt but very encouraging words. According to 1 Corinthians 6:9-11:

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.

I don't have all the answers. But I know the One who does.