PART IV – CHOICE OR COMPULSION
Much of the agenda of the radical Gay movement rests on the argument that being gay, is not a choice, but rather a compulsion. It is, ‘Who they are’. God / nature, made them this way. Once this premise is accepted, it is easy to argue that this is much like the Civil Rights struggle of the ‘60’s. This is how they justify the full acceptance of their practices by the culture. But is this foundational premise true?
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1993 was a banner year for the homosexual movement! In July, Science Magazine claimed a genetic cause for homosexuality. The mainstream media; NY Times, NPR et al, picked up the chorus.[i] The implications were potentially enormous. If homosexuality indeed had a genetic cause, then “gayness” was something akin to skin color or gender, – like being born black, or a woman, – and equality and acceptance was demanded on that basis. Immediately, ‘Gayness’ became a civil rights issue. There would be no moral reason to prefer heterosexuality to sodomy. If homosexuality was a condition, a state of being, rather than a behavior or a choice, – then the moral basis of discrimination would be totally destroyed. That study, by geneticist Dean Hamer of the National Cancer Institute came on the heels of research that showed that the brains of homosexual cadavers differed from those of a supposed hetero population.[ii] Giddy times were those! But, alas, they didn’t last.
The idea of a ‘gay gene’ began to blow up almost immediately. Four months after its original publication, Science Magazine ran a scathing critique of Hamer’s study, pointing out flaws in assumptions, and statistics.[iii] Other follow up studies began to undermine the results of the study’s reported claims. Dr. Hamer’s research had purportedly pinpointed a genetic link on the q28 region of the X chromosome of gay men.[iv] By 1999, a much larger study, attempting to reproduce the results of the Hamer study at Western Ontario and Stanford Universities, had instead reversed his results. Instead they came to the conclusion that the “…results do not support an X-linked gene underlying male homosexuality”. There was no gene “…influencing sexual orientation at position Xq28”.[v] Even Dr Hamer himself, has been clarifying his position since his study came out. Just a year after his ‘landmark research,’ Hamer was saying that complex behavioral traits, such as homosexuality, were the result of the interplay between genetic and environmental agents.[vi] Even ‘gay researchers’ joined the good doctor in that retreat.
Despite the wishful squealing of the popular media, Dr Hamer was just confirming what geneticists already knew. In 1993, Columbia University had conducted a comprehensive review of the results of 135 research projects on the subject. Dr Jeffrey Santinover summarized the results. The study found that “…there is no evidence at present to substantiate that biological factors are the primary basis for sexual orientation”.[vii] By 1995 Dr Hamer was admitting in Scientific American that “…half or more of the variability in sexual orientation is not inherited.”[viii] Even the discoverer of the ‘gay gene’ was admitting that sexual orientation is not fixed at birth. Santinover summed up the truth of the matter. “There is no evidence that shows that homosexuality is genetic – and none of the research claims that it is.”[ix]
So if it is not genetic, what does cause homosexuality? The general consensus is that it is influenced by the complex interaction of multiple factors including; – genetic, psychological, hormonal, social, early childhood experiences and “juvenile sexual rehearsal play.”[x] The American Psychological Association, which removed homosexuality from its lists of disorders back in 1973, attributes the condition to “…biological, psychological and social factors”.[xi] Recent research has confirmed that same-sex-attraction is the product of a mix of factors. Research conducted by Dr Tuck C Ngun, again confirmed a biological component – but also that an assortment of factors go into the recipe. Dr Ngun found that “from a mere nine regions of the human genome can predict the sexual orientation of males with up to 70 percent accuracy. This suggests that environmental factors that switch genes on and off and affect how cells read genes may have a significant influence on human sexuality, both heterosexual and homosexual. These environmental influences have not been identified but they may include hormones, chemical exposure, stress, diet, exercise, childhood interactions, peer pressure and social values.”[xii] Santinover again, writing in his book Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth, acknowledges the mix of genetic, intrauterine and childhood influences, yet believes that in the end it comes down to a “…series of repeatedly reinforced choices occurring at critical phases of development.”[xiii]
There is that ugly word: “Choice.” This is probably the most resisted notion of the Gay Lobby; – the idea that being gay is in any way a choice. Perhaps this is best illustrated in the positively violent reaction of the homosexual community to the notion that anyone can change their orientation. Because, – if people can change their behavior, – then it is not determined by our genes – therefore it is not like “being black” – therefore the whole notion of a ‘civil rights’ struggle becomes severely undermined. Perhaps that is what explains the near mobbing of a group of Christians attending a gay festival in Philadelphia in 2005. It could also explain the homosexual mobs that harassed, intimidated and tried to shut down a Focus on the Family Conference on recovering from homosexuality, held in Boston that same year. Gay protesters screamed, waved signs, took close up pictures of conference attendees and chanted “Shut it down” and “1-2-3-4- Open up the closet door – 5-6-7-8- Don’t assume your kids are straight,” – amplifying their protests with a sound truck to interfere with the conference going inside a the Boston Baptist Church.[xiv] The self-identified LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community realizes the damage that the notion of anyone leaving the gay lifestyle does to their cause. If people living the gay lifestyle, can with effort and prayer – leave that way of life – it becomes self-evident that homosexuality is just a choice, just a behavior. The gay community intrinsically realized that behavior does have a moral component.
Now the Bible puts the moral component first and foremost. All sin is the result of glorifying ‘the self” over God. Paul puts it thus: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools… Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another… 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.” (Romans 1:21-22, 24, 26-27)
Perhaps most damaging to the homosexual cause are the hundreds of ex-gays that have successfully changed their sexual orientation and are now living heterosexual lives. Some of the most damning research in this area comes from Robert Spitzer, who was once a hero of the LGBT community. He was a prime force in removing homosexuality from the APA’s list of mental illnesses back in the 70’s. Spitzer studied 200 subjects, 143 men and 57 women, who claimed to have changed their sexual orientation. After studying the subjects, he found that nearly all of the participants had substantially changed “core aspects” of their sexuality, “…not merely overt behavior.” Summarizing, Spitzer claims, “This study provides evidence that some gay men and lesbians are able to also change the core features of sexual orientation.” Of course, he realizes that this is a controversial position in the gay community. Radical-Gaydom is staunchly opposed to even offering this sort of orientation changing therapy – even to those that seek to change. Still he defends the rights of individuals “bothered by their sexuality” to receive the therapy.[xv] The fact is that study after study shows that “sexual identity” is a fluid concept. Researchers from Columbia U. concluded that “The assertion that homosexuality is genetic is so reductionist that it must be dismissed out of hand.”[xvi] Spitzer weighs in, saying that any hangover notion to the contrary is due to “…a gay activist group that’s very strong and very vocal,” and exists with the nodding approval of the American Psychiatric Association.[xvii]
But the LGBT community has not taken all of this lying down. The push-back has been enormous. They reject all claims that they have choice and have campaigned – sometimes successfully – to even prevent those who wish to change their sexual orientation from receiving professional help. In California, it has been illegal for licensed mental health professionals to help teens who wish to change their homosexual orientation. For the purposes of the law, Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) were defined as “any practices by mental health providers that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation. This includes efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.” Now the California legislature wants to go one farther. They now wish to extend the prohibitions to adults, with “a bill making any efforts to help people change their sexual orientation or gender identity illegal under laws against fraudulent business practices.” They are doing so under a consumer protection law that defines such efforts as “unfair or deceptive acts or practices….[involving]…. the sale or lease of goods or services.”[xviii] [So would goods and services include books that provided a path to freedom from the lifestyle? Would it include the Bible? Would it include church services where the pastor read passages of Scripture that pointed out the sinfulness of the practice?]
Despite their claims that sexual orientation is immutable, thousands of ex-gays living in long-term heterosexual relationships, gives the lie to that claim. Some examples: “Rosaria Champagne Butterfield was a feminist English professor involved in a lesbian relationship. While researching the ‘Religious Right,’ she began reading the Bible” and eventually gave her life to Christ. Charlene Hios, is another who left lesbianism and is now in ministry. “Matt Moore is a Christian writer who tells about his struggles with homosexuality – including a very public fall and restoration.” Jeff Johnston struggled with homosexuality and found help through counseling.[xix] But not all are successful – and the Left loves to trumpet the failures who go back into the lifestyle. But search on line and you can find hundreds of successes.
The data of Robert Goetze’s ongoing research project quantifies those successes. He has identified at least 31 studies where change in sexual orientation has been quantified.[xx] Perhaps it is best summed up by the report “This is the Way God Made Me” A Scientific Examination of Homosexuality and the “Gay Gene” It concludes, “…there are sufficient data to indicate that an individual can change his or her sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual—something that would be an impossibility if homosexuality were caused by genetics.”[xxi] And this is bad news for the radical-gay community; It takes it out of the realm of ‘civil rights’ and into the area of choice and behavior, – where the Bible has squarely put it. Paul concludes his thought on moral responsibility for all sin with this sobering thought: “Therefore you have no excuse!” (Romans 2:1)
[i] Dr Jeffrey Santinover, The Gay Gene, Focus on the Family
[ii] 1991 study by former Salk Institute researcher Simon LeVay, as quoted in The Gay Gene, Going Going …Gone, Yvette C. Schneider, a former Lesbian working for the Family Research Council
[iii] Dr Jeffrey Santinover, The Gay Gene, Focus on the Family
[iv] Dr Jeffrey Santinover, The Gay Gene, Focus on the Family
[v] George Rice, et al., Male Homosexuality: Absence of Linkage to Microsatellite Markers
at Xq28, Science 284 (1999), pg 665-667, as quoted in Yvette C Schneider,
The Gay Gene: Going, Going…Gone
[vi] Taken from a 1994 issue of Science Magazine devoted to behavioral genetics, as
paraphrased in Dr Jeffrey Santinover,
The Gay Gene, Focus on the Family
[vii] Dr Jeffrey Santinover, The Gay Gene, Focus on the Family, summarizing the results from
William Byrne and Bruce Parsons, Human Sexual Orientation: The Biological Theories
Reappraised, Columbia U., 1993
[viii] Gay Genes Revisited:…, Scientific American, November 1995
[ix] Jeffrey Santinover, The Journal of Human Sexuality, 1996, pg 8
[x] Simon LeVay, Queer Science, MIT Press, 1996, pg 273
[xi] Answers to Your Questions About Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality, American Psychological Association
[xii] Peter Tatchell, ‘Gay gene’ debunked? Environment influences sexuality, Pressenza, October 12, 2015
[xiii] J Santinover MD, Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth, 1996
[xiv] Activists ‘terrorize’ ex-‘gay’ conference…., World Net Daily, November 2, 2005
[xv] Cure for homosesuality…, World Net Daily, October 6, 2003
[xvi] Friedman and Downey, as quoted by A. Dean Byrd, Homosexuality: The Essentialist Argument Continues to Erode,
National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality
[xvii] Friedman and Downey, as quoted by A. Dean Byrd, Homosexuality: The Essentialist Argument Continues to Erode,
National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality
[xviii] California Passes ‘Barbaric Anti-Choice’ Bill to Silence Questioning on LGBT Issues, PJ Media, August 17, 2018
[xix] Do People Change from Homosexuality? Hundreds of Stories of Hope and Transformation (Part I), Focus on the Family,
Viewed August 22, 2018
[xx] Goetze quoted in “This is the Way God Made Me” A Scientific Examination of
Homosexuality and the “Gay Gene”, Brad Harrub, Ph.D. and Bert Thompson, Ph.D. and
Dave Miller, Ph.D. © 2003 Apologetics Press
[xxi] Goetze quoted in “This is the Way God Made Me” A Scientific Examination of Homosexuality and the “Gay Gene,”
Brad Harrub, Ph.D. and Bert Thompson, Ph.D. and Dave Miller, Ph.D. © 2003 Apologetics Press
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