Biological basis for homosexuality vs. The Church

[cheerful_deviant]

Posted without comment for now:

Baptist sparks furor with article on gays
He talks of biological basis for homosexuality as well as prenatal treatment
The Associated Press
Updated: 6:06 p.m. ET March 14, 2007

NEW YORK - The president of the leading Southern Baptist seminary has incurred sharp attacks from both the left and right by suggesting that a biological basis for homosexuality may be proven, and that prenatal treatment to reverse gay orientation would be biblically justified.

The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., one of the country's pre-eminent evangelical leaders, acknowledged that he irked many fellow conservatives with an article earlier this month saying scientific research "points to some level of biological causation" for homosexuality.

Proof of a biological basis would challenge the belief of many conservative Christians that homosexuality — which they view as sinful — is a matter of choice that can be overcome through prayer and counseling.

However, Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., was assailed even more harshly by gay-rights supporters. They were upset by his assertion that homosexuality would remain a sin even if it were biologically based, and by his support for possible medical treatment that could switch an unborn gay baby's sexual orientation to heterosexual.

Full Story

Albert Moler's website. (The article in question is about 1/3 of the way down the blogs. Dated 03/02/07)

 

[Boota]

This is known as the "fuck all y'all" approach.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

This is known as the "fuck all y'all" approach.

It does seem to be a bit of a shot across the bow of both camps, doesn't it?

 

[SeaCat]

When he goes to hell I hope he is locked into a cell with simalcrums of his boyfriends, all of whom have no bodily orifices.

Cat

 

[Stella_Omega]

I don't give a fuck if it's biological or not- it still isn't a sin.

Baptists don't have a monopoly on loonies, but they sure have more than their fair share!

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Just as I thought. The church leaders are mutants

 

[rgraham666]

Nah. Human beings have enormously pliable minds.

So it's not surprising the strange shapes they end up in sometimes.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I was thinking something along the lines of
Teenage Mutant Ninja Jehovah's Witnesses

 

[cumallday]

While he's at it, he should use his vast scientific knowledge to help prove God doesn't exist. Seriously, who the fuck trusts their science from a preacher? And a Southern Baptist no less! My apologies to any southern baptists in the room.

 

[cumallday]

I lied! I apologize for nothing!

 

[English Lady]

Sin is serious business for a Christian and when it's been indoctrinasted into you that something is a sin, it's hard to get awa from the mindset.

I used to think being gay was a sin. As a teen I was part of that band wagon. It's not natural, we all said, you can't reproduce doing it that way we all said.

It wasn't until I fell in love and lust and that whole shebang that I realised making babies isn't what it's all about and that love is beautiful, hoever it's between. I'm kinda flexible, as is my mum, my Christian role model. I've re-educated myself and I believe that love between anyone is a beautiful, God Blessed event.

I can understand why these people try to justify their predjudices, it's easier than coming out (pun not intended *L*) and saying they got it wrong -that'd be a blow to their pride and to the trust people hold in them.

The whole fact we're human and totally flawed and constantly getting it wrong seems not to register with some. Not a vicar, priest, Pope or Nun is perfect -we all get things wrong and I just wish we could be more humble and accepting of that. Instead of making stuff up to cover our asses for believes we've held that are later proven to be wrong.

I'll pray with all my heart for some revelation for this guy -but threats and insults will only make him cling on to this idea all the more strongly. I can't disown him for believing something different to me as much as I'd like to. He (as far as I know) is a Christian too, and we've got to stick together, it's in the handbook *grins* I'll pray he realises that Love one another means everyone and that our place is not to judge but to love - in fact, I'll pray big for a revival of love in the Christian faith -it certainly needs it.

 

[Liar]

Gays are like beards, some researchers suggest.

One of the things that is said about homosexuality is that it can't be genetic, because gays are less likely to breed, so they would have genetically been weeded out. The latest thing I've read about in evolutionary science in a Swedish popular science mag might answer that - scientists are beginning to look at the genom and hereditary traits of a herd as a whole instead of an individual. Nobody have isolated a gay gene, but it seems like whithin a group with some organisation, homosexuality has a function - a certain percentage of the herd that are less preoccupied with the multiplying part and can focus on other things that are beneficiary for the group. A natural function.

These days we have evolved from herds to societies, so that herd mechanism isn't as important anymore, the article said. Will that mean gayness will fade away eventually? Dunno. But either way it's suggested that it has a natural, logical biological cause.

So it's like beards, and body hair in general. For the survival of the spieces, it's kind of redundant these days, when we have clothes and stuff. And still, blokes grow beards, sideburns and moustaches. No more or less dramatic, harms absolutely nobody, and makes society a little more less homogenic.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Sin is serious business for a Christian and when it's been indoctrinasted into you that something is a sin, it's hard to get awa from the mindset.

I used to think being gay was a sin. As a teen I was part of that band wagon. It's not natural, we all said, you can't reproduce doing it that way we all said.

It wasn't until I fell in love and lust and that whole shebang that I realised making babies isn't what it's all about and that love is beautiful, hoever it's between. I'm kinda flexible, as is my mum, my Christian role model. I've re-educated myself and I believe that love between anyone is a beautiful, God Blessed event.

I can understand why these people try to justify their predjudices, it's easier than coming out (pun not intended *L*) and saying they got it wrong -that'd be a blow to their pride and to the trust people hold in them.

The whole fact we're human and totally flawed and constantly getting it wrong seems not to register with some. Not a vicar, priest, Pope or Nun is perfect -we all get things wrong and I just wish we could be more humble and accepting of that. Instead of making stuff up to cover our asses for believes we've held that are later proven to be wrong.

I'll pray with all my heart for some revelation for this guy -but threats and insults will only make him cling on to this idea all the more strongly. I can't disown him for believing something different to me as much as I'd like to. He (as far as I know) is a Christian too, and we've got to stick together, it's in the handbook *grins* I'll pray he realises that Love one another means everyone and that our place is not to judge but to love - in fact, I'll pray big for a revival of love in the Christian faith -it certainly needs it.

As a non-Christian, I'll heartily second everything you said.

As a non-Christian, I don't much care about changing this guy's mind, I don't think it can be done; He's invested himself in it. Science is full of people like him. But I will ridicule him and his ideas, and I will join in any action that will prevent him form handing out his barbarity on innocent lives. That would be practical measures, not prayer...

 

[English Lady]

...That would be practical measures, not prayer...

I'm not going to get into an argument over the practicality and effectiveness of prayer but I just want to say that I personally prefer it to ridicule and I believe in it's power and effectiveness.