It’s Genetic!

When Christians involve themselves in discussions of homosexuality, usually a couple things happen: (1) there is a failure to distinguish between homosexuality as a disposition and homosexual acts and (2) people view it as some sort of argument to assert that, since homosexuality must have a genetic origin, it's acceptable and an orthodox reading of Scripture on the 'homosexual issue' is errant. Well to answer, (1) Scripture condemns homosexual acts and thus (2) appealing to one's genes is neither here nor there.

To begin, a video by Ravi Zacharias on the acceptance of homosexuality within Christianity: is it possible to live a Christian life and be homosexual? As well, William Lane Craig's podcast on how one can be Christian and homosexual:

What many Christians will disagree with (at least in my experience) is this notion that there should be a distinction created between homosexuality and homosexual acts. Surely, they decry, Scripture speaks against homosexuality! One might begin by appealing to Matthew 5:28, "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." In one such discussion I recently came across someone who did appeal to Matthew 5:28, asking if homosexuality, "is it a state of mind or heart? As in, I'm not gay, just gay at heart? To be gay or homosexual at heart would mean you have to think it, this scripture be appropriate (Matthew 5:28), and change woman to a man. There is gay or not gay and no in the middle, because we all believe being gay is a sin." This view, however, is plainly mistaken. Matthew 5:28 no more speaks against homosexual temptation anymore than it speaks of heterosexual temptation. If, by Matthew 5:28 homosexuality is wrong (the disposition, not simply it's actions) then by the same standard so too is heterosexuality wrong. It would be committing the same error even if one appealed to Proverbs 23:7. Even if we all believed 'being gay is a sin' were committing two errors: (1) failing to create a distinction between a homosexual disposition and (2) misinterpreting scripture.

If we look at what Scripture says regarding homosexuality, we will find consistent condemnation of homosexual behavior, not simply 'being gay'. Leviticus 18:22 says that it's an abomination for a man to lie with another man as one would lie with a woman. Leviticus 20:13 and Genesis 19 (Sodom and Gomorrah) say much of the same. In the new testament we have 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:10 and Romans 1:24-28. However, in all of these instances we find much the same condemnation as found in Leviticus 18:22. The simple fact of the matter is that even if one is heterosexual, one can still partake in homosexual acts. Furthermore, the ancient world probably only knew acts, not the modern phenomenon of 'dispositions'.

To clarify some of the above, then, when I say Scripture condemns homosexual acts, and when I say I agree with Zacharias that one can be homosexual and a Spirit filled Christian, what I'm saying, then, in the words of William Lane Craig, is that, "I'm taking homosexuality to be an orientation or inclination of one's sexual desires. Someone who is heterosexual is attracted sexually to members of the opposite sex; someone who is homosexual is attracted sexually to members of the same sex. So my sentence meant that it's possible to be sexually attracted to members of one's own sex and yet be a Spirit-filled Christian". Furthermore, genetic or not, nature is fallen.

One of the major errors of society comes in defining oneself as heterosexual or homosexual. That this in some way constitutes ones identity; if I did not identify myself by my 'sexual orientation' then I would be lying to myself, or at least not being true to myself.  On the suggestion of Craig, it is most likely better to simply acknowledge one's attraction, but not as being constitutive of one's identity.

If we bring this back to the Scripture above, then one must realize a very basic thing. Whether I have a homosexual or heterosexual disposition, I must still choose to act upon that disposition, thus Scripture's condemnation of the act, rather than the 'disposition'. Consider for a minute the argument that homosexuality is genetic, would we likewise use this argument when speaking of an alcoholic? Of course not! An alcoholic may have a strong disposition towards alcohol, but they are not inclined to indulge that disposition, in fact, he is expected to deny that disposition!

In the end, however, make no mistake: one cannot be a practicing homosexual and a Spirit filled believer, or even a follower of Jesus. If one has a proclivity towards homosexuality, one must deny that proclivity.