Homosexuality

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Conflicting concepts of homosexuality:

There are six common viewpoints about the causes of, nature of, and appropriate response to homosexuality.

Described below are two extreme belief systems about homosexuality that are frequently heard in the media, often to the exclusion of intermediate beliefs. They have not been named, so we suggest the terms "traditional" and "progressive:"

The traditional view:

Many religious conservatives, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or other, believe that homosexuality is a behavior that is chosen at or after puberty. It is changeable, abnormal, unnatural, and hated by God. It is typically caused during childhood by inadequate parenting, and/or childhood sexual abuse. Most view homosexuality as a mental illness, a spiritually sinful state, and/or an addiction. Being a disordered state, homosexuality often causes depression, other forms of mental illness, suicidal ideation and even completed suicide. 

The Bible has about six passages condemning all forms of homosexual behavior. All are still valid today. To avoid going to Hell, it is vital that each homosexual converts to heterosexuality or remains permanently celibate. Some believe that if one is saved by repenting of their sins and trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit will do this conversion for them. If a conversion does not happen, this may be an indication that the person was not truly saved.

Reparative therapy and/or transformational ministry programs are the two main methods to achieve this conversion. Both have a high success rate; they are safe, but require a consistent, sustained effort.

Progressive view: 

Many religious liberals, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, therapists, human sexuality researchers, a small minority of religious conservatives, and others believe that homosexuality is an orientation that is discovered during childhood or after puberty. It is fixed, and is normal and natural for a minority of people. A homosexual orientation has been shown by studies of identical twins -- who were separated at birth and raised independently -- to be caused by some factor prior to birth -- probably genetic -- and is later triggered by some unknown factor in the environment. It produces symptoms that can be detected by child psychologists when the child is at a pre-school age. Over three and a half decades ago the American Psychiatric Association (APA) determined that homosexual orientation is not a mental illness. Other professional associations of therapists, social workers, and educators subsequently followed the lead of the APA.

However, many gays and lesbians can benefit from Gay Affirmative Therapy (GAT) if they are unduly distressed about their sexual orientation.

The Bible does refer to same-sex sexual behavior:

	The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) condemns rape. both homosexual and heterosexual. It also disapproves of same-sex sexual behavior in Pagan temples.
	The Christian Scriptures (New Testament) condemns heterosexuals engaging in same-sex behavior during Pagan orgies, and men sexually abusing boys. It also condemns bestiality -- men having sex with angels.

However, the Bible is silent about to consensual sex within loving, committed same-sex relationships.

Many gays and lesbians are depressed and even suicidal. However this is not caused directly by their sexual orientation; it is caused indirectly by society's homophobia, which is often internalized by the homosexual into self-hatred.

Reparative therapy is unsafe and ineffective. It can trigger serious depression and even suicide.

It is difficult to imagine two belief systems that could be more mutually exclusive.

Is change happening?:

The short answer is yes and slowly.

On a person to person basis, change is happening.   When a parent learns that their child is gay, the information often triggers a crisis. Their initial reaction is often very negative. However, some parents are able to survive the crisis, to learn about homosexuality, to abandon what they have been taught in the past, and change. Some become enthusiastic advocates for an end to homophobia and in favor of equal rights for persons of all sexual orientations, including the right to marry.   When a gay person comes out of the closet and reveals their sexual orientation to friends and family, many of the latter experience a conflict between the evils of homosexuality that they had been taught and the respect and love that they have to the gay person. Love often wins out. Homophobia seems to thrive in an environment where people view gays and lesbians as a faceless, evil group with an agenda; it weakens when people view homosexuals as hurting individuals. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey in the year 2000 showed that among those who don't know any homosexuals, 68% agreed with the statement "Homosexual behavior is morally wrong." Among those who know a homosexual as a personal friend, the percentage dropped to 47%. 1

Many gays and lesbians are coming out of the closet in school. And so we see an age-related split in North America over homosexuality: Surveys have shown that high school students are becoming far more accepting of homosexuality than are their parents -- and in particular, their grandparents. Polls indicate that support for civil unions and same-sex marriage is steadily increasing, just as support for interracial marriage did during the last decades of the 20th century.

On an organizational basis, change is still happening, but it is proceeding much slower:    A remarkable event happened in 1988 that few Americans know about. The General Council of the United Church of Canada met in Victoria BC to discuss the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians. Hundreds of local study groups had preceded the meeting. About 90% of them opposed ordination. The vast majority of delegates to the Council were similarly opposed, but they came with open minds. They heard the heart wrenching testimonies of a few devout gay and lesbian church members. At the Council, many delegates probably met an openly homosexual person for the first time in their life. They debated little else among themselves. They searched their souls and prayed to learn God's will. Most changed their mind! The resolution passed by a 3:1 margin. A second resolution was also approved. It called for the denomination to fight discrimination against homosexuals both in and beyond the church. Again, change occurred when gay individuals risked censure and homophobia by coming out to others. Unfortunately, the folks back home did not have the advantage of hearing the personal stories of gays and lesbians; the delegates had a lot of explaining to do when they returned to their home towns.  More info.   Gay-positive groups have been organized in most of the larger denominations. 2 The Unitarian Universalist Association was the first large faith group to organize a department of gay and lesbian concerns in the early 1970s. 3 In many other denominations, the groups are independent of the main body. Typical among these is the Reconciling Ministries Network within the United Methodist Church. 4 The Roman Catholic Church has two groups: Dignity that celebrates "...the wholeness and holiness of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Catholics," 5 and the official Courage Apostolate within the Church that attempts to teach chastity and celibacy. 6

Very little dialog is occurring between secular GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual) groups and religious denominations -- particularly those faith groups from the evangelical wing of Christianity and the conservative wings of other religions.

Promoting change:

First one assesses the need for change; then act. We recommend a four step process:

1. If you are affiliated with a religious denomination, study what your faith group has to say about homosexuality. Go to their home page and search out official statements on the topic.
   
2. Go to the home page of a denomination at the opposite end of the conservative-liberal spectrum. If you are a member of the United Church, examine the statements of the Southern Baptist Convention, _7,8,9 or vice-versa. ₁₀
   
3. Talk to some lesbian, gay or bisexual friends. Visit some gay-positive websites. Read a book describing the personal experiences of gays and lesbians. We recommend two books:
    

   	Mitchell Gold and Mindy Drucker, "CRISIS: 40 stories revealing the personal, social and religious pain and trauma by growing up gay in America." 11
   	Jack Rogers, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has written a helpful book called: "Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church." 12

4. Modify your current position, if you feel that is justified, and then ACT.

We maintain a list of events that indicate a cultural shift showing an increase (or decrease) in acceptance of homosexuals and homosexuality in North America.

Our recommendations concerning reparative therapy:

It is our belief that no therapeutic technique, whether recovered memory therapy, therapy for multiple personality disorder, facilitated communications, theophostic counseling, etc. should be widely practiced until after its efficacy and safety are firmly established. People's lives are simply too valuable to risk injury from untested, unevaluated and potentially dangerous therapies.

We strongly recommend caution before entering reparative therapy or similar programs for three reasons.  

	The efficacy and safety of Reparative therapy or Transformational Ministries have not been established by long term studies, and
	There exists considerable anecdotal evidence of extreme depression, suicidal ideation, and completed suicide following such therapies among some clients, and
	A large investment in effort, time and money required by the client.

Unfortunately, the quality of the studies is extremely poor. We desperately need well designed studies that will produce results that both religious conservatives and others will be able to accept. To do less than this is profoundly immoral, and could result in millions of people in real pain, some with suicidal ideation.

References used:

The following information source was used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlink is not necessarily still active today.

1. Cited in David G. Meyers & Letha Dawson Scanzoni, "What God has joined together? A Christian case for gay marriage," HarperSanFrancisco, (2005-JUN), Pages 140 to 147. This is based on a proof version of the book; the page number may be changed in the final published copy. Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store.
2. "Religion and Social Issues by Tradition," Inter-Faith Working Group, at: http://www.iwgonline.org/
3. "Office of Gay Concerns: 1975 business resolution," Unitarian Universalist Association, at:http://www.uua.org/
4. "Reconciling Ministries Network," at: http://www.rmnetwork.org/
5. Dignity USA, at: http://www.dignityusa.org/
6. "Welcome to the Courage Community," at: http://couragerc.net/
7. "Sexuality," Southern Baptist Convention, at: http://www.sbc.net/
8. "Homosexuality: your questions answered," The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, at: http://erlc.com/article/homosexuality-your-questions-answered
9. A search of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission using the search word "homosexual" found 600 references! This is clearly a topic of major importance to the Commission.
10. "We do," Unitarian Universalist Association, at: http://www.uuworld.org/2004/03/feature1.html
11.   Mitchell Gold & Mindy Drucker, "CRISIS: 40 stories revealing the personal, social and religious pain and trauma of growing up gay in America," Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
12.   Jack Rogers, "Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church," Westminster John Knox Press, (2006) Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store

    

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Copyright © 2006 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
Originally written: 2006-NOV-17
Last update and review: 2009-FEB-11
Author: B.A. Robinson

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